Hey, podcast listeners! Thanks for streaming today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. Our mission is to pierce the darkness with the light of God's word through the most effective media available, like this podcast. To support Pathway to Victory, go to ptv.org slash donate or follow the link in our show notes. Now, here's today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program. On today's edition of Pathway to Victory. Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress.
If you've ever looked up into the night sky full of stars, then you probably asked yourself, where did this all come from? Well, we have lots of evidence for the existence of God. And today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress explores the origins of God and the universe as revealed in Scripture. Now, here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message.
Dr. Jeffress? Thank you, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Today's program features another message in our series called How Can I Know? Answers to Life's 7 Most Important Questions. Before we get started, I'd like to remind you that I've written a bestselling book that complements this teaching series.
It shares the same title, How Can I Know? And when you give a generous gift to Pathway to Victory, I'll make sure you receive a copy. In this book, I provide answers to questions like, how can I know I'm going to heaven when I die?
And how can I know how to forgive somebody who's hurt me? And there's an answer to the question we're addressing today. How can I know there is a God? We have plenty of evidence for the existence of God.
His masterful creation is one. We call this the cosmological evidence. And there's much, much more, and I can go into far greater detail in my book, How Can I Know? Plus, when you respond today, I'd like to send you a bonus resource. It's a brochure called, Is Christianity the Only Right Religion? This is an excellent tool to send along to your grandson or granddaughter, perhaps a son or daughter, or anyone who struggles with the exclusive claims of Christianity. I'll share more information on these resources later on, but right now it's time to get started with today's message. Today we're answering the all-important question, How Can I Know There is a God? Last time we began a series entitled, How Can I Know?
Answers to Life's Seven Most Important Questions. And we begin by looking at the most foundational question of all, How can I know there is a God? That's true. Nine out of 10 Americans say they believe in God. I doubt the figure is really that high. I think even people who profess a faith in God have times that they doubt. Why is it anybody would doubt the existence of God? Last time we looked at five sources of doubt for people about God. First of all, there's natural doubt. It's normal to doubt that which you can't see. God himself understands that. He's compassionate to doubters. In Jude, verse 22, he says, Be merciful to those who doubt. Some people have a philosophical doubt about God. If God exists, why is there suffering in the world? Have you ever heard that before?
We're going to tackle that question in the weeks ahead. There's experiential doubt. Trace many people's doubt about God to its origin, and you'll find it has to do with disappointment with God. They've prayed for something that hasn't happened. They've suffered a mishap they didn't anticipate, and their disappointment in God sometimes lead them to doubt God. There's spiritual doubt. Some people deny God's existence because they don't want to believe there is a creator. If there is a creator, then we have an obligation to submit to that creator.
Remember my line last time? The reason many people can't find God is the same way a thief can't find a policeman. There's consequences to that. There's spiritual doubt, and then there's empirical doubt. Some people say it's just not scientific to believe in God.
Of course, it depends how you define science. If you limit science to only that which can be seen and observed and measured, then you're going to have a hard time believing in God. But if you believe in something that transcends the natural, the supernatural, you can't prove it, but you can ask the question, where does the best evidence lead us?
And that's the issue. You cannot prove that God exists. The atheist cannot prove God doesn't exist.
It's not a question of proof. It's where does the best evidence lead? And last time, we began looking at four powerful arguments for the existence of God. There's the cosmological evidence, the cosmos. It's simply the question, why does anything exist?
Why is it when I look around, I see something instead of nothing? How do you explain something rather than nothing? You see, the atheist has this formula for what we see. No one times nothing equals everything. That is, out of nothing, and by no one's influence, everything came into existence.
That's kind of preposterous, isn't it? Now, honestly, if the universe were eternal, like God is eternal, then we wouldn't say there has to be a first cause. It's eternal.
It doesn't necessitate a first cause. Scientists believed for a long time that the universe was eternal. But in more recent years, they've come to adopt the popular version. We call it the Big Bang Theory. They said there is evidence that the universe came into existence.
It has not always existed. And if it came into existence, if the universe has a beginning, then there must be a first cause. That's the cosmological evidence.
Why is there something rather than nothing? The second argument we're going to look at today is the teleological argument. How do you explain the complex design of the universe?
Teleos. It means design. How do you explain the intricate design of the systems and things that we see in the universe? Author Dennis McCallum illustrates it this way. Imagine there are two men on a train, and the train is pulling into the station. And one man looks out the window and says, oh, look over there on the hillside. Look at the message. It says, welcome to Canada.
Somebody sure went to a lot of trouble to make us feel welcome. The second man said, nobody designed that. That just happened by chance. Those rocks fell down the hill and formed that message by chance. That same second man, a few moments later, says to the first man, well, I guess we better go into the train station and change our currency from American currency to Canadian currency. The first man says, why should we do that? The second man says, didn't you read the sign?
It says we're in Canada. Now, Dennis McCallum's point is, you can't have your philosophical cake and eat it too. You can't say everything is random that happens.
We're here by chance, not by design. You can't say that and at the same time say, when you're trying to offer an alternate explanation, that there are certain laws of science that can be repeated over and over again, and there's order in the universe. You can't have one and the second observation at the same time. Where exactly do we find this evidence of design in the universe? Well, look at the universe itself. You know, the Big Bang Theory basically says all of the universe was compacted into a mass of matter that exploded. And yet, if that mass of matter that included the entire universe, if that mass were changed by no more than what would be one grain of table salt, the Big Bang Theory would have never happened. If there had been one tiny variation in the amount of matter, either the Big Bang wouldn't have happened at all or the universe would have begun to expand so rapidly there would be nothing. The universe, the mass of matter, look at the earth itself.
The universe has uniquely designed planet earth to be a place that allows for life, even though the universe as a whole seems to be hostile to the existence of life. William Dinsky writes, imagine you discover an abandoned cabin in the mountains. As you approach the cabin, you notice something strange. Your favorite meal is cooking in the oven, the television is turned on to your favorite TV show, and all of your favorite books, DVDs, and video games are lying on the table. What would you conclude?
The best explanation would clearly be that somebody was expecting your arrival. Scientists have recently learned that the universe is much like this cabin. It's crafted uniquely for us. Scientists estimate there are over 100 constants, 100 conditions that have been woven together to form a scientific welcome mat to you and me as residents of planet earth.
We'll talk about those in a moment. But among those conditions are first of all the size of planet earth. The size of our planet is perfect for the existence of life. If the earth were smaller or larger, it wouldn't have the atmosphere that could promote the proper mixture of oxygen and nitrogen. Think about the earth's distance from the sun.
It's exactly located where it needs to be. If the earth were any closer to the sun, it would all burn up. If it were further away, we would freeze to death. Secondly, think about the condition of water on the earth. Our bodies are two-thirds water. Water's unique properties make it possible for us to exist. For example, water has an uncanny high boiling point as well as an unusually high freezing point.
Why is that important? It allows us to live in fluctuating temperatures like we're all experiencing right now. Water is chemically neutral.
It allows food and minerals and medicines to be absorbed into our bodies. Water is absolutely essential for life, and our planet has plenty of it. 97% of the earth's water is found in the oceans.
There's one problem with that. So is salt in that water. And yet, think of the design that has been made to deliver that water to us. Through evaporation, the salt is left behind.
The water goes into the atmosphere and is spread throughout the world through rain, making it possible for living beings and vegetation. A third constant is gravity. Physicists tell us that for life to exist on earth, the gravitational pull must remain constant.
In fact, if the gravitational force were altered by no more than one in 10,000 billion, billion, billion parts, if there were that much variation in gravity, we couldn't exist. Think of the mixture, fourthly, of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Our atmosphere is comprised of 21% oxygen. If that figure were any higher, fires would be breaking out throughout the world all the time. If there was less oxygen, we would all suffocate.
In the same way, the carbon dioxide level, if it were higher, the greenhouse effect would incinerate our entire planet. And here's the question. What is the probability that these and other constants necessary for life could exist accidentally on one planet in the universe?
Now, this is amazing. Astrophysicist Hugh Ross estimates that there are 122 constants that have to be present for life to exist. Ross estimates that the number of planets in the universe is 10 to the 22nd power. That's the one with 22 zeros behind it. Therefore, if you take the constants necessary and the number of planets in our universe, the chance that any one planet in the universe would accidentally have all 122 constants present in it, you know what the number is? The chances are one in 10 to the 138th power.
That's a one with 138 zeros behind it. Now, to put that number in perspective, scientists tell us that the number of atoms in the entire universe is only 10 to the 70th power. But the chance that you could have one planet having all the constant factors necessary for life is one in 10 to the 138th power.
You know what that's saying? The chances are zero that any one planet in the universe would have the constants necessary. A third evidence of design is found in the cell itself. How did life begin? Well, Charles Darwin postulated that life came about when some unicellular organism, the first unicellular organism crawled out of a primordial biotic soup. It happened just by accident that this one cell came into being. Yet, Darwin himself said, quote, if it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly be formed by numerous successive slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down. Darwin didn't know when he wrote those words that he was signing the death certificate for the theory of evolution and his own theory of the origin of life. You see, in Darwin's day, nobody could look into the cell and see the intricacy of it. But as Michael Behe talks about in his book, Darwin's Black Box, science has allowed us to look into the cell and see what a complex organism it is.
And it's also allowed us to see that you have to have some basic functioning parts all present at the same time for a cell to exist. Behe compares it to a mousetrap. You can't build a mousetrap over a period of time and have it catching mice right away. You have to have some basic parts all together at once for a mousetrap to work. You have to have the little wooden platform. You have to have the spring.
You have to have the slammer that knocks off the head of the mouse. You can't just put a little platform down there and then a million years later add the spring and a million years later the hammer. No, you have to have functioning parts all at the same time. And the same is true of the cell. You have to have a functioning membrane. You have to have a system to build the DNA units. You have to have another system to copy the information from the DNA. You have to have the processing of energy possible.
All of these things have to come together at the same time. So what is the possibility that a fully functioning cell could assemble itself together by chance? Sir Frederick Hoyle was the founding director of the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy at Cambridge University. He said, quote, the likelihood of the formation of life from inanimate matter is one to a number with 40,000 zeros behind it. It is a number big enough to bury Darwin and the whole theory of evolution.
If the beginnings of life were not random, they must therefore have been the product of purposeful intelligence. Now, the cell is complex enough, but consider the complexity of the design of the human body. Our bodies are more than a single cell.
There are billions of cells that form thousands of different systems and organs in the human body. Think of the intricacy of the human body. Think of the intricacy of design for just one part of the body, the eyeball. Think about your eyeball for a moment. Your eye is a ball containing a lens on one side and on the other side, a light sensitive retina that consists of rods and cones. The lens is protected by a covering called the cornea and rests on an iris that is designed to protect the cornea from excessive light. Every four hours, a watery substance within the eye is replaced while tear glands continually flush the outside of the eye clean. Every eye has its own windshield wiper.
We call them eyelids that spread a special secretion over the cornea to keep it moist and to protect it from the dust. How do you explain that complex design? If the chance of a single cell coming into existence by itself is one in 10 to the 40,000th power, what are the chances that the eyeball could just emerge, happen, without a designer behind it? How does the atheist explain that? How does the atheist explain the complexity of the universe and the mathematical hurdles involved in a chance explanation?
You know what he resorts to? He resorts to something called the multiple universe theory, which imagines that our universe is just one of an infinite number of universes. Now, to understand what that means, it would be like this. Let's say you took a 787 jumbo jetliner and you took it all apart and it was just a mass of nuts and bolts and wires and knobs, and you put it in a wind tunnel and you turn that wind tunnel on. How long would it take for that collection of millions of pieces of the airliner, how long would it take for it to assemble itself together into a jetliner that you would want to step on and fly on?
Could there be any circumstance under which that would happen accidentally if you just turned the wind on? Well, here's what the atheist says. It might not ever happen in this universe, but there's an infinite number of universes, and if you have an infinite number of universes somewhere at some time in eternity, that's going to come together for a jumbo jetliner. It's a foolish explanation. First of all, there is no evidence that there are multiple universes in existence. And secondly, even if you allow for that fanciful explanation, it basically means there's no explanation for anything that we see. There's no reason that water freezes at 32 degrees.
There's no explanation for why the earth revolves around the sun or why summer follows the springtime. The late Norman Geisler wrote about the multiple universe theory this. He said the multiple universe theory is simply a desperate attempt to avoid the implications of design. It doesn't multiply chances. It multiplies absurdities. It's just like Psalm 14 one. The fool has said in his heart, there is no God.
That word fool is the word we get moron from. You have to be a moron to believe all of this happened just by chance. That's the teleological arguments for the existence of the universe. Thirdly, the third piece of evidence, the anthropological evidence. Anthropos, meaning man. How do you explain the existence of man if you don't believe in God? Think about, for example, our existence, our mere existence. You know, we talked about life beginning from a unicellular creature. But what are the chances that that cell, how did that cell come into being?
Well, the atheist says for billions of years the earth was covered in ammonia and hydrogen and methane. One day lightning struck these chemicals and out popped the amino acid. But that's not a cell. Those amino acids had to collect together and form a protein molecule. But that wasn't enough.
You had to have multiple protein molecules that come together to make a cell. We're building a strong case today and answering the relevant question, how can I know there is a God? And while you've been listening to Pathway to Victory today, maybe you've been thinking about someone who needs to hear this material. Perhaps you have a doubter in your family or a loved one who's on the fence about God. I've written a bestselling book on this topic.
Like the broadcast series, it's also called How Can I Know? My book addresses the topic we tackle today, How Can I Know There is a God? In fact, I address seven of the most important questions in life, such as how can I know God is good with all the suffering in the world?
And how can I know I'm going to heaven when I die? My book combines the best research available with the most persuasive biblical arguments. The book tackles the most frequently asked questions by both Christians and non-Christians in a head-on, no-holds-barred approach.
Again, the book is called How Can I Know? And when you give a generous gift to support Pathway to Victory, I'll make sure you receive your copy. In today's uncertain environment, Pathway to Victory is uniquely postured to bring solid answers to people who are worried and craving hope and comfort. But we couldn't provide this ministry without your support and the faithful month-by-month giving from our Pathway partners. A Pathway partner agrees to give a gift every month, and in doing so multiplies their impact by 12 over the course of the year. Keep up the good work, and I look forward to hearing from you today, David.
Thanks, Dr. Jeffress. Our goal is to sign up 300 new Pathway partners during the month of January, and you can help us achieve that goal when you follow the easy steps to sign up online at ptv.org. And when you give your first monthly gift, or when you give a one-time gift to support Pathway to Victory, we'll say thanks by sending you How Can I Know?, the bestselling book by Dr. Jeffress. And when your gift is $75 or more, you'll receive not only the book, but also the complete collection of audio and video discs for the newly updated How Can I Know?
teaching series. Call us at 866-999-2965. One more time, 866-999-2965. Or give online at ptv.org.
You can also write to us if you'd like. Here's that mailing address, P.O. Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222.
Again, that's P.O. Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. I'm David J. Mullins, inviting you back next time to hear Dr. Jeffress present his final thoughts on the question, How Can I Know There Is a God? That's coming up Thursday on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. Embark on the spiritual journey of a lifetime on the Pathway to Victory Journeys of Paul Mediterranean Cruise, May 5-16, 2025. Enjoy 11 days of fellowship, relaxation, and spiritual refreshment while sailing aboard a luxury cruise ship.
You'll visit sought-after island destinations like Santorini, Mykonos, and Crete, and amidst all the natural beauty, you'll seek the one who created it. To book your spot on the 2025 Journeys of Paul Mediterranean Cruise, go to ptv.org. You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. One of the most impactful ways you can give is by becoming a Pathway Partner. Your monthly gift will empower Pathway to Victory to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and help others become rooted more firmly in His Word. To become a Pathway Partner, go to ptv.org slash donate or follow the link in our show notes. We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.
