This following is an excerpt from God by Malcolm Yarnell III
Genesis 1:1 may be the most well-known verse in the Bible, only rivaled perhaps by John 3:16. It is significant that the Bible begins with the presupposition that God exists. Moses started with this foundational claim, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” That simple and short verse sets the basis for everything which follows in Scripture and theology. Genesis 1:1 teaches us the following foundational truths: God pre-exists everything else. God created everything else. And God’s creatures are divided between heaven and earth. The text does not try to prove God’s existence; it only affirms God’s existence.
Likewise, Hebrews 11:6 teaches that, rather than depending upon proofs from reason or experience, God’s existence must be accepted as a matter of faith. “Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Ultimately, the truth of God’s existence must be received not as a matter of logical demonstration but as a matter of heartfelt faith. Faith is a gift of God which comes through God’s revelation of himself. With that qualification, we note that Scripture provides numerous calls to trust in the existence of God.
"Faith is a gift of God which comes through God’s revelation of himself."
Malcolm Yarnell III
The Hebrew name of God points to his existence. Hayah ’aser hayah is the longer name God provided to Moses when the prophet asked God to identify himself. The phrase is typically translated, “I am who I am.” It can also be translated, “I am because I am,” or “I will be who I will be,” or even “I will be because I will be.” God then revealed a shorter name for himself, Hayah, “I am.” These two Hebrew names indicate God’s existence. They are also the names which lie behind the special covenant name of God, Yahweh. Yahweh has typically been translated by allusion, out of respect for the exalted nature of his name, as “the Lord.” In other words, the name of God says, “God is.” Whether we encounter him in our past, our present, or our future, the eternal God simply exists.
Scripture demands from us a simple but basic faith in the existence of God. However, Scripture also indicates we should offer people the reasons we have for believing in God. The apostle Peter commanded, “In your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” So, although we receive saving knowledge about the existence of God by the grace of faith, we must also be prepared to explain our faith. Faith in Christ includes trust in the existence of God.
Following Peter’s command, we should be ready to defend two things in any conversation: First, we should be ready to defend our general belief in God. General belief in the fact that God exists is known as “theism.” Second, we should also be ready to defend our hope in Jesus Christ to anyone and at any time. In other words, Scripture commands us to learn about the reasons for faith in God generally and about saving faith in Jesus Christ specifically.
When asked to give reasons for how I can believe in the existence of God, I often start with Psalm 14. The psalm begins, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There’s no God.’ They are corrupt; they do vile deeds. There is no one who does good.” The language chosen by the Psalmist is strong. A person who does not believe in God is nabal, “senseless” or “foolish.” In other words, the person who denies the very existence of God is not rational in the first place. He or she does not treat the data coming from their mind and senses in a reasonable way. A truly reasonable person must accept the existence of God. The opposite of being reasonable is being foolish.
Theology proper centers on God, exploring his existence, his divine nature, his Persons, and his attributes. In this book you will find an overview of these truths in the doctrine of God as well as other great truths in the doctrine of divine revelation.
God is the first volume of a three-part series entitled Theology for Every Person. The other volumes will include God’s Word to the World, which considers God in Christ and his works of creation, humanity, and redemption, and God’s Work in the World, which explores God the Holy Spirit and the divine works of salvation, the church, and the end.