Is God real?

On a clear night the vast array of stars presents a clear witness to the power and wisdom of a sovereign Creator. How are all the stars and planets maintained in their proper orbits if there is no God to order and direct them?

Sir Isaac Newton had a capable man make a moving replica only of our solar system, so that when a crank was turned the planets, sun and moon moved in their correct orbits, of course all connected by machinery. He had a scientific friend who was an atheist, and this friend came in one day and was fascinated by this machine. He turned the crank to observe its amazing results. He immediately asked, "Who made this?" Mr. Newton replied, "Nobody." His friend was angry at such a reply, and demanded, "Of course somebody made it and I'd like to know who it is." So, Mr. Newton told him, "Yes, someone made it, but it is only a small and imperfect replica of a far greater system of sun, moon and planets, and you tell me that nobody made the great original, but that somebody made the replica!" This had a profound effect on his friend, which we may hope resulted in his conversion.

But though God is not seen, His work clearly declares His glory. As to the astronomical heavens, the solar system and all the constellations of stars, we are told they extend for millions of light years... Such distance is so staggering that it is hopeless to try understand how many miles is involved. But there has to be a capable mind in control of all this, a mind therefore that is infinitely higher than human thought can comprehend.

Every day and night the voice of creation speaks in unmistakable language (v. 2), so that if one refuses such clear witness, he is willfully ignorant: he has no excuse. In darkest heathendom their voice is heard, as is intimated in Romans 1:19-20, where creation is seen as a clear testimony, a testimony that people realize condemns the sin in which they indulge themselves, "so that they are without excuse." Thus, there is no place in the world that lacks a testimony from God (v. 4).

From this point the Apostle proceeds to show that all men are hopelessly lost and subject to the judgment and wrath of God. First of all — verse 19 to the end of chapter 1 — he deals with the Barbarians, of whom he had spoken in verse 14. They at least had the witness of creation, which testified to the eternal power and Godhead of the Creator and makes them to be without excuse.

Those peoples that are now heathen once knew God. Man's course has not been from polytheism to monotheism, as some dreamers would have us imagine, but the other way round. They have sunk out of light into the darkness. Once "they knew God", (v. 21) but the fact is, "they did not like to retain God in their knowledge."

The root cause of their fall was that they did not wish to yield to God the glory that was his due, for they wished to pose as wise themselves — as we see in verses 21 and 22. In short, pride was the root and God has allowed them to make fools of themselves.

"A prudent man conceals knowledge" (v. 23), that is, he stores it up without advertising it. When this is so, his knowledge will be evident in his ways. "But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness." This resembles the case a man who scornfully told another, "There is no God." The other answered, "Why, you are worse than a fool. The Bible tells me, 'the fool has said in his heart, there is no God,' but you have blabbed it right out!"

Fools are those who leave God out of their lives, such as in Psalm 14:1 and in Luke 12:16-20. Psalm 14 shows the result of this refusal of God: "they are corrupt, they have done abominable works." Because of their folly, God sees to it that they are afflicted... How many atheists, when reduced to such a condition with death staring them in the face, are shaken to the depths of their souls! If this drives them to cry out to the Lord in genuine concern, then certainly God will graciously save them out of their distresses.

This infidel was a jeering scoffer, who denied the existence of God. One Sunday he went out into his grounds to while his time, for Sunday is usually a dull miserable day for the godless man, and this infidel found it so. He went for a walk in his park, and in a field adjoining was his favourite cow. The beast, when she saw her master, marched toward him. His hand was resting on the pailing, and the beast came up and licked the back of his hand. And he was converted through that cow. How? Did the cow preach? Yes, the cow preached by touching his memory. "The ox knows his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider" (Isa. 1:3). The ox brought to his memory that striking verse, which he had learned as a boy, and it went like an arrow to his conscience. "The Bible is true after all," he said to himself. "That beast knows me, and I do not know God." He was converted.

Faith towards our LORD JESUS CHRIST was part of Paul's testimony to the Jews and to the Greeks (Acts 20:21). Faith plays an important part in the gospel of God, and has characterised in one way or another God's people in all ages. For from the days of Abel onwards, God's saints, when really faithful, have found the current of things on earth against them, because it is against God. "Without faith," then, "it is impossible to please Him; for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."

"He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him out." The meaning of it is, that He is set before the soul as an object for consideration before all others — that is the thought of the Spirit of God, "seek Him out." You place Him before your eye, and the affection of your heart beyond and above all others; and "He is the rewarder." What is the reward? Just this — the blessed consciousness that He gives your heart, as between Him and you, that you have pleased Him.

All the activities of God are by His Word. As to creation, "He spake, and it was done" (Ps. 33:9); "The worlds were framed by the Word of God" (Heb. 11:3); and, "Upholding all things by the Word of His power" (Heb. 1:3). By that Word, the creation subsists, and without it, it would have no existence. Hence He who is the living Word is ever said to be the Creator, "All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made" (John 1:3, 10; Col. 1:16-17).

We venture to say that no one can ever know the reality of God's presence without making a like painful discovery. Those who most eminently have worn the character of God's saints have most profoundly realized their own nothingness and foolishness. The more we live before men, or even in the presence of our fellow-believers, the less we realize it. The more we live as in the presence of God the more we realize it.