The Problem of Being
Q: Why is there something rather than nothing?
A: Because God wills it. Existence itself begins with the will and word of the Creator.
The Strangeness of Existence
Let’s start with something so obvious we usually miss it:
We exist.
Not just you or me, or even humanity—but everything. Space. Time. Matter. Thought. The entire universe.
But here’s the question that every honest worldview must eventually face:
Why is there anything at all, rather than nothing?
That’s not a philosopher’s riddle—it’s a reality check. If we’re going to understand who we are or what we’re here for, we have to start by asking why anything exists in the first place.
Because once upon a time, there wasn’t a time.
The Only Real Options
When we boil it down, there are only two real possibilities:
1. Something has always existed.
2. Nothing has ever existed.
That’s it.
But if nothing ever existed—no energy, no particles, no space, no God—then what would exist right now?
Still nothing.
Nothing doesn’t produce something. Ever. That’s not just bad science. It’s metaphysical nonsense.
So we’re left with the only rational conclusion: something is eternal.
And now we have to decide what that something is.
A Universe With No Author?
Some say the eternal “something” is matter or energy—a self-existing universe that somehow sprang into order through random processes.
But here’s the problem: that view doesn’t explain the why. It doesn’t even explain the how.
The more we learn about the universe, the clearer it becomes that it is exquisitely designed, balanced, and governed by laws that didn’t invent themselves.
The existence of mathematical precision, abstract logic, and moral order doesn’t come from chaos. And the human mind, with its longing for meaning, love, and transcendence, didn’t emerge from a void of accidental particles.
We don’t live in a random explosion. We live in a story. And stories have authors.
The God Who Speaks
The Bible opens with ten simple words that change everything:
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
— Genesis 1:1 (ESV)
It doesn’t argue for God’s existence. It assumes it. And it reveals something even more astonishing: God speaks creation into being.
“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”
— Genesis 1:3 (ESV)
“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.”
— Psalm 33:6 (ESV)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.”
— John 1:1, 3 (ESV)
Creation isn’t an accident—it’s a spoken act of will. A divine decision. A purposeful choice.
God didn’t create because He was bored or lonely. He created because He is good. Because He is love. Because His plan was already in place before time itself existed (Ephesians 1:4–5).
And that makes all the difference.
If God Spoke You Into Being…
If the universe was created by a personal, intelligent God, then your existence is not random.
It means you were meant to be.
It means your life matters—not because you said so, but because He did.
“I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself.”
— Isaiah 44:24 (ESV)
If your very existence depends on Him, then your identity must be found in Him.
And that’s not bad news. That’s freedom.
Key Takeaways from This Essay
• Existence itself demands explanation. “Nothing” can’t cause “something.” • Something must be eternal. Either blind matter—or a personal Creator. • Theism explains more than atheism. Order, meaning, morality, and consciousness point to a Designer. • The Bible reveals a God who speaks. Creation exists because God wills it to—and He sustains it by His word. • You are not accidental. You were spoken into being by a purposeful, eternal God.
Key Questions to Consider
1. Why do we take our own existence for granted? 2. If you had to choose, which is more rational: an eternal universe or an eternal Creator? 3. What does it mean to you personally that God willed you into existence? 4. Are you willing to explore what that Creator might want from you?
Next Step: Essay 1.15 — “The Search for Purpose”
If we exist because God wills it, then the next question is obvious: Why? Why would a perfect, eternal God create a universe like this—and beings like us? Next, we begin our search for the meaning behind the design.