Why would I argue that? Well, for example, the Scriptures say that Christ spoke to the dead body of his friend Lazarus, and brought him back alive, after he had been dead for a few days. His sister commented that “by now he stinks.” Jesus simply said, “Lazarus, come forth!” Out he came. Now have you ever thought about what has to happen for a dead, decaying body to come back alive again, back in good working form? At the level of body tissue, organs, etc? Yep, you’re talking about CREATION. How long does it take Jesus Christ to create fresh living tissue out of a dead, decayed body? No longer than it takes to utter the words, “Come forth.” What effort or power is required of him to do so? The power of speech? Or infinite power, or some combination of the two? How can we properly characterize that ability? The point is, He simply can speak things into existence. In fact, the New Testament writings do specifically say that everything created was done through the same power of Christ that he displayed while he walked the earth:
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. (Colossians 1:16-17)The concept of the Christ in the Bible is bigger than a lot of athiests think it is. They have every reason to try to hide from it.
All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (John 1:3)
The miracles described in the Bible cannot happen apart from the same kind of power that would be needed for CREATION. Some people believe the speculation of geologists, paleontologists, and anthropologists or cosmologists. Some of us believe what we already have other reason to believe in, namely, the Bible. Christians ought to believe that truth is truth. There cannot ever be “scientific” truth that contradicts any other truth, because two truths cannot be contradictory.
As Christians, we simply expect scientific theories to be PROVEN, beyond any doubt before they can be mentioned as “fact.” Otherwise they have to remain labeled as theories, with some fine print stating that they are not proven as fact. We obviously are suspicious of any theory that originates with the express purpose of finding a way *around* the need for God, because if you start off biased, it may not be an honest search for truth. But any scientist should agree with that. We insist on that because we know there is a DEEPLY rooted desire, every since it became publicly acceptable in the Age of Enlightenment, to prove that the world can function apart from the power of God. As Christians, we believe the opposite, that NOTHING can function apart from the power of God. Secular people look at science and talk about “forces” of nature. The “forces” we see operating in the world are simply the normal methods that God uses to run things. A miracle is just an instance where God chooses to step outside of His normal procedure and do something differently. He is not “breaking a law of nature” because there are no “laws of nature” apart from the choices He makes when running the world.
Does viewing the world as built and constantly maintained by God create any problems? Yes. It creates two difficult problems. The first problem is, it brings back the old idea that you might be accountable to your Creator. Makes us have to think before we speak or act. The second problem is, if we admit that God is in control of everything, we have to account for the presence of evil. The age old question, if God is there, and powerful, why would He allow evil to exist? Well what is evil? A violation of the rules? Whose rules? Christians do not hide from that one. Yep, evil is present in the world. Its in you right now. Why is it there? Because you WANT it there. You don’t WANT to be controlled by God, and conformed to His standard of righteousness do you? So, if YOU don’t want to obey your Creator, why would you wonder about evil? If you object too strongly, you’ll end up condemning yourself.
We Christians have to step out there and say that we trust that God knows what He’s doing in regard to his patience with, and ultimately his full fury of judgment against, evil. That ultimately he works things out for our own good. With an asterisk. The asterisk is, such a promise is only made to those who believe in Christ. (Romans 8:28) If you remain at enmity with God, you don’t have His promise to work out your situation for your own good.
What enmity? The enmity that we humans put there, between God and ourselves. But some say, “Enmity? Who created it? Is God mad at me, or am I mad at Him?” Yes. People are mad at Him, and He is mad at them. Why, you ask? The Scripture says that God is mad at us when we “suppress the knowledge of the truth.” What truth? And who is suppressing it? In Romans 1, the apostle Paul’s indictment is against humanity’s refusal to acknowledge what all of us clearly do see of God, as revealed through His creation. Romans 1 repeatedly asserts that humans do know about God, but choose to reject and suppress what they know:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth. (v18)Paul unequivocally asserts that the pagans knew God…the problem is not failure to honor what is not known, but a refusal to honor what is clearly known. Thus the pagan has no appeal to ignorance.(1)
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. (v19)
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, had been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made. (v20)
For even though they knew God…(v21)
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God…(v28)
And, although they know the ordinance of God…(v32)
What is God mad about in Romans 1? Against whom is His “wrath” revealed? God is angry at those who refuse to acknowledge Him for His C-r-e-a-t-i-o-n. The Scriptures say that God considers His creation proof enough for humanity to see, and that those who refuse to acknowledge what is right in front of their face, and instead attempt to suppress that truth are merely expressing their wickedness, and therefore are the objects of His wrath.
So, if you’re reading this with a mind that denies God as the Creator, and you plan to argue for that truth to be suppressed, then step up to the plate. The Lord God Omnipotent is waiting there for you. Does hearing that make you mad at God? Yep. Guess what, He’s mad at you too. You have already challenged Him, by attempting to lead people astray, suppressing His truth. In case you were unaware of His opinion of that, now you know. The place to find your condemnation is Romans, chapter 1. Your eternal death warrant is written out, crystal clear, in the Holy Scriptures, which have been “breathed-out” by God Himself. If we continue to read the rest of Romans 1, we find the earthly, temporal consequences that God has planned for those people. It is described in many examples, but always in the general category of abandonment. God gives them the “independence” that they long for, and releases them from His grace, turning them over to revel in their own evil until they have destroyed themselves.
But what about the promise we mentioned, that God ultimately works things out for our own good? That promise is only made to those who believe in Christ. (Romans 8:28)
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Are you worried that this promise does not apply to you? Well, you DO have His other promise that “whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” And that gets you into the first promise. What are you waiting for?
(1)Sproul, "Classical Apologetics", p.51
Powerful!
ReplyDeleteI don't even need to add anything else. Amen.