Science: Instituted by God by Jeff Miller, Ph.D.

 

https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=4213

Science: Instituted by God

by	Jeff Miller, Ph.D.

Some contend that science is at odds with religion. They suggest that the scientific method requires empirical testing, but God’s existence cannot be empirically verified. Science supposedly proves the Big Bang, evolutionary theory, a very old Universe, and dinosaurs that never co-existed with humans, while the Bible mistakenly contends that the Universe was created in six literal, 24-hour days only a few thousand years ago, with humans and dinosaurs being created together on day six. Supposedly, science is based on verifiable evidence, whereas religion is based on “blind faith” and ambiguous “tinglies” attributed to the Holy Spirit. For such reasons, it is claimed that science and Scripture cannot be harmonized—that they are diametrically opposed to each another.

In reality, however, true science agrees perfectly with Scripture. Though God’s existence cannot be empirically verified, it can be easily verified through deductive reasoning from the scientific evidence available to us—in the same way forensic scientists use science to investigate events that they did not personally witness. While atheists have successfully created the mirage that science supports their theories, abundant scientific evidence exists which disproves the Big Bang Theory, evolutionary theory, an old Universe, and proves that dinosaurs and humans co-existed (see www.apologeticspress.org for more information on these matters). And yet, no scientific evidence exists that contradicts the true creation model. Rather, the evidence always supports it. The concept of “blind faith,” though championed by many who call themselves Christians, is at odds with Scripture, which defines faith as choosing to believe in something, based on the evidence that has been presented for it, and responding accordingly (see Miller, 2003). Atheistic scientists are simply wrong in their sweeping accusation that science and religion are at odds.

Though some theistic beliefs contradict science, when handled accurately (2 Timothy 2:15), Scripture and science compliment each other perfectly. For instance, science has shown us that matter is not eternal, according to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, and could not have spontaneously generated—popping into existence from nothing—according to the First Law of Thermodynamics. This fact indicates that matter must have been placed here by an Entity outside the physical Universe (see Miller, 2007). This truth, arrived at through science and deductive reasoning, is not in harmony with atheism and much of today’s pseudo-science. But this truth is in keeping with the Bible, which says in its very first verse that God—a Being not subject to the laws of nature (i.e., a supernatural Being)—created the heavens and the Earth. Science supports Scripture.

Science has shown us that in nature, life comes only from life and that of its kind, according to the Law of Biogenesis. Again, this fact indicates that a Being outside of nature must exist Who initiated life (see Miller, 2012). This truth, arrived at through science and deductive reasoning, is not in harmony with atheism and much of today’s pseudoscientific world which must contend, without scientific support, that life popped into existence from non-life. Rather, this truth is in keeping with the Bible, which says in Genesis 1:11,24 and 2:7 that God created life.

Science—the Law of Biogenesis and the Laws of Genetics—has shown us that living beings produce other living beings of their own kind (see Thompson, 2002). There may be small changes along the way (e.g., beak size, color, size, etc.), but the offspring of a bird is still a bird. The offspring of a fish is still a fish. Therefore, since there is no common ancestor for all living beings from which all species evolved, there must be a supernatural Being Who initially created various kinds of life on Earth. This truth, arrived at through science and deductive reasoning, is not in harmony with the teachings of atheism and much of today’s pseudo-scientific world, which argues against the evidence, that various kinds of living beings can give rise to completely different kinds of living beings. But this truth is in keeping with the Bible, which says in Genesis 1:21 and 1:24-25 that God directed living beings to reproduce after their kind.

True science is in harmony with true religion. Why would science lie? It does not have a mind of its own. It has no bias or agenda. It can certainly be misrepresented or its findings misinterpreted, but science is not the enemy of true religion. In fact, according to the Bible, God, Himself, instituted the field of science. When God created human beings on day six and told them to “have dominion” over the Earth and “subdue” it (Genesis 1:28), He was commanding mankind to do something that would require extensive scientific investigation and experimentation. If God founded science, why would science be at odds with religion? When God, through His servant Paul, said in Romans 1:20 that His existence and some of His attributes could be learned from His creation, He was putting His stamp of approval on the scientific study of creation. When He said in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 to “[t]est all things; hold fast what is good,” He was essentially summarizing the scientific method. Bottom line: God founded science. When legitimate scientific findings are interpreted properly and fairly, science supports the Bible and Christianity. It certainly is not at odds with the Bible.

REFERENCES

Miller, Dave (2003), “Blind Faith,” Apologetics Press, http://apologeticspress.org/article/444.

Miller, Jeff (2007), “God and the Laws of Thermodynamics: A Mechanical Engineer’s Perspective,” Reason & Revelation, 27[4]:25-31, April (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press), http://apologeticspress.org/articles/3293.

Miller, Jeff (2012), “The Law of Biogenesis,” Reason & Revelation, 32[1]:2-11, January (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press), http://apologeticspress.org/apPubPage.aspx?pub=1&issue=1018&article=1722.

Thompson, Bert (2002), The Scientific Case for Creation (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press).

"THE GOSPEL OF JOHN" They Beheld His Glory (1:14-18) by Mark Copeland

 

 

"THE GOSPEL OF JOHN"

They Beheld His Glory (1:14-18) 

 INTRODUCTION

1. In the last few verses of the prologue to his gospel, John identifies the Word...
   a. Who was in the beginning with God, and was God - Jn 1:1-2
   b. Through whom all things were made - Jn 1:3
   c. Who was life, and the light of men - Jn 1:4-5,9
   d. Who came into the world, though many did not receive Him - Jn 1:10-11
   e. Yet those who received Him, were given the right to become
      children of God - Jn 1:12-13

2. The Word was Jesus Christ...
   a. Who became flesh and lived among men - Jn 1:14
   b. Who glory was seen by men - Jn 1:14

3. The word "glory" as used here...
   a. Means "majesty, dignity, splendor" (Barnes)
   b. Pertaining to Christ, it refers to His personal excellence or majesty

[John writes "We beheld His glory".  What majesty, dignity, or splendor
did John and others see in  Jesus when He walked in the flesh among men...?]

I. THEY BEHELD HIS GLORY

   A. THE GLORY OF HIS DEITY...
      1. "the glory as of the only begotten of the Father" - Jn 1:14a
      2. "The dignity which was appropriate to the only begotten Son of God" (Barnes)
         a. "Such glory or splendor as could belong to no other, and as
            properly expressed his rank and character."
         b. "This glory was seen eminently on the mount of
            transfiguration" - Lk 9:28-32; 2Pe 1:16-18
         c. "It was also seen in his miracles, his doctrine, his
            resurrection, his ascension" - cf. Jn 2:11
         -- "All of which were such as to illustrate the perfections,
            and manifest the glory that belongs only to the Son of God." (Barnes)
         
   B. THE GLORY OF HIS GRACE...
      1. "full of grace...grace for grace...grace and truth came through
         Jesus" - Jn 1:14b,16-17
      2. "The word grace means favors, gifts, acts of beneficence." (Barnes)
         a. "He was kind, merciful, gracious, doing good to all, and
            seeking man's welfare by great sacrifices and love;"
         b. "so much so, that it might be said to be characteristic of
            him, or he abounded in favors to mankind." (Barnes)

   C. THE GLORY OF HIS TRUTH...
      1. "full...of truth...truth came through Jesus Christ." - Jn 1: 14b,17
      2. "He was also full of truth. He declared the truth. In him was
         no falsehood." (Barnes)
         a. "He was not like the false prophets and false Messiahs, who
            were wholly impostors"
         b. "Nor was he like the emblems and shadows of the old
            dispensation, which were only types of the true; but he was truth itself."
      3. "He represented things as they are, and thus became the truth
         as well as the way and the life." - cf. Jn 14:6 (Barnes)

   D. THE GLORY OF HIS PREEMINENCE...
      1. "He who comes after me is preferred before me..." - Jn 1:15
      2. As witnessed to by John the Baptist - cf. Jn 1:27,29-30
      3. John the Baptist recognized His superiority, as did the apostle Paul
         a. By virtue of His preexistence ("He was before me") - cf. also Jn 8:58; 17:5
         b. By virtue of His creative powers - cf. Col 1:16-17

   E. THE GLORY OF HIS REVELATION...
      1. "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son...He
         has declared Him" - Jn 1:18
         a. "This passage is not meant to deny that men had witnessed
            manifestations of God, as when he appeared to Moses and the
            prophets (cf. Num 12:8 Isa 6:1-13)."
         b. "...it is meant that no one has seen the essence of God, or has fully known God."
         c. "The prophets delivered what they heard God speak; Jesus
            what he knew of God as his equal, and as understanding fully his nature." (Barnes)
      2. Jesus manifested or declared the Father as no one had done before!
         a. As Jesus told Philip - Jn 14:9
         b. As Jesus expressed in His prayer - Jn 17:6,24
         c. As the apostles wrote in their epistles - Col 1:15; He 1:1-4
      3. "This verse proves that, Jesus had a knowledge of God above
         that which any of the ancient prophets had, and that the
         fullest revelations of his character are to be expected in the gospel." (Barnes)
         a. "By his Word and Spirit he can enlighten and guide us, and
            lead us to the true knowledge of God;"
         b. "There is no true and full knowledge of God which is not
            obtained through his Son."

[What a wonderful experience it must have been to behold the glory of
God's only begotten Son!  It undoubtedly transformed the life of John
and others who saw Him.  By the grace of God, it also possible that...]

II. WE CAN BEHOLD HIS GLORY

   A. IN THIS LIFE...
      1. We can behold His glory...
         a. The glory of His deity, grace and truth!
         b. The glory of His preeminence and revelation!
      2. How?  Through the words of His eyewitnesses!
         a. Who made known the power and coming of our Lord - cf. 2 Pe 1:16-18
         b. Who declared what they heard, saw, even handled, that we
            might share with them in their fellowship with the Father
            and Son - cf. 1Jn 1:1-4; 5:11-13
         -- Through their gospels, their letters, their inspired
            writings, we can behold His glory!
      3. Indeed, we must behold His glory to be transformed!
         a. Our transformation is fundamental to true discipleship - cf. Ro 8:29; 12:1-2
         b. Our transformation is gradual, occurring as we behold His
            glory - cf. 2Co 3:18
         c. Our transformation involves renewing the mind, a mind set on
            things above where Christ is - cf. Ro 12:1-2; Col 3:1-2

   B. WHEN HE COMES AGAIN...
      1. We will behold His glory...
         a. When He appears - Col 3:4
         b. When He comes again, to be glorified in His saints - 2 Th 1:10
      2. Indeed, every one will behold His glory...
         a. For every eye will see Him - cf. Re 1:7
         b. For every knee will bow, and every tongue confess Him - cf. Php 2:9-11

CONCLUSION

1. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His
   glory..." - Jn 1:14

2. We may not have seen Jesus in the flesh, but we can still behold His glory...
   a. Even now, through the testimony of His apostles and the Word of God
   b. Even then, when Jesus comes again to be revealed in His glory

3. What will we do with the glory of Jesus as declared by His apostles...?
   a. We should let it transform our lives as we behold the glory of the Lord - 2Co 3:18
   b. Then when Christ comes, we will be glorified together with Him! - 2Th 1:10

Here is Paul's prayer for the Thessalonians...

   "Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count
   you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of
   His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of
   our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him,
   according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."

                                                     (2Th 1:11-12)

May his prayer be fulfilled in our lives, along with this prayer from
Jude...

   "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make
   you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,
   to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be
   glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now
   and forever. Amen."
                                                      (Jude 24-25)

 

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

‘Sex over religion’: Legal scholars discuss America’s shifting religious freedom landscape by Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

 

https://thepreachersword.com/2021/04/13/sex-over-religion-legal-scholars-discuss-americas-shifting-religious-freedom-landscape/#more-12612

‘Sex over religion’: Legal scholars discuss America’s shifting religious freedom landscape

The above headline from The Christian Post caught my attention this morning.

CP contributor Emily Wood, reported on a recent virtual event hosted by the Religious Freedom Institute featuring legal experts in the area of religious freedom. The panel discussed the shifting religious landscape in the United States and voiced their concerns “about the impact of the nation’s increasing religious disaffiliation on the First Amendment” that has evolved over the past two decades.

Among the featured speakers was U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk of the Northern District of Texas, appointed to the bench by former President Trump in 2019. Kacsmaryk observed that “multiple factors have contributed to the legislative shift in religious freedom over the last 20 years.”

Church memberships has dipped below the majority of the population according to a recent Gallup Poll. In addition those who identify as “nones”, not adhering to any religion, is on the rise.

In addition, Kacsmaryk observed that the sexual revolution that began in the 1960’s has resulted in a “decrease in national religiosity.”

All of these factors result in legal and legislative trends away from religious freedom. “Law flows downstream from politics and politics flows downstream from culture,” Kacsmaryk said.

Here’s Kacsmaryk’s conclusion that really caught my eye.

“When combined, the sociological, theological and theoretical factors generate a culture that is focused on expressive individualism, self-definition and therapeutic affirmation. It combines to create a politics that prioritizes expression over free exercise, prioritizes sex over religion and safe spaces over debate and dialogue.”

Finally, the Judge argued that “traditional Abrahamic religions will become harder to explain to courts and legislatures as these beliefs continue to fall outside the mainstream.”

Three observations.

(1) Let’s be careful not to equate American patriotism with Christianity.

While Christians may love their country, enjoy the freedom of worship, and benefit from laws that favor our religious beliefs, our faith, fidelity, and future is not dependent on America’s success or survival.

Too often we’ve been guilty of wrapping the American flag around the Bible with a cross towering above it. It’s easy to forget that Christianity was born and flourished in a culture of opposition and persecution. Both the political influence of the Jewish Sanhedrin combined with the compliance and suspicions of the Roman Empire often made life difficult for Christians.

We’ve been blessed in the United States with laws and a culture that has allowed freedom of religious expression. There are signs suggesting this may continue to diminish.

Let’s remember that the world’s best hope is not in a free America, but in the Lord Jesus Christ.

(2) Let’s not conflate our religious freedom in America with our liberty in Christ.

The Bible admonishes us to “stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free” (Gal. 5:1). The context is actually speaking about Christians being entangled in the bondage of the Old Covenant, the Mosaic Law.

Jesus said, “You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:32). Freedom in Christ releases us from the bondage, burden and blame of sin. We’re free from Satan’s shackles. From sin’s shame and guilt. And free from a guilty conscience to one washed pure by the blood of Christ (Heb. 10:22).

Furthermore, we ought not to use our liberty in Christ as a “covering for evil,” or “cloak of maliciousness.” or as a camouflage for promoting our personal political agenda (1 Pet. 2:15-16).

(3) Let us live godly in an ungodly world.

More important than the American way of life, is the Christian way of life. More valuable than our political freedom is our freedom from sin and Satan. More necessary than our social activism is our righteous influence in an unrighteous world.

To scattered and persecuted Christians who were maligned and mistreated Peter admonished them to “abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” (I Pet. 2:11). Then he offered this challenge.

“Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”

In these perilous times preachers and pastors need to do more Bible preaching and spiritual Shepherding rather than politicizing their pulpits.

And all Christians need to remember that the Kingdom of God differs from the kingdoms of the world in its purpose, policies and practices.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

WHO IS A HERETIC? BY STEVE FINNELL

 

https://steve-finnell.blogspot.com/2016/11/who-is-heretic-steve-finnell-heresy-is.html

WHO IS A HERETIC?  BY STEVE FINNELL

Heresy is an opinion, especially a self-willed opinion, which is substituted for submission to the power of truth, and leads to division and formation of sects. Christian heresy is opinion contrary to the Scriptures. Christian heresy is opinion in opposition to the doctrines of God.

One man's heretic is another man's truth teller.

There are men who believe there are many ways to heaven. Was Jesus being a heretic when He said (John 14:6 ..."I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me.)

There are believers in Christ as well as others who believe that that it took God millions or billions of years to create the heavens and the earth. Was Moses being a heretic when he wrote in Genesis of a six day, twenty four hour day creation? (Genesis 1:1-31......31 God saw all that He made, and behold, it was very good. And that was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.)

Many believers in Christ believe and teach that water baptism is not essential to have sins forgiven. Was the apostle Peter being heretical when he said (Acts 2:38 ....and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins..)

Some believe that Jesus is God the Father. Was the apostle Paul guilty of heresy when he said (1 Corinthians 15:20-28.....24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when He has abolished all rule authority and power......28 When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.)

Some men believe that you do not have to believe in Jesus to be saved. Other men assert that water baptism is not a requirement for salvation. Was Jesus demonstrating an act of heresy when He said (Mark 16:16 He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved...)

There are those who proclaim that Christians cannot fall from grace. Was the apostle Paul deemed a heretic when he said (Galatians 5:4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.)

There are a few who believe that God only offers salvation, by His grace, to a select chosen few. Was the apostle Paul showing his heretical side when he said (Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared bring salvation to all men) Gods grace is available to all who accept His terms for pardon.

Are Jesus, Moses, the apostles, and the writers of the Bible, all heretics?

Is it heretical to be opposed to denominational doctrines that are contrary to the facts found in the Bible?

Are Jesus and the apostles heretics because they disagree with denominational doctrines?

WHO IS A HERETIC? 

Christ - Yes; The Church - No? by T. Pierce Brown

 

https://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Brown/T/Pierce/1923/christ-y.html

Christ - Yes; The Church - No?

Most of us have heard the expression that is the title of this article. Those of us who preach and/or write have been quick to point out that the very idea is ridiculous from a Biblical standpoint, for when one accepts Christ properly in response to his gracious offer of salvation, one is automatically a part of the church. Sadly enough, most of our speaking and writing is heard or read only by those who already know that. It is probable that we have failed to properly appreciate some very important points.

First, those who use the expression, "Christ-yes; the church-no" do not mean by the expression what we mean. To them the church is merely a denomination that they have been taught has nothing to do with salvation (which is true with respect to the church with which they are acquainted) and mostly deals with empty rituals that have very little relationship to the problems of this life or the hope of the next. If we consider the expression from their viewpoint, instead of arguing with them and showing how wrong they are, we should agree with them -- that is the churches about which they are speaking are not related to Christ. Then we may be able to show them the difference between the Biblical concept of the church and what theirs has been.

Another problem arises, of which very few of us seem to be aware. When we are confronted with such a situation as described above, we launch into a discussion that relates to the greatness of the church, the glory of the church, the necessity of the church, the organization of the church, the work of the church, how to get membership in the church, and other such topics. We do not seem to be aware that one may learn all the rituals and doctrines about the church -- even the Lord's church -- without ever having Christ presented to them in such a fashion that they are constrained to love and obey him. 2 Corinthians 5:14 says, "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead." Let us examine an ordinary discussion and see if the point can be seen more clearly.

We are studying with a person who is willing to accept the Bible as his authority for his religious activity. We point out to him that Paul says in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." He readily admits it, and knows that he is lost. We rapidly turn to Acts 2:38 and show him that when lost persons wanted to know what to do, they were told, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." They hear that, and are glad, and immediately ask, "Can I be baptized right now?" We rejoice and baptize them. How many times have you done this, or seen it done? But where in the story has the person really been made aware of the love of Christ, or learned the gospel message in such a fashion that he feels constrained to fall on his knees and say, "Thank you, God, for your gracious love! I want to commit my life to you, now and forever?" We may have explained to him that salvation is in Christ (Acts 4:12) and the way the Bible says to get into Christ is to be baptized into him (Rom. 6:3-4 and Gal. 3:27). We assume that knowing those facts will cause him to love the Lord, but it is not necessarily so. Paul gives a glimpse of what we are trying to impress upon you when he said in 1 Corinthians 2:2, "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." The awareness and deep appreciation of the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf is the thing that creates love for him, not simply an understanding that we need to be baptized in order to be saved.

Do you have any idea why many members of the Lord's church does not come for Bible study on Sunday morning, and does not come back on Wednesday night? Can you guess why the average member gives less than 5% of his income to advance the cause of Christ? Have you ever wondered why less than 5% of the average membership of the church are involved in any personal way with leading a person to Christ? One of the answers is that many have been converted to a plan of salvation, a safe church, a system of doctrine, a friendly loving fellowship, or any number of other things, but not moved to surrender their lives to the Lord because their love for Christ impelled them to do it. They, like the Samaritans of 2 Kings 17:26, know the "manner (or rituals) of the god of the land," but have not been so taught that the love of Christ impels them to do what they do.

T. Pierce Brown

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

Sing! by Gary Rose

 

There is just something wonderful that happens within you when you sing in church. I don’t know how to explain it, but the fact that singing encourages you is undeniable.

As I thought about this, I remembered the following verse from the Bible, which should shed a little light on the subject…

Colossians 3 ( World English Bible )

¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.

The word of Christ is emphasized by the teaching and admonition of all the categories of songs within the verse and songs do have an effect upon the human heart as we sing.

I remember singing all the songs mentioned within the graphic at the top – and remember them fondly. Why? Because their teaching is combined with my heart felt love for God. The next time you sing with fellow Christians in church, realize that it is not just your heart that is proclaiming love to God, but a collective celebration of that love. Rejoice in all this and SING WITH ALL YOUR HEART, for I am quite sure that God IS LISTENING!

Science, Common Sense, and Genesis 1:1 by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

 

https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=3758

Science, Common Sense, and Genesis 1:1

by	Eric Lyons, M.Min.

The most fundamental question that a person can (and should) ask is: “Where did the Universe and everything in it (including myself) come from?” Before a person seeks answers to questions such as, “Why am I here?” or “Where am I going?” he first needs to know from whence he came? It is fitting that the only God-inspired book in the world—the Bible—answers this very question in its opening statement: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1, emp. added). In the subsequent verses, man is informed that not only did God create the heavens and the earth, but He made everything in the heavens and on the Earth (Genesis 1:2-31; cf. Exodus 20:11). According to Scripture, everything that exists in the physical Universe ultimately came from an eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, infinite Creator (Genesis 17:1; 18:14; Psalm 139; 90:2).

The theory that atheistic evolutionists have advanced for several decades now, which supposedly best explains our existence from a purely naturalistic perspective, is known as the Big Bang. It has circulated via science textbooks all over the world. One of the leading publishers of science curricula for many years has been Prentice Hall. In their 1992 General Science textbook, titled A Voyage of Discovery, they included the following section on “The Birth and Death of the Universe”:

How was the universe born and how will it end? Most astronomers believe that about 18 to 20 billion years ago all the matter in the universe was concentrated into one very dense, very hot region that may have been much smaller than a period on this page. For some unknown reason, this region exploded. This explosion is called the big bang. One result of the big bang was the formation of galaxies, all racing away from one another (Hurd, et al., p. 61, emp. in orig.).

Since 1992 the “birth of the Universe” has been shaved substantially (from 18 to 20 billion years ago to 12 to 15 billion years ago—see Biggs, et al., 2003, p. 159), but the theory is more or less the same. Ask an atheist how the Universe came to be and you likely will hear that “it all started with a big bang.”

So which is it? Did everything in the physical Universe come into existence via the supernatural or the natural? Was it caused by a purely naturalistic Big Bang or an infinite Mighty God? How did Earth get here? How did the other seven planets in our Solar System come into being? Whence came the Milky Way and the billions of other galaxies in the Universe? How did the multiplied quadrillions of stars (some of which are hundreds of times bigger than the Sun) come into existence? Although atheistic, evolutionary scientists are fond of ridiculing Genesis 1:1 as being unreasonable and unscientific, the fact is, Scripture’s explanation for ultimate origins is both sensible and scientific.

First, a study of the material Universe reveals that all physical effects must have adequate causes that precede the effects (a truism known as the Law of Cause and Effect). One drop of rain does not flood an entire city, a paper airplane cannot carry an astronaut to the Moon, nor can a fire extinguisher cool the Sun. But what about the effect of the Universe itself? What was its cause? Was the gargantuan Universe caused by an explosion of a minute ball of matter or by an omnipotent Creator? Just as easily as one can know that a paper airplane is unable to transport an astronaut to the Moon, he can know that naturalistic explanations (e.g., Big Bang theory) are not adequate causes for the Universe. But God is.

Second, from what we observe in nature, matter and energy are neither created nor destroyed. Scientists refer to this fact as the First Law of Thermodynamics. Evolutionists allege that the Universe began with the explosion of a ball of matter several billion years ago, yet they never have provided a reasonable explanation for the cause of the “original” ball of matter. An attempt was made a few years ago in the April 28, 2007 issue of New Scientist magazine titled “The Beginning: What Triggered the Big Bang?” Notice the last line of the featured article: “[T]he quest to understand the origin of the universe seems destined to continue until we can answer a deeper question: why is there anything at all instead of nothing?” (194[2601]:33, emp. added). The fact is, a logical, naturalistic explanation for the origin of the “original” ball of matter that supposedly led to the Universe does not exist. It cannot exist so long as the First Law of Thermodynamics is true (i.e., in nature matter/energy cannot create itself).

Third, since the physical Universe exists, and yet it could not have created itself, then the Universe is either eternal or something/someone outside of the Universe must have created it. Relatively few scientists propose that the Universe is eternal. In fact, there would be no point in attempting to explain the “beginning” of the Universe if atheists believed it always existed. What’s more, the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that matter and energy become less usable over time, has led most scientists to conclude that the Universe has not always existed (else we would be out of usable energy; see Miller, 2007). But, if matter is not eternal, and it cannot create itself, then the only logical conclusion is that something/someone outside of nature (i.e., supernatural) caused the Universe and everything in it. Christians call this Someone, “the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 40:28).

Finally, not only do the scientific Laws of Thermodynamics and the Law of Cause and Effect support the truth of Genesis 1:1, so also does the fact that design demands a designer. Just as sure as a painting demands a painter and a law a law-giver, the orderly, law-abiding, picturesque heavens and Earth demand, not a random, mindless, unexplained explosion (when have explosions ever caused order and design?), but an intelligent Designer. As the psalmist wrote: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (19:1). What’s more, “the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3). Indeed, both the heavens and the Earth testify day after day and night after night to anyone and everyone who will listen (Psalm 19:2-4) that “He who built all things is God” (Hebrews 3:4).

Naturalistic explanations for the Universe and its laws leave an explanatory void that only a supernatural Being (i.e., God) can fill. If man will only open his eyes and ears, he will discover what both Heaven and Earth reveal: that “the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3). Rather, “God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1, emp. added).
 

REFERENCES

Biggs, Alton, et al. (2003), Science (New York: McGraw-Hill).

Hurd, Dean, George Mathias, and Susan Johnson, eds. (1992), General Science: A Voyage of Discovery (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall).

Miller, Jeff (2007), “God and the Laws of Thermodynamics: A Mechanical Engineer’s Perspective,” Reason & Revelation, 27[4]:25-31, April, http://apologeticspress.org/articles/3293.

“The Universe Before Ours” (2007), New Scientist, 194[2601]:28-33, April 28.