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by Steve Risner

[This blog post is part of a series. The previous one is here, and the next one is here.]

I find myself struck by something I touched on several weeks ago that Tyler Francke wrote in his blog post “How the flap over Gungor shows everything that’s wrong with Ken Ham’s theology.” This link was found within another blog post by Tyler I’ve been dismantling called “10 theological questions no young-earth creationist can answer.” I just keep coming back to this statement in my mind and I’m reminded of it frequently as I read Tyler’s writings. The statement in question is this: “The God of Genesis 6-9 doesn’t really sound like God to me.” As I was out for a run, I heard a snippet of a preacher’s sermon spliced into a song. The preacher said, “What does what you like or not like have to do with whether something is true or not? What would make a person think that what is true depends on what you wish is true or what you think is convenient for you to think is true?” He actually sort of chuckled a little when he said it. This got me, again, thinking about this crazy statement by Tyler.

This is what I will term a sickness that has infected the church in general but also, I feel, society. If someone doesn’t like something God has said, they just act like He didn’t say it. If they don’t like the Bible’s clear position on a social issue, rather than change their position to fit the Bible’s, they’ll change (in their minds) the Bible’s position. This is true of issues like homosexuality, abortion, other sexual disorders, stealing, lying, pride, taking advantage of people, etc. I have friends who have grown up in a “religious” setting (which in and of itself is a problem but that’s another blog post) who decided that since they like a certain sin or want to do a certain thing even though the Bible is clear this thing is wrong, that God must not have meant what He said. We must have misinterpreted His statements. But the fact is, your opinion on the matter actually doesn’t mean anything in terms of it being true or not.

Question: Is God the ultimate authority? Is God ALL good? Is God love? Does He have our best interests in mind? If you answered these questions yes (you should if you believe the Bible), then you should have no trouble accepting what He’s stated as true or as what His desires are for us. It’s a trust issue when we get down to it. Do you trust God? Do you think His plans for you are far better than your own? Do you think He knows more than you do? Do you think He knows what you want or like? Do you think you are important to Him? Do you think He’s capable of lying? Is His Word trustworthy? These are all questions I seriously hope you will take into consideration as you go about your days this week. They are a really big deal any time you have a decision to make in regards to God’s commands, desires, and expectations. One of the most amazing promises in the Bible is found in Jeremiah 29:11: “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” How awesome is it to know the God of the universe, who holds the planets in motion and breathed the stars, has plans for you and for me! He’s wise and loving. What other qualities would He require for us to trust Him?

The bottom line is that God is right regardless of the topic. Truth has no concern for your opinion. He is perfect and His Word is often very clear. Sure, on occasion, we need to do some digging and come up with our best answer to some questions. However, many of life’s questions concerning morals, politics, right and wrong, life’s direction, and a slew of other things have answers that can be found in God’s Word, and His statements are often clear. Too many times we choose to reject God’s Word so we can do whatever we like. But “whatever we like” may be something God has told us to avoid because in the end it brings destruction. Who wants that for their life? Not me.

I think the more honest thing to do in this situation (where you find yourself not submitting to God’s clear instruction) if you’re not going to change your mind is just say it: I reject God because of x, y, z. In the case of the theistic evolutionist, they don’t like what God has said, but rather than just be honest about it and walk away (which, obviously, I don’t want anyone to do this—repenting and accepting God’s Word is ALWAYS the right choice), they choose to distort God’s Word to fit their plans and desires. We find theistic evolutionists saying erroneous things about the history of the church or the Bible, about morals and the one true way, about science or theology, just so they can hold hands with the world and with Jesus. This cannot be. They’re fooling themselves and are trying to take others with them. They speak these inaccuracies so often and with such confidence that many assume they’re true. Let’s educate ourselves. Let’s seek God FIRST and use the Bible as the filter by which we view the world rather than the other way around.

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