Many people insist that there is no God. Many others proclaim that it is self-evident that God exists. The truth is that there is no absolute proof one way or the other. Even those people who have been raised in very religious homes, if they are honest with themselves, have, at some time in their lives, wondered whether God really exists or whether He is merely a product of their own imagination. Though there is a great deal of evidence which points to God’s existence, the evidence only goes so far. After a certain point we must decide whether God is or not, on the basis of faith.
If God exists, why does He not disclose Himself to us in such a way that there can not be any doubt? Why does He give us the choice to believe? The answer tells us something about both God and ourselves.
We need Someone who transcends all of nature and our experience. Would a god whose existence could be proved be worth believing in? If God is no more than we can imagine, how weak and small He would be! If His thoughts were not beyond our understanding, He would be like us. If God is not supernatural, that is beyond what we can measure and count; if He is unable to provide solutions to our problems beyond our own devising, we would have no need of Him. No, if God exists, He must be greater and other than us. In other words, He is beyond our ability to conceive or comprehend. And, what we do not have the capacity to comprehend, we do not have the ability to prove. As the Bible says, “How great is God – beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out.” (Job 36:26 NIV)
There is another reason God does not force the fact of His existence upon us. It is an indication of His love for us. Rather than force us to believe He gives us a choice. Without that choice, there would be no opportunity for faith. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)
Because God does not force belief, we seek Him and serve Him because we want to, not because we have to. The beautiful thing is that when we do seek God, He discloses Himself to us. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV)
No, we will never be able to prove that God exists. But we can find Him! It depends on whether we want to.