What Kind of Proof Do You Need?

“Prove to me that God exists.” I've heard that too many times, and I get why people ask this. It’s not always a hostile question. Sometimes it comes from curiosity, sometimes from pain, and sometimes from genuine searching. But there’s something important to notice behind that question—something connected to the verb "prove", or the noun "proof".

When a person insists on proof about God's existence, it is not uncommon to notice that they're asking for that proof to come on their terms. They want evidence that fits within the framework they already have. Be it scientific, observable, ontological, logical—it always needs to meet their standards. In that situation, often they won’t accept anything outside of those boundaries.

Here's an illustration about how that can prove to be a hard soil to labour on.

Imagine someone tells me, “Those two people over there—they’re in love.” I reply, “Prove it.” So they say, “Well, they’re holding hands. They look at each other with affection. They listen to each other.” I retort, “That’s not proof. That could be anything. Maybe they’re acting. Maybe it’s fake.” You see the issue? We’re not disagreeing about what we see—we’re disagreeing about what counts as proof. We’re standing on different ground.

This happens all the time in the "Does God exist?" discussions. That's why I usually have declined to get too much into them in recent years.

My preference instead is to point to Who He is - to underscore the fact that, through faith in Christ, the fingerprints of God are everywhere. In the Scriptures, in the beauty of creation, in the miracle of forgiveness, in the resurrection of Jesus. For the believer, these things aren’t just “possible explanations”—they’re living proof of God’s love and presence. But they don’t usually come with lab results or a TED Talk. They come through the Word, through faith, through the heart awakened by the Holy Spirit. 

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith isn’t blind, but sees through the lens of the Word. Faith's eyes are wide open and scrutinize creation and reality for truth, whether visible or not under a microscope. Thomas saw something material about Jesus and believed. So did many after His resurrection. But Jesus also said, "blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”(John 20:29)

The real question isn’t just “Is there proof of God?” The deeper question is, “What kind of proof is needed?” The Word is the proof we need, in faith. It is not that God asks us to leave our brains behind. But He also doesn’t limit Himself to the categories we invent. The proof of God's love is clear in the cross and the empty tomb. It’s in the grace that forgives. It’s in the peace that surpasses understanding. 

So, while I understand why people may ask for proof, the Christian invitation is to encounter God where He can be found. In that encounter, we will find that the proof we thought we needed pales before what He offers us in this relationship mediated by His Son. 

That is God giving us proof of His love. In His own terms.