Pt. 3 Apologetics
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The Necessary God
The Necessary God
Apologetics - A discipline that deals with a rational defense of Christian faith. It comes from the Greek word apologia which means to give a reason or defense.
The Goal - Is not being right and claiming victory and beating people up with it, the goal is truth. Knowledge of truth sets us free. Knowledge is what matters.
John 8:31-32 “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.””
Colossians 4:2-7 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
(Change your perspective, wherever you are, instead of pausing life till you get out, fulfill God’s mission there! Stop being changed to your circumstance, make your circumstance be chained to you).
Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.”
Paul was one who could share the Gospel with people from every aspect of life, the slave, the hard-working man, the religious zealots, the stoics, the epicureans, and those in high authority.
He not only engaged the heart but also the mind.
We are (not only) but are, rational creatures.
1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”
Principle of Causality
“I must clarify” - We are not claiming that these arguments are “scientific proof”. Nor do these arguments prove the existence of our God.
But they do prove, in a reasonable way, is a transcendent, eternal, uncaused, immortal, self-existing, independent, all perfect-being.
Law of Sufficient reason
It is based on an instinct of mind that we all share: the instinct that says everything needs an explanation. Nothing just is without a reason why it is. Everything that is has some adequate or sufficient reason why it is.
Now we may not find out the reason but we do know that there is a reason.
The Basic overview of the Principle of Causality (First Cause):
Every effect has a cause.
Every contingent being is caused by another
My parents caused me.
Everything that comes to be is caused by another
A being whose essence does not contain the reason for their existence, beings that need causes, are called contingent, or dependent, beings.
Non-being cannot cause being
If there is not independent being, then the whole chain of dependent beings is dependent on nothing and could not exist. But they do exist. Therefore there is an independent being.
A being whose essence is to exist is called a necessary being.
Introducing Thomas Aquinas - 13th century theologian, philosopher and author. He is one of the most cited and significant theologians in church history.
The basic premise behind these arguments is that all finite changing beings need a cause outside of themselves.
4 Versions of this basic argument on Cause:
1. Cause of Motion/Change
The chain of movers must have a first mover because nothing can move itself.
Moving refers to any kind of change.
If the whole chain of moving things had no first mover, no motion could ever begin. If it never began, it could not go on and exist now.
If there is nothing outside the material universe, then there is nothing that can cause the universe to change. But it does change. Therefore there must be something in addition to the material universe.
If we go all the way back in time to the beginning, there is nothing in the universe of space, time, and matter that move itself. There must be something outside of the universe. An independent Being.
Job 38:4-7 ““Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?”
2. Cause of Beginning to Existence
We exist because someone caused me - my parents
We are beings whose essence does not contain the reason for existence, we are contingent beings, dependent beings.
Whereas, a being whose essence is to exist is called a necessary being or uncaused cause.
If there were no independent being or uncaused cause, then the whole chain of dependent beings is dependent on nothing and could not exist.
But we do exist, the universe does exist, therefore there is an independent being.
Everything that has a beginning needs a Beginner.
Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
3. Cause of Present Existence
If there is no independent being or cause of first mover and caused cause then the Universe has always existed. No beginning - infinite time has passed.
We know everything has a possibility of not being.
If everything could die, then, given infinite time, everything would eventually die.
But then nothing could start up again. A being that has ceased to exist cannot cause itself to begin to exist again.
But this universal death has not happened: things do exist! Therefore there must be a necessary being that cannot not be, cannot not possibly cease to be.
Every part of the Universe is dependent. Therefore, the whole universe is dependent for existence right now on some Independent Being.
Hebrews 1:3 “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”
4. Cause of Goodness or Value
There must be a first cause of perfection or goodness or value.
We rank things as more or less perfect or good or valuable. We have degrees of perfection.
Do we carry any more perfection/goodness than a slug?
If so, where does that hierarchy of perfection come from?
Unless there is a most-perfect being to be that real standard of perfection, all our value judgments are meaningless and impossible.
C.S. Lewis - his desire for justice
C.S. Lewis - “I felt in my bones that this universe does not explain itself.”
We must take it further, not only that God as creator as an idea but as truth. It isn’t just a religious truth, as if it’s my personal belief, but as reality.
Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
John 1:1-4 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”
When we have his life, his existence, we have his light - the correct perspective of reality. May I paint a picture of this biblical perspective of existence.
Creation - The Gift of Existence.
What is your perspective of existence, life. Is it a drag, is it worth living? Let me give you the biblical perspective of “The Gift of Existence”.
God is the Great Gift-Giver, it’s who He is. I want to paint a picture of God’s gift of existence.
Life is given to creatures
Earth is given to humanity
Woman is given to man
Children are given to woman
Despite the one tree that was not given to humanity, Genesis draws our attention to the multitude that were. Genesis 1:29, 9:3
God gives us dominion over all creation: mountain ranges, waterfalls, deserts and jungles, leopards, glaciers, sequioas, oranges, peacocks.
He gives rain.
He gives light
He gives fragrances and flavors even though as Spirit, he has neither nose nor tongue.
He gives colors
He creates oxygen and sex. None of these things are needed by God or deserved by his creatures, but He gives anyway.
The serpent (who we can often give an ear to) has nothing to give, so he works to undermine God’s gifts. The fall is what happens when we think God’s gifts aren’t good enough.
He gives the gift of the promise that one day the seed, the snake crusher will come.
He gives clothing
He gives offspring
He gives us an ark, a covenant and a rainbow.
He gives Abram a name, a seed, a blessing, a land. The blessing is for every nation
He gives children to barren women, inheritances to undeserving people.
He gives freedom from slavery, manna from heaven, water from rock, and forgiveness from sin.
He gives prophets and priests, tabernacle and Torah, exodus and kingdom.
God’s gifts are not filled with fine print
They are good and very good
The garden given is a paradise, a temple
Work is good
Sex is good
Marriage is good
The rainbow guarantees goodness forever.
The Law is good
The land is good, and flowing with milk and honey
The temple is good
When God gives, it is for the blessing of everybody.
Never is this truer than it is of Jesus, the Son of God given to the world.
The incarnation - the most extravagant gift in all history.
He is himself the giver and the gift, the most outlandish gift of love that God could possibly offer.
And to those that follow, He gives, good news, sight, speech, cleansing, hearing, bread, teaching, peace, forgiveness, fellowship, life.
And in his parables, we can’t escape his gift giving:
A farmer who scattered seed that didn’t and did take root
A king who forgave a 10,000 talent debt.
A vineyard owner who gave people more than their work was worth
A father who gave half his inheritance to a rebellious son.
A nobleman who gave 3 months wages to all his employees and goes on a foreign trip
A landowner who gave his vineyard over to tenants
A king who gave wedding invitations to every outcast in the county.
He is also extravagant in his giving
How many weddings need 150 gallons of fine wine?
Why 12 baskets full of leftovers after feeding everyone?
Why wait to raise Lazarus from the dead when you could have healed him with a word?
Why heal the multitudes instead of only a couple morally good ones?
Why not just forgive the guy hanging from the roof instead of healing him too?
Why walk on water instead of swim?
Why calm the storm instead of just go through it?
Why the multitude of fish causing the net to break? Why not just 20 fish?
Why the earthquake, the dark skies, and the torn curtain?
Yet these gifts are still overshadowed by the greatness of salvation and Christ Himself.
Paul says, “thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift” in 2 Cor. 9:15
In Romans 5:15 “The free gift is not like the trespass”
In Ephesians 2:8 “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”
“1 Corinthians 4:7 “what do you have that you did not receive?”
And we’re told in 1 Timothy 6:17b “...Our trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.”
Every breath, step, meal, love, sight, sound, emotion - a gift, yet paling in comparison to the gift of Christ and his salvation.
And then if that’s not enough, He gives the gift of the Spirit
He says, “I give you my peace, my truth, my power, my joy, my promise, presence, prophecy, perseverance, wisdom, knowledge, faith, miracles, healing, tongues and interpretation and discernment.”
And He, to this day, continues to give and give and give
Gives us missionaries, pastors, teachers, understanding of Scriptures
He gives His presence in communion and baptism.
His gifts don’t run out, there are future gifts in place of present gifts and grace upon grace upon grace.
His supply is inexhaustible, He does not run out. He promises more to those who have.
Yet they are to be received, acknowledged continually with thanksgiving, worship him through them, make good use of them, and seek more of them.
Yet, we do not worship the gifts, but the giver. These are signs pointing to the One necessary, Independent Triune Creator God.
Romans 11:35-36 “Who has given a gift to him, that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things.”
Life/Existence is a gift from a very Good Wise Creator.