Post #2 Humanity's inner sense of God

            I have decided to attempt to tackle the topic of the Existence of God for my final project. What a crazy idea, I know. So the last time that I posted, I told you about my topic and the sources that I would be pulling information from: the Bible and Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology. Now that I look back at it, I feel as if I should define systematic theology to help clear the air. John Frame, professor at Westminster Seminary, defines systematic theology,  “any study that answers the question, “What does the whole Bible teach us today?” about any given topic.” Systematic theology does not and will not contradict itself and in nature, should fit together with out having to add or subtract anything. With having said that, I would like to dive into the second part of my final, “Humanity’s Inner Sense of God.”(p.141) Grudem starts ch. 9 the existence of God off with this statement, “How do we know that God exists? The answer can be given in two parts: First, all people have an inner sense of God. Second, we believe the evidence that is found in Scripture and in nature.”  I believe that history and mankind proves that everyone has some idea that there is some higher being and when they look at the world around them, it seems to scream out that there is a creator. “ All persons everywhere have a deep, inner sense that God exists, that they are his creatures, and that he is their Creator. Paul says that even Gentile unbelievers “knew God” but did not honor him as God or give thanks to him (Rom. 1:21). He says that wicked unbelievers have “exchanged the truth about God for a lie” (Rom. 1:25), implying that they actively or willfully rejected some truth about God’s existence and character that they knew. Paul says that “what can be known about God is plain to them,” and adds that this is “because God has shown it to them” (Rom. 1:19).”(p.141) The mountains and the seas, the trees and the wildlife, the sun and the stars, it all is proof that there is a creator who has carefully designed everything both for our enjoyment and for his glory.  Even with that evidence alone, people choose to believe otherwise. “ Yet Scripture also recognizes that some people deny this inner sense of God and even deny that God exists. It is “the fool” who says in his heart, “There is no God”(Ps. 14:1; 53:1).”(p.141) How can the organisms that we see today such as ourselves be a product of the big bang and just be coincidences that certain matter and chemicals just so happen came together to create a human that is capable of moving, eating, thinking, talking, creating and developing? Nature is too precisely crafted to be an accident. “Paul also recognizes that sin will cause people to deny their knowledge of God: he speaks of those who “by their wickedness suppress the truth” (Rom. 1:18) and says that those who do this are “without excuse” for this denial of God (Rom. 1:20).”(p.141) Bertrand Russell responded to the question, “what he would say if he found himself standing before God on the judgment day and God asked him, "Why didn’t you believe in Me?"” and the man responded, “I would say, ‘Not enough evidence, God!  Not enough evidence!'" I would have to say, open your eyes and look around you, you fool! The birds in the air singing, the water flowing through a creek, all evidence. I mean frick, look at man himself, there is no way that he was not created. The beauty of the opposite sex screams that there is a loving God who has created a second half to love and enjoy life together!  Of course I am no expert in the field of evangelism and I am sure that there is loads more information on the topic of man’s inner sense but I will leave that for you to research. Until next time.