Sin’s ugly head

Once sin gets a foothold it continues to build. In Genesis chapter four we have the historical account of Cain and Abel. Here we see the ugly head of sin. The sin nature is passed through Adam into his sons and it results in the first death of a human created in God’s image. Genesis chapter four begins with the birth of Cain and Abel. In verse one, we see that Eve recognizes that the child comes from the Lord and she understands her role in bearing children. It should be understood here that children are a blessing from God. Though there is the natural process of procreation, the enablement of that process comes from God. All children ever conceived are gifts from God. No child is an accident. Proverbs 17:6 says, “Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their father’s.” I know for me, one of the greatest blessings of my life is my children. I love spending time with my children. They bring so much joy to my life. Children are truly a gift from God.
In verse three of Genesis four it mentions that ‘in the process of time…’ We do not know exactly how much time has gone by, but Cain and Abel are obviously full grown men at this point. They come to the Lord to bring Him an offering. It needs to be understood here that, contrary to what some may think, this is most likely not a sacrifice for sin. This was a regular sacrifice that was customary with Adam’s family. Cain and Abel were probably taught by their father to worship God on a regular basis. The mode of this worship was a sacrifice being offered to God. Each man brought a sacrifice based on his profession. Cain was a tiller of the ground, as was his father, while Abel was a keeper of livestock. Abel brought the firstlings of his flock while Cain simply brought some of the fruit that he had grown. There is no indication that Cain brought the first of his crop. It is mentioned that God receives Abel’s offering, but Cain’s, He rejected. Here we learn how God sees the heart. There is nothing at the onset that causes us to believe that Cain’s offering was not a good one. As matter of fact, it most likely looked very good. Often time’s people will do all the right things. They will ‘look good’ worshipping God. They come to church and sing songs of praise with a big smile. They will give a good amount of money when the offering plate passes by. They will serve in various areas in the church. But, yet, their worship, their sacrifice, is not acceptable to God. Psalm 51:19-20 says, “For thou desirest not sacrifice; else I would give it; thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” The ‘acts’ of worship have their place and are important in the life of the believer, however, God is not concerned with the things we do as much as He is concerned with our attitude and our motives. Cain was like many Christians today, he gave to the Lord out of obligation rather than out of love. God saw his heart; He knew that Cain was just going through the motions. What about you? Are just going through the motions? Why do you do what you do? Is it because you really love God or is it just something that you do? Only you and God know what is on the inside. Examine yourself and see if your motives and attitude is pure. As a pastor, this is something that I do regularly. Often times I ask myself why I do what I do. Do I preach and teach because I enjoy it? Do I visit the hurting because it’s just my job? Do I serve Him because I love Him? We should all take time to examine ourselves, dig deep, and make sure that we are worshipping and serving Him in a way that He will accept and bless.
In verse five of Genesis four we see that Cain became very angry over the fact that God accepted Abel’s offering over his. He became frustrated with God. A lesson that we learn here is that unrighteous anger leads to more sin. In verse seven it says that ‘sin lieth at the door.’ In other words, the snare of sin will grab hold of our lives when unrighteous anger broods within us. Do you get angry with God? Do you get frustrated with God when He does not give you what you want? Cain obviously already had something against God as he worshipped half heartedly. There was already a sinful attitude in his heart. He came to God for the wrong reason. He came to God expecting something in return instead of coming to worship out of love. When he was not satisfied, he became very frustrated and angry. Oh my, if we were honest with each other, we would have to admit that we have done the same thing that Cain did. We serve God because we think that in so doing, God will do something for us. We give to God thinking that God will in turn bless us and give us more. If this is our motive going in, then we will never receive anything from God. We should serve Him because we love Him. We should give, because we desire to please Him. We should sacrifice unconditionally and unexpectingly. When we do not get what we want and anger begins to build, it will lead to more and more sin. As the anger builds up in Cain’s heart, he turns on his brother Abel, and kills him. Cain’s anger got the best of him and he lost control. Here we find the first murder and the first death of a man. This was a sad day in the history of man as the reality of sin and the consequences of the fall begins to set in.
In verse 9-26 we see the results of sin. The curse of sin is passed from one generation to the next. Sin continues to increase in the hearts of men as it eventually leads to another murder. Lamech, who was Cain’s great-great-great grandson, admits to his family that he also killed a man. It is evident throughout scripture and throughout history that the sins of a father are passed down to his sons and his sons children. We see that in our world today. Most children will follow the footsteps of their parents. Many will take on the same trade and live the same type of life. With this, however, is the terrible thing of sin. The sins that a father struggles with are often passed down to his children. The only way to break the cycle is for one person to say enough is enough, I will not follow the sins of my parents; I will do what is right. Perhaps you are that person that must break the cycle of your family. Even though sin is passed down from one generation to the next, we cannot blame our sins on the previous generation. We make our own choice to sin. Just as we make our own choice to sin, we can make the choice to reject the sin and follow after holiness.
To break this vicious cycle of sin, there is only one solution. Jesus is the answer to our problem with sin. Only He can free us from sins snare. It is only through a personal relationship with Christ that the ugly head of sin can be brought down in our lives. Do you have such a relationship with Jesus?

 

The Fall of Man

In chapter three of Genesis we find the historical account of when sin came into the world. The man and the woman whom God had made, finds themselves in the beautiful garden of Eden, however, there is a hidden danger. God gave them strict instructions on how they are to care for His creation. In Genesis 2:16-17 He tells Adam that he can eat of every tree of the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The question can be raised here as to why God puts this tree in the garden and allows man to be tested. I believe that God puts man to a test because of His love for him. In every dispensation of time we find a test that man must face. The root of each test is the choice that man has to receive God’s love for him or to reject God and do his own thing. Here, in the dispensation of innocence we see such a test. God is giving man the opportunity to choose whether or not he will accept God’s love. This is the reason for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
In verse one of Genesis three we are introduced to the serpent. This serpent is perhaps a dragon-like creature that has the ability to speak. In verses 14-15 we see the curse placed on the serpent which sheds light on who the serpent might be. A prophecy is given in verse 15 that from the seed of the woman, the messiah would come to free the world from the curse of sin and the head of the serpent will be bruised. This indicates to us that the serpent is Satan. Now the obvious question then is; how did Satan get in the Garden of Eden? Beyond this question we must also consider when the angels were created, because Satan, though fallen, is an angel. We do know that angels are created beings; the question is when were they created? Exodus 20:11 tells us that God created the heaven and the earth and all that in them is during the creation week as recorded in Genesis. We can argue that the abode of the angels is the heavens, if this is true, then we could say that the angels were created on the first day of creation. It is unclear as to whether or not the angels were created during the creation week, however. Look at Job 38:4-7. We see mention here of the ‘sons of God’ which is a reference to angels. These angels were apparently present at the time of creation because they ‘shouted for joy.’ However, God tells Job, “Declare, if thou have understanding.” There are some truths that are beyond human reason and must be accepted by faith. When it comes to the issue concerning the creation of angels, we must simple accept the fact that the angels are created beings, but as to when they were created, remains unclear. We do know, without doubt based on Job 38:7, that the angels were present at creation. This then brings us back to the text at hand in Genesis 3. It is assumed that Satan fell from heaven sometime between the first day of creation and the temptation of Eve. Though the scripture does not give us a specific time as to the fall of Satan, we do know it happened (Isaiah 14:12-15) and that it had to have occurred after creation and before the temptation of Eve.
Now that we have established who the serpent is and how he must have come to the garden, let us turn our attention to our main purpose of this lesson and look at the fall of man in more detail. Satan comes to Eve and begins to plant seeds of doubt in her mind. This is where sin originates; it begins with questioning the Word of God. Satan poses the question on Eve, “Did God say…?” Basically Satan is telling Eve, “You must not have understood what God said, surely God did not mean that you cannot eat of this fruit.” We see the same thing happening today. It is the oldest trick in the book. When people begin to doubt what God’s Word says, it will lead to not taking His Word seriously, which in turn will lead to disobedience. This is why we as believers must have answers for the questions that come up concerning our faith. We must have a strong view of scripture as the final authority in all matters. We cannot allow ourselves to doubt what God’s Word says, we must accept it for what it is even if we do not understand it completely. One thing we learn about Satan here is that he always does the opposite of God’s plan. Being obedient to God will then in turn help you to know when Satan throws a counterfeit at you. Satan may twist the Bible in order to deceive you, but he will always do the exact opposite of what God says. This is seen in our day in many ways. One of those ways is the very issue that we have already discussed concerning whether or not we take Genesis literally. When questions rise that causes us to turn away from a clear reading of scripture, you can be assured that those questions can be traced back to Satan. He knows that if he can cause Christians to doubt God’s Word than he can hinder the message of the Gospel from going into the world and he can diminish the church’s credibility. Notice Satan’s approach in addressing Eve: he attacks God’s Word (v. 1), he Challenges the Word (v.4), and he challenge’s God’s motives (v.5). In challenging God at every turn, Satan will try to break down the fact that God is good. This is exactly what he is doing today as he uses the evil in the world to bring questions into people’s minds as to why God would allow such sorrow.
As this narrative unfolds we find Eve making two very bad choices. First of all, she listens to Satan. Instead of standing firm on what she knew God told them, she gives Satan her ear. Many times, problems with sin will rise in our lives when we start to listen to what the world tells us. When we listen to what the world tells us, we find ourselves deceived by the lie of Satan. Now I know that it is important for us to be educated and know what it is that the world is saying so that we can be better equipped to give an answer for our faith. But, we need to be very careful here. The Bible says, to ‘not give place to the devil.’ In other words, do not give the devil a chance. Do not give him the time of day. We may listen to what the secular world says for the sake of information and education, but we must not listen to them in the sense that we have an open mind to their world-view. You may say, ‘well that seems a little too dogmatic or too narrow-minded.’ Well, the way I look at it, if we believe that God’s Word is the truth, than our entire thinking and our entire world-view should be based solely on scripture. It’s okay to be open-minded to the things of God; it is not okay to be open-minded to the philosophies of men. The second mistake that Eve makes is when she makes an emotional choice. In verse six it tells us how she saw the fruit and how that it looked good to her. The combination of listening to Satan and looking at the fruit was a very bad combination. The seeds of doubt were already planted in Eve’s mind; she is then looking at the fruit and desires it. You see, this is why the knowledge of God’s Word is so very important. If we do not know the Bible and our minds are not filled with the understanding of God’s Word, then we can find ourselves believing anything. The reason many Christian have adopted the idea of evolution, for example, is because they simply do not understand the Bible. Ephesians chapter four speaks of this when it says that if we do not understand doctrine then we are tossed to and fro by the deceitfulness of men. If we do not have the firm unwavering foundation of God’s Word in our lives then there is nothing that we could not fall for. The most dangerous thing a Christian can do is when we become sympathetic toward the world and the philosophies of men. We cannot base what we do and believe on the emotional appeals of men. All that we believe must be grounded on the authority of scripture and we cannot give place to the philosophies of men.
In verse six of chapter three we see it mentioned that Adam was with Eve. Here we see Adam’s Failure. Perhaps Adam was observing the conversation that Eve was having with the serpent and he does nothing to stop Eve from giving in to the temptation. Here we see the failure on Adam’s part to intervene. The responsibility of Adam included the care of Eve, obviously, Adam failed in this responsibility. A great lesson can be learned here. When the man of the home fails in his responsibility, disaster will strike. The reason there is so many broken homes today is because of the failure of men to take their God-given responsibility as the spiritual head of the home seriously. If you are a young lady looking to get married, I would encourage you to look for Godly qualities in any prospective spouse. Does he have a strong relationship with Jesus? Is he faithful in the study of the Word of God? Will he insist on taking his family to church and being actively involved in church? Will he lead his family in the study of God’s Word? When men fail in these areas, the home is in danger. Adam failed to intervene and rescue Eve from Satan. He failed in his responsibility. As a result of his failure, his family is handed over to Satan. When men fail in their responsibilities, they are in a sense, handing their family over to Satan. We need ‘real men’ today who are not afraid to take a stand for the Word of God and to stand in the gap for their families.
In verse seven and on down through the remainder of Genesis three we see the results of sin. The first result of sin is separation from God. When Adam heard God walking in the garden, he hid himself, because he knew he had done wrong. His relationship with God was strained. There was a separation between the man and God. Romans 3:23 tells us that the ‘wages of sin is death.’ Death is the ultimate price of sin. Physical death occurs as a result of sin, but more importantly, spiritual death occurs. The ultimate price of sin is eternal death in hell. In hell, you will forever be in the state of death. There will be pain beyond anything you can imagine and there will be no way to escape, no way to return to God. Another result of sin is strained personal relationships. Notice how Adam immediately blames Eve. He says, ‘God, this woman made me do it.’ It goes even deeper here as Adam also emphasizes the fact that God gave him the woman. Essentially, Adam is blaming everyone but himself, including God. Is this not exactly what we do when we are accused of sin? When we are accused of sin we are very quick to shift the blame. We never like to think of anything as being our fault. When God approached Eve, she blames the serpent. Basically she says, “The devil made me do it.” Let me tell you something, the devil does not make us sin. We sin out of our own choosing. Eve was not forced to eat the fruit. All Satan did was to plant seeds of doubt in her mind. When we sin, it is no one else’s fault but our own. A third result of sin is the battle of good and evil. It is believed that the serpent was a beautiful creature that was able to stand upright. After sin came on the scene, the serpent is now the snake, roaming around on his belly. In verses 15-16 we see that Satan’s kingdom, the forces of evil will be in a continual battle with man. This battle will continue until Christ sets up His kingdom on the earth. In verse 15 we also see the prophecy concerning Jesus. Even though man has sinned, God, out of His love for man, will provide a way of salvation. Jesus would be crippled by Satan on the cross, but Christ would deliver the fatal blow by crushing the serpents head. A final result of sin is sorrow and suffering. Ladies, you can blame the pain of childbirth on Eve. As a result of sin, women suffer in bearing children. This curse is not a direct result of any personal sin you may commit, however, it is a natural effect of the presence of sin in the world. The ground is cursed and man must work with the sweat of his brow in order to provide for his family. Essentially, as a result of sin, life is hard. Sorrow, pain, suffering, sickness, disease, conflict, wars, etc; all of these are results of the presence of sin in the world.
Though sin is a horrible thing and has caused great pain in the heart of God and in the lives of men, through it all God is good. As the song says, “Life is hard, but God is good.” God is good because He came down to this earth in the form of man, Jesus Christ. He willingly laid down His life and paid the ultimate price of sin for us. Now, all who believe in Him can be free from the penalty of sin, the power of sin, and one day free from the very presence of sin. The cure to man’s sin problem is Jesus. Have you given your life to Him?

 

THE CREATION OF MAN

In Genesis chapter two we have the more detailed account of the creation of man. It should be noted that though man is a creation of God, man was not created out of nothing as was the rest of creation. Man was made from the dust of the earth and was given certain responsibilities to care for the rest of creation.
There are several things to consider when it comes to the creation of man. In this chapter we will examine the following: Man-formed by God’s hand, Man-made in God’s image, Women-taken from man, and Man-His responsibility.
The first subject to consider is Man-formed by God. In verse seven of Genesis two we find these words, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” The amazing thing here is that God did not just speak man into existence, but He carefully formed man with His very hands. What do we learn from this? We learn that God cares about every detail of your life. Psalm 139 tells us that God knew us when we were just a blob in our mother’s womb. When you study the growth of a baby in a mother’s womb, we find amazingly a life being carefully formed and shaped. This is love. God loves us so much that He designed each of us in a unique and special way.
Secondly, Man-made in God’s image. The scripture tells us in Genesis one that man was created in the image of God. A lot can be said about what this means. If you examine the word ‘image’ you find that it is the same word to describe appearance or status. Ancient kings would have statues of themselves built in order to instill their ‘image’ in the minds of their subjects. Being made in God’s image is a ‘status’ symbol in the creation. We, as mankind, have a higher status than the rest of creation. We also are created in His image in that we have a spirit, soul, and body. The soul is the part of us that lives forever, either with God in heaven or apart from Him in hell. The spirit is our personality. God has made each of us different with various strengths and weaknesses. No two people are exactly alike. Each of our various personalities displays the glory of God and His creative power. We also have a body, flesh. This flesh is our earthly tabernacle that due to the existence of sin is prone to suffering, pain, age, and death. One day, as believers, we will have a new body that with the presence of sin no more, we will have no suffering, age, or death. We are also made in His image in that we have a mind, emotions, and a will. We are able to think like God thinks. We have been given the ability to reason and to think logically. We experience emotions just as God does; we hurt, we cry, we have joy, and anger. All of these unique and special attributes of man-kind display the wonder and glory of our creator.
We also need to understand Women-taken from man. In verse 21-25 we find women being made from the rib of the man. This is another display of God’s glory and awesome plan. One lesson to consider is how the woman is taken ‘from man.’ This shows that the man has a responsibility before God. He is to care for creation and for the woman. He is not to lord over the women, but rather lead her and guide her and care for her. The man and his wife are one flesh and they work together for the good of their family. Both man and woman has a distinct role and responsibility in this life and this is understood throughout the pages of scripture.
A final thought concerning the creation of man is Man-his responsibility. Man is given the responsibility to care for God’s creation. Now, I am not an environmentalist, but I do believe that we are to care for this planet. We are to nurture it and use its resources wisely. We are also to enjoy God’s creation and study it for the purpose of bringing the ultimate glory to God who is supreme.
It is an amazing and wonderful thing to be created in the image of God. We should embrace the responsibility that comes from being made in His image and we should to glorify God through the way in which He made us.

 

THE SIX DAYS OF CREATION

In this chapter we will give answers to the questions regarding the days of creation and also give an overview of the creation week. Understanding the six literal days of creation is foundational to our faith.
Exodus 20:11 says, “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” We understand that the Bible is inspired by God. Holy men were moved by the Holy Spirit to write the words of scripture that was revealed to them by God. However, there is even a greater significance when it comes to this verse. These words in Exodus twenty were inscribed on tablets of stone by the very finger of God. The children of Israel were instructed to work for six days and then rest on the seventh day just as God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day. A clear understanding of this verse alone leaves no doubt that God created the world in six literal days.
There are many more reasons for us to believe that God created the world in six literal days. One is the simple understanding of the Hebrew word for day, ‘yom’. This word is used to describe a day and night cycle. It can also be used to describe a length of time or age. However, in the case of Genesis one it is very clear that God meant for us to understand that He created the world in six literal days as we would know of a day today. Every time in the Old Testament when this word for day is associated with a number, it always refers to a literal day. Why would it be any different in Genesis one? If we are going to be consistent in our interpretation of scripture, we cannot deny the fact that God created the world in six literal days. Also, the terms ‘evening’ and ‘morning’ are also used to describe a literal day. Why would God put those words in the creation account if the days were not literal days? Then we have Genesis 1:14 where it uses the same word for day to describe the division of day and night and a measurement of time for days, seasons, and years. When you follow a consistent method of interpreting scripture, you must consider the context of the entire chapter. Why would ‘day’ mean one thing in one part of the chapter, but something else in another part of the chapter? It also should be noted that outside of Genesis one the word ‘day’ is used with a number 359 times, each time it refers to a literal day. 38 times we find the terms ‘evening and morning’ without the word ‘day’ and every time it refers to a literal day. 23 times we find the terms ‘evening and morning’ with the word ‘day’ and each time it refers to a literal day. 53 times we have the word ‘night’ with ‘day’ and each time it refers to a literal day. So, the question again would be, why would the word ‘day’ mean something different in Genesis one?
One objection to the literal days of creation in Genesis six that is often raised, and rightly so, is how can the days be literal when God did not create the sun until the fourth day? This is a very good question, however, there is also a very logical explanation. First of all, we must understand that when you take the scripture at face value and you just simply read it without any bias or outside influences, you will come to the conclusion that God created the world in six literal days. We must also begin with our understanding that God says what He says and means what He says, even when may not understand it. When there does seem to be some confusion, as in this case with the fourth day of creation, we can assume that because God’s Word is true then there must be some explanation. The explanation to this question may be more simpler than you think. Concerning this question it needs to be understood that the sun is not needed for day and night. What is needed for a day is light and a rotating earth. God made light on the first day and the structure of the earth on the first day. The terms ‘evening’ and morning’ implies a rotating earth. So, if we have light from one direction and a spinning earth, there can be day and night. The next question that is raised would be, ‘where did the light come from’? This is another very good question, but it has a logical explanation. We do not have an exact answer, because we not told directly in Genesis 1:3. But, consider Revelation 21:23, which tell us that one day the sun will not be needed because the glory of God will light the heavenly city. Perhaps God did it this way to show us that the sun did not have the priority in the creation that some may propose. God also knew that some will try to worship the sun as the Egyptians did, therefore the priority in creation is not given to the sun. Notice what the early church father Theophilus said, “On the fourth day the luminaries came into existence. Since God has foreknowledge, He understood the nonsense of the foolish philosophers who were going to say that the things produced on earth came from the stars, so that they might set God aside. In order therefore that the truth might be demonstrated, plants and seeds came into existence before stars. For what comes into existence later cannot cause what is prior to it.” The consideration of this question is a prime example that there are answers to all of man’s speculations.
Another objection that is given to God creating the world in six literal days is what it is found in 2 Peter 3:8 which tells us that ‘one day is with the Lord as a thousand years’. It first must be understood that in the context of this verse there is no talk of creation. It is not referring to the days of creation. This verse is not saying that a day is a thousand years; instead it is comparing a real day with a real thousand years. Read Psalms 90:4. In this verse we find a thousand years being compared to a short period of time. Also, if a day is a thousand years in the Bible then you must be consistent and interpret it the same way throughout the entire Bible. So, what is the explanation? We need to understand that God is omnipresent. He is everywhere at all times and He surpasses all time. God is eternal, time does not matter, so, a day is as a thousand years to God.
Do you see how easy it is to be deceived? God’s word is very plain, we just have to read it and interpret it correctly. Every question that men pose concerning the Bible, there is always an answer. Satan knows that we are easily deceived; therefore, his number one tactic to destroy the church is to cause us to question God’s Word. If there is something in the Bible you don’t understand, search it out, pray, and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, because there is an answer.
We will now turn our attention to the creation week itself. When you read Genesis one you find a very clear account of how God created the world. The first day of creation is very fascinating. On this day God creates the basic structure or the foundation of the heavens and the earth and He also creates the light. I love the reading throughout Genesis one: “And God said…” God is such a powerful God that all He must do is speak and things are created. We are not sure exactly what the light that He created is but we do know the source of that light and that is God Himself. On this first day, God also divided the darkness and light and created what we know as a ‘day’. On the second day God created the firmament or the atmosphere. The firmament is the heaven or the sky. At this time it is used to separate the waters on the earth from the waters above the earth. What that looked like, we do not really know. However, it is understood to be sort of a greenhouse effect where there was a natural mist and no need of rain. On the third day God creates the dry land. He forms the seas and the dry land appears. It must be understood that the dry land appeared after the gathering of waters which would have an impact on the appearance of the land as did the world-wide flood of Noah’s day. Also on the third day, we have the appearance of grass, seed, and fruits. On the fourth day, we have the creation of the lights in the heavens. The sun to rule over the day and the moon to rule over the night were created in addition to the lesser lights or the stars and planets. What is interesting here is that the sun comes after grass and fruit is growing upon the earth, once again showing that the sun was not the priority of creation. Now on the fifth day we see the creation of animal life. There appears in an instant full grown sea creatures and birds of the air. On the sixth day we have the creation of beasts of the earth. Full grown animals appear all over the planet including the dinosaurs. Then, here is where we come in. On the sixth day God creates male and female. In chapter two of Genesis we find that man is formed by the very hands of God from the dust of the ground and the woman is created from a rib taken from the side of the man. After the creation of man, God steps back and looks upon His master piece and says, ‘this is very good.’ On the seventh day, God rested from the work of creating the world. Another interesting note is how God creates the days and there is exactly seven days in the week just as we have today; perhaps another small tidbit of information for those who oppose six literal days of creation.
In all of this we find that the ultimate purpose of creation is to display the glory and power of God. For us, it is our duty to worship Him and obey Him. The question for mankind to consider is, will we submit to our creator or will we go our own way?

 

Evolution and the compromise of the church

In this chapter we are not necessarily debating evolution vs. creation, however, we would like to examine the history of evolution. Where did it come from and what are its roots? When we discover the true history of evolution we will learn that evolution is not a science, it is a religion. Unfortunately, many in the church today have adopted evolution as science and have attempted to make room for evolution in the Bible. Just the very nature of attempting this is dangerous and leads to many more questions that would undermine our faith.
Before we examine the history of evolution, we must first look at what evolution, as we know it today, actually is. When we use the term ‘evolution’, most everyone understands that it is defined as the idea that living things in our world have come into being through unguided ‘naturalistic processes’ starting from some mass of subatomic particles and radiation which began around 20 billion years ago. This is what evolution is defined as in public schools across America. There are four basic areas of study within the sphere of evolution. 1. Cosmology is the branch of astronomy which deals with the origin of and formation of the general structure of the universe. 2. Abiogenesis refers to the first life, the production of living organisms from inanimate matter. 3. Micro-evolution refers to populational and species change through time. Though we need not be deceived by the term ‘micro-evolution’, this is actually a scientific fact that does not undermine scripture but rather can be seen in scripture. This micro-evolution is a change in the variations within a species and not changing into whole different species. 4. Macro-evolution refers to the progression to more complex life forms. This is what most people think of when they think of evolution. This obviously has never been observed and is scientifically impossible. The idea of ‘natural selection’ is a term used in conjunction with micro-evolution. However, the process of ‘natural selection’ is not a proof for the belief in evolution. Natural Selection is based on the observation that there is variation among individuals in a population. However, these variations cannot create something new. The classic example of this is the peppered moth. This moth changed its color in response to its environment. In the industrial era of England, the white moths shifted to dark moths allowing for camouflage against predatory birds. Before the population shift both light and dark moths were present. The environment allowed one shade to flourish. There are also seen limitations to this process of adapting. Evolutionist will use this as so-called ‘proof’ for their belief. However, there is no such proof. The moth did not turn into another animal it just adapted to its environment. Genesis tells us that God created things after their ‘kind’. One ‘kind’ cannot evolve into another ‘kind’ but each ‘kind’ can most certainly adapt and change based on its environment.
The idea of evolution came to the forefront with the publication of the famous book by Charles Darwin. The following is a basic overview of the history of evolution: “Known around the world is the name of Charles Darwin and his history changing book “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection” subtitled “the Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life” published in 1859. As a young man Charles Darwin was always interested in nature, but since his father saw no future in being a naturalist, he was sent to the University of Edinburgh to study medicine. At 16 he left Edinburgh without a degree and enrolled in Christ College at Cambridge University to become a clergyman, since most naturalists of the day were clergyman. He Received his B.A. degree in 1831 in theology and was recommended by the Reverend John Henslow, professor of botany, to Captain Robert Fitzroy of the HMS Beagle to participate in a surveying voyage around the world. Darwin was 22 years old when they sailed from England in December 1831 with the primary mission of charting sections of the South American coastline. While the crew charted the coastline, Darwin observed the distinctive nature of South America and was puzzled by the geographic distribution of species. At the Galapagos Islands Darwin came across several types of finches that although were very similar had apparent adaptations to their particular environments. By the time they had sailed from the Galapagos Darwin had read Lyell’s Principles of Geology, and began to doubt the Church’s position that the earth was only a few thousand years old. Later Darwin would theorize that these new forms were the result of the accumulation of adaptations to a different environment (Campbell 1990, 428-429). By the 1840′s Darwin had worked out the major features of the theory of natural selection as a mechanism for evolution but did not publish it immediately. Incidentally, Darwin spent most of his adult life in a semi-invalid condition whose cause, either organic or psychological, to this day remains unclear but he did nevertheless write extensively and pursue his research. The idea of natural selection as a source of new species was later to be co-discovered by Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913). Wallace, unlike Lyell and Darwin was raised in poverty and had no formal higher education at all, learning his knowledge of biology by extensive field experience in the Amazon and East Indies. He also held native people of the tropics in high regard in contrast to the frequently held views of racial superiority of Caucasians held at that time. At 21 Wallace was introduced to spiritualism and would later become a leader in the spiritism movement and write on the subject. Wallace wrote a two part article on the subject and later the definitive textbook, “Miracles and Modern Spiritualism” in 1876. (Morris 1989, 171). In 1855 Wallace published a paper on the origin of species which made Lyell and Darwin realize how close Wallace was to Darwin’s research. While Darwin was procrastinating on the publication of Origin, Wallace made a very curious contribution to science while in the Malayan Jungles. “I was then (February 1858) living at Ternate in the Muluccas, and was suffering from a rather severe attack of intermittent fever, which prostrated me every day during the cold and succeeding hot fits. During one of these fits, while again considering the problem of the origin of species, something lead me to think of Malthus’ Essay on Population…” (Morris 1989, 172 quoting Wallace – The Wonderful Century…) “Then it suddenly flashed upon me that this self-acting process would necessarily improve the race, because in every generation the inferior would inevitably be killed off and the superior would remain – that is, the fittest would survive. Then at once I seemed to see the whole effect of this…” (Morris 1989, 173 quoting Wallace – My Life) Further, “… the whole method of species modification became clear to me, and in the two hours of my fit I had thought out the main points of the theory. That same evening I sketched out the draft of a paper; and in the two succeeding evenings I wrote it out, and sent it by the next post to Mr. Darwin.” (Morris 1989, 173 quoting Wallace – The Wonderful Century) At that point Darwin was persuaded by his friends Lyell and Hooker to stop work on the “big book” and quickly publish an abstract, a shorter version instead. Lyell and Hooker then presented Darwin’s 1844 sketch and Wallace’s 1858 paper to the Linnean Society on July 1, 1858. Darwin’s “abstract” of 490 pages was published in 1859 as On the Origin… and the rest is history. (Taylor 1991, 130-131). Had it not been for Wallace to act as a stimulus, Darwin may not have written Origins and the course of history could have remained unchanged. Morris summarizes this best … “Herein was a marvelous thing! A theory that Darwin had been developing for twenty years, in the midst of a world center of science and with the help and encouragement of many scientific friends, was suddenly revealed in full to a self-educated spiritist, halfway around the world, alone on a tropical island in the throes of a two hour malarial fit. This is not the usual route to scientific discovery.” (Morris 1989, 173)” (www.bestbiblesceince.org) As you can see, the very means by which Darwin was inspired to publish his book is questionable. It is also known as you study the personal life of Darwin that he was very troubled by the death of his daughter. He also become very frustrated with the church and was angry at God. He never really denied the existence of God outright but eventually claimed to be an agnostic. The basic premise for writing his book was not for the sake of science but in order to diminish the influence of the church and to retaliate against God for all the trouble and strife in the world. It is also important to note that evolution was also based on very racist ideas. As matter of fact it is believed that Darwin and his companions used human remains as experiments. Consider the following: “In the late 1800′s and early 1900′s many in the scientific community viewed non-Caucasian races as evolutionary ancestors, human subspecies, and/or not quite human. As a result of this thinking humans of certain races were treated as laboratory specimens. The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. holds the remains of 15,000 individuals of various races and it appears that 10,000 Australian Aborigines were shipped to the British museum in an attempt to determine if they were the “missing link”. Some of the leading evolutionists of the day, including anatomist Sir Richard Owen, anthropologist Sir Arthur Keith and Charles Darwin himself wanted samples. Museums were not only interested in bones, but of fresh samples and pickled Aboriginal brains, and good prices were being offered. Tragically, there is evidence that Australian Aborigines may have been killed for use as specimens. Consider these notes: “A death bed memoir from Korah Wills, who became mayor of Bowen, Queensland, in 1866, graphically describes how he killed and dismembered a local tribesman in 1865 to provide a scientific specimen”. Edward Ramsey, curator of the Australian Museum in Sydney (1874-1894) published a museum booklet that appeared to describe Aborigines as “Australian animals”. It also gave instructions on how to rob graves and plug bullet wounds in freshly killed “specimens”. He complained in the 1880s that a Queensland law to stop slaughtering Aborigines was affecting his supply. Amalie Dietrich, a German evolutionist (nicknamed the ‘Angel of Black Death’) came to Australia and asked that Aborigines be shot for specimens, so their skin could be stuffed and mounted. “Although evicted from at least one property, she shortly returned home with her specimens.” “A new South Wales missionary was a horrified witness to the slaughter by mounted police of a group of Aboriginal men, women and children. Forty-five heads were then boiled down and the best 10 skulls were packed off for overseas.” The above quotes and paraphrases are from: Creation ex nihilo, Vol 14, No. 2, March – May 1992, pg. 17. This perverse tale of human debauchery can only be regarded as another bad fruit of evolutionary thought. The racist ideas that stem from evolution is seen at its worst with what is known as the case of Ota Benga. In 1906 the crowds thronged the monkey house exhibit at the Bronx Zoo (New York Zoological Park). Here were man’s “evolutionary ancestors” – monkeys, chimpanzees, a gorilla named Dinah, an orangutan named Dohung and an African pygmy tribesman named Ota Benga. Ota Benga was brought from the Belgian Congo in 1904 by noted African explorer Samuel Verner along with other pygmies and displayed in an exhibit in the 1904 St. Louis world’s Fair. Ota Benga (or “Bi”, which means “friend” in his language) was born in 1881, had a height of 4 ft. 11in. and weighted 103 lbs. Although he was referred to as a boy he had been married twice. His first wife had been captured by a hostile tribe and his second wife died by a snake bite. After the St. Louis exhibit, Ota found himself at the Bronx Zoo which at that time was under the direction of Dr. William T. Hornaday, who was considered a bit eccentric. Hornaday believed animals had nearly human thoughts and personalities, and he could read the thoughts of zoo animals. He “apparently saw no difference between a wild beast and the little Black man” and insisted he was only offering an “intriguing exhibit”. (Jerry Bergman, Creation Ex Nihilo, Vol 16, No 1 Dec 1993-Feb 1994 p. 49, quoting Carl Sifakis, “Benga, Ota: The Zoo Man”, in American Eccentrics, Facts on File, New York, 1984, p. 253) The exhibit was immensely popular and controversial; the black community was outraged and some churchmen feared that it would convince people of Darwin’s theory of evolution. Under threat of legal action, Hornaday had Ota Benga leave his cage and circulate around the zoo in a white suit, but he returned to the monkey house to sleep. In time Ota Benga began to hate being the object of curiosity. “There were 40,000 visitors to the part on Sunday. Nearly every man, woman and child of this crowd made for the monkey house to see the start attraction in the park – the wild man from Africa. They chased him about the grounds add day, howling, jeering, and yelling. Some of them poked him in the ribs, others tripped him up, all laughed at him.” (Creation Ex Nihilo, quoting Phillip V. Bradford and Harvey Blume, “Ota Benga: The Pygmy in the Zoo”, St. Martins, 1992, p. 269, from the “New York Times” Sept. 18, 1906) At one point, he got hold of a knife and flourished it around the park, another time he produced a fracas after being denied a soda from the soda fountain. Finally, after fabricating a small bow and arrows and shooting at obnoxious park visitors he had to leave the park for good. After his park experience, several institutions tried to help him. He was placed in Virginia Theological Seminary and College but quit school to work in a tobacco factory. According to Hornaday (who probably had evolutionary racist views) “he did not possess the power of learning” (Creation Ex Nihilo, Vol 16, No. 1 Dec. 1993-Feb 1994, pp. 48-50). Growing homesick, hostile, and despondent Ota Benga borrowed a revolver, and shot himself in the heart, ending his life in 1916. As is clearly seen, evolution has a very questionable history and leads to the most disturbing beliefs and actions.
Now that we have seen a brief history of the idea of what evolution is really all about, let us now turn our attention to the fact that evolution is not a science but rather a religion. It needs to be understood that both evolution and creation are religious beliefs based on certain presuppositions. No matter how much scientific evidence you give the evolutionist, he will still deny the Bible and claim that evolution is a fact. The same is true for creationist. As creationist we begin with the presupposition that God exists and that He created the world. No scientific data will ever change the mind of a true believer. Consider this quote from Theodosius Dobzhansky, a famous evolutionist, “Evolution is a light which illuminates all facts, a trajectory which all lines of thought must follow.” Now, does this sound like science? Webster’s dictionary tells us that a religion is a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith. This is a great description of evolution. The idea that the origin of the world came from something that cannot be observed and the philosophy that man is just an animal that evolved from lower life forms and holding to that belief in a dogmatic way no matter the evidence shows is clearly a form of religion. It is a humanistic religion that focuses on man as the supreme being on the top of the so-called evolutionary chain. Evolution is an idea that must be accepted by faith as creation must be accepted by faith. However, belief in creation is different in the sense that we have the Bible that gives answers and the fact that basic scientific observations always substantiates the Bible. Yes, because we were not there to observe creation we must accept it by faith, but faith in creation is far more logical and scientifically substantiated than evolution could ever be. The point we need to understand is that the issue between creation and evolution is not a debate concerning science, however, it is a difference in philosophy, it’s a battle between conflicting world-views.
Unfortunately, the religion of evolution has infiltrated into the church and Christian colleges and seminaries across America. Not long after evolution became widely accepted, the church was challenged to give answers. Instead of standing strong on the authority of scripture, the church began to come up with ways to unite evolution with Genesis 1-2. Some of these attempts include the gap theory, day-age view, the day-gap-day view, framework hypothesis, and Adam as a metaphor. There have been sincere and godly men who have fallen prey to some of these ideas in order to somehow make peace with the evolutionist. These compromises leads to the destruction of our faith and the atheists know it. One atheist website says, “No Adam & Eve means no need of a Savior.” Leaders in the religion of evolution have an agenda to cause Christians to question the authority of the Bible. They know that if we begin to compromise on Genesis then our entire faith is destroyed. One of the prominent compromises on Genesis that is taught even in Christian colleges including by some professors at the school in which I studied in the so-called Gap Theory. The purpose behind the Gap Theory is to attempt to account for the geological record given by evolutionist concerning the age of the earth. However, just the very idea of such a theory brings the whole Bible into question. As matter of fact in Matthew 19:4-5, Jesus Himself mentioned that God made male and female at the beginning. We know that Adam lived on this earth roughly 6,000 years ago, therefore if they were created at the beginning then how could we say the earth is millions of years old? Mark 10:6 says, “At the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.” Why would Jesus say that if Adam and Eve were not created at the beginning and the earth is really millions of years old? Since the Gap Theory is one of the most prominent theories accepted by many Christians it is important that we include the following article from the 1987 edition of creation magazine by Henry Morris:
‘In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth’ (Genesis 1:1).
‘And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.’ (Genesis 1:2). Many people assume there is a great gap in time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. Most of these do this to accommodate the geological age system of billions of years of supposed earth history in the Genesis record of creation. The idea is something like this: billions of years ago God created the spacemass-time universe. Then the geological ages took place over billions of years of earth history. The different forms of life developed that are now preserved in the fossil record. These life-forms represent those ages – the invertebrates of the Cambrian Period, the dinosaurs of the Cretaceous Period … finally the mammals, birds and ‘ape-men’ of the Tertiary Period – just before the recent epoch. Then the idea is that, at the end of these geological ages, a great cataclysm took place on earth, with Satan having rebelled in heaven and many of the angels following him in that rebellion. God, therefore, cast him to the earth, and the earth underwent a great cataclysm, leaving it finally without form and void, and with darkness on the face of the deep, as described in Genesis 1:2. Subsequently, according to this idea—usually known as the ‘gap’ theory—God then re-created or reconstituted the earth in the six literal days of creation recorded in the first chapter of Genesis. The argument for this theory makes verse two read, ‘The earth became without form and void’ (some would render it ‘The earth became waste and desolate’), as though it had previously been a beautiful world. But now, because of the cataclysm, it was a devastated remnant of a world, so that there was a change of condition. It became without form and void.

‘Was’ Means ‘Was’
A significant problem with this idea is that the Hebrew word for ‘was’ really should be translated ‘was’. It should not be translated ‘became’. It is the Hebrew verb of being, hayah, and normally it is simply translated ‘was’. In all the standard translations of the Old Testament, that is the way this verse is rendered. On some occasions, in an unusual situation if the context requires it, the word can be translated ‘became’. There are some instances like that in the Old Testament. By far the tremendous majority of times, however, when the verb is used, it is simply translated ‘was’. In the absence of any indication in the immediate context that it should be rendered by a change of state, where it became something which it wasn’t, one would normally assume it was simply a declarative statement describing how the situation existed at the time. The earth was, in response to God’s creative fiat, initially without form and void. Some people use Isaiah 45:18 as an argument for the use of ‘became’ in Genesis 1:2. In this verse, Isaiah says that God created the earth not in vain. He formed it to be inhabited. The word ‘in vain’ is the same as tohu; that is, the same word translated ‘without form’ in Genesis 1:2. So ‘gap’ theorists say that since God did not create it that way, it must have become that way. But again, the context is significant. In Isaiah, the context requires the use of the translation ‘in vain’. That is, God did not create the earth without a purpose; He created it to be inhabited. Genesis 1 tells us then how He brought form to the unformed earth and inhabitants to the empty earth. It was not really finished until He said so at the end of the six days of creation. The word tohu is actually translated 10 different ways in about 20 occurrences in the Old Testament. Isaiah 45:19 has the same word, and there it has to be translated ‘vainly’ or ‘in vain’. It is also proper to translate it that way in Isaiah 45:18. It depends on the context as to how it is to be precisely translated. In Genesis 1:2 the context simply indicates the earth had no structure as yet. It was unformed; it was not even spherical at that point, but was comprised of only the basic elements of earth material.
Sequence
Furthermore, it is important to note that the verse begins with the conjunction, ‘and’ (Hebrew waw), and this same conjunction introduces every single verse of the first chapter of Genesis, so there is a sequence of actions implied. There was this happening, and then this happened, and then this happened, and then this . . . each following directly upon the other. When it said that God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was without form and void, the implication is that this was immediately following the creation. Another argument of those who advocate the ‘gap’ theory is that the word ‘darkness’ suggests that something is wrong with the creation. But Isaiah 45:7 says that God created the darkness. In order for there to be day and night, which was necessary for the further activity of God and man upon the earth, there must be day and night. So God actually had to create darkness. Thus there is nothing implicitly wrong with it being dark. God created it that way. Darkness later came to represent, in some contexts, a symbol of evil—as opposed to light—since ‘God is light and in Him is no darkness at all’ (1 John 1:5). But in the context here there is no evil connotation suggested. On the other hand, there are many overwhelming difficulties with the ‘gap’ theory, and we really should not accept this as the interpretation of Genesis 1:2. The idea that the geological ages took place in between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 is precluded by the plain biblical statement in the Ten Commandments, where God said, ‘In six days, the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is’ (Exodus 20:11). That is, He was telling man that he must work six days and rest one day because God worked six days and rested one day. The context goes on to say that everything in heaven and earth and in the sea was made in six days. There could have been nothing left over that was not made during the six days. The ‘gap’ theory, on the other hand, would require that only the surface of the earth was reconstituted in the six days. The earth’s core, the basic structure, the great fossil beds containing the remnants of the dinosaurs, and so on, all of this would predate the six days of Creation. But God says specifically that everything in the earth and in the heavens and in the sea was made in the six days.
Death Before Sin?
Theologically, there is also a very grave difficulty with the ‘gap’ theory. The Bible says there was no sin or death until man brought them into the world. According to the ‘gap’ theory, however, there had already been billions of years of suffering and death in the world, represented by the fossils and the sedimentary rocks of the earth’s crust, which are supposed now to identify the geological ages. According to the ‘gap’ theory, at the end of the geological ages Satan sinned and was cast to the earth and then there was a great cataclysm, so that the geological ages with billions of years of suffering and death took place before Satan sinned and certainly before man sinned. The Bible, on the other hand, says specifically that ‘by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin’ (Romans 5:12), so that there was no death in the world until man brought sin into it. The ‘gap’ theory would require billions of years of suffering in the world before man or even Satan had sinned, and that means that God Himself would be directly responsible for sin in the world. God could not be the author of sin. So the ‘gap’ theory is precluded theologically.
Non-Science
Scientifically, it won’t work either, because the whole essence of the geological age system, which some people try to accommodate by the ‘gap’ theory, is based on what geologists call ‘uniformitarianism’ that is, the continuity of processes in the ancient world with those in the modern world. The very structure of the geological age system is based on the assumption that present rates and processes are the same as those that took place in the past. There is no room for a world-wide cataclysm interrupting those processes in the system of the geological ages. That is why no geologist would ever accept the ‘gap’ theory. In order to have a world-wide cataclysm that would destroy all the pre-cataclysm mountains and cast them into the sea, so that there was the deep everywhere, and then blow billions of tons of debris up into the sky so that there was darkness over the deep everywhere, as Genesis 1:2 describes it, it would have to be a world-wide nuclear explosion, or volcanic explosion, or something which would literally disintegrate the crust of the earth where the fossils and the sedimentary rocks are that identify the geological ages. So the ‘gap’ theory would destroy the evidence for the geological ages in order to accommodate them! It is a self-negating theory scientifically; it creates overwhelming scientific problems. No geologist would ever accept the ‘gap’ theory. Therefore, we have to reject the ‘gap’ theory as an interpretation of Genesis 1:2. We can be confident that a simple and straightforward, literal interpretation of the biblical record will satisfy all the real facts of geology.
Through careful examination of scripture I totally agree with Henry Morris’ explanation. We need to understand that when you attempt to unite the Bible with the ideas proposed by the religion of evolution, we bring the entire Bible into question. This is exactly what Satan did in Genesis three in his temptation of Eve. He began by questioning God’s Word. When we question God’s Word in one area we must then question the whole thing. This compromise amongst Christian circles concerning Genesis has grown to encompasses many great and well-known Christian leaders of our day. Consider some of the following quotes:

“From a superficial reading of Genesis 1, the impression would seem to be that the entire creative process took place in six twenty-four hour days. If this was the true intent of the Hebrew author…this seems to run counter to modern scientific research, which indicates that the planet earth was created several billion years ago.” – Dr. Gleason Archer (O.T. Professor)
It needs to be understood here that Dr. Archer is assuming the scientific research he refers to is correct. He does not realize that the scientific research may very well be based on faulty data and coming from a secular and humanistic world-view. As believers we must not stray from the fact that the Bible is the final authority in all matters, including science.
“At first reading the creation account seems to indicate that these six days of creation activity were twenty-four hours each. We conclude, however, that ultimately, responsible geology must determine the length of the Genesis days.” – Dr. Gordon Lewis (Theology Professor)
Wow! Geology is the authority? We look to geologist for the ultimate answers instead of the Bible? This is absurd. A professor of theology should know better! The list goes on of men who have compromised on Genesis: Norman Geisler, C. John Collins, John Piper, Kenneth Matthews, among many others. All of these men and other like-minded fellows are basically teaching the church that geology and science is the final authority even above scripture. God forbid! This compromise has taken a very bad turn in recent days. William Dembski, a professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has gone to the extreme of compromising on Adam and Eve. In his book End of Christianity he writes:
“For the theodicy I am proposing to be compatible with evolution, God must not merely introduce existing human-like beings from outside the Garden. In addition, when they enter the Garden, God must transform their consciousness so that they become rational moral agents made in God’s image. Any evils humans experience outside the garden before God breathes into them the breath of life would be experienced as natural evils in the same way animals experience them. The pain would be real, but it would not be experienced as divine justice in response to willful rebellion. Moreover, once God breathes the breath of life into them, we may assume that the first humans experienced an amnesia of their former animal life: Operating on a higher plane of consciousness once infused with the breath of life, they would transcend the lower plane of animal consciousness on which they had previously operated-though, after the fall, they might be tempted to resort to that lower consciousness.”
This is the kind of garbage that is being taught in some Christian colleges and seminaries. This is what men being trained to be pastors are learning from their professors. May God help us! Notice this encouraging article by John MacArthur: Now, because the Bible is so clear about this in Genesis 1, and then giving us an even further and more detailed look at this creation, rehearsing its elements in a broader way in chapter 2, you face a test at the very outset of the Bible. You’re not going to get past the first verses of the Bible, you’re not going to get past the first verse in the Bible, the first chapter in the Bible, the first two chapters in the Bible without facing a test. And the test is this, do you believe the Scripture? Do you believe the Scripture? That is the test. No one gets past the opening verses of the Bible without having to face the test of whether or not that person believes the Bible to be the authoritative Word of God. Do you submit to Scripture? Genesis 1 is your first test…
Well there are a lot of people who believe that and there are a mass of people who call themselves Christians who believe that Genesis is an inadequate presentation of what happened and we have to marry it with scientific discovery in order to get to the truth. Let me help you, folks, let me help you. Get past that notion and you will free yourself from needless doubts and endless confusion. Get past the idea that science, listen, makes any contribution to an understanding of creation. It makes none. Now this may shock you. There is no such thing as the science of creation. There is no such thing. It does not exist. Why? Because there is no scientific way to explain creation… I would like to suggest a sort of basic test for any Christian ministry that you might be drawn toward, either to participate with them, to support them in some way. I would suggest that you ask any ministry, any so-called Christian ministry, especially a Christian college, Christian seminary that you’re thinking about going to, or sending your friends or your children to, or church that you might attend, one question. And here is the first question you should ask them. Write it in a letter and send it to them next time some ministry solicits money from you. “Do you believe completely in the literal interpretation of Genesis chapter 1 and chapter 2?” Ask them that. There are 106 Christian colleges in what is called “The Christian College Coalition.” Five would say yes to that. A hundred and one would say no. Just exactly does Genesis 1 and 2 mean then if it doesn’t mean what it says which even a child can understand, then how are we to know what it means? And at what point can we trust anything that the Bible says? The answer to the question, “What is your view of Genesis 1 and 2?” will reveal the attitude of any organization, any ministry toward Scripture. And if they believe that Scripture is inerrant and authoritative and complete, you’ll get the right answer. If you get the wrong answer, then they have a weak view of Scripture. And if they reject Genesis 1 and 2, then you can ask them the other question that I posed a little while ago, “Just exactly where do you start believing the Bible?” I could not agree more with MacArthur. The issue between evolution and creation is a matter of what you believe concerning the Bible. There is no way that you can claim to have a high view of scripture and compromise on Genesis. You either believe the whole Bible or none of it.
A final encouragement for believers is stay faithful. There are constant attacks that will continue until Jesus comes. We cannot waver from scripture as the final authority in all matters. It is vitally important that we educate ourselves in the issues attacking the church today especially in this area that is so foundational to our faith. As the scripture says, “Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

 

Who is God?

“In the beginning God…” These are the most profound words in all of the Bible. The Bible never attempts to prove the existence of God it simply assumes His existence. Our understanding of Genesis 1-11 must begin with a firm belief in the existence of God. To say there is no God is foolish. As Proverbs says, “The fool hath said in his heart there is no God.” Think about it. When you look at the detailed design of everything in the universe from the greatest star to matter itself, to say that it all got here by some random chance or accident is foolish. It is obvious that God exists. However, the Bible teaches us that we are to be ready to give and answer at all times for what we believe (1 Peter 3:15). At the same time, we are not to answer a fool according to his folly. If someone insists that God does not exist, then there is no need to argue with them. They are fools and until they open themselves up to the existence of God then there is no reason for debate. However, at times there are some real, sincere, thoughtful, and educated questions that as believers we should be ready to answer.
The first question to consider has to do with science. Is there any scientific proof for the existence of God? There are many types of science; however there are two basic types that all other science fits into. There is observational science, which is based on what we can observe. There is also historical science, which deals with things in the past that cannot be observed; interpretations of the past. Problems arise when we mix observational science with historical science. However, is there proof for the existence of God that can be observed today? Just as in any field of study, there are certain laws that apply to science. These laws of been formulated by careful scientific observations. One of these laws is the law of logic. The naming of the laws of logic came from Aristotle. The laws of logic are basic rules that are understood before a person can reason. These laws are followed by everyone in the scientific community. One example of a law of logic is the law of non-contradiction. This law states that any contradiction is wrong. For example if you say, “My car is in the garage and it is not the case that my car is in the garage”, then this statement is false because of the law of non-contradiction. Every rational person would accept this law. But the question that is rarely raised is, why should we have such a law? The secular scientist has no answer for this. For the Christian, however, the laws of logic fit with what we are taught in the Bible. In his book, the ultimate proof, Jason Lisle writes, “Laws of logic are contingent upon God’s unchanging nature. And they are a prerequisite for logical reasoning. Thus, rational reasoning would be impossible without the Biblical God.” The very existence of the laws of logic give proof to the existence of God. Another law is the law of cause and effect. This law of science states that every cause has its effect and every effect has its cause. This law is the basis of all science. As such, this law bears a relationship to the origin of the heavens and the earth. In fact, scientists agree that the universe has not existed forever, that it had a beginning at some point in time. The theory of relativity which is almost universally accepted among scientists has certain implications for this Law of Cause and Effect. One is that the universe, defined as time, space, matter, and physical energy had a beginning, that it is not eternal. And it is through Einstein’s equations that scientists can trace the development of the universe back to its very origin, back to what is called the “singularity event” when it actually came into being. Science has proven that the universe really did have a beginning. This obviously means that if the universe had a starting point in history, then it obviously began to exist, and it must have a cause for its existence. Therefore, if the universe needs a cause for its coming into being, then that cause must be beyond the universe—which is time, space, matter, and physical energy. That cause must be something similar to what Christians call “God.” Even Richard Dawkins, probably the most prominent proponent for atheism of our modern times, admitted in a “Time” magazine article that “there could be something incredibly grand and incomprehensible and beyond our present understanding.” Yes, there is, and that is God! Another scientific proof for the existence of God is found in the law of teleology. This law is the study of design or purpose in natural phenomena. This law of science essentially means that when an object reflects a purpose, goal or design, it must have had a designer. Simply put, things do not design themselves. This holds true for the things in the universe which proves that it had to have a Designer.
For example, the earth in orbiting the sun departs from a straight line by only one-ninth of an inch every 18 miles—a very straight line in human terms. If the orbit changed by one-tenth of an inch every 18 miles, it would be vastly larger and we would all freeze to death. If it changed by one-eighth of an inch, we would be incinerated. The sun is burning at approximately 20 million degrees Celsius at its interior. If the earth was moved 10% further away, we would soon freeze to death. If it was moved 10% closer, we would be reduced to ashes. Are we to believe that such precision “just happened”? Think about it: the sun is poised at 93 million miles from earth, which happens to be just right. Did this happen by chance or by design? It’s no small wonder that the Psalmist alludes to God as the grand designer when he declared: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other” There are many more laws of science that can be used to prove God’s existence. So, to answer the question as to whether or not there is scientific proof to the existence of God, the answer is a resounding, YES! This is why the Proverbs says that, “the fool has said in his heart there is no God.” To say there is no God is to go against all logic and reason. This is why we cannot argue with those who claim there is no God, because they are fools.
A second question to consider is, what is the name of God? The Hebrew word for God in Genesis 1:1 is the word, ‘elohiym’. He is the supreme God, creator and ruler of all things. There are many names that are attributed to God but one name sums it all up. This name is found in the account of God’s call to Moses found in Exodus 3:13-14. In this passage, Moses asks God what His name is. God simply replies, “I AM”. What a powerful statement! “I AM” ; God is! There is really no name to describe God, He simply is. Nothing compares to the greatness of God. In our finite minds, we cannot comprehend who God is, so God just simply says, I AM.
A third and final question to consider is that since God does exist, what is He like, what are the attributes of God? God is infinite, meaning, that He is unlimited. The fact that God is infinite can be described in His attributes. The first attribute of God is that He is eternal. God always has been and He always will be. God is the beginning and He is the end. This is a truth that is beyond human comprehension and must be accepted by faith. A second attribute of God is the fact that He is immutable. This means that He is unchanging. Hebrews 13:8 says that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God is consistent in all His ways. He is consistent in His justice, righteousness, forgiveness, grace, etc. We serve a God who never changes! A third attribute is that God is omnipresent. This means that He is everywhere at all times. If you study Psalms 139, you will find that you cannot hide from the presence of God, He is everywhere. Beyond being everywhere at the same time, He is everywhere at all times. God is beyond time. He is in the past, He is in the present, and He is in the future. He exceeds time. God is also omniscient. This means that He is all-knowing. He knows all things. He knows more about you than you know about yourself. To get to know yourself, you must know God. A final attribute of God is the fact that He is omnipotent. God is all-powerful. He is above all things. He creates things with His very words. He is the great star breather.
This all-powerful God loves you and He loves me. He loves us so much that He became one of us so that we can relate to Him and know Him in a personal way. He loves us so much that He gives us grace and He gives us eternal life with Him for all those who will believe in Him. Do you believe? “In the beginning God….”

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Often times I am asked if it is wrong to participate in things such as Santa Clause, Christmas Trees, Exchanging Gifts, etc. To answer that question, we must look at the purpose and reason for this special time of year. Christmas is a time in which we set aside to celebrate the coming of our Savior to the world. Jesus, God Himself, left the wonders of heaven and humbled Himself and became a man. He was born of a virgin so that there would be no corruption from a sin nature, as sin is in the seed of man. He came for one purpose and one purpose only and that is to save the world from the penalty and bondage of sin. You see, we are all sinners and sin must be paid for. The only way sin can be paid for is through the shedding of blood. Jesus came to pay the ultimate and final sacrifice for our sin. All those who accept His gift of salvation will have their sins removed and will be given an eternal home in heaven. Three days after Jesus paid the price of sin on the cross; He rose from the grave, conquering death, hell, and the grave. This is why we celebrate Christmas. It is a time of great joy for all those who placed their faith and trust in Jesus. You see, if you have never given your life to Christ, then Christmas means nothing to you. All that we do at Christmas time is a part of our celebration for what Jesus did for us. It is a time of fun and laughter and great joy. If it were not for Jesus, there would be no Santa Clause, if it were not for Jesus there would be no Christmas trees, and if it were not for Jesus there would be no exchanging of gifts. We celebrate Christmas because of Jesus. My encouragement to you is to embrace all that Christmas is. Enjoy this special time with your family and friends as you worship the giver of Christmas, Jesus Christ. May we be ever mindful of what Jesus has given to us. If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, please, do so today so that you can truly celebrate Christmas!

 

The Beginning: An Introduction

Over the next many weeks at Spruce Head Community Church, we are engaging in a study on the first eleven chapters of Genesis. This study will begin January 8th during the Sunday evening worship service. The purpose of this study is to give a foundation for our faith and to provide believers with tools to defend their faith. We will also answer the questions posed by those who have fallen into the trap of the great compromise of the church in our day. As the study progresses, new chapters will be posted on our blog. Theses chapters will also be put together in one document along with study guides and the audio teachings will all be available online at: www.chrisnoland.org And now, let us begin:
It has been said that ‘if we do not get the beginning right, then we will get the end wrong.’ There is a lot of truth in that statement. Everything that we believe hinges upon our views on the first eleven chapters of the Bible. If we compromise on one part of scripture then it opens the door to compromise on all parts of scripture. You cannot just pick and choose what portions of the Bible that you care to believe. In this brief introduction I’d like to give you three reasons why coming to grips with Genesis 1-11 is so vitally important for the believer.
First of all, our faith hinges upon it. If Genesis 1-11 were not true, then nothing we believe can be true. There are four basic hinges of our faith. 1. God’s Word. As believers, we claim that the Bible is the Word of God. Most all of us will stand strong on a verbal plenary view of scripture. Meaning that every word is totally and completely inspired by God. Most every true believer would also claim that since the Bible is inspired by God, then it must be totally accurate and it is completely true without any error. This is the believer’s presupposition. All belief systems begin with a basic presupposition. Non-believers generally have the presupposition that the Bible is not true and that God may not even exist. Believers, on the other hand, begin with the presupposition that the Bible is true and that God does exist. As believers, how can we say that the Bible is inspired by God and complete without any error and at the same time compromise on Genesis 1-11. For example, if you do not believe that God created the world in six literal days as is plainly shown in Genesis 1, then how can you believe the rest of the Bible? If you do not believe in a universal flood, then how can you believe the rest of the Bible? If what God said about creation is not accurate, then how do we know that we He says about salvation is accurate? The bottom line is that if you compromise on Genesis 1-11 you will also compromise one of the major hinges of our faith, the word of God. 2. Creation. ‘Did God really create the world in six literal days? Can we not believe in evolution and God at the same time? After all, science gives proof of evolution. Perhaps, God just simply started the evolution process.’ These are seeds of doubt that Satan has planted in the minds of believers and in the church. Basically, these are lies straight from the pit of hell. Our faith hinges upon the fact that God created the world out of nothing and He did so in six literal days. If evolution is true, then the Bible is false. Our faith would be in vain, if evolution were true. But, I have news for you, evolution is not true. It is an unscientific assumption based on faulty data and preconceived ideas. Evolution has nothing to do with science. As a matter of fact, if you study science in its purest form it always substantiates the Bible and not evolution. If we compromise on the Genesis account of creation then everything we believe would come into question. Having a clear understanding of the Biblical account of creation is vitally important to our faith. 3. Sin. The reason we need a Savior is because of our sin nature and the penalty of that sin. The Bible clearly teaches that sin came into the world through one man, Adam. Sin exist in the seed of man, therefore, all who are conceived have inherited a sin nature. Sin has a price. The price of sin is eternal separation from God in hell. The good news is that Jesus paid the price of sin for us so that we would not have to go to hell. In the early chapters of Genesis we see how sin came into the world. We also see when sin came into the world and the result of sin. Death, decay, and suffering exist in our world because of sin. We know that Adam lived on this earth roughly 6,000 years ago. If we accept the view of the evolutionist and compromise on Genesis, then we would have to explain how death and decay and suffering came before Adam. Those who compromise on Genesis will say that the earth is billions of years old and that billions of years ago there were animals that lived and died and even animals that ate each other. They also say that the earth has been decaying for billions of years. Now, if the earth has been decaying for billions of years and animals were eating each other and dying billions of years ago, then what the Bible says about death, decay, and suffering coming as a result of sin is false. If what the Bible says about the coming of death, decay, and suffering coming into the world is false, then what the Bible says about sin coming into the world is false. If what the Bible says about sin coming into the world is false, then what the Bible says about Jesus, the Savior of man, is false. Do you see the danger of compromise? Do you see why it so important that every believer have a clear understanding of Genesis 1-11? 4. Redemption. God’s redemptive plan began in Genesis. The story of redemption is like a crimson thread running through the pages of scripture. If Genesis 1-11 is not literally and accurately true, then the rest of the Bible would not be true. The reason Jesus came was because of what took place around 6,000 years ago in the Garden of Eden. Without Genesis there would be no Gospels. If we compromise on Genesis 1-11 then we would have to change the entire redemption story.
The second reason as to why we must come to grips with Genesis 1-11 is that our witness is affected by it. Have you ever wondered why so few young adults come to church? Have you noticed how that once a child reaches their college years they tend to fade away from the church? The reason for this is because the church is not relevant to them. Our witness in the world has been diminished because of our compromise on scripture. Think about it. In schools, children are taught evolution as fact. God does not fit anywhere in the picture. When children come to church they hear ‘Bible stories.’ We make Noah’s ark look like a bath tub toy. We present the Bible as a spiritual book rather than as a historically accurate book and as a practical book. The public schools have the children five days a week; the church gets them for just an hour or two a week. To top it all off, many church leaders will support evolution ideas. Some will even teach that God just simply started the evolution process. Most will claim that they believe the earth is billions of years old. Our young people today desire truth. When we compromise on scripture, then how can they believe anything we tell them? If we do not live out the faith that we claim, then how can they have the same faith? The great compromise in the church today on Genesis 1-11 is an attack from Satan. He knows that if can get Christians to question and doubt God’s Word, then he can turn people away from God. Our young people are leaving the church today because we have not given them the answers for our faith. The religion of evolution and even atheism has crept into the doors of our churches. Now more than ever, we need to show the world that our faith is real and that the Bible is true. We need to teach in our Sunday School classes how that true observational science will give evidence to the truth of God’s Word. We need to teach our young people that God’s Word is the final authority in all matters. The light of God’s Word will be dimmed so low to where it cannot even been seen if we do not come to grips with the truth of Genesis 1-11.
The final reason as to why we must come to grips with Genesis 1-11 is that our worship depends on it. If Genesis 1-11 was not historically and literally accurate, then why would we worship God? Think about it. We say we believe the Bible is God’s inspired Word. If that is true (and it is) then we naturally believe that God’s Word is true. If part of God’s Word is not totally accurate and cannot be taken literal, then wouldn’t that make God a liar? If God did not tell us the whole truth in Genesis 1, then how can we believe anything else He may tell us? We worship God because He is real. We worship God because He created the world. We worship God because He provided a way for our sin to be paid for. We Worship God because we believe in His Word. We worship God because of who He is. If God is not who He says He is and if He did not do what He said He did, then He is nothing more than a ghost. You see, we must understand the truth of Genesis and we must not compromise on it, because if we do, then our worship of God is in vain.
In this study, we will carefully examine the first eleven chapters of Genesis. The purpose of this study is to give us a solid foundation for our faith and to answer the questions of those who have fallen into the great compromise of our day. We approach this study with the understanding that the Bible is God’s complete Word. We will look at Genesis 1-11 for what it says and we will quiet the naysayers as the truth is revealed.

 

Summary of Church History in Plain Language Chapters 1-2

Church History in Plain Language was written by Bruce L. Shelley. In his book, we find a discussion on eight ages of church history. The first two chapters cover the age of Jesus and the apostles. History may be defined as ‘His Story’. It is the story of God. He is the author of all history. The Bible is the primary book of History. It tells the story of God. Church History, however, is a major part of the overall history directed by God Himself. Church History began with Jesus Himself and with the apostles who followed Jesus. The first two chapters of Church History in Plain Language give a great overview of the age of Christ and the apostles and the foundation of the church.
Chapter one begins with a very profound statement, which reads, “Christianity is the only major religion to have as its central event the humiliation of God.” The crucifixion of Christ is the central part of all history and the foundation of the church. Chapter one deals with the involvement of Jesus in church history as the author describes the following: Jesus and the church, Palestine in Jesus’ day, Jesus’ ministry, Jesus’ message, the last week, the new covenant, and the trial and death. It may be said that the church was founded when the disciples began to follow Jesus. The disciples followed Jesus in the land of Palestine which consisted of major political and religious parties. Among these groups were the Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, and the Essenes; all of which were under Roman rule. Jesus grew in popularity during this time as He began His ministry. Jesus was busy preaching in the synagogues and ministering to the sick and the poor. Through His miracles, He gained such a following that He was beginning to be viewed as a threat to the major political and religious parties. The message of Jesus was the message of the Kingdom of God and of repentance of sin. He was viewed as such a threat that His enemies sought to kill Him. The last week of Jesus proved to be very eventful as Jesus went from riding into Jerusalem with crowds of people worshipping Him to being arrested and beaten and lead away to be crucified. His death on the cross ushered in a New Covenant, in which, all who believe in Him will be adopted into the family of God. After His resurrection and ascension, the followers of Jesus began to preach the truth of Jesus to the world.
In chapter two we find how the church is officially born. It began at the day of Pentecost, which is recorder in Acts chapter two. For a time there was a union between the followers of Christ and the Jews, however, their differences became obvious and a more clear division occurred. Shelley deals with the following topics in chapter two: Christianity and Judaism, Pentecost, The first community, The Hellenists, The Apostle Paul, and the decline of Jerusalem. This apostolic age was a time of tremendous growth for the church. Many people came to know Christ during this time and local churches sprang up all over the region. At the end of chapter two we find the decline of Jerusalem. It was during this time, at the end of the apostolic age, that the message of Christ spread abroad and the enemies of Christ imposed harsh persecution upon the apostles and the followers of Christ. However, due to the faithfulness of the church, over time, Christianity became the dominant faith in the Roman Empire.
The age of Christ and the apostles was an exciting time of new birth. The church age is now here and the gospel is soon to be spread to the world. With the age of Christ and the apostles, the history of the church has begun.

 

The believer’s partnership with Christ

In the study of Soteriology we find the riches of Divine grace. Theses riches or blessings of God’s grace are all of the wonderful things given to the one who places their faith and trust in Jesus for eternal salvation. An exhaustive list and explanation of these riches of Divine grace can be found in Lewis Chafer’s Systematic Theology volume IV. One of the riches of Divine grace that Chafer points out is a heavenly association. That association is understood to be a partnership with Christ. When we enter into saving grace, we enter into a partnership with our Savior. The thesis of this article is to examine the believer’s partnership with Christ in order to grasp a better understanding of who we are in Christ from the moment of salvation by His grace through faith.
In Chafer’s writings on Soteriology, he gives seven specific areas in which we come into a partnership with Christ once we have received His gift of salvation. The first of these areas is that we are partners with Christ in life. Chafer writes: “The New Testament declares not only that the believer has partaken of a new life, but asserts that life to be the indwelling Christ.” We see this truth throughout the entirety of the New Testament. It is believed that in as many as eighty occasions we find this new life from God suggested in the writings of the New Testament. Colossians speaks of this impartation of a new life from God as a mystery. Colossians 1:27 says, “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory…” There is a lot of rich doctrinal truth in that little statement, ‘Christ in you.’ This impartation of the Christ life in the believer takes immediate affect at the moment the believer is baptized by the Holy Spirit which takes place at the very moment of salvation by grace through faith. J. Vernon McGee writes: “The moment you put your trust in Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit baptizes you and puts you in the body of believers.” This partnership with Christ in life begins at the moment of regeneration which we would refer to as being ‘born-again.’ We are now a new life in Christ. This partnership in the Christ life changes the way in which we live. Galatians 2:20 states, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” It must be noted that Christ does not reside in us in bodily form, rather through the Holy Spirit of God by His grace. Barnes notes says, “Christ was the source of all the life that he had. Of course this cannot be taken literally that Christ had a residence in the apostle, but it must mean that his grace resided in him; that his principles actuated him; and that he derived all his energy and zeal, and life from his grace. The union between the Lord Jesus Christ and the disciple was so close that it might be said the one lived in the other.” Being a partner with Christ in life will show in the way in which the believer lives so much so that those around him could easily mistake the believer as Jesus Himself. Once regeneration occurs there is no need for living for self. The writer of Galatians acknowledges that he is no longer living and it is Christ who is living in Him. Being a partner with Christ in life will motivate us for service. The desires of the heart will change as this life in Christ is implemented. As the believer enters this life partnership with Christ there will be a gradual letting go of selfish ambitions and a fuller understanding of Christ living in him. Knowing that Christ lives in us gives us the ‘hope of glory’. This ‘hope’ is a confident expectation in our future glory in heaven. Being a partner with Christ in life gives us this hope for eternal life. For the believer, this is a very uplifting and encouraging thought. Knowing and experience Christ living in us brings an overwhelming flow of joy in our lives. In order for this particular partnership to be evident, there must be a daily ‘dying to self’ and a continual ‘yielding to the Spirit of God’. In order for this ‘dying to self’ and ‘yielding to the Spirit of God’ to occur, the believer must be fully committed to and persuaded by the Word of God through daily study and meditation of the Word. As the believer feeds on the Word of God, the partnership with Christ in life becomes more and more realized and is displayed in such a way that self is no longer living as Christ takes full control.
The second area in which the believer comes into a partnership with Christ is a partnership in position. This aspect of partnership with Christ is beyond the capability of human understanding. This is what makes salvation so amazing. This is what makes salvation all about the grace of God and not in the merit of man. At the very moment of regeneration, the believer is not only a partner with Christ in life which becomes evident through the way in which he lives, but the believer is also a partner in position, meaning that he is seated with Christ. Lewis Chafer writes: “As an incomparable position, the Christian is raised with Christ, and seated in the heavenly association. This truth is clearly revealed in Ephesians 2:6, ‘And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.’ To be raised with Christ and to be seated with Christ is a partnership position which is real and abiding. Its contribution to the entire fact of the believer’s association with Christ is enough to characterize the whole. The honor and glory of it are knowledge-surpassing.” This position in Christ is necessary in order to receive the heavenly inheritance and to have the power to partner with Christ in life which enables us to live for Him in this life on earth. Warren Wiersbe writes in his commentary of Ephesians: “Chapter one emphasized our possessions in Christ; chapter two emphasizes our position in Christ. Your position determines your possessions and authority.” We cannot live in partnership with Christ in life apart from having a position with Christ. It is this position that gives us the authority to live such a life as a believer. This partnership in position never changes. For example, I have the position as the father of my children. No matter where I am, even in a foreign land, I am still their father. This truth is further illustrated in positions of government. The president of the United States may go to visit a foreign land, he may not be in the White House, yet he is still the president. No matter where he goes, he carries with him the authority of his office. As believers, we may not be in heaven. We are in a foreign land as ambassadors to that land. However, we carry with us all the authority of heaven because of our position. What an amazing truth! It is because of this partnership in position that we can quench all the weapons of Satan and stand against whatever attacks that Satan brings within the sphere of this cosmos. No temptation can overcome us because of who we are in Christ. We have the power and authority to be overcomers in this life and to live a victorious Christian life. This position is nothing that we earned or deserved, the position is not even ours to claim for ourselves; we have this position and the authority that comes with it because of our partnership with Christ. This position was given to us at the moment of salvation coming directly from the grace of God. We were once alienated from God. We were once dead in our sin, but then God stepped in. Notice what Ephesians 2:4-9 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath he quickened us together with Christ, (by grave ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness toward us, through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” The position we have in Christ is all because of His grace. Who we are in Christ is all because of His grace. Wiersbe comments: “But God! These words are among the greatest in the Bible. God could have allowed us to go on in sin and live eternally with the devil in hell, but instead He chose to save us. He gave us life (quickened us), raised us from the grave of sin, and took us out of the graveyard! More than that, He made us members of Christ! We have been quickened together, raised together, and we sit together in the heavenlies. God did this because He is rich in mercy and great in love. Mercy means that God does not give me what I do deserve; grace means that He gives me what I don’t deserve.” Just as the partnership with Christ in life motivates us for good works, so our partnership in position with Christ makes us a ‘workmanship’ of God created for the purpose of bringing glory to His name as we serve Him as an ambassador of heaven to earth with all the authority of heaven granted to us. The believer must be fully aware how we came to this position, lest we fall into the sin of pride. We are who we are because of God’s grace and His grace alone. We did nothing to deserve such a high calling. We were chosen, not based on personal merit, but fully upon the grace of God that was freely given to us on the cross. That grace became a reality in our lives at the very moment of regeneration by faith. At the precise moment of salvation, we are raised with Christ into a position that is greater than any authority known among men. Just the thought of this awesome truth should humble us before God and drive us to our knees in total dependence upon Him. Due to this glorious position given to us by grace, we now partner with Christ in life and we live for Him as if He is living in and through us, which thus, propels us into greater heights of service to God for the purpose of His glory!
A third area in which believer’s come into a partnership with Christ at the very moment of regeneration is that we are partners with Christ in service. In the secular world we hear a lot about business partnerships. Individuals and companies will come into an agreement or a partnership in order to fulfill each other’s goals for success. These partnerships are often accompanied with job descriptions and set responsibilities for the parties involved. At the moment of salvation, we enter into a partnership with Christ in service. We are given a job description in the Bible that lays out our responsibility in the partnership. Part of that responsibility is in realizing our total dependence on God and the fact that we are a part of a joint undertaking with Christ. Lewis Chafer writes concerning this partnership with Christ in service, “A number of passages unite in a testimony that the service of the Christian is one of co-partnership with Christ. Of these, none is more direct and convincing that 1 Corinthians 1:9 which reads, ‘God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.’ In the A.V. the word kolvwvia is rendered fellowship. As the word is at times rendered communion with the thought of agreement or partnership, and to be in harmony with the message of Christian service, which theme characterizes this epistle, the idea of joint undertaking may be read into this passage.” As we enter into fellowship with Christ we are in a sense entering into a joint effort of service. This entering into fellowship with Christ is really a one-sided affair. Our partnership in the service of Christ, as is also the case of all of our partnerships with Christ, is made possible only by His grace. Scofield mentions in his notes on 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, “Christian position in grace is a result of the work of Christ, and is fully entered the moment that Christ is received by faith.” It is in this work of Christ that we also enter into a partnership with Him. This service or work is the work of redemption. It is our responsibility as a partner in the divine redemptive plan to share that message of redemption to the world. As the great commission states in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” It is the responsibility of every individual believer to share the good news of salvation as they go about their daily life. Redemption for His glory is God’s ultimate purpose for man. When an individual is saved by grace through faith he or she immediately becomes an instrument for sharing God’s redemptive plan to the world. It is in sharing this redemptive plan to the world that the believer fulfills his purpose of bringing glory to God through his life as he participates in the partnership with Christ in service. This is what it means to be ‘laborers with Christ’. We are partners with Christ in bringing the message of redemption to the world. As a partner with Christ in service we are seen as an ambassador of Christ. In second Corinthians chapters five and six it is mentioned that we are ‘ambassadors for Christ’ and we are also ‘workers together with him.’ Barnes notes states the following: “We are the ambassadors who Christ has sent forth to negotiate with men in regard to their reconciliation with God.” Barnes notes continues: “Ministers are ambassadors for Christ, as they are sent to do what he would do were he personally present. They are to make known, and to explain, and enforce the terms on which God is willing to be reconciled to men. They are not to negotiate on any new terms, nor to change those which God has proposed, nor to follow their own plans or devices, but they are simply to urge, explain, state, and enforce the terms on which God is willing to be reconciled. Of course they are to seek the honour of the sovereign who has sent them forth, and to seek to do only His will. They go not to promote their own welfare; not to seek honour, dignity, or emolument; but they go to transact the business which the Son of God would engage in were He again personally on the earth. It follows that their office is one of great dignity, and great responsibility, and that respect should be shown them as the ambassadors of the King of Kings.” Though there are those select men whom God calls into the service of preaching the gospel, it must be understood, however, that every true born-again believer is indeed an ambassador of Christ to this world. We are His representatives to the world. This is what it means to be a partner with Christ in service. We partner with Him as an ambassador in order to do His bidding. It is not our message that we bring to the world, it is the message of Christ, the message of redemption. Barnes notes goes on to state in regards to the passage at hand: “Our message is to be regarded as the message of God. It is God who speaks. What we say to you is said in His name and on His authority, and should be received with the respect which is due to a message directly from God. The gospel message is God speaking to men through the ministry, and entreating them to be reconciled. This invests the message which the ministers of religion bear with infinite dignity and solemnity; and it makes it a fearful and awful thing to reject it.” There is an awesome responsibility given to the one who is called into the ministry of the gospel. Again, this ministry is not just reserved for those called to full-time vocational ministry; it is a ministry that is commissioned for all believers to participate in. We are all ambassadors of Christ to this world, and as ambassadors there is a huge responsibility employed upon us as a partner with Christ in service. In concluding our discussion concerning the partnership with Christ in service there are three basic things to consider. First of all, the partnership with Christ in service is for the ultimate purpose of bringing glory to God. As ambassadors of Christ and co-laborers with Christ our number one objective is the glory of God. We do the work of sharing the message of redemption to the world not for our own glory or even for the benefit of those who hear the message, but we share the message of redemption for the purpose that God may be glorified. After all, this is the whole purpose of man. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 states, “Let us hear the conclusion on the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be bad.” Secondly, the partnership with Christ in service is to bring the message of reconciliation to the world. This is the substance of our partnership with Christ in service. This is the practical aspect of that partnership. As mentioned before, believers are co-laborers with Christ in the ministry of reconciliation. A third and final thing to consider in concluding our discussion of the believer’s partnership with Christ in service is that we are to fulfill our role as a partner. That role as a partner is the bringing of glory to God and the ministry of reconciliation. Sadly, most believers do not fulfill their role in their partnership and thus misses out on the joy and blessing that such a partnership brings. It behooves the believer to engage in the partnership with Christ in service in order to fully experience the joy of the believer’s personal relationship with Christ. This particular partnership is an exalted position. Lewis Chafer writes, “To be thus in partnership with Christ is a position of limitless responsibility as well as exalted honor.”
A fourth partnership with Christ that is entered into at the moment of regeneration is partners with Christ in suffering. There are various scriptures that refer to suffering with Christ. In one occasion we find the scriptures teaching that we are not only to believe in Christ, but we are also to suffer for Christ. This can be found in Philippians 1:29 where it reads, “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” The text at hand is within the context of Christian suffering that Paul addresses in chapter one of Philippians. In verse twenty-nine we have the nature of this suffering. This partnership with Christ in suffering is not to be looked at as a negative thing, but as a positive thing and a joyous thing. The New American Commentary says, “The fact that suffering was connected with believing reinforces Paul’s claim that it is a grace gift. Paul lived with persecution, and he realized its redemptive value, but here he did not address that. The key to this phrase, ‘on behalf of Christ’ is Philippians 3:10 where Paul revealed his deepest desire of knowing Christ. That knowledge involved knowing resurrection power and the fellowship of suffering. Suffering confirms Christians’ faith, brings them into closer contact with the Lord, and provides a vehicle for making commitment real and tangible. It is one thing to accept suffering and resign oneself to it. It is another realize the privileges that come through it.” Our partnership with Christ in suffering should be embraced in joyful way with the understanding that the suffering is temporary as we have a greater glory to look forward to. An examination at this point should be made of 1 Peter 4:12-19 with particular attention to verses 12-13 where it states the following: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” Suffering for Christ sake is a place of honor and should be embraced. As verse 16 says, “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” Warren Wiersbe says, “When trials come, we are suffering for His sake and sharing suffering with Him. The suffering we endure now is but a prelude to the glory that we will share at His coming. Furthermore, the Spirit of God ‘rests with refreshing power’ upon the suffering believer. When the three Hebrew children went to the fiery furnace, they had faith that God would deliver them. He not only delivered them, but He walked with them.” Essentially, when we go through the various trials of life, He is with us in the midst of those trials and is suffering along with us. This is of great encouragement to the believer as we understand the fact that we do not have to face this life on our own, for God is ever present with us. Our partnership with Christ in suffering will not go unrewarded, as 2 Timothy 2:12 says, “If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him…” It is not the amount or length of suffering that we go through, but it is the attitude we have and our faithfulness in the midst of suffering that brings us reward. It should be stated here as a side note that the way we live and conduct our lives here on earth will determine our possessions and positions in heaven. We will reign with Christ in accordance to how we respond to the circumstances of our life. The more faithful we are to Him and the more obedient we are to His Word, the greater our reward will be in glory. The thought of such a reward in pleasing our Savior should compel us to endure the sufferings of this life without complaint and in complete obedience and faithfulness to God. It is knowing of the glory that is to come that causes us to take joy in partnering with Christ in suffering. Romans 8:18 states, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” It is the hope of glory that gives us the confidence to endure whatever this life may bring. The Bible Knowledge Commentary sheds light on the text at hand as it says, “In one sense this verse is the conclusion of the preceding paragraph in which believers are assured of being heirs of Christ’s coming glory. However, Paul reminded his readers that sharing in the glory of Christ in the future required sharing in His sufferings in this life. But after careful figuring Paul concluded that our present sufferings are far outweighed by the glory that will be revealed in us. This future glory is so great that present sufferings are insignificant in comparison. Also the glory is forever, whereas the suffering is temporary and light. Certainly this truth can help believers endure afflictions.” It is also the understanding of this truth that causes the believer to take joy in suffering. It is a suffering that is with Christ as a partner with Him. The partnership with Christ in suffering is not only the suffering that comes through the trials and afflictions of life but we also share in a more glorious form of suffering. This more glorious form of suffering is a striving for the souls of men. As Lewis Chafer shares at length, yet worthy of careful consideration: “While the child of God may suffer the reproaches of Christ, which is a definite form of co-partnership suffering with Christ, the form of fellowship suffering which is closest to the heart of the Savior is to share with Him His burden for lost souls-those for whom He died. Such longing are not natural to any human nature, but are generated in the heart by the Holy Spirit who causes the yielded believer to experience the compassion of God. It is written, ‘The fruit of the Spirit is love’ and, ‘The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.’ As an illustration of this ability of the believer to experience the compassion of Christ, the apostle testifies of himself thus, ‘I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.’ Partnership with Christ in suffering is real and reflects the fact that the Christian occupies a position of untold distinction.” The question that every believer should consider should be thus, ‘Is the love of God in my heart at such an overflowing state that I would be willing to suffer in hell so that another soul could be saved?’ I am afraid that it would be very hard to have such a burden for lost souls that I would be willing to make such a sacrifice. Yet, our love for Christ should compel us to such love for the lost; for this is the same type of love He has for the lost. It is the same love He had for us when He suffered and died on the cross. To share in the sufferings of Christ, to be a partner with Christ in suffering is to have an overwhelming burden for lost souls that it drives us to do something about it. May it also be understood that this partnership with Christ in suffering is one that is entered into at the moment of regeneration. Suffering is a part of our life in Christ. We should embrace it with joy, looking unto the glory that will one day be revealed to us. It is an honor for the believer to share in the burden of Christ for lost souls and to endure the sufferings of this life for His sake.
Not only do we find that at the moment of regeneration does the believer enter into a partnership with Christ in life, in position, in service, and in suffering, but we also see another partnership between Christ and the believer and that is partners with Christ in prayer. It is encouraging to the believer to know that we can enter into the throne of God at anytime and bring our petitions to Him. This is made possible due to the fact that Christ is our High Priest. The classic passage of scripture concerning the priesthood of Christ and the believers access to God can be found in Hebrews 4:14-16 which reads, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” This is one of the most profound, yet, most comforting of all passages in the Word of God. We all have our various infirmities, we all have our struggles, and we all have needs. But, His grace is enough. It is when we are in time of need that we can plead for His grace in whatever situation we are in and we can have the confidence that He will hear and He will answer. In his commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, Homer Kent writes the following: “Since our great high priest is in the most advantageous place (heaven), and is both Son of God and yet through His human experience is fully qualified to understand our needs, we have the best reasons for using the good offices He provides. This verse encourages us to approach confidently the throne of grace. As our high priest, Christ has entered the divine presence in heaven, having made full expiation with His own blood. Thus we can approach without fear of rejection the very throne of God where our priest is seated at His right hand.” As a partner in prayer, we can be assured that when we approach the throne of God we will have His full attention as we lay our petitions before Him. This avenue of prayer gives us the power to face whatever need or concern that we have in our life. The truth is that God desires that we come to Him with our needs and He desires to provide for our needs and to answer our prayers. Lewis Chafer writes concerning this partnership with Christ in prayer, “The very act of praying in the name of Christ is in itself an assumption that He also makes petition to the Father for those things that are in the will of God and for which the Christian prays. The central passage bearing in this aspect of partnership is John 14:12-14: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.’ ‘Greater works’ are to be done by the Son of God in answer to the believer’s prayer in His name. The partnership in responsibility is defined thus, ‘If ye shall ask….I will do.” It is a beautiful thing to see God answer prayers. In order to see our prayers answered, we must come to Him with full confidence and assurance and in a child-like faith. Catherine Marshall writes, “A little child who has no shyness or hesitation about asking his parents for what he needs is unselfconsciously revealing his helplessness-along with a normal, right relationship with his father and mother. In the same way, asking immediately puts us into a right relationship to God. It is acting out the fact that He is the Creator with the riches and resources we need; we are the creatures who need help. It’s a cap-in-hand stance which we resist because it diminishes us-a certain amount of pride and self has to go for us to ask for help-whether of God or of another human being.” Often times, we fail to embrace this partnership with Christ in prayer because of our pride and lack of faith. Too often we go to God in urgent prayer only when we have an urgent need and we have already exhausted all other options. God desires that we go to Him first and often. He desires that we ‘pray without ceasing’. He wants us to be in a complete attitude of prayer at every moment, talking to Him about every circumstance of our life no matter how big or small. Do you talk to God about everything? Do you make request of God as a child requesting something from his father of mother? A partnership with Christ in prayer, in which we enter into at the moment of acceptance of the free gift of His grace, is a partnership with many wonderful and blessed benefits, if we could just learn to engage in that partnership to its fullest extent.
There are two other partnerships that we come into with Christ from the moment of regeneration, the first of these final two is the fact that we are partners with Christ in betrothal. This is truly a glorious partnership beyond description. Chafer explains this particular partnership in the following words: “To be betrothed to a person is a position which is both definite and demanding. It is also a partnership. The church is espoused as a bride to Christ. The marriage day is that of His return to receive her unto Himself. It was the apostle’s desire that he might present believers a chaste virgin (not as a chaste virgin) to Christ; and from Ephesians 5:25-27 it is to be understood that Christ loves the church as a bridegroom might love a bride and the He gave Himself for His bride.” What a beautiful picture! We, the church, are the bride of Christ! This betrothal is a picture of our union with Christ. As believer’s we are one in Him. He is in us and He is a partner with us as we are a partner with Him. Just as in any marriage, there are certain responsibilities for the partners involved. Christ has fulfilled His responsibility as the groom as He gave Himself for us. We now must fulfill our responsibility as His bride to return love to Him, respect Him, submit to Him, honor Him, and to adore Him. At the moment of salvation we become a part of His bride, the church. Once we enter into that partnership with Him, there is no divorcing from it. We are His forever.
As we examine the partnerships we have with Christ within the context of Soteriology, we have learned six of these partnerships, namely, partners with Christ in life, partners with Christ in position, partners with Christ is service, partners with Christ in suffering, partners with Christ is prayer, and partners with Christ in betrothal. There is; however, a seventh and final partnership that the believer has with Christ from the very moment of regeneration and that is that we are partners in expectation. The thing that we expect along with Christ is the day in which we are forever set free from this life and we enter into a new life with Him in eternity. Titus 2:13 says, “Looking for that blessed hope, and glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” The word hope in scripture means a ‘confident expectation.’ We can confidently expect that Jesus is coming again and that we will live with Him throughout all eternity. What a glorious thought! This is a day that, as Romans describes, is a day that both the believer and all of creation is longing for. The prospect of that day in which we expect will come brings great encouragement to the life of all believers and it gives us the strength to carry on in this life. As 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 says, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” As the song writer said, “What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see, when I look upon His face; the one who saved me by His grace. And when He takes me by the hand and leads me through that promise land, what day, glorious day, that will be!” This is the ‘blessed hope’ we have in Jesus. This is what we partner with Jesus in expectation for. It is that day when all existence of sin is gone. It is that day when there will be no more pain or suffering. It is that day when there will be no death. It is that day when we shall see our loved ones who have gone before us. It is that day when we will see, for the very first time, Jesus, our Savior, the Christ, the Son of living God, we shall see Him face to face. It is that day when we will finally be home! Glory to God for that blessed hope! Chafer writes, “The ‘blessed hope’ is ever the expectation of the instructed Christian; for the coming of Christ will be the moment of release from these limitations into the fullness of glory, the moment of seeing Him who is the center of all reality for the believer. But Christ, too, is now expecting, and His longings to claim His bride are as great as ever His willingness to die for her.” You see, just as we as believers long for that day and look for that day with expectation, so much the more, does Jesus Himself look forward to that day. He longs for that day with a greater longing than we can imagine. With this partnership with Christ in expectation comes a responsibility to carry on the work of the Lord in this life. 1 Corinthians 15:58 says, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, by ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” As the old saying goes, “Keep your eyes on the sky and your hands on the plow.” Keep working, keep serving, keep living for His glory; while we wait with full expectation the coming our blessed hope, the return of our Savior, Jesus Christ. This is truly a glorious partnership as we together with Christ expect His soon return.
As we conclude our examination of the believer’s partnership with Christ, notice what Lewis Chafer says, “All partnerships in human relations create their corresponding positions and possessions; in like manner the sevenfold partnership which the child of God sustains with Christ creates positions and possessions, and these are the riches of divine grace.” All of these seven partnerships with Christ are only possible through the grace of God. None of these partnerships can be a reality for the individual apart from total faith in the grace of God. These partnerships are made available to all who will come into a right standing with God. Entrance into the grace of God and thus partnership with Christ has already been made available to anyone who would dare to enter. God has already done His part, He has already given the gift of salvation, however, you and I must receive it. Once we receive His grace by faith, we will enter into these glorious and un-breaking partnerships with Christ. His grace, making partnership with Him possible, is for the purpose of His complete glory. May Christ be glorified as we partner with Him in life, position, service, suffering, prayer, betrothal, and expectation.