Creation

The creation of the universe was an event that took place over the course of six days, approximately six thousand years ago. It was an act of God, by which He spoke all things into existence; along with laws to govern matter, space, and time. Currently, no new matter is being created. All matter was spoken into existence during the creation week, in the beginning. The term "creation" is used to refer God's act of creating, which occurred over those six days, as well as to the actually things that God made (i.e. the universe).

On the third, fifth, and sixth, days of creation; God made plants, flying creatures, aquatic creatures, land animals, and the first man and woman. God created all of these, each according to their own kind. He made them of living cells which He encoded with genetic information that determines the diverse, and unique characteristics that each kind has and is able to pass on in reproduction. 

Each kind was encoded from the beginning with an abundance of dominant and recessive genetic information, allowing each kind to have diversity within itself. In this way, God made all creatures to be able to adapt to various types of environments; yet each kind remains itself. That means that felines always produce felines, canines always produce canines, bovine animals always produce bovine animals, and so forth. 

Human beings are unique among all of God's creatures. Unlike all the flying creatures, aquatic creatures, and land animals; human beings are created in the image or likeness of God Himself (Genesis 1:26-27). This means that we are able to think and to reason. We are able to be imaginative and creative, just like our Creator. 

Our physical bodies, composed of cells, tissues, organs, and systems, along with all the chemicals, and neurons, and electrons and so forth, are God's creations. Human souls are also God's creations. Our physical forms are merely the vehicle of our souls - our minds and spirits. The human brain is the physical vehicle of the human mind and spirit. And we use our bodies to physically carry out the actions which we choose, in our minds and spirits, to carry out.

We are given the choice to do good or evil. And God, the Creator/Owner of the universe, is the Absolute Decider/Standard of what is good. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, said that the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. And He said that the second greatest commandment is that we should love each other as much as we each love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). You see, the Bible tells us that God is love (1 John 4:8). So being made in His image also means that we are capable of receiving and giving love. This is the purpose for which God, who is love, made us in His image.

Love is more than a chemical reaction. Chemical reactions in the human brain are the physical expression of what is happening in the human soul, mind, and spirit. But love is more than an emotion. It is even more than an action. Love has always existed, without beginning and without end. God is love. Love is personal. That is to say, love exists between people, just as it exists between the three Persons of the Trinity. If there were no persons, there could be no love. If there were only one person, than love could not be given or received. 

But God has always existed, from eternal (infinite) past as three distinct Persons - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit  - yet He remains one Being or Entity. And so we use the word "Trinity" or "Triune" to describe Him, because though He is three Persons, He is one Being - one God. And this is how God is love. As C.S. Lewis put it, "the living, dynamic activity of love has been going on in God forever and has created everything else". 

God is self existent, from eternity to eternity. His existence is without beginning and without end; independent from, and sovereign over, everything that exists. Without God, nothing would exist. If God had not made us, we would not exist. We exist because God, who is love, exists and made us. We are in the likeness of love because God who is love made us in His likeness. Our existence had a beginning, and is dependent, from beginning to forever, on God.  

But because of sin, which entered the world through Adam, humanity became estranged from God. All of us have sinned, because we are born with a fallen sinful nature which we have inherited from Adam. God is holy, and so our fallen nature alienates us from Him. And the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Death is not a cessation of existence, it is separation. Physical death is the separation of the soul and spirit from the body. Spiritual death is the separation of the human soul and spirit from God. 

Nevertheless, God is still love; and He still loves us. And so He paid the full penalty of our sin on the cross. Jesus Christ took our sin upon Himself and died for us. Now, by faith in Him, we can be reconciled to the heavenly Father by grace. And by grace we can partake and grow in the divine nature, being made perfect and holy, having our sin taken away from us.

Did Jesus Teach the Practice of Snake Handling?

In some charismatic churches, snake handling is performed as an act of worship/faith. But is this practice scriptural? An examination of the context of the Scriptures reveals that it is not. But the biblical case against snake handling has nothing to do with the the physically dangerous nature of the practice. There may be a time when one must choose between their loyalty to Christ and their mortal life in this world. And it is never right to be disloyal to Christ. So the time may come when physically dying for Christ is the right thing for one to do. And that is nothing that love wouldn't do. 

The biblical case against the practice of snake handling is simply that it is not something that Christ has commanded us to do. Nor is it really an act of trusting God, as we will see. Those who practice snake handling, in their churches, base the act on a couple of passages which they have taken out of context and misconstrued. One of these passages is in Luke 10. The text records how Jesus sent out seventy of His followers to preach and to perform miracles all over Israel in His name. When the seventy returned to Jesus, they reported excitedly about how they were even able to cast demons out of their hosts in the name of Jesus. "And He said to them, 'I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven'" (Luke 10:17-20).

Given the context, it seems clear to me that Jesus is speaking figuratively. He is actually talking about spiritual warfare, not about playing with physical snakes and scorpions. Another passage to which snake handlers point is in Mark 16. The text recounts Jesus' final words before He ascended into heaven in the viewing of His disciples. "And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover'" (Mark 16:15-18).

Now, some people doubt that verses 9-20 of Mark 16 should be included in the canon of Scripture, since that portion seems to have been added to Mark's gospel at a later time. I accept the passage as God-breathed, since it does not contradict the rest of Scriptures. However, context is the BOSS of interpretation. And that means not only the immediate context of Mark's gospel, but the extended context of all Scripture.

So let us examine the extended context of the Scriptures. In Acts 28:1-6, Luke reports that Paul the apostle and his companions were shipwrecked on the island of Malta. And while Paul was throwing more wood on the fire, a viper came and fastened onto his arm. At first, the natives of the island thought that Paul was a goner for sure. But he shook the viper off of himself and suffered no ill effect. Now take notice that Paul was not playing with the viper. He was simply putting wood on the fire. And I do not think that Jesus was saying that His followers should play with snakes. He was simply saying that there would be instances in which His followers would be miraculously protected from harm. But Christ's words, here, do not constitute a promise that it will always work that way. For He also said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

Finally, consider the temptations of Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:1-11). Satan quoted the Psalms where it is promised, 

"For He will command His angels concerning you,

to guard you in all your ways;

they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone"

(Psalm 91:11-12).

With this Bible verse, Satan urged Jesus to prove Himself by jumping off a cliff. But Jesus resisted the devil with another Bible verse - "Do not put the LORD your God to the test" (Deuteronomy 6:16). There is a difference between trusting God, and testing God. I would suggest that those who practice snake handling as an act of "faith" are actually not trusting God, but are really giving into the same temptation that Satan presented to Christ - the temptation to put God to the test. They should follow the example of our Lord and resist the devil.

Why Science Is Great

The reason science is great, the reason it is even possible at all, is that the universe operates according to orderly sets of laws. If it did not, then our own brains would not operate in an orderly manner, allowing us to think and to make valid observations of the universe, of which we and our brains are a part. Now atheists would have us to think that this natural universe, which operates according to orderly sets of laws, came not from an intelligent Creator and sovereign Lawgiver, but from random, mindless, unguided processes. And these atheists make the ridiculous claim that theirs is the more rational worldview. But they are not rational. They are irrational, and spiritually blind. Their hearts are insensitive to the truth of God.

The word of God describes them rightly; that "... they became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools"(Romans 1:20-22). They have the absurd view that since scientific laws govern the universe, that somehow refutes the word of God who made the laws that govern the universe. But science, the orderly, systematic study of the natural universe, is great because it truly points to our orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver who orders and commands His creation as He sees fit. 

Of course, the Scriptures tell that God has the power to command nature to behave differently than normal at specific points - any points - in time and space. When He does, we call the result a miracle. This should not surprise us since He made the universe. It is His. He owns it. From the astronomical, to the microscopic; all matter, all space, all time belongs to Him. Philip Yancy wrote, "Some see miracles as an implausible suspension of the laws of the physical universe. As signs, though, they serve just the opposite function. Death, decay, entropy, and destruction are the true suspensions of God's laws; miracles are the early glimpses of restoration".  

In the physical universe we can plainly see the order and splendor of our God who made all things. And we can also plainly see the brokenness of our world which groans under the weight of sin's curse. So we can see the need for a Savior. And if we read the Gospels, we can learn about that Savior. His name is Jesus. He is the Son of God. 

He took on human form and came into our broken world. He lived within the time and space of human history. He took on Himself all of the brokenness of our existence, and our world, though He had no sin. He died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin (Romans 6:23). And on the third day, He rose again, conquering death. All who trust in Him receive forgiveness of sin, and eternal life in Paradise with Him.

Science is great because we can see His work through the world that He created. And we can see the brokenness of our world because of sin. We can see our need for reconciliation with God. But the gospel of Christ is greater than science, because it tells us we can be reconciled with God now, by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1-2).

Faith and Sight - The Same Now As They Ever Were

A popular myth of our time is that the ancient people believed in the existence of the supernatural and God or gods because they lacked intelligence, knowledge, or understanding of the natural world and the laws that govern it. Accordingly, the myth says that the advent of modern science puts to rest any belief in the supernatural, and God.

But actually faith in God and the supernatural has always been fraught with tension against what can be seen with our natural eyes. In ancient times, people found it easier to place their trust in other people, or in natural means of worldly success and victory, then to trust in the loving providence and protection of the Living God who is love and who created all things.

The ancients, including the people of Israel, were more naturally inclined to trust in material wealth, military might, and physical strength or beauty to achieve their worldly goals, rather than simply have faith in God to provide for their needs, both physical and spiritual. This is why the Scriptures say things like:

"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God" (Psalm 20:7).

"For I shall not trust in my bow, nor shall my sword save me. But You have saved us from our enemies, and have put to shame those who hated us" (Psalm 44:6-7). 

"For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Humans, whom God created in His own image, have always been an intelligent creature. In 1 Kings 4:29-34, we are informed that King Solomon was extremely intelligent. He was recognized as being wiser than all the other sages of his time. He wrote three thousand proverbs and one thousand and five songs. And he possessed authoritative knowledge, which he taught to others, in the areas of plant and animal life. His wisdom and knowledge were sought after by the kings of all the other nations. 

Yet King Solomon said, "The fear of (reverence for) the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:7). He also said, "The fear of (reverence for) the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Proverbs 9:10). 

God has always been teaching His people that true wisdom and knowledge and understanding are achieved by looking beyond what can be seen with the eye, to trust in Him alone. When God spoke to Gideon, telling him to lead the people of Israel in battle against the oppressive Moabites, He told Gideon to whittle down the size of his army to a puny three hundred men. With this small force, God promised Gideon victory over the much larger Moabite army. And He kept the promise (Judges 7).

Centuries later, King Jehoshaphat sought the LORD's help against the Ammonite and Moabite forces that threatened Judah. God taught Jehoshaphat and his army to trust in Him alone, and not in military might. The enemy was defeated without the Judean army even having to fight at all (2 Chronicles 20). And these are just a couple of examples. There are many instances like these throughout the Bible.

In Genesis, Eve was deceived because she trusted in her own human observation that the forbidden fruit-tree was "good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise" (Genesis 3:6). She would have done well to trust in God alone, and walk by faith, not by sight. And the same goes for Adam. When Eve offered the fruit to him, he stopped trusting in God alone, and listened to his wife instead.

Asa, king of Judah was a relatively righteous man. But when he, in his old age, developed some kind of infirmity in his feet (perhaps gangrene; just my guess), he put all his confidence in his physician and didn't even bother to pray about it. Asa died of his illness (see 2 Chronicles 16:11-14; as well as 1 Kings 15:23-24).

The prophet Daniel was told beforehand that in the latter days, "knowledge shall increase" (Daniel 12:4). In the last five hundred years (in the last twenty years for that matter) the human race has made astounding advancements in our understanding of the physical universe. And Jesus, when He spoke prophetically of these latter days, suggested that the love and faith of human beings would simultaneously decrease (Luke 18:8. Matthew 24:12).

The popular myth would have us think that humanity has, so to speak, "grown out of" the concept of faith. The wicked ones claim that faith is now out-dated and should be replaced by human observation. But in reality, things are the same now as they ever were. Today God calls us, just as He called the ancients, to look past what we can see with our finite eyes; to trust in His infinite wisdom and knowledge and understanding. He has repeatedly shown Himself to be worthy of this trust.

The existence of physical nature does not disprove the existence of the supernatural. That would be like saying the existence of humans disproves the existence of God. It never did. It never can. The existence of cells, chemicals, particles and so forth, does not disprove the existence of spiritual realities. Rather, the natural universe, in all its order, splendor, and brokenness, is simply the physical representation of spiritual realities.

And that is why, when atheists say, "Oh we've just learned so much about the natural universe that we no longer have need to trust in God", well-read and thoughtful Christians recognize that atheistic argument for what it really is; childish nonsense.

The Cemetery Sermon - A Short Story

The venerable minister stood pale and fragile before gathering that had come to pay their respects to their departed friend and loved one. Near a tall, stately evergreen in the center of the cemetery, the physical form of Dr. Solomon Wreath lay in the bronze casket, which had a faint shimmer to it on that cold, wet, overcast October day. But  Rev. Daniels, alone, out of all the living who were there, was able to see and hear all who were gathered in that place. For many evil spirits stood in the back of the congregation, angrily cursing the minister, and God.

But stretching his eyes past that wicked crowd, Daniels could see another assembly at the outskirt of the cemetery. There, shining with a light so vibrant that it was life itself, stood the smiling, risen Lord with a holy band of angels. They played warmly and with great skill on flutes and stringed instruments. And it was this auspicious sight that gave strength to the old minister as he stood to speak over the din of hell, which was audible only to him.

The minister's sermon began with Psalm 88:3, "For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to the grave". Having read the verse, Pastor Danielson spoke saying "Though you stand in this graveyard today, none of you here draw near to the grave as our dear friend, Solomon, did in his final hours. 

I sat and prayed with him as sickness and death crept over his face like a dark cloud. And yet, there was also a peace about him which transcends understanding. We talked, and sang a hymn together. And then, looking past me, he smiled and said in that weak yet stirring voice 'It is not the grave that I am approaching. I draw near to the Lord!' And with those words he departed".

The congregation listened intently to Daniels as he continued. "So now here is another thought. Do we live as our friend died? Are we who survive him also drawing near to the Lord who died for us, and conquered death and the grave? Are we drawing near to Him truly; not merely in the flesh, attending church, and going through the motions, but in spirit - in the Spirit? Is His life overtaking ours as the apostle said 'I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.'"? (Galatians 2:20).

For half an hour or so the minister went on; giving examples from the life of his departed friend - examples of Christ living through him.    

A devoted husband and father, he had raised three daughters and two sons. He and his wife had also grieved terribly when another son had died at birth.     

As a surgeon, he had served in field hospitals during the American Civil War. He had seen a lot of suffering and death. But he had also seen some healing, and a few lives saved. Once, in the course of his career, he had even witnessed a miracle when a dead woman was prayed over, and she was raised to life again!

He was also an avid musician. And whether he was playing the mandolin, or the fiddle, or the piano; he could always move a listening audience to dancing, or to tears. And he loved to praise the heavenly Father with song. 

After recalling these things, Rev. Daniels spoke of the resurrection that is to come. He read from the Scriptures where Jesus said "...the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live... Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth - those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation." (John 5:24-30).

"Let us, then, trust in Him and follow Him." said Daniels, as he concluded his sermon. And after he spoke these words, he noticed that his physical body had just slumped down, and he remained standing. And he looked down in shock at his own form. He looked up and saw the astonished faces of the congregation. Those nearest him ran up and knelt down beside the minister's body, apparently unaware of his presence standing over it. And he saw the hellish crowd in the back, still sneering and cursing vehemently. 

He felt different too. He felt perhaps fifty years younger; like one in the prime of life, and even better. And his spirit was filled with inexpressible gladness and peace. The heavy chains of sin and mortality that are in Adam, were loosed and gone with his mortal body. 

And then he stepped forward and walked past the congregation, past the crowd of devils, past all the sullen gravestones; to the place where the Lord and His angels were gathered. And he found that his friend, Dr. Solomon Wreath, was with them. And he, too, appeared a new man altogether. 

Looking around, Daniels saw that the cemetery was gone. The whole scene was completely changed. He was no longer upon the earth, but stood in wonder of the beauty and majesty of heaven. He saw the vibrant light of God, illuminating a glorious landscape of brilliant colors; colors unknown to the people of the earth! He saw the river of life, and the tree of life. He saw the Temple of God. And he heard beautiful, flowing music; and angelic voices singing:

 "Holy, holy, holy is He who sits on the throne,

And the Lamb who was slain and lives again!"

And so Daniels was greeted warmly into eternal life.

The End

Of Pharisees and Physicists

In today's scientific community, there are many who hold to the view that everything can be explained solely through natural processes. Accordingly, these individuals reject belief in miracles, which they see as contrary to the laws of the physical universe (or possibly multiverse) which is, in their view, all there is. This worldview is called naturalism. 

Naturalism denies that there is a God who is transcendent (that is, above or apart from the physical universe). Thus it denies that the Genesis account of a six-day Creation by a supernatural Creator only about six thousand years ago; and the Flood which covered all the earth and formed many of the geological features we observe today, can be true.

So modern science does not disprove the biblical account of world history. Rather, individuals and groups within the scientific community start with the assumption that there is no God and/or that the Bible is not His word. And they interpret all their findings in accordance with that presupposition. Often times they make up explanations for data that doesn't fit their interpretation. 

What I find striking is the similarity between these members of the scientific community and the Pharisee (a leading religious sect) of Jesus' time on earth. Those Pharisees rejected Jesus because they viewed His teachings and His claims about Himself to be in conflict with the laws of Moses, and the laws of their own making. They viewed Jesus as a rival who undermined their authority; just as the naturalistic/evolutionary members of the scientific community may see creationists.

But the law of Moses was meant to show us our sin, and thus our need for grace and mercy in Christ. As Jesus said to His antagonists, "For if you believed Moses you would believe Me, for he wrote about me" (John 5:46). In truth, then, there is no conflict between Moses and Jesus.

In the same way, modern science, which is the study of the physical universe, was born out of the conviction that an orderly Creator made and upholds the universe in an orderly manner. This means that the laws of the physical universe were declared by God who is above and apart from the physical universe, just as the law of Moses was given to Moses by God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to fulfill the law and provide salvation from, and forgiveness of sin.

And so, God also has the power to command the physical universe to behave differently at specific points in time and space. When He does, we call the result a miracle. Proponents of naturalism don't like that any more than the legalistic Pharisees liked Jesus going around forgiving sins that they wanted to see punished in accordance with the law. 

And so, by their strict adherence to a naturalistic interpretation of the laws of nature (which are meant to point to God) the naturalists seek to nullify God; just as the Pharisees, by their strict adherence to the letter of the laws of Moses (which were meant to point to Christ) missed the spirit of the law and sought to nullify Christ. Both groups have missed the point of the laws that they have studied. 

But there are many who know that the Law of Moses highlights the fallen, sinful nature of humanity, and our need for salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. And He has told us that the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all our being. And that the second most important commandment is to love each other as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). And whoever obeys the first commandment will also obey the second (1 John 5:1-5).

And not all Pharisees were against Jesus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, and he met privately with Jesus to learn from Him early on in His ministry (John 3). Later, Nicodemus found the courage to defend Jesus in front of the whole Sanhedrin (John 7:50). And even later than that, it is believed that Nicodemus died a martyr for following Jesus.

Joseph of Arimathea, too, was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43). He let Jesus borrow his tomb for a few days. And Nicodemus helped him take Jesus down from the cross and prepare His body for interment (John 19:38-40).

A few years later, another Pharisee, named Saul of Tarsus, would become a follower of Jesus. Taking on his gentile name, Paul, he went on to write most of the New Testament; not to mention his extensive missionary journeys throughout the Mediterranean world. He also spent time in prison for preaching the gospel. He continued, however, in the ministry, preaching about Jesus until his head was removed by a Roman sword, circa 65 AD.    

Now just as there are those who truly understand the law of Moses, there are also those who know that the laws of nature in the physical universe point to its orderly and sovereign Creator. He is love (1 John 4:8). And He created humanity in His own image. We were made in the image of God who is love. 

This is the reason we even have a concept of love. We are fallen, and corrupted because of sin. But the law of God who is love is still inscribed in our inner being by God who created us in His own image (Romans 2:14-15).  

And just as not all Pharisees were against Jesus, so not all scientists are against the Creator who is one and the same with Jesus (John 1:1-5; John 10:30). As I already pointed out, modern science was born from the conviction that we live in an orderly universe, created and sustained by an orderly Creator according to His orderly reign. This conviction is what made the systematic, orderly study of the physical universe possible. 

Francis Bacon, Copernicus, Johann Kepler, and Isaac Newton all believed in the Genesis account of Creation, the Fall, and the Flood. Charles Darwin stole the idea of natural selection from zoologist Edward Blythe, who believed the Genesis account, and  considered natural selection to be a display of Divine providence in action. And natural selection does not add new information to the genome of any creature. It only works with already existing information. Therefore it is incapable of being the catalyst for molecules-to-man evolution.

The inventor of the MRI scanner, Raymond Damadian, is a creation scientist. And there are many other formally trained scientists who hold to the Genesis account of a six-day Creation, approximately six thousand years ago. Dr. Georgia Purdom has a Ph.D in biology and works for Answers in Genesis. Dr. Jason Lisle has a Ph.D in astrophysics and leads the research team at the Institute for Creation Research. And these are just a few examples.

As I believe in grace, so I believe in miracles. This flies in the face of the rigid teachers of the law. No law can nullify the love of God. And no law can nullify God who is love. By His great power, which we call miraculous; He created the universe in six days, six thousand years ago. And He made humanity in His own image.

I will close with this quote from Philip Yancy:

"Some see miracles as an implausible suspension of the laws of the physical universe. As signs, though, they serve just the opposite function. Death, decay, entropy, and destruction are the true suspensions of God's laws; miracles are the early glimpses of restoration."

Subjective/Objective Reality

[Note to reader: If you read this post, make sure you also read my later, August 2013 post titled Rethinking Reality; in which I consider a different view].

Reality is made of both objective and subjective truth. But there may be some confusion as to what the words "subjective" and "objective" mean. Subjectivity might be confused with relativity, and objectivity with absoluteness. But these are not the same things.

A thing that is objective belongs to the realm of material objects. It is a physical thing; whether it be a granite bolder at Devil's Den in Gettysburg, Pa, or a neuron inside one of your brain cells. 

A thing that is subjective belongs to the realm of the intangible. It has no physical substance, or material form. It can not be seen with the eye or touched with the hand. It can not be put under a microscope. A thing that is subjective has to do with thoughts and feelings. It has to do with the mind. And that includes the mind of God.

The laws of right and wrong belong to the subjective realm. You can not see a moral law with your eyes. Nor can you touch is with your hand. It is not a material object. It is not a physical thing. It is subjective. But it is real and absolute if it comes from the mind of God, who created all things. The love and righteousness of God are not less real because they are subjective.

C.S. Lewis knew the importance of subjectivity in evaluating reality. He found pure objectivity horrifying because it leaves out considerations of beauty and emotion. Objectively speaking "It is what it is". And if you leave subjective reasoning entirely out of the picture, you will find no reason why anything should or shouldn't be any different.

This is one of the main things that brought Lewis out of atheism, and eventually into Christ. As he pointed out in his book, Miracles, if all our thoughts were merely the product of random processes inside the physical brain, there would be no reason to believe that any of our thoughts could be valid observations. 

But then, as he continued, there would be no reason to suppose that our thoughts really were merely the product of random processes inside our physical brains. It would be "a proof that there are no such things as proofs - which is nonsense" (Chapter 3, paragraph 6). 

He came to realize that the mind is something more than the physical brain. It transcends the physical world, and thus provides a window into, or a connection to spiritual realities. By God's grace, it can even be the channel by which we learn of Him.