"Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth" (1st Corinthians 13:6 NIV).
The balance of truth and love is of great importance. Without love, truth is hatred. Without truth, love is a lie. Without the other, neither one is any good. Together, they are all that matters. This is righteousness.
The Triune God is the eternal, living embodiment of the two. Jesus, the Son of God came into our world to make Him known. To reject Him is to personally reject love and truth. God is love, and His word is truth (1st John 4:8, John 17:17).
There are some who talk and sing about love, but they do not love God. Nor do they turn to Him to learn truth. They do not want to know God who is love. In fact, many of these same people who talk about love actually hate Jesus. And they hate anyone who wants to follow Jesus.
Love is not just a concept. Love isn't even just an action. Love is a Person. God is love. But sinful humans twist, corrupt and pervert the concept of love. They want to isolate it from the truth about sin, and the need for repentance and reconciliation with God through faith in Jesus Christ.
We want love on our own terms. But that's just not even how love works. Love involves sacrifice. You give up what you want in order to please the ones you love.
That is what Jesus did. He gave up His life to please the Father, and to save sinners. That's also what the Father did. He gave His only begotten Son to save sinners. And to love God is to surrender to Him. We are called to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God (Romans 12:1).
On the other hand, it is easy for religious people to bang the truth up side everybody's heads all day long. But they may not have any compassion. In fact, many of these religious people do not practice, or even preach the truth. I was watching a very disheartening documentary on the History Channel recently. The topic was cult leaders. The satanic deeds of Charles Manson, Jim Jones, David Koresh, and Paul Schaefer were detailed. Such people twist, corrupt and pervert the Scriptures for their own sick and evil desires.
We may also think of groups like the Westboro Baptist Church, or even mainstream churches that are just focused on arbitrary, cumbersome rules and regulations with little to no grace or mercy. And then there are people who do preach the truth very well, but they just sin in secret and make little to no effort to stop sinning.
Now we all stumble. All of us sin and fall short of the glory of God. We all get off track and stray from where Christ wants us to go. I know that I have. That is why grace is essential. And by God's grace we are able to return to Him.We should realize that the love of God is what drives His truth, and His truth is what drives His love. The righteousness of God is a perpetual cycle of truth and love.
The reason God condemns sin is because of what it does to the soul of the sinner. It corrupts our nature. It twists us into something we were not made to be. It causes trouble in our lives. It makes havoc in society. And it alienates us from a holy God who made us and cares for us.
Jesus came into the world to take away our sin, and bring about reconciliation between us and Him (John 1:29, 2nd Corinthians 5:17-21).
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Made in the Image of God
It is an interesting irony that the Bible-believing Christian has a higher view of humanity than the humanist does. Yet the Christian does not place his or her faith in the power or greatness of humanity. The Christian realizes that whatever good that may be in humanity comes from God who created us in His image. Humanity is made in the image of Divinity (Genesis 1:26-27).
The humanist on the other hand, believes in humanity's ability and potential, but also that it is purely by accident. That is, that the origin of humanity is random, unguided processes whereby material rearranged itself over vast eons to become what we are today.
It is claimed that goodness and conscience are simply intrinsic in humans, for no other reason than that they just are. But I am glad to know that you and I are made in the image of God who is love (1 John 4:8), and is righteous, and loves righteousness (Psalm 33:4-5).
God's commands are not arbitrary rules and regulations. They are expression of who He is. They are expressions of His love and goodness. And since we are made in His image, we have His laws written in our hearts; in our inner being (Romans 2:14-16).
But because of sin, human nature is corrupted. The image of God in us is distorted. Peace has been severed between humanity and God. And as long as one is not at peace with God, that person is not at peace (Ecclesiastes 7:29, 2 Corinthians 5:20).
But there is a great lyric in Audio Adrenaline's new song, "Change My Name", where Kevin Max sings "You reached me on a broken line". That is what Jesus does.
And that is why it matters to believe in God. He created us in His image to be His friends (Isaiah 41:8, John 15:15). He created us to be His sons and daughters (1 John 3:1). He created us to have a Father/child relationship with Him. He wants us to know who He is. He wants us to know Him personally.
So He revealed Himself through the prophets; Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Isaiah to name some. But most of all, He revealed Himself through His Son, Jesus. He became a flesh-and-blood human though He is the Son of God, eternal with the Father (Hebrews 1:1, John 1:1, John 1:14).
He lived in the time and space of human history. And as the old Christmas carol tells; "Truly He taught us to love one another". Because He is the perfect image of God in human form, He is our example of what we were created to be like; perfect in love and devotion to the Father. He showed His love for us by dying for our sins. And He showed that He is true by rising from the dead, victorious over death (Romans 5:8, Colossians 1:15, 1 Corinthians 15).
Because of His sacrifice of love, when He died on the cross, Jesus is able to unbreak the peace between us and Him. We can turn away from our sin and be His friends again! And thus begins that process (theologians call it sanctification) of being remade into that perfect image again (1 John 3:2, 2 Corinthians 5:17).
God is love. So why not love the One who is love? The reason that we as human beings even have a concept of love is because we are created by, and in the image of God who is love.
The humanist on the other hand, believes in humanity's ability and potential, but also that it is purely by accident. That is, that the origin of humanity is random, unguided processes whereby material rearranged itself over vast eons to become what we are today.
It is claimed that goodness and conscience are simply intrinsic in humans, for no other reason than that they just are. But I am glad to know that you and I are made in the image of God who is love (1 John 4:8), and is righteous, and loves righteousness (Psalm 33:4-5).
God's commands are not arbitrary rules and regulations. They are expression of who He is. They are expressions of His love and goodness. And since we are made in His image, we have His laws written in our hearts; in our inner being (Romans 2:14-16).
But because of sin, human nature is corrupted. The image of God in us is distorted. Peace has been severed between humanity and God. And as long as one is not at peace with God, that person is not at peace (Ecclesiastes 7:29, 2 Corinthians 5:20).
But there is a great lyric in Audio Adrenaline's new song, "Change My Name", where Kevin Max sings "You reached me on a broken line". That is what Jesus does.
And that is why it matters to believe in God. He created us in His image to be His friends (Isaiah 41:8, John 15:15). He created us to be His sons and daughters (1 John 3:1). He created us to have a Father/child relationship with Him. He wants us to know who He is. He wants us to know Him personally.
So He revealed Himself through the prophets; Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Isaiah to name some. But most of all, He revealed Himself through His Son, Jesus. He became a flesh-and-blood human though He is the Son of God, eternal with the Father (Hebrews 1:1, John 1:1, John 1:14).
He lived in the time and space of human history. And as the old Christmas carol tells; "Truly He taught us to love one another". Because He is the perfect image of God in human form, He is our example of what we were created to be like; perfect in love and devotion to the Father. He showed His love for us by dying for our sins. And He showed that He is true by rising from the dead, victorious over death (Romans 5:8, Colossians 1:15, 1 Corinthians 15).
Because of His sacrifice of love, when He died on the cross, Jesus is able to unbreak the peace between us and Him. We can turn away from our sin and be His friends again! And thus begins that process (theologians call it sanctification) of being remade into that perfect image again (1 John 3:2, 2 Corinthians 5:17).
God is love. So why not love the One who is love? The reason that we as human beings even have a concept of love is because we are created by, and in the image of God who is love.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
The Triune God
The word "Trinity" never appears anywhere in the Old or New Testament. However, the concept is there; beginning right in the very first chapter of the Bible. On the sixth day of Creation, God says "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness" (Genesis 1:26, emphasis added).
It is clear that by "Us" and "Our", God is referring to Himself alone, and not to Himself and the angels. It is clear because in verse 27 the text continues, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them".
So right from the start, we read of God referring to Himself in plural form; even though the Scriptures very clearly teaches that there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 45:5, 1 Timothy 2:5).
God speaks the same way at the Tower of Babel, saying "Come, let Us go down there and confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech" (Genesis 11:7, emphasis added).
Much later, when God first appeared in a vision to the prophet Isaiah, He asked "Whom shall I send, and who shall go for Us?" (Isaiah 6:8, emphasis added).
And the Psalmist, David wrote "The LORD said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.'" (Psalm 110:1).
Jesus referenced this passage when He asked "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: 'The LORD said to My Lord, Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool. Therefore David himself calls Him 'Lord', how is He then his Son?" (Mark 12:35).
Jesus was challenging His listeners to understand that He, the Messiah, is more than just the Son of David. He is the Son of God.
Jesus is sometimes referred to as both the Root and the Branch of Jesse. Jesse was the name of David's father. This title, given to Jesus, is based on a couple of verses in the 11th chapter of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 11:10 says "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious". Isaiah 11:1 says "There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots" (also see Revelation 22:16).
As the song from the O.C. Supertones' first album says "Jesus came from Jesse, but Jesse came from Jesus." Jesus is both the Root and the Branch of Jesse. This is a Christological concept. And Christology is, of course, tied in with the doctrine of the Trinity. Jesus in not only the Son of Man through David's line. He is also the Son of God from whom David's line originated.
And whereas the Old Testament gives compelling hints of the Trinitarian doctrine, the New Testament abounds with it. Take just for example the Great Commission, given by Jesus as He sent out His apostles before He ascended to the Father. He said "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19; also see Matthew 3:16-17, John 1:1, John 1:14).
God is love (1 John 4:8). And love has existed between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit from eternity past. As C.S. Lewis pointed out in Mere Christianity; what we mean by saying "God is love" is "that the living, dynamic activity of love has been going on in God forever and has created everything else" (book 4, chapter 4, paragraph 5).
It is clear that by "Us" and "Our", God is referring to Himself alone, and not to Himself and the angels. It is clear because in verse 27 the text continues, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them".
So right from the start, we read of God referring to Himself in plural form; even though the Scriptures very clearly teaches that there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 45:5, 1 Timothy 2:5).
God speaks the same way at the Tower of Babel, saying "Come, let Us go down there and confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech" (Genesis 11:7, emphasis added).
Much later, when God first appeared in a vision to the prophet Isaiah, He asked "Whom shall I send, and who shall go for Us?" (Isaiah 6:8, emphasis added).
And the Psalmist, David wrote "The LORD said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.'" (Psalm 110:1).
Jesus referenced this passage when He asked "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: 'The LORD said to My Lord, Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool. Therefore David himself calls Him 'Lord', how is He then his Son?" (Mark 12:35).
Jesus was challenging His listeners to understand that He, the Messiah, is more than just the Son of David. He is the Son of God.
Jesus is sometimes referred to as both the Root and the Branch of Jesse. Jesse was the name of David's father. This title, given to Jesus, is based on a couple of verses in the 11th chapter of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 11:10 says "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious". Isaiah 11:1 says "There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots" (also see Revelation 22:16).
As the song from the O.C. Supertones' first album says "Jesus came from Jesse, but Jesse came from Jesus." Jesus is both the Root and the Branch of Jesse. This is a Christological concept. And Christology is, of course, tied in with the doctrine of the Trinity. Jesus in not only the Son of Man through David's line. He is also the Son of God from whom David's line originated.
And whereas the Old Testament gives compelling hints of the Trinitarian doctrine, the New Testament abounds with it. Take just for example the Great Commission, given by Jesus as He sent out His apostles before He ascended to the Father. He said "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19; also see Matthew 3:16-17, John 1:1, John 1:14).
God is love (1 John 4:8). And love has existed between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit from eternity past. As C.S. Lewis pointed out in Mere Christianity; what we mean by saying "God is love" is "that the living, dynamic activity of love has been going on in God forever and has created everything else" (book 4, chapter 4, paragraph 5).
Thursday, July 4, 2013
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.
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.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Nothing Is Secular
There is no such thing as secular, since all the universe belongs to its Creator God. Everything was created by Him for His glory. And all we have; the strength of flesh and spirit, and every breath comes from His hand.
Even our sins are not secular because they are committed against God who alone can forgive our sin and remove our guilt through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Someone might say now, "Wait a minute. Those were the Pharisees, Jesus' critics, who said only God can forgive sin". But be that as it may, they were correct. Only God can forgive sin.
This is because He is the only real plaintiff in cases of sin. This is because sin is committed against Him. What the Pharisees got wrong was that they failed to recognize that Jesus is the Son of God, equal with the Father.
When we forgive sin, we are only agreeing with Jesus, or leaving the case up to Him to judge.
So there is truly nothing secular. Everything belongs to "the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh" (Numbers 27:16). And all things will be judged by Him.
Psalm 24:1, Hebrews 11:3, Numbers 27:16, James 1:17, Mark 2:5-12, John 1:29, Colossians 1:13-14.
Even our sins are not secular because they are committed against God who alone can forgive our sin and remove our guilt through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Someone might say now, "Wait a minute. Those were the Pharisees, Jesus' critics, who said only God can forgive sin". But be that as it may, they were correct. Only God can forgive sin.
This is because He is the only real plaintiff in cases of sin. This is because sin is committed against Him. What the Pharisees got wrong was that they failed to recognize that Jesus is the Son of God, equal with the Father.
When we forgive sin, we are only agreeing with Jesus, or leaving the case up to Him to judge.
So there is truly nothing secular. Everything belongs to "the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh" (Numbers 27:16). And all things will be judged by Him.
Psalm 24:1, Hebrews 11:3, Numbers 27:16, James 1:17, Mark 2:5-12, John 1:29, Colossians 1:13-14.
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, May 4, 2013
The Head and the Heart
Suppose two people are debating which part of the body is most important. Imagine that one of them insists the head is the most important part, while the other firmly defends the heart as being the most important. But isn't it true that the body must have both a head and a heart to live, and can not dispense with either one?
The literal, bodily resurrection of Jesus the Messiah is the heart of Christian doctrine and apologia, and the Genesis creation/fall is the head. It hardly seems reasonable to believe the one and not the other.
And actually, the resurrection is a validation of the history recorded in Genesis. Jesus constantly made statements that validate both the Divine inspiration and the historicity of the Old Testament narrative. (For examples, see John 5:46, John 8:56, Luke 24:25-27, Mark 10:6, Matthew 5:18, Matthew 23:31-35, and Matthew 26:52-56). And His resurrection gives assurance that Jesus is the Son of God, so that His statements possess Divine authority.
But Jesus' resurrection from the dead was not merely to prove that He is the Son of God. Jesus arose from the dead to conquer death. God considers death to be an enemy to be destroyed (1st Corinthians 15:21-26). Death is not a part of the original created order. It was introduced into the world by sin. (Romans 5:12).
For theistic evolutionism to be true, there would have to be billions of years of death, disease, and suffering before humans even appeared on the earth.
If the sedimentary rock layers of the geological column were laid down slowly over 4.5 billion years, the fossils inside them would show this to be the case. Death would be a part of the original created order. And so it would be silly for God to view death as an enemy to be destroyed.
However, if the rock layers were laid down slowly, there would be no fossils in them. Those organic things would have decayed in open air, being reduced to dust before the sediment could cover them. This is especially obvious in the case of polystrate fossils.
Those layers were laid down after the Genesis fall. And they were laid down swiftly, by the flood that God sent to judge sin during Noah's lifetime. And truly, all scientific data can be best interpreted and understood within the framework of the Genesis creation/fall/flood scenario.
When Paul the apostle addressed a pagan audience at the Areopagus in Athens, he gave a message that centered on creation (Acts 17:24-30). Note the sweet affirmation that all nations are descended from one man (verse 26). So far, Paul's audience listened.
It's a rum thing because at the end of his speech he mentioned the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. And it was at that part that some in his audience mocked him (verses 31 & 32). This is the opposite of what often happens in contemporary Christian apologetics.
Nowadays, it is common for people to believe in the resurrection and yet scoff at Genesis. It is as though Paul's generation viewed the head as the most important part, and saw no use for the heart. And the current generation views the heart as most important, and sees no use for the head.
Visit:
www.answersingenesis.org
www.icr.org
and http://creation.com/
The literal, bodily resurrection of Jesus the Messiah is the heart of Christian doctrine and apologia, and the Genesis creation/fall is the head. It hardly seems reasonable to believe the one and not the other.
And actually, the resurrection is a validation of the history recorded in Genesis. Jesus constantly made statements that validate both the Divine inspiration and the historicity of the Old Testament narrative. (For examples, see John 5:46, John 8:56, Luke 24:25-27, Mark 10:6, Matthew 5:18, Matthew 23:31-35, and Matthew 26:52-56). And His resurrection gives assurance that Jesus is the Son of God, so that His statements possess Divine authority.
But Jesus' resurrection from the dead was not merely to prove that He is the Son of God. Jesus arose from the dead to conquer death. God considers death to be an enemy to be destroyed (1st Corinthians 15:21-26). Death is not a part of the original created order. It was introduced into the world by sin. (Romans 5:12).
For theistic evolutionism to be true, there would have to be billions of years of death, disease, and suffering before humans even appeared on the earth.
If the sedimentary rock layers of the geological column were laid down slowly over 4.5 billion years, the fossils inside them would show this to be the case. Death would be a part of the original created order. And so it would be silly for God to view death as an enemy to be destroyed.
However, if the rock layers were laid down slowly, there would be no fossils in them. Those organic things would have decayed in open air, being reduced to dust before the sediment could cover them. This is especially obvious in the case of polystrate fossils.
Those layers were laid down after the Genesis fall. And they were laid down swiftly, by the flood that God sent to judge sin during Noah's lifetime. And truly, all scientific data can be best interpreted and understood within the framework of the Genesis creation/fall/flood scenario.
When Paul the apostle addressed a pagan audience at the Areopagus in Athens, he gave a message that centered on creation (Acts 17:24-30). Note the sweet affirmation that all nations are descended from one man (verse 26). So far, Paul's audience listened.
It's a rum thing because at the end of his speech he mentioned the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. And it was at that part that some in his audience mocked him (verses 31 & 32). This is the opposite of what often happens in contemporary Christian apologetics.
Nowadays, it is common for people to believe in the resurrection and yet scoff at Genesis. It is as though Paul's generation viewed the head as the most important part, and saw no use for the heart. And the current generation views the heart as most important, and sees no use for the head.
Visit:
www.answersingenesis.org
www.icr.org
and http://creation.com/
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