Although Christians may point to historical and scientific evidence, as well as arguments from logic to defend the faith, it is still imperative that we defend God's word with God's word; just as we must interpret Scripture with Scripture. Ignorant mockers will scoff at us for doing so, but there are a couple of reasons for using the Bible to defend the Bible.
For one thing, how can one defend a position if they do not know what the position is? One can not. One must know what the Bible actually says and teaches; one must have a firm understanding of biblical teaching and context, context, context in order to be an effective defender of God's honest, gospel truth. The apostle Paul, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, refers to "rightly dividing the word of truth", being diligent to learn from the Scriptures (2 Timothy 2:15). I hear and read comments from foolish scoffers all the time, misrepresenting the Scriptures which they so vehemently oppose. They take passages out of context and twist them like pretzels. Or they attribute words to the Bible which are not even found anywhere in the Bible. It's disgusting. At the same time, there are people who genuinely don't know what the Scriptures teach and honestly want to learn. So those of use who have poured over the God's word are responsible to answer the questions that they ask.
Yet there are even people in the Church who do not rightly divide the word of truth, but misrepresent what the Bible teaches as well. At times, I post things that are geared toward theistic evolutionists in the Church, to confirm Genesis as a literal historical narrative. Some atheists are unable to understand this and they will mock me for using the Bible to defend the Bible, but I wasn't even talking to the atheists. I was talking to the theistic evolutionists who already claim that they believe in Christianity.
Another reason for using the Scriptures to defend the Scriptures is because they have been given to us by the Holy Spirit; and it is the work of the Spirit to bring conviction of the truth into a sinner's heart and mind. God's word is mighty to speak from the mind and Spirit of God to the mind and spirits of human beings. And Jesus said, "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me." (John 6:45).
God is not desperate to convince anyone of the truth. His word is truth, and He has sent it forth into the world. And we become His servants when we speak His word from our hearts, where we have laid it up as a priceless treasure. And whoever is taught by God will hear and believe the truth. Our living Friend, Jesus Christ, says all the time; "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Matthew 11:15, 13:9, 13:43, Revelation 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:29, 3:6, 3:13, 3:22).
As the Spirit says through Paul, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17). By the hearing of the word of God, sinners believe and repent; and are reconciled to God who is love, and who created humanity in His own image for the purpose of loving and being loved by Him and each other (2 Corinthians 5:20, Genesis 1:26-27, 1 John 4:8, Matthew 22:37-40).
Showing posts with label Science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Science. Show all posts
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Saturday, March 15, 2014
You, the Evidence.
You. Yes, you; sitting there reading this blog. How do you know that you are really sitting there reading this blog? Well you can see the computer screen full of letters and words in front of you. You can feel the seat beneath you. If you look around you can see your surroundings; whether you are in a room at a desk top, or at a coffee house or park on a lap-top. You can hear the sounds of people and/or things around you.
But everything you observe, you observe with your five senses - sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. And all of your senses depend on your brain and nerves to operate in an orderly, systematic manner. How do you know that they do operate in an orderly manner? How do you know that your five senses are reliable as means of observation. You might test one against another, but how do you know that any one of them is reliably relaying accurate information about your surroundings? As C.S. Lewis wrote, "All possible knowledge then, depends on the validity of reasoning...Unless human reasoning is valid no science can be true (Miracles; chapter 3, paragraph 5).
And elsewhere he wrote, "If the solar system was brought about by an accidental collision, then the appearance of organic life on this planet was also an accident, and the whole evolution of Man was an accident too. If so, then all our present thoughts are mere accidents - the accidental by-product of the movement of atoms. And this holds true for the thoughts of the materialists and astronomers as well as anyone else's. But if their thoughts - of materialism and astronomy - are merely accidental by-products, why should we believe them to be true?".
Atheism claims that your brain and nerve system are the product of random, unguided, unintelligent processes. But how could random, unguided, unintelligent processes produce an intricate system that can observe and interpret information in an orderly and reliable manner? It is simply irrational to believe that such order; such systems, and complex, intelligible information arose from random, unguided, mindless processes. If anyone believes that their brain is the product of such processes, and yet considers their brain to be a reliable means of observation, then they are not a rational thinker. Their worldview is irrational.
The truth is that you yourself are the only evidence that you should reasonably need in order to believe in God. It is only because you and your brain (which is merely the physical representation of your metaphysical mind) were purposefully made by an orderly Creator, sovereign Lawgiver, and loving God, that you are able to think and make valid observations about your surroundings. In fact, God is love (1 John 4:8). And He created all things to operate in an orderly, rational manner. "For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints" (1 Corinthians 14:33). And He created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40).
All of your bodily functions; the ability to feed yourself, absorb nutrients, and expel toxins are designed by God for your good. The ability to breathe air; your lungs, your blood which then carries oxygen to the cells and tissues throughout your body, the heart, veins, arteries, capillaries working to pump the blood throughout your body, all of these were purposefully designed by God who is love, for your good. If your cells, tissues, organs, systems are in working order, that is because God made, and allows them to continue working. And that is something for which to be grateful.
According to some atheists, to say that God designed and sustains it is all just an "argument from silence" or "ignorance". According to them, it amounts to saying, "I don't understand how this could have happened so it must have been God". However, it is not an argument from ignorance. It is an argument from valid observations about the functions of the human brain and nerve system; as well as the digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems. We creationists understand just fine that the universe (including the human brain and biology) operates according to orderly sets of laws, being made of intricate and orderly systems, encoded with intelligible information.
And if anyone says that "God designed it" is an argument from silence or ignorance, we creationist can just as easily say that "random processes did it" is an argument from ignorance or silence; because the wicked are ignorant of the Word and the power of God so that they are spiritually deaf to His truth (John 1:1-5, Matthew 22:29). In fact, I say again, if anyone believes that their brain is the product of random, unguided, unintelligent processes, and yet considers their brain to be a reliable means of observation, then they are not a rational thinker.
Sir Charles Bell (anatomist, surgeon, physiologist, and theologian; 1774-1842) wrote, "If we select any object in the whole extent of animated nature, (that would include your physical body) and contemplate it fully and in all its bearings, we shall certainly come to this conclusion: that there is Design in the mechanical construction, Benevolence in the endowments of the living properties, and that Good on the whole is the result". Concerning anyone who fails to recognize and appreciate design in nature, Bell wrote, "is not his insensibility to the Giver of these secret endowments worse than ingratitude?" (emphasis added).
There are some who consider all the brokenness in the world; sickness, disease, handicaps and suffering of every kind, to be an argument against God. But the truth is more complex than that. The brokenness that we find in the world is only recognized as brokenness because of its sharp contrast with the order and design that we also find prevalent in the universe. And so we can see that the world's brokenness is evidence of the Fall of Humanity, recorded in Genesis chapter three.
Now this does not mean that all specific cases of suffering, disease, and death is punishment for a specific sin committed by a specific individual or group. Rather, it simply means that the only reason that suffering, disease, and death exist in the first place is because of sin in general. As the Scripture says: "So, in the same way that sin entered the world through one person, and death came through sin, so death spread to all human beings with the result that all sinned" (Romans 5:12; Common English Bible).
So now we see that the brokenness that we find in our world is evidence of the need for a Savior. And that Savior came two thousand years ago to die on a cross for our sin, just outside of Jerusalem. And He arose from the dead so that all who trust in Him also have the hope of the resurrection from the dead and eternal life with new, perfect, immortal bodies (1 Peter 1:3-5; also read 1 Corinthians 15).
You see, even in the midst of all the world's brokenness, Christ's love takes opportunity to shine forth. As Shakespeare put it, "How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world". Jesus set this as our example, that we should find opportunity to do the work of His kingdom in the midst of all the world's brokenness (John 9:1-5, John 8:12, Matthew 5:14-16).
By the works that Jesus Christ accomplished in His earthy life and death, and by His resurrection from the dead; He has made it possible for sinners (we are all sinners, Romans 3:23) to be reconciled to the heavenly Father. That means turning away from sin, being freed from its control, and learning to live in harmony with the Divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-5). And as a result, we who trust in Christ will be restored to the perfection that was before the Fall. As Philip Yancey wrote, "Death, decay, entropy, and destruction are the true suspensions of God's laws; miracles are the early glimpses of restoration".
But everything you observe, you observe with your five senses - sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. And all of your senses depend on your brain and nerves to operate in an orderly, systematic manner. How do you know that they do operate in an orderly manner? How do you know that your five senses are reliable as means of observation. You might test one against another, but how do you know that any one of them is reliably relaying accurate information about your surroundings? As C.S. Lewis wrote, "All possible knowledge then, depends on the validity of reasoning...Unless human reasoning is valid no science can be true (Miracles; chapter 3, paragraph 5).
And elsewhere he wrote, "If the solar system was brought about by an accidental collision, then the appearance of organic life on this planet was also an accident, and the whole evolution of Man was an accident too. If so, then all our present thoughts are mere accidents - the accidental by-product of the movement of atoms. And this holds true for the thoughts of the materialists and astronomers as well as anyone else's. But if their thoughts - of materialism and astronomy - are merely accidental by-products, why should we believe them to be true?".
Atheism claims that your brain and nerve system are the product of random, unguided, unintelligent processes. But how could random, unguided, unintelligent processes produce an intricate system that can observe and interpret information in an orderly and reliable manner? It is simply irrational to believe that such order; such systems, and complex, intelligible information arose from random, unguided, mindless processes. If anyone believes that their brain is the product of such processes, and yet considers their brain to be a reliable means of observation, then they are not a rational thinker. Their worldview is irrational.
The truth is that you yourself are the only evidence that you should reasonably need in order to believe in God. It is only because you and your brain (which is merely the physical representation of your metaphysical mind) were purposefully made by an orderly Creator, sovereign Lawgiver, and loving God, that you are able to think and make valid observations about your surroundings. In fact, God is love (1 John 4:8). And He created all things to operate in an orderly, rational manner. "For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints" (1 Corinthians 14:33). And He created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40).
All of your bodily functions; the ability to feed yourself, absorb nutrients, and expel toxins are designed by God for your good. The ability to breathe air; your lungs, your blood which then carries oxygen to the cells and tissues throughout your body, the heart, veins, arteries, capillaries working to pump the blood throughout your body, all of these were purposefully designed by God who is love, for your good. If your cells, tissues, organs, systems are in working order, that is because God made, and allows them to continue working. And that is something for which to be grateful.
According to some atheists, to say that God designed and sustains it is all just an "argument from silence" or "ignorance". According to them, it amounts to saying, "I don't understand how this could have happened so it must have been God". However, it is not an argument from ignorance. It is an argument from valid observations about the functions of the human brain and nerve system; as well as the digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems. We creationists understand just fine that the universe (including the human brain and biology) operates according to orderly sets of laws, being made of intricate and orderly systems, encoded with intelligible information.
And if anyone says that "God designed it" is an argument from silence or ignorance, we creationist can just as easily say that "random processes did it" is an argument from ignorance or silence; because the wicked are ignorant of the Word and the power of God so that they are spiritually deaf to His truth (John 1:1-5, Matthew 22:29). In fact, I say again, if anyone believes that their brain is the product of random, unguided, unintelligent processes, and yet considers their brain to be a reliable means of observation, then they are not a rational thinker.
Sir Charles Bell (anatomist, surgeon, physiologist, and theologian; 1774-1842) wrote, "If we select any object in the whole extent of animated nature, (that would include your physical body) and contemplate it fully and in all its bearings, we shall certainly come to this conclusion: that there is Design in the mechanical construction, Benevolence in the endowments of the living properties, and that Good on the whole is the result". Concerning anyone who fails to recognize and appreciate design in nature, Bell wrote, "is not his insensibility to the Giver of these secret endowments worse than ingratitude?" (emphasis added).
There are some who consider all the brokenness in the world; sickness, disease, handicaps and suffering of every kind, to be an argument against God. But the truth is more complex than that. The brokenness that we find in the world is only recognized as brokenness because of its sharp contrast with the order and design that we also find prevalent in the universe. And so we can see that the world's brokenness is evidence of the Fall of Humanity, recorded in Genesis chapter three.
Now this does not mean that all specific cases of suffering, disease, and death is punishment for a specific sin committed by a specific individual or group. Rather, it simply means that the only reason that suffering, disease, and death exist in the first place is because of sin in general. As the Scripture says: "So, in the same way that sin entered the world through one person, and death came through sin, so death spread to all human beings with the result that all sinned" (Romans 5:12; Common English Bible).
So now we see that the brokenness that we find in our world is evidence of the need for a Savior. And that Savior came two thousand years ago to die on a cross for our sin, just outside of Jerusalem. And He arose from the dead so that all who trust in Him also have the hope of the resurrection from the dead and eternal life with new, perfect, immortal bodies (1 Peter 1:3-5; also read 1 Corinthians 15).
You see, even in the midst of all the world's brokenness, Christ's love takes opportunity to shine forth. As Shakespeare put it, "How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world". Jesus set this as our example, that we should find opportunity to do the work of His kingdom in the midst of all the world's brokenness (John 9:1-5, John 8:12, Matthew 5:14-16).
By the works that Jesus Christ accomplished in His earthy life and death, and by His resurrection from the dead; He has made it possible for sinners (we are all sinners, Romans 3:23) to be reconciled to the heavenly Father. That means turning away from sin, being freed from its control, and learning to live in harmony with the Divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-5). And as a result, we who trust in Christ will be restored to the perfection that was before the Fall. As Philip Yancey wrote, "Death, decay, entropy, and destruction are the true suspensions of God's laws; miracles are the early glimpses of restoration".
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Why Nye Doeth Fly Awry
Bill Nye has said that the creation/evolution debate is not a religious or theological one, but strictly scientific. He has claimed that he does not attack any religion, but that the creation worldview is simply unscientific and therefore untenable. He also admits that he does not know much about theology. At least he's right about that last part.
What he fails to understand is that once one acknowledges the existence of the Creator and Owner of the universe; one automatically allows for the possibility of supernatural miracles. Once one places their faith in Jesus Christ, through whom the universe was made, (John 1:1-5, Hebrews 1:1-2) it becomes entirely unnecessary to accept the evolutionary worldview. Keep in mind the fact that evolution and creation are simply variant interpretations of the same scientific data.
The evolutionary interpretation of scientific data was first used and developed by individuals who began first by rejecting God as the Creator of the universe. They did not disprove God, but they began with the assumption of atheism, and interpreted the data according to that assumption. Thus, the evolutionary view is, from the very start, an attempt to explain the complexity of the universe and life, without God.
However, modern science first began to thrive in Europe because of the conviction of such notables as Francis Bacon, Copernicus, and Isaac Newton that the universe was made by an orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver. Without faith in an orderly Creator/Owner of the universe, there is no rational ground on which to expect the universe to operate in an orderly way, that can be systematically observed and studied in the first place.
Nye mocks the idea of the Genesis Flood and Noah's Ark. But on what basis does he mock the biblical account? His mocking is based on the assumption that there is no supernatural God. Thus, he actually is attacking faith, in spite of what he says. He recently said that he would like to challenge the Creation Museum to build a real ark, just like Noah's, and put it to sea for a full year.
He, of course, is skeptical that such an endeavor would be successful. And perhaps it would take Divine intervention to preserve the Ark during the year of the Genesis Flood; but no more so than it would take for a hiker to survive a brutal encounter with a bear or a lion, and such miracles have happened. However, the dimensions of Noah's Ark (500ft long, 75ft wide, and 45ft high) were good and proper. There are many other examples of large wooden ships, with similar dimensions to those of Noah's Ark, in ancient history (1).
But here's the point: Bill Nye begins with the assumption that Divine intervention should be completely ruled out from the start. But the creation model is free from that constraint right at the outset. We creationists believe that the Creator/Owner of the universe is real. And we interpret the scientific data according to His word. In fact, the intervention of an orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver, is the very foundation on which we expect there to be orderly laws in the universe at all.
Now, we can show that the biblical creation interpretation makes more sense in a lot of ways. We can point to the complexity and order of genetic information (2, 3). We can point to discrepancies between the geological layers and fossils on the one hand, and the doctrines of evolution and deep time on the other. Polysrate fossils (4), soft tissue found in fossils (5) , unfossilized remains of dinosaurs (6, 7) are all very good; we like those. Dating methods that come up drastically wrong when used on rocks of already-known ages (8), lunar recession (9) and the faint sun paradox (10, 11) are all very good points as well.
But the starting point of belief in the orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver of the universe is the most important thing. This faith gives us the rational ground on which to expect orderly laws in the universe; yet also sustains the flexibility to allow for the possibility of supernatural miracles. Apart from this faith, there is no reason on which to expect order or miracles, either one, in the universe.
The flight of Bill Nye's thoughts is off course. And Jesus Christ tells why that is. He said, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God" (Matthew 22:29). The power of God is the only reason that there even is order in the universe at all. And so, as a scientist, Nye's life work is the study of God's work - the universe. Yet he begins his study with the assumption that the One who created and reigns over the universe does not exist. So Nye's is not an intellectual error so much as it is a spiritual error. But that error misinforms the way he interprets the data. He interprets the data in accordance with a worldview that undercuts, and mocks itself.
Now, since the expulsion from Eden, we are all born with a fallen, sinful nature; characterized by enmity against God who is love (John 4:8), and who originally created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40). Enmity against God is the spiritual error that causes all spiritual error. But like Saul of Tarsus, (Acts 9) sinners may surrendering to God, and have the blinders of sin removed from their spiritual eyes; that they may see, and fly aright. Everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ is reconciled to God. "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus".
What he fails to understand is that once one acknowledges the existence of the Creator and Owner of the universe; one automatically allows for the possibility of supernatural miracles. Once one places their faith in Jesus Christ, through whom the universe was made, (John 1:1-5, Hebrews 1:1-2) it becomes entirely unnecessary to accept the evolutionary worldview. Keep in mind the fact that evolution and creation are simply variant interpretations of the same scientific data.
The evolutionary interpretation of scientific data was first used and developed by individuals who began first by rejecting God as the Creator of the universe. They did not disprove God, but they began with the assumption of atheism, and interpreted the data according to that assumption. Thus, the evolutionary view is, from the very start, an attempt to explain the complexity of the universe and life, without God.
However, modern science first began to thrive in Europe because of the conviction of such notables as Francis Bacon, Copernicus, and Isaac Newton that the universe was made by an orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver. Without faith in an orderly Creator/Owner of the universe, there is no rational ground on which to expect the universe to operate in an orderly way, that can be systematically observed and studied in the first place.
Nye mocks the idea of the Genesis Flood and Noah's Ark. But on what basis does he mock the biblical account? His mocking is based on the assumption that there is no supernatural God. Thus, he actually is attacking faith, in spite of what he says. He recently said that he would like to challenge the Creation Museum to build a real ark, just like Noah's, and put it to sea for a full year.
He, of course, is skeptical that such an endeavor would be successful. And perhaps it would take Divine intervention to preserve the Ark during the year of the Genesis Flood; but no more so than it would take for a hiker to survive a brutal encounter with a bear or a lion, and such miracles have happened. However, the dimensions of Noah's Ark (500ft long, 75ft wide, and 45ft high) were good and proper. There are many other examples of large wooden ships, with similar dimensions to those of Noah's Ark, in ancient history (1).
But here's the point: Bill Nye begins with the assumption that Divine intervention should be completely ruled out from the start. But the creation model is free from that constraint right at the outset. We creationists believe that the Creator/Owner of the universe is real. And we interpret the scientific data according to His word. In fact, the intervention of an orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver, is the very foundation on which we expect there to be orderly laws in the universe at all.
Now, we can show that the biblical creation interpretation makes more sense in a lot of ways. We can point to the complexity and order of genetic information (2, 3). We can point to discrepancies between the geological layers and fossils on the one hand, and the doctrines of evolution and deep time on the other. Polysrate fossils (4), soft tissue found in fossils (5) , unfossilized remains of dinosaurs (6, 7) are all very good; we like those. Dating methods that come up drastically wrong when used on rocks of already-known ages (8), lunar recession (9) and the faint sun paradox (10, 11) are all very good points as well.
But the starting point of belief in the orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver of the universe is the most important thing. This faith gives us the rational ground on which to expect orderly laws in the universe; yet also sustains the flexibility to allow for the possibility of supernatural miracles. Apart from this faith, there is no reason on which to expect order or miracles, either one, in the universe.
The flight of Bill Nye's thoughts is off course. And Jesus Christ tells why that is. He said, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God" (Matthew 22:29). The power of God is the only reason that there even is order in the universe at all. And so, as a scientist, Nye's life work is the study of God's work - the universe. Yet he begins his study with the assumption that the One who created and reigns over the universe does not exist. So Nye's is not an intellectual error so much as it is a spiritual error. But that error misinforms the way he interprets the data. He interprets the data in accordance with a worldview that undercuts, and mocks itself.
Now, since the expulsion from Eden, we are all born with a fallen, sinful nature; characterized by enmity against God who is love (John 4:8), and who originally created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40). Enmity against God is the spiritual error that causes all spiritual error. But like Saul of Tarsus, (Acts 9) sinners may surrendering to God, and have the blinders of sin removed from their spiritual eyes; that they may see, and fly aright. Everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ is reconciled to God. "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus".
Saturday, February 15, 2014
This Faith Is Reason
It is not uncommon for atheists to claim that reason is on their side. Interestingly, however, the Scriptures equate reason with faith. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul the apostle wrote to the church at Thessalonica, saying, "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith" (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2).
Atheists really are not reasonable or rational thinkers at all. They imagine that this orderly universe, operating according to orderly and intricate sets of laws, came not from an orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver; but from random, mindless, unguided processes. And that is a very irrational point of view.
Cells live and operate according to complex codes of intelligible information. They read and interpret the information that is encoded in them, in order to multiply and give specific characteristics to the living organism of which they are a part.
The human brain has to function in an orderly and intelligible manner in order to be able to make valid observations of the surrounding world. Otherwise, the five senses would not be reliable as means of observation. Thus, reason and science would be completely impossible.
The atheists, maintaining that there is no orderly Creator or sovereign Lawgiver, are unable to give any rational explanation for the existence of the laws, the intricate information, by which the universe operates. Thus, the atheistic worldview actually undercuts any rational grounds for science and reason. This does not mean that atheists are unable to conduct scientific studies. It just means that they can not provide any rational grounds, from their own worldview, for doing so.
Furthermore, atheism provides no rational grounds for any moral or spiritual laws. An atheist may hold to some code that they regard as good, though they are not in harmony with God who is the Absolute Standard of what is good. But they can not give any rational explanation as to why anything is or is not good. In fact, atheists do not believe in absolutes; except that they are absolutely sure that there are no absolutes.
These so-called "rationalists", who are not really rational at all, hold that everything is reducible to a mere collection of facts; of data, with no real, objective moral/spiritual value or meaning; other than what human beings imaginatively place on it. Of course, as already noted, if there were no orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver, there would be no reliable means of observing and systematically collecting any orderly data at all.
But aside from that, these "rationalists" leave themselves bereft of any understanding of the real, objective matters of the heart and soul of the human experience - the inward, non-physical part of a person. Follow the t.v. show "Bones" (which I do actually enjoy - believe it or not) and I think you'll see what I mean. The mean character frequently says "I don't know what that means." when an emotional/spiritual expression is made. This destitution of the soul and spirit is not rational or reasonable. To be truly rational means having the wisdom to evaluate all known facts and understand their spiritual significance.
As the preacher at my church noted in his sermon this past Sunday, wisdom is the ability to view earthly things from a heavenly perspective. King Solomon the Wise taught us that reverence toward the LORD is the beginning of both wisdom and knowledge (Proverbs 9:10, & 1:7).
Christians have a rational basis for expecting the universe to operate in an orderly manner that can be systematically observed and studied. And we have a rational basis for holding to moral/spiritual laws as well. The universe was created by an orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver, who sustains it in a consistent, orderly manner. Not only is this so, but God is love (1 John 4:8). And He created us in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40). Our Creator is the only Reason that science and goodness have on which to stand.
The heavenly Father Himself has said, through the prophet Isaiah:
Atheists really are not reasonable or rational thinkers at all. They imagine that this orderly universe, operating according to orderly and intricate sets of laws, came not from an orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver; but from random, mindless, unguided processes. And that is a very irrational point of view.
Cells live and operate according to complex codes of intelligible information. They read and interpret the information that is encoded in them, in order to multiply and give specific characteristics to the living organism of which they are a part.
The human brain has to function in an orderly and intelligible manner in order to be able to make valid observations of the surrounding world. Otherwise, the five senses would not be reliable as means of observation. Thus, reason and science would be completely impossible.
The atheists, maintaining that there is no orderly Creator or sovereign Lawgiver, are unable to give any rational explanation for the existence of the laws, the intricate information, by which the universe operates. Thus, the atheistic worldview actually undercuts any rational grounds for science and reason. This does not mean that atheists are unable to conduct scientific studies. It just means that they can not provide any rational grounds, from their own worldview, for doing so.
Furthermore, atheism provides no rational grounds for any moral or spiritual laws. An atheist may hold to some code that they regard as good, though they are not in harmony with God who is the Absolute Standard of what is good. But they can not give any rational explanation as to why anything is or is not good. In fact, atheists do not believe in absolutes; except that they are absolutely sure that there are no absolutes.
These so-called "rationalists", who are not really rational at all, hold that everything is reducible to a mere collection of facts; of data, with no real, objective moral/spiritual value or meaning; other than what human beings imaginatively place on it. Of course, as already noted, if there were no orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver, there would be no reliable means of observing and systematically collecting any orderly data at all.
But aside from that, these "rationalists" leave themselves bereft of any understanding of the real, objective matters of the heart and soul of the human experience - the inward, non-physical part of a person. Follow the t.v. show "Bones" (which I do actually enjoy - believe it or not) and I think you'll see what I mean. The mean character frequently says "I don't know what that means." when an emotional/spiritual expression is made. This destitution of the soul and spirit is not rational or reasonable. To be truly rational means having the wisdom to evaluate all known facts and understand their spiritual significance.
As the preacher at my church noted in his sermon this past Sunday, wisdom is the ability to view earthly things from a heavenly perspective. King Solomon the Wise taught us that reverence toward the LORD is the beginning of both wisdom and knowledge (Proverbs 9:10, & 1:7).
Christians have a rational basis for expecting the universe to operate in an orderly manner that can be systematically observed and studied. And we have a rational basis for holding to moral/spiritual laws as well. The universe was created by an orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver, who sustains it in a consistent, orderly manner. Not only is this so, but God is love (1 John 4:8). And He created us in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40). Our Creator is the only Reason that science and goodness have on which to stand.
The heavenly Father Himself has said, through the prophet Isaiah:
"'Come now, let us reason together,"
Says the LORD,
"Though your sins be as scarlet,
They shall be white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool'"
(Isaiah 1:18; emphasis added).
And He has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to fulfill this promise (John 1:29). This, by the way, sets Christ apart from all other religions. We have confidence that God Himself took on human form and lived a humble, human life in Israel. He Himself endured the brokenness, the sorrows and hardships of the human experience, and was crucified for our sin (Isaiah 53). Everyone who places their trust in Jesus Christ is reconciled with the heavenly Father. "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5).
Thursday, December 12, 2013
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).
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).
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Insensitive?
I have heard of the accusation; that devote and faithful Christians are mean and insensitive. And maybe some of us are. Maybe I am. However, that accusation is one that cuts both ways.
Take for example, Simon Peter. Jesus said to his disciple, who argued with Him about His impending crucifixion, that he was not being mindful of the things of God, but the things of men (Matthew 16:23).
Peter was oh so very sensitive about the well-being of the Messiah. How cruelly did the idea stab his heart; that his Lord should have to "go tho Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be killed..." (Matthew 16:21). "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" he cried (Matthew 16:22).
He was sensitive to the wrong things. He was sensitive to his own notion of what should happen to Jesus. But he was not sensitive to the will of God; the need for the Messiah to suffer and die before entering His glory (Isaiah 53, Daniel 9:26, Luke 24:25-27). He was not sensitive to the need for Jesus to give His life as a ransom to save sinners from eternal ruin (Matthew 20:28).
And now what about those who mock and ridicule Jesus and His followers. What about those who reject Christ. Do they call us insensitive because we tell the truth: that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus? (Romans 3:23-24). Are we insensitive be cause we tell the truth: that God now commands all people everywhere to repent (turn away from sin) and be saved, by Jesus, from the judgement to come? (Acts 17:30-31).
Do the unrepentant not know that they are the ones who are insensitive to God who is love, and who made humanity in His own image before the Fall? It is irrational for them to think that the universe, operating according to orderly laws, its behavior guided by intelligible information on a cellular and atomic level, came not from an intelligent Creator and sovereign Lawgiver; but from random, mindless, unguided processes.
And if the physical universe did not operate according to orderly laws, science would be impossible. Our own brains would not operate according to orderly laws, enabling us to think and to make valid observations. Yet, one must also be blind not to see that this is a fallen, corrupted, sinful, broken world we inhabit; in need of a Savior. And it requires a hard, insensitive heart to reject the truth that Jesus is that Savior.
The unrepentant, because of their depraved spirits, are irrational, and spiritually blind; having hard, insensitive hearts. They are the ones who are insensitive to the things that matter to the Maker/Owner of the universe. They are the ones who are insensitive to the love of Jesus, who died for their sins. He offers eternal life; restoration taking away the brokenness of sin's curse, eternal peace, joy and love. And they reject it all.
The unrepentant do not want to be reconciled with their Maker, whose Son died on the cross to save sinners. They want to remain fallen creatures. They think it is enough for them to manage their fallen nature as they see fit. But they are fallen creatures with a corrupted view of what is good. They say that they are "good without a god", but they are not good. They only think that they are good because they are too corrupt to even know what is good. To be without God is, by definition, not good.
When humanity turns his back on God, and sets up his own fallen, corrupted standard of "right" and "wrong"; it inevitably leads to every kind of evil. It led humanity to crucify the perfect Son of God who is love, and who made humanity in His image before the Fall. And it continues to lead humans to mock and despise Him and His followers to this day. It even has lead to the widespread acceptance of infanticide in the name of "women's rights"; disregard toward human life in the name of "human rights". They think they are good, but they are not good. They are evil. They are the insensitive ones. They are mean.
They are insensitive to the filthiness of their own rebellion against God who is love. They are insensitive to the stench of their own depravity. They are the insensitive ones who refuse to be reconciled with God through His Son Jesus Christ.
As for me, I too have been insensitive to the heart of God. I have, at times, chosen to be sensitive, instead, to the thoughts and feelings of fallen humanity. And as a result, I have thought and said and done things that are wicked and insensitive to God who is love. For, as Jesus Himself said, "what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God" (Luke 16:15).
I am sorry for the ways in which I have dishonored God. I repent. And I ask Him to forgive me. And I thank Him for His mercy, as He helps me to practice the righteousness of the new nature which is in Christ.
Take for example, Simon Peter. Jesus said to his disciple, who argued with Him about His impending crucifixion, that he was not being mindful of the things of God, but the things of men (Matthew 16:23).
Peter was oh so very sensitive about the well-being of the Messiah. How cruelly did the idea stab his heart; that his Lord should have to "go tho Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be killed..." (Matthew 16:21). "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" he cried (Matthew 16:22).
He was sensitive to the wrong things. He was sensitive to his own notion of what should happen to Jesus. But he was not sensitive to the will of God; the need for the Messiah to suffer and die before entering His glory (Isaiah 53, Daniel 9:26, Luke 24:25-27). He was not sensitive to the need for Jesus to give His life as a ransom to save sinners from eternal ruin (Matthew 20:28).
And now what about those who mock and ridicule Jesus and His followers. What about those who reject Christ. Do they call us insensitive because we tell the truth: that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus? (Romans 3:23-24). Are we insensitive be cause we tell the truth: that God now commands all people everywhere to repent (turn away from sin) and be saved, by Jesus, from the judgement to come? (Acts 17:30-31).
Do the unrepentant not know that they are the ones who are insensitive to God who is love, and who made humanity in His own image before the Fall? It is irrational for them to think that the universe, operating according to orderly laws, its behavior guided by intelligible information on a cellular and atomic level, came not from an intelligent Creator and sovereign Lawgiver; but from random, mindless, unguided processes.
And if the physical universe did not operate according to orderly laws, science would be impossible. Our own brains would not operate according to orderly laws, enabling us to think and to make valid observations. Yet, one must also be blind not to see that this is a fallen, corrupted, sinful, broken world we inhabit; in need of a Savior. And it requires a hard, insensitive heart to reject the truth that Jesus is that Savior.
The unrepentant, because of their depraved spirits, are irrational, and spiritually blind; having hard, insensitive hearts. They are the ones who are insensitive to the things that matter to the Maker/Owner of the universe. They are the ones who are insensitive to the love of Jesus, who died for their sins. He offers eternal life; restoration taking away the brokenness of sin's curse, eternal peace, joy and love. And they reject it all.
The unrepentant do not want to be reconciled with their Maker, whose Son died on the cross to save sinners. They want to remain fallen creatures. They think it is enough for them to manage their fallen nature as they see fit. But they are fallen creatures with a corrupted view of what is good. They say that they are "good without a god", but they are not good. They only think that they are good because they are too corrupt to even know what is good. To be without God is, by definition, not good.
When humanity turns his back on God, and sets up his own fallen, corrupted standard of "right" and "wrong"; it inevitably leads to every kind of evil. It led humanity to crucify the perfect Son of God who is love, and who made humanity in His image before the Fall. And it continues to lead humans to mock and despise Him and His followers to this day. It even has lead to the widespread acceptance of infanticide in the name of "women's rights"; disregard toward human life in the name of "human rights". They think they are good, but they are not good. They are evil. They are the insensitive ones. They are mean.
They are insensitive to the filthiness of their own rebellion against God who is love. They are insensitive to the stench of their own depravity. They are the insensitive ones who refuse to be reconciled with God through His Son Jesus Christ.
As for me, I too have been insensitive to the heart of God. I have, at times, chosen to be sensitive, instead, to the thoughts and feelings of fallen humanity. And as a result, I have thought and said and done things that are wicked and insensitive to God who is love. For, as Jesus Himself said, "what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God" (Luke 16:15).
I am sorry for the ways in which I have dishonored God. I repent. And I ask Him to forgive me. And I thank Him for His mercy, as He helps me to practice the righteousness of the new nature which is in Christ.
"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14).
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Of Pharisees and Physicists Part Two
At the beginning of last month I wrote about the Pharisees (teachers of the Law of Moses) who rejected Jesus; the Messiah that was predicted, foreshadowed, and prefigured in the writings of Moses, under the direction of the Holy Spirit. And I wrote about the teachers of the laws of nature who, in these modern times, reject Jesus through whom all things were created. He is the Author of the laws of nature.
So I showed the similarity between the two sets of law-teachers. Both groups have missed the point of the laws which they have studies. And therefore both groups have rejected God who made the laws which they have taught. Now I want to continue with that observation.
Jesus once indicted the Pharisees of those days by comparing them to "children sitting in the market place and calling to one another, saying:
So I showed the similarity between the two sets of law-teachers. Both groups have missed the point of the laws which they have studies. And therefore both groups have rejected God who made the laws which they have taught. Now I want to continue with that observation.
Jesus once indicted the Pharisees of those days by comparing them to "children sitting in the market place and calling to one another, saying:
'We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not weep.'
For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon'. The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'" (Luke 7:32-34).
This same illustration is applicable and relevant to the discussion of today's "teachers of the law". I say this because when we tell of the amazing miracles that where performed by Jesus Christ, and all the other miracles described in the Bible, as well as God's ability to perform miracles at any time and place He chooses; the naturalistic teachers of the law will scoff and ridicule these claims. They will say that the universe operates according to orderly sets of laws.
When we tell the truth that God Himself instituted the laws of nature which He created and owns, and that He carries out most of His work through the laws which He has instituted over nature; they will scoff and ridicule this. They will call it "an argument from silence" for a "God of the gaps". But as Dr. Georgia Purdom of Answers in Genesis has recently pointed out in her blog, "we do not use God to fill in the gaps because there are no gaps". And there is no silence (Psalm 19:1-4). There is only God and His creation, which He made and owns.
It is simple. God instituted the laws of nature, they are His laws. And He also reserves the right to command the natural universe, which He created and owns, to behave differently at specific points in time and space. When He does, we call the result a miracle.
But now, whether God works by way of miracles, or if He works by way of the ordinary laws of nature which He instituted; the wicked, corrupt self-deceivers will reject Him either way. If they ever did see a miracle happen before their very eyes, they would say "There must be some scientific explanation for this".
They ignore the truth that if all the universe is entirely the result of random, unguided processes, then our their brains are also the product of random, unguided process. In that case all their thoughts are the accidental products of random, unguided processes.
And in that case they have no reason to believe that any of their thoughts are valid observations of the universe in which they accidentally exist. And that undermines their supposed observation that the universe is a result of random, unguided processes. In short, their naturalistic worldview undermines itself.
Science - the orderly, systematic study of the natural universe is possible because the orderly, sovereign Creator of the universe made nature to operate according to orderly sets of laws. And He also created our minds to be able to function in an orderly way that allows us to think and make valid observations.
Jesus said to the Pharisees who denied Him, "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think that you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39). His modern enemies claim to believe in the laws of nature. But the laws of nature point to the orderly, sovereign God who created nature to operate according to orderly laws.
So the problem is not a lack of evidence. It is only the hardness of a fallen, corrupt, sinful heart that blinds anyone to the truth. These teachers of the law, in their heart of hearts, do not love God who is love (1 John 4:8), and who created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40). They demonstrate their fallen nature in that they do not love God who is love.
When we tell the truth that God Himself instituted the laws of nature which He created and owns, and that He carries out most of His work through the laws which He has instituted over nature; they will scoff and ridicule this. They will call it "an argument from silence" for a "God of the gaps". But as Dr. Georgia Purdom of Answers in Genesis has recently pointed out in her blog, "we do not use God to fill in the gaps because there are no gaps". And there is no silence (Psalm 19:1-4). There is only God and His creation, which He made and owns.
It is simple. God instituted the laws of nature, they are His laws. And He also reserves the right to command the natural universe, which He created and owns, to behave differently at specific points in time and space. When He does, we call the result a miracle.
But now, whether God works by way of miracles, or if He works by way of the ordinary laws of nature which He instituted; the wicked, corrupt self-deceivers will reject Him either way. If they ever did see a miracle happen before their very eyes, they would say "There must be some scientific explanation for this".
They ignore the truth that if all the universe is entirely the result of random, unguided processes, then our their brains are also the product of random, unguided process. In that case all their thoughts are the accidental products of random, unguided processes.
And in that case they have no reason to believe that any of their thoughts are valid observations of the universe in which they accidentally exist. And that undermines their supposed observation that the universe is a result of random, unguided processes. In short, their naturalistic worldview undermines itself.
Science - the orderly, systematic study of the natural universe is possible because the orderly, sovereign Creator of the universe made nature to operate according to orderly sets of laws. And He also created our minds to be able to function in an orderly way that allows us to think and make valid observations.
Jesus said to the Pharisees who denied Him, "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think that you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39). His modern enemies claim to believe in the laws of nature. But the laws of nature point to the orderly, sovereign God who created nature to operate according to orderly laws.
So the problem is not a lack of evidence. It is only the hardness of a fallen, corrupt, sinful heart that blinds anyone to the truth. These teachers of the law, in their heart of hearts, do not love God who is love (1 John 4:8), and who created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40). They demonstrate their fallen nature in that they do not love God who is love.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
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:
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."
Saturday, May 11, 2013
More Than an Ancient Text
As humans, I think we all like to put things into human terms. I know that I do. And so I find it appealing to think of the origins debate as a conflict between Darwin and Moses.
But though the discussion may be framed in such a way, it is important to remember that it is more than just a matter of Moses vs. Darwin. It is a conflict between the word of God and the word of men.
Moses was a man. And Genesis was written by Moses. But Moses was a prophet of God, and he wrote down what God spoke to him (Numbers 12:5-8, John 5:46, 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21).
An old friend of mine used to refer to the Bible as "an ancient text", as if to lessen its authority. And theistic evolutionist, Peter Enns has made the statement that "an ancient text give us ancient science, not modern".
But these speak wrongly about God's word. God's word is not antiquated, nor is it static. God's word is living and vibrant. It is more than just an ancient text. It keeps on being true (Psalm 119, John 17:17, Hebrews 4:12-13).
There can be no greater authority on science and origins than the One who created the universe and all that exists (Genesis 1:1, John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16-17).
Some try to reinterpret what God clearly tells us about our origins. But the only reason for such theories as the day/age, or the gap theory is to attempt to harmonize God's word with the word of men.
And those men who first developed the doctrines of deep time, and evolutionism (Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, Erasmus Darwin, Charles Darwin, Charles Lyell and others), were attempting to explain the universe, and life without God.
These individuals interpreted the data under the assumption that Genesis is not true, and that no supernatural/Divine hand was or is involved. Thus, evolutionism is rooted in a rejection of belief in God.
Once a person acknowledges the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; it becomes wholly, completely, entirely unnecessary to accept evolutionism.
God created the heavens and the earth. And He did it in six literal, 24 hour days, just as He has says that He did. This is a certainty because there was no death before sin entered the world by on person (Romans 5:12, 1 Corinthians 15:21-26).
Material written by trained scientists, who affirm biblical creation, can be read at the following sites:
www.answersingenesis.org
www.icr.org
http://creation.com/
But though the discussion may be framed in such a way, it is important to remember that it is more than just a matter of Moses vs. Darwin. It is a conflict between the word of God and the word of men.
Moses was a man. And Genesis was written by Moses. But Moses was a prophet of God, and he wrote down what God spoke to him (Numbers 12:5-8, John 5:46, 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21).
An old friend of mine used to refer to the Bible as "an ancient text", as if to lessen its authority. And theistic evolutionist, Peter Enns has made the statement that "an ancient text give us ancient science, not modern".
But these speak wrongly about God's word. God's word is not antiquated, nor is it static. God's word is living and vibrant. It is more than just an ancient text. It keeps on being true (Psalm 119, John 17:17, Hebrews 4:12-13).
There can be no greater authority on science and origins than the One who created the universe and all that exists (Genesis 1:1, John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16-17).
Some try to reinterpret what God clearly tells us about our origins. But the only reason for such theories as the day/age, or the gap theory is to attempt to harmonize God's word with the word of men.
And those men who first developed the doctrines of deep time, and evolutionism (Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, Erasmus Darwin, Charles Darwin, Charles Lyell and others), were attempting to explain the universe, and life without God.
These individuals interpreted the data under the assumption that Genesis is not true, and that no supernatural/Divine hand was or is involved. Thus, evolutionism is rooted in a rejection of belief in God.
Once a person acknowledges the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; it becomes wholly, completely, entirely unnecessary to accept evolutionism.
God created the heavens and the earth. And He did it in six literal, 24 hour days, just as He has says that He did. This is a certainty because there was no death before sin entered the world by on person (Romans 5:12, 1 Corinthians 15:21-26).
Material written by trained scientists, who affirm biblical creation, can be read at the following sites:
www.answersingenesis.org
www.icr.org
http://creation.com/
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Galileo vs. Darwin - the Psalms vs. Genesis
Introduction
Often times, supporters of evolutionism will call to our remembrance the trial of Galileo. To the evolutionist this is an illustration of the more contemporary debate between creation and evolutionism. But there are two key differences between these two controversies.
Galileo vs. Darwin
One key difference is that Galileo made use of observational science to show that the solar system is heliocentric instead of geocentric. His finding was not interpretive, it was based on observable facts.
In contrast, Charles Darwin's work was interpretive. His view of origins is based on deductive reasoning, not science.
Darwin wrote: "No other work of mine was begun in so deductive a spirit as this; for the whole theory was thought out on the west coast of South America, before I had seen a true coral reef."
Operational science is characterized by inductive observation, not deductive reasoning.
Operational science is characterized by inductive observation, not deductive reasoning.
Darwin also wrote "In fact, the a priori reasoning is so entirely satisfactory to me that if the facts won't fit, why so much the worse for the facts, in my feeling."
Darwin never observed humans evolving from molecules. He imagined that scenario before hand. And than he, and others since him, interpreted the data within that preconceived framework.
The evolutionary worldview is not science. It is not an observed fact. It involves the use of patently naturalistic, atheistic assumptions about the past to interpret scientific data in the present.
The Psalms vs. Genesis
Another key difference is that those who controverted Galileo relied on a verse from the book of Psalms to argue their case.
Psalm 104:5 reads: "You who laid the foundations of the earth, so that it should not be moved forever."
However, the book of Psalms is admittedly a collection of poetic literature. And the cited verse is not meant to describe the earth as being fixed in space. It is meant to describe the earth as being a generally stable place for its inhabitants to live.
In contrast, we who controvert Darwin point to scientific data, interpreted within the framework of the book of Genesis.
Genesis is very clearly written to be understood as a literal historical narrative. It belongs to a completely different class of literature from the Psalms.
The genealogical passages in Genesis clearly place the named persons and related events in the context of human history. And the genealogies of Jesus, recorded in Matthew and Luke, further connect the history of Genesis to New Testament history.
So not only do we consider Genesis by itself, but also its relation to the rest of Scripture. This includes the gospel of salvation by grace, through faith in the death, and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah.
Genesis is very clearly written to be understood as a literal historical narrative. It belongs to a completely different class of literature from the Psalms.
The genealogical passages in Genesis clearly place the named persons and related events in the context of human history. And the genealogies of Jesus, recorded in Matthew and Luke, further connect the history of Genesis to New Testament history.
So not only do we consider Genesis by itself, but also its relation to the rest of Scripture. This includes the gospel of salvation by grace, through faith in the death, and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah.
To interpret the narrative of Genesis as non-literal is to completely disregard the context of the Scriptures as a whole. If Genesis were not a literal historical narrative, then the literal life, death, and resurrection Jesus the Messiah would have been completely unnecessary.
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