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by Logan Ames

We are living in a very interesting time in the United States of America. I use the word ‘interesting’ intentionally because I’m not sure that it’s really much more or less than that. There are some who try to downplay what is happening in our country and others who exaggerate it. I know quite a few who purposefully ignore the news or say that they don’t care what our leaders are doing with some of the hot topics as long as it doesn’t impact their lives. This is foolish, of course, because the things that usually impact us the most are the things for which we are not prepared. Others say something like, “It’s okay because God has everything under control." That’s true, but it certainly does not excuse our indifference since our God is concerned for ALL people. The other side of the coin is those who overstate our times. Recently at church, two elderly ladies were talking about how they’d rather go backward in time than forward, and how “this world is more corrupt than it’s ever been." I don’t believe that is true. While the issues may be different and the amount of attention paid to them has increased exponentially because of media, the Bible shows us that the world at the time of the New Testament was much like ours today.

In Romans 9:30-33, the Apostle Paul is continuing his writing about the relationship between Israel and God. Check out our blog posts from last week from the previous section of Paul’s letter to see more about his view that those outside of Israel (known as Gentiles) had become part of God’s people and received salvation after many Jews had rejected it. In this week’s passage, he addresses the reason for their poor standing with God. Take a minute to read it. It can be summed up by stating that the Gentiles found righteousness, while the Jews did not. How could this happen, given that the Jews followed the law and the Gentiles had no regard for it? Well, that’s just it. The Jews “pursued the law as the way of righteousness” and did it “not by faith but as if it were by works” (vv. 31-32). Paul had already written earlier in Romans 3:20 that “no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law." The Gentiles who were reconciled to God accepted this truth and obtained the “righteousness that is by faith” (9:31). In other words, they humbly accepted their desperate need for a savior while the Jews still figured they could earn their way to God by obeying the law.

Paul goes on to say that the Jews “stumbled over the stumbling stone” (v. 32). We know from other Scriptures, including the ones he quotes in verse 33, that this “stumbling stone” is Jesus Christ. The initial prophecy is in Isaiah 8:14, but it’s quoted by Paul here and by Peter in 1 Peter 2:6-8. Peter plainly tells his readers that Jesus Christ is “precious” to those who believe, but a stumbling block to those who reject him. Paul goes into a little more detail about why the Jews stumble over Jesus in 1 Corinthians 1:22-23. He says, “Jews demand signs… but we preach Christ crucified." As I’ve shared in many past writings, “Christ” is simply the title, not the last name of Jesus. To the Jews, the “Christ” was the promised Messiah from the Old Testament prophecies. They stubbornly refused to accept Jesus as that Christ because he promised that he would have to suffer, be crucified, and then defeat the grave by raising from it.

The Jews ignored prophecies and teachings about the Messiah suffering and made up their own minds about what the Messiah would look like, just as they did regarding righteousness. They demanded signs to prove Jesus was the Christ and could overcome all authority, so his crucifixion was confirmation for them that he and his followers were just crazy. And if the idea of the crucified Savior was crazy talk to them, there was no chance they’d believe that faith in him was not merely A way to God, but the ONLY way to God.

We must pay attention to this, because many in our country and even in our churches have taken a similar path, possibly without even realizing it. Only, the biggest problem isn’t how we view righteousness. For the most part, we agree that we are sinners and are in need of God’s mercy. There are, however, new points at which many have “stumbled over the stumbling stone." Think about some of the words you’ve heard tossed around: love, equality, tolerance. How do you define these words? Do you base your understanding of them on your faith in the authority of Jesus? Or is it more about your feelings and what is popular? These are serious questions that we must answer going forward so that those of us who believe in the total authority of Jesus Christ will not fall away and join the stumblers.

Righteousness was a topic discussed throughout the law and even by Jesus himself. The problem happened when mere men decided they could define it, judge it, and control it better than God himself. In our present times, love, equality, and tolerance are things of the Lord, for the most part, but not in the way so many define and evaluate them. Many in our country and in our churches have determined that calling homosexuality a sin is unloving, even though 1 Corinthians 6:9 refers to it as such. Many have said their love is no different than any other love and that it all comes from God just the same. But 1 Corinthians 13:6 says, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." Will you define love according to God’s standards for it, or your own? It boils down to whether you submit to the authority of God and his Word or not.

I saw someone’s comment on Facebook recently that “God said all men are created equal." This is the sad reality of someone who does not observe God’s Word but simply repeats bits and pieces of what someone else has said. While he is clearly confusing God for Thomas Jefferson, there are references to equality in the Bible. James tells the poor to take pride in their high position and the rich to take pride in their low position (1:9-10). The reason is because they are on equal ground when it comes to sin, their need for a savior, and their acceptance of Christ as that Savior. The same is true with tolerance. We should tolerate one another’s differences because we are united under Christ. The Bible’s standard of tolerance is in Ephesians 4:2-3, where Paul tells us to “bear with one another in love… to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Unfortunately, many in churches have determined that tolerance means accepting and allowing everything. This is inconsistent with Scripture. Jesus hung out with sinners, but he had no problem acknowledging their sin (John 8:11).

When you hear words that sound good and make you “feel” right, it’s important to know the Word of God so you can check your feelings, which are guaranteed to lead you astray at some point. It happens to all of us. The difference between those for whom Jesus is a precious stone and those for whom he is a stumbling stone may seem small, but it means everything for eternity. As you read Romans, don’t judge the Jews any differently than you judge yourself. If you find yourself deciding what God thinks or means by his Word, or believing that your standard for love, equality, or tolerance is better than his, you’ll be stumbling over Jesus. I believe that he desires to mold and shape you into someone who speaks the truth and does so while still loving others and tolerating them according to HIS standard. Will you submit and let him?

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.

by Bill Seng

“The Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.” ~Romans 9:30

Toward the end of Romans chapter 9, a statement of contrast is presented. The Israelites had been given a covenant by God and were selected as his chosen people. The Gentiles lived in a pagan world of wickedness and were excluded from the promises of God. But because the Israelites rejected Jesus as their Messiah, God presented the new promise he made with Israel to the Gentile world as well. In essence, he removed his focus from Israel and turned his sight to the rest of the world. What gives?

God did not favor Israel because of their righteousness nor because they had anything that set it apart before they received God's promise. In fact, in a manner of speaking, the whole world pursues God in one way or another. This might at first seem like heresy, but according to Acts 17:27 says that God placed people throughout the world so that they might seek and even find him. So people do seek God in a general sense, but they do it in a manner that is like groping in the dark. They are pursuing something greater than themselves that will bring meaning to their lives.

Without the clarity provided by God's disclosure of himself, nobody can pursue God for who he really is. The pursuit of God becomes highly philosophical. One might say that God is a ball of fire while another says he is a cream puff. Who is correct? There is no way to know without God revealing himself. The search for God becomes nothing more than a pursuit of satisfaction. Everyone wants a god to bend to his or her own will. This is very clear when the various manmade gods are recognized: fertility gods, love gods, crop gods, and even wine gods. Worship of these types of gods is perverse but satisfying to we who want to bend to our wicked natures.

It is only by grace that anyone is enabled to seek the true God. It is only through a relationship with God, therefore, that anyone can pursue Him for who he really is. The Israelites entered into a relationship with God through the law that God gave to them. The Gentiles, on the other hand, came to know of God's Law through a relationship with the Apostles and through Jesus Christ. The problem was that the Israelites began to do with God's law what the rest of the world had done with their phony religions: they believed that it was their ability to follow the law that granted them God's favor. But God did not want a bunch of people who followed a cold and hollow religion. He wanted people who would follow his ways with their whole hearts through faith.

They forgot that they had nothing inside of their own goodness that God desired. To God, the goodness of the Israelites was nothing more than filthy rags. God revealed himself through Jesus and it was faith in him that he desired. The Israelites chose to trust in their own goodness, while the Gentiles received the news of the Son of God with great joy. They were ready because they wanted to fill that void but were too ignorant to find out how, just like us.

We all want to be significant. Without God's truth nobody can please God. Jesus is the stamp of approval that separates the children of God from the children of the world. That is why I think it can be said that we all seek God, but that no one seeks God. Have you accepted God's truth?

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.

by Katie Erickson

“What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. As it is written: 'See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.'” (Romans 9:30-33)

In this passage, Paul is making another shift in his argument here. In the previous section, Paul discussed God’s sovereignty, which is how He rules over everything. You can read about that here. Now, he shifts to the beliefs of the people, both Jews and Gentiles.

In the next few passages we’ll look at, we’ll see three contrasts of righteousness. The first one occurs here in verses 30-31, and it’s a contrast between “righteousness that is by faith” and “a law of righteousness.” Righteousness that is by faith requires faith and belief in Jesus as your savior; a law of righteousness requires your actions to perfectly complete God’s law, every second of every day of your life. Which sounds easier to you?

The people of Israel still didn’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the savior of the world, so they were still focused on the law. They were much more concerned about what they should and shouldn’t do based on the law God had given them, rather than having a relationship of faith with their God. The Jews didn’t see the big change in salvation history that took place when Jesus died and was raised again. Being human, they weren’t able to fully and perfectly complete God’s law, which is the only way to salvation other than through faith in Jesus Christ.

The Gentiles, which includes everyone who is not a Jew, were much more accepting of righteousness by faith. They didn’t have God’s law given to them, so they didn’t even know what it was, much less being able to follow it.

So what does all this mean for us today? Many people still try to make following Jesus Christ into a set of rules - do this, don’t do that. While it is beneficial to follow God’s laws as best as we can, that isn’t the point. The point of following Jesus Christ is to know Him and be in relationship with Him, not just to do what you’re supposed to and not do what you’re not supposed to. If you are being led by the Holy Spirit, your actions will reflect that. Yes, we’ll all still mess up, but don’t get so focused on the do’s and don’ts (like the people of Israel did) that you miss out on the relationship you can have with Jesus.

How are you doing in your walk of faith? Are you relying on your actions to be “good enough,” or are you focusing on having a relationship with Jesus, so you’ll have a righteousness that is by faith?

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.

by Nathan Buck

I once had a tomato plant that split under the weight of several large tomatoes it had produced. In doing what it was designed to do, it had been broken. And yet, even though the vine split, it kept growing and producing. Why? Because that is its nature. It is how it was made. Its predisposition to produce large fruit that could break its branches did not hinder it or cause it to question its design or existence. It persevered through the brokenness and continued in its design to produce tomatoes.

As human beings we were first and foremost made and designed to reflect God's nature - made in His image. Secondly, we were made with His mission and purpose for our lives. Third, we were formed and shaped with certain predispositions.

Being made in His image is like being a tomato plant; it is by definition who and what we are as human beings. Being made with His mission and purpose for us is like the tomato plant producing tomatoes; it is our given/intended purpose and helps clarify our design and identity. Our predispositions are the unique challenges, perspectives, drives, and desires that can help or hinder our purpose. And like the tomato plant, our predispositions should never be considered as cause to rewrite or ignore our purpose or design.

Read Romans 9:16-29. In these verses, Paul lays out for us the simple truth that God has the ability and right to make us however He chooses. Our design and our mission in life are paramount, whether we like it or not. So, what if we feel like our life is hard compared to others, or like we have been made the "bad guy" like Pharaoh?

The first thing we need to settle is that this is not about God determining who goes to heaven or hell. This is something Paul uses as an example, to help us understand that whatever our assignment in life, it is a God-given privilege. Do we see it that way?

Look at verses 19-21. As a potter apprentice myself, I love this picture. As a person who often struggled with being a "jack of all trades and master of none," I am encouraged. Whatever design we have been given, it is something to delight in and celebrate God's purposes for us. It is hard sometimes; we feel like asking, "Why did you make me this way??"

It is even harder when we get distracted by our brokenness from our predispositions. When my predisposition to be competitive and win bumps up against my 'jack of all trades' skill set, I have a choice. I can lament the fact that I may never be the best in that one skill, or I can praise God for the breadth of experience He has given me that enables me to identify and connect with people from almost every aspect of life. I can lament that I may not win, or I can celebrate the greater win that comes from being designed the way I am. Turns out I am a master of something; I am mastering being a "jack of all trades."

If we focus on our predispositions and allow the challenges, or our dissatisfaction, to cause us to question our God-given identity and design, we come to a very hard place. It is a place where we risk missing the beauty of how we were made. We risk being blind to the unique way God desired to show His mercy and grace through us - our perspectives and challenges. How many have rejected God because they didn't like the way their life was turning out? How many have tried to create good or enjoyment in their own effort, only to get modest applause from the world and no satisfaction to their struggle?

Today, we have believed the lie that we can be anything, anyone, or any sex we desire to be. From legislation to body modification, we try to remake ourselves in light of our desires and predispositions. We revel in short term gratification and validation from others, and try to silence the questions about our identity and purpose. We carve out a life for ourselves, a name for ourselves, and then eventually try to leave a legacy for others based on our self. And it doesn't last, because true legacy depends on transcendent truth, and selfless effort. True legacy depends on being a part of a larger picture and playing our part, even if it was as the "bad guy."

What if Pharaoh had humbled himself and allowed God to use him fully? What if he responded with faith to God's mercy to spare his life during the plagues? How might history have played out differently for him?

What if we take our predispositions and surrender them to the identity and purpose God has given us, instead of assuming we have to rewrite the story? How would that help those who struggle with gender identity? How would that help parents who are trying figure out the best way to guide their children? How would it help addictive or lustful personalities? How would it help any of us who struggle with the hand we have been dealt? How would it help those who feel they have (and deserved) to have the best?

We are not whoever we think we are, or whoever we want to be. We are who God designed and intended us to be, regardless of physical, emotional, spiritual, or intellectual predispositions. It is not for us to re-write God's story or even our own. It is for us to seek Him and His clarity and leading, through the Bible in relationship to Jesus Christ. It is for us to respond by faith. And in that, be like the tomato plant - determined to keep on mission even as we experience our brokenness from our predispositions.

Next week we will read more on how Paul explains our need to live by faith, and not by our effort.

So how are you doing with your design and your journey so far? Are you arguing with God about who and what you think you ought to be? Or are you letting Him reveal the beauty of even the most common aspect of who He made you to be?

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.

by Charlie Wolcott

The last two weeks, I have spoken about God’s justice and God’s holiness. They seem to contradict his love. But there is more to this picture. Yes, God is love. Yes, he is just. Yes, he is holy. But how can he be just and be loving? Part of the picture is that he is merciful. Mercy in a nutshell is “not giving someone something they deserve.” How can God be just and carry out the punishment for sin, and be merciful? Does not mercy mean he forgives the punishment?

Let us explore this. Many people have a very negative view of God because they read the Old Testament history and they see a God that is vengeful and full of hate. Then they look at the New Testament and see a God of “love and peace.” But when we look deeper, he is the same God. I’ll explore more of that when I discuss that God is immutable. But one thing I have noticed: when I read through the Old Testaments, I do see God carrying out justice, but I always see mercy in it.

There are numerous examples in Scripture where the people of a nation were in rebellion against God and he either did or was prepared to show mercy. Many will claim that God is a mass-murderer for killing numerous innocent people with the Flood. Were they innocent? That’s not what the Bible says in Genesis 6:1-8. It describes them as wicked, continually evil. But Noah found grace. He found God’s favor. And through Noah, God provided a way to escape the judgment. There were 120 years between when God said he would destroy all life on the earth and when the day of doom came. That was 120 years, and Noah preached a message of salvation and built an Ark to escape. But none except his family listened. There was plenty of room on the ark for more than eight people. But no one joined them.

Another example is Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham pleaded with God to spare the city, because he was thinking of Lot and his family. All God needed was ten people and Abraham was likely counting how many he thought might be righteous. Only four were found to be so. The cities were destroyed but God offered an opportunity of mercy. In another time, God was ready to wipe out Israel for their worship of the golden calf and start over with Moses. But Moses pleaded with God to not do that. Those are two examples of interceders. But what about repentant sinners?

We have Ahab when confronted after having Naboth murdered so he could get the vineyard for Jezebel. We have Josiah who led his people to repentance and staved off the judgment that was to come. We have Nineveh who repented with the preaching of Jonah. Over and over again, we see God longing to show his mercy.

While God is a just God, he does not wish for any of us to suffer his judgment. Peter confirms this in his second letter. God longs for us all to repent. He is long-suffering. What does that mean? He is patient. Patience in Scripture is the same word we get “tensile” from. Tensile is a physics and engineering term that describes how an object (like a spring) can be pulled or stretched and then revert back to its original position. We all endure things that make us uncomfortable. It is like attaching a weight to a spring. The amount of weight determines how much stretch in the spring there is. And if there comes to be too much weight, the spring will deform rather than revert back to its original form. But unlike springs, where the tensile strength is determined by the material it is made of, the tensile strength we have can change. That’s how we learn and grow. If we ask God for more patience, what does he give us? More opportunities to practice it.

God’s tensile strength is beyond what we can imagine. That is why he can have mercy, even when he decides that enough is enough. He will still carry out his judgment. He will still punish sin. But there is more. The whole time, God had a punishment prepared for sin and someone who would receive that punishment so we would not have to. The wages of sin are death. God cannot change that, lest he change himself and violate his character. But he knew how it would work out. He sent Jesus to receive those wages, but he had to be without sin. Jesus could not be guilty of the same crime: violating God’s Word. And by having Jesus pay the price, he was able to give us mercy.

But because we have received mercy, that does not let us off the hook to do whatever we want. God did not forgive our sin so that we could go off and sin more. I heard a story about a young man, a partier who was out for a joy ride. And just for a thrill, he took a frozen turkey and while hanging out his car window, he threw the turkey into the windshield of an oncoming car. The woman driving had severe injuries, partial paralysis, lacerations, and was in bad shape. In court, the young man showed repentance, knowing he faced life in prison. But the judge gave him an extremely light sentence. “That’s not fair! That’s not just!” someone would rightly say. However, the extremely light sentence was specifically requested not by the lawyers, but by the victim. That is the type of mercy God shows us.

This is also seen in Les Miserables. When Jean Valjean steals the spoons from the Bishop. When caught, the Bishop not only tells Jean that he gave them the spoons, but also the candlesticks. With that, the Bishop tells Jean to turn his life around and to not waste the gift he was given.

THAT is the type of mercy God gives. The kind where when we receive it, we will go and sin no more. That is what the woman caught in adultery experienced. Jesus said “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” But he followed it with “Go and sin no more.” God has given us more mercy that we can imagine. We don’t deserve it. We can’t earn it. But he loves to give us mercy, to deal with us as a Father deals with his child, compared to a judge dealing with a criminal. He longs to keep the issues as “in house” rather than dealing with it in criminal court. Let us receive his mercy, but with that mercy, let us go out and sin no more. And let us give mercy to those who owe us. Our debt against God is far greater than any debt someone could owe against us. If God could forgive us, we can forgive them. We have received mercy; let us show mercy as well.

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.

by Steve Risner

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

This is blog post #3 in a series responding to “Ten Theological Questions No Young-earth Creationist Can Answer” by Tyler Francke. I would suggest taking a look at those previous blog posts before getting into this one. You can find them here and here. I’m working through these slowly to allow you, the reader, to determine if he has inconsistencies in his logic and position. Near the end of Tyler’s introduction, he makes reference to several blog posts he’s written on theological issues for what he terms “young-earth creationism” which, as I’ve stated previously, is a misnomer. I find it interesting that some consider 6000 years to not be ancient. The first portion of his first link will be my goal for today’s post.

By following the first link, we find “3 Seriously Bad Theological Implications for Creationism” where he begins with saying there is an overwhelming amount of evidence for single common ancestry from every field of science. That has nothing to do with my theology, but it’s a false statement. In fact, I can say with confidence with A. E. Wilder-Smith that the natural sciences know nothing of evolution. Moving on, we find he moves to theology… oh, wait. No. He brings up impact craters, which are not a theological topic. He claims God must be a liar because of impact craters and names the Vredefort crater as evidence of God’s deception. There are allegedly over 170 “confirmed” impact craters around the globe. If you study these slam dunks for an old earth, you’ll find more questions than answers and more assumptions than you can count. There are a large number of specialists in this field that disagree with the interpretation of, in this case, Tyler and those he may agree with. In short, I reject this entire argument of God being a liar simply because Tyler sees an alleged scientific argument against a clear reading of Scripture. It seems to me Tyler has, as many have done, decided that the ever changing, currently popular ideas of men with incomplete knowledge trump the Word of God. This is a terrible error to make. You can read some on a Biblical creationist interpretation of these features here. As is stated on the page linked there, this is not just one possible explanation. There are many, and to suggest anyone has the exact or perfect answer to what these features are or what they mean is far too arrogant for me to presume. Tyler further expounds on the deception of God, all the while assuming he knows exactly what we’re looking at here. To think that your interpretation of the natural features we see is the only one possible and then to assume God must have intended for us to view them as you do is just a strange idea to me. The case for God being a liar is an awful one. It’s similar to the “God made the earth to appear old” argument, which again is an awful argument. You can read a little on that here and here.

He also includes the term “Christian smart people” to describe those who agree with him. That’s actually funny to me, but also a little sad. Many of the greatest minds in science were Biblical creationists. Were they not “Christian smart people”? He must be joking. He lists several things that have been well explained by Biblical creationists for years—some for decades I believe. When the evidence is explainable by both parties, it probably shouldn’t be used by either as strongly supporting their position. He mentions radiometric dating, tree rings, ice cores, genetics, plate tectonics, and starlight as creating issues for “young-earth creationists.” You can get a short list of issues with radiometric dating here. You can read about ice layering here. You can touch on tree rings here. I didn’t realize some thought plate tectonics was a problem for the Bible-believing creationist, but you can read about that here. Concerning Y-chromosomal ancestry, you can look here. The starlight problem (which old earth proponents and Biblical creationists share) has had several proposals. I’m surprised to see he brings it up knowing this. Dr. Russel Humphreys has written an amazing model for this, as has Dr. Jason Lisle. Others have attacked this issue as well. No one that I’m aware of has offered a solution for the old earth models. That’s intriguing since they’ve got problems of their own. Most of those links are from the Institute for Creation Research. You can find other excellent articles there and at other sites as well. I wonder if these “problems” Tyler focuses on are really problems or if they’re intended to give an image to his readers. They really aren’t problems for Biblical creationists at all. In fact, many of these alleged problems have been incorporated into the “young earth model.” But when you know your “evidence” won’t be scrutinized, you can say anything you like.

He then ends this particular “theological implication” (which is exclusively based on an anti-biblical interpretation of scientific evidence) by saying, “Speaking as a Christian, I think these facts are pretty overwhelming.” It’s odd to make a statement about science when he’s “speaking as a Christian” and not a scientist or even a Christian scientist (not the Mary Baker Eddy type). He then made a very revealing statement: “And I decided it made a lot more sense to believe in a God who first revealed himself in a document meant to convey theological — not scientific or historical — truth, rather than a God who told the literal truth in Genesis but lied in creation.” Again, he’s making absurd statements, arrogantly assuming he knows how to read nature. Nature, truly, reveals the God of the Bible. But the Bible does that as well. Nature is much harder to read, while the Bible is a fairly clear communication intended to give us specific information. Which should be the looking glass by which we read the other? He’s actually implying here that God inspired the writers of the Bible to give us inaccurate information to convey truth to us. In essence, he says God must have lied with nature and that’s bad but also lied in the Bible and that’s good. I hope the inconsistency is as glaring to you as I feel it is.

Next week, we will tackle the other two “theologically bad implications” that Tyler claims Biblical creationists have. I’m hoping we can find some theology in those, since I didn’t really find any in the first problem he mentioned. Stay tuned and stay focused. Be sure to not get caught up in the humanistic/atheistic view of the evidence. Often times we just accept things like “this looks old” or “the earth appears to have a great age” and other matters of opinion and then try to argue from there. The fact is, these opinions are based on the preconceived notion that the earth NEEDS to be old in order for Big Bang cosmology and Darwinism to work (which is funny because no amount of time could produce either).

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.

by Logan Ames

Have you ever begun a sentence with those words? Maybe not those words exactly, but if you’ve ever questioned what God is doing or why he is doing it, or questioned his existence because things aren’t going the way YOU think they should, then you’ve essentially wondered if you could do his job better. This sort of thing started with Adam and Eve, as Genesis 3 indicates that they were duped by the serpent into thinking they’d be better off making their own rules instead of following the one God gave them. They were also drawn to the possibility of “becoming like God, knowing good and evil." That theme has continued throughout the Bible and throughout history as many from God’s own chosen people have questioned the Creator, and sadly some have even turned away from him because of their disappointment or anger toward him.

I have a friend who is very generous with his time and money, is loving toward his family, friends, and strangers, and certainly exhibits some godly characteristics. However, you won’t hear him say that the Lord is the source of his strength. Rather, the Lord is a source of pain in his eyes. My friend’s wife, daughter, and extended family members all profess their love for the Lord. But 17 years ago, tragedy struck and his youngest daughter was killed in a car accident. A conversation with a mutual friend who is a Christian revealed that my friend says he lost whatever faith he had in God the day his daughter was killed. In other words, if my friend were God, there is no way that would’ve happened.

I could sit here and go down a laundry list of things I would change about this world and about my own life if I were God, but there is no reason to waste your time with hypotheticals. The fact is I am not God and cannot think like he does (Isaiah 55:8-9). He is the Creator and I am just one part of his creation. According to the Apostle Paul in Romans 9:16-29, it’s just silly for “one who is formed” to question the One who forms it. Take a look at that passage and see how Paul asks a series of rhetorical questions to show his readers the absurdity of questioning the Creator regarding anything about our lives. He refers to God as the “potter” and us as “lumps of clay” (v. 21). You may argue that you are more than a lump of clay, and you’d be correct. But that’s because God has already formed you. David recognized in Psalm 139:13 that not just himself, but all of us are “knit together” by God in the wombs of our mothers. Since we cannot form ourselves, how can any of us argue that we are anything more than lumps of clay before God gets his hands on us?

Another well-known story in the Bible of a man who questioned God is the story of Job. By all accounts, he was a righteous man and knew even before he lost everything that it all came from God. But like my friend who I mentioned above, Job questioned his Creator after a series of overwhelming tragedies. If you read the whole book of Job, you see that Job’s friends assume that the trouble God brings in his life must be the result of some sin that he has committed. Job then later questions the fairness of God’s judgment, thinking that his adversity amounts to cruel and unusual punishment for any wrongs he has committed. The Lord responds finally in Job 38:2: “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?” God later recounts many of the things he has done that Job was not around to see, and the things he knows that Job does not. In the end, Job learns his lesson that, even in the worst of trials and adversity, man still has no right or reason to question our Creator who sees and knows ALL THINGS.

In the Romans passage, Paul draws attention back to the familiar stories of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who oppressed the Israelites until God delivered them through a series of plagues that he brought on Egypt. If you are not familiar with those stories, check out Exodus 7-12. Paul references specifically Exodus 9:16, where God told Pharaoh through Moses that he had “raised him up” for the purpose of showing his power and name to the whole earth. Looking at the original verse, the language there can also be translated that God simply “spared” Pharaoh for that purpose. That sort of changes our understanding from thinking that God took away Pharaoh’s free will and CAUSED his heart to be hardened to realizing that Pharaoh’s heart was already hard and God simply continued to spare his life so that God could use it to bring glory to his name.

Do you realize what the end result of a hardened heart toward God is? It’s death! And the reality is that ALL of us have hearts hardened toward God at some point. As sinners, our end result is death unless God steps in. Those of us who have hearts no longer hardened have been shown mercy and we’ve accepted it. Pharaoh had plenty of chances to obey God and let his people go, but his heart was hardened and he himself said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go” (Exodus 5:2). Throughout chapters 7 and 8, there were times that Pharaoh’s heart “was hardened,” and times that Pharaoh “hardened his heart." Either way, he was not receptive to the Lord and did not fear, love, or obey him. Thus, he did not recognize God’s mercy and soften his heart toward the Lord.

I share all of that to show that, when we really look into what Scripture says, we can see that God actually IS fair and just. He is far more patient with us than we deserve. He will use us to bring glory to his name whether we are obedient or not. These things are evident in Scripture. But even if they weren’t, even if we feel that God is not fair, we cannot stand in judgment of him. That more than anything is why Paul, who emphasizes God’s compassion and fairness many other places in his letters, chooses to focus on God’s sovereignty in the Romans passage. God does give us a choice to follow him or not, but he is still in control and sovereign over the universe. Our choices cannot stop him from accomplishing his will, just as Pharaoh’s choices could not.

For some of you, recognizing these things has come easily. But for others, wanting to be like God or even to be your own God is the central issue in your life. I strongly encourage you to reflect on the story of Pharaoh and his hardened heart toward the Lord in Exodus, as well as the story of Job, as well as what Paul is saying in this week’s passage. Learn to be content with your Creator in control. He is fair and just and we see but a small fraction of his plan in the circumstances that cause us to question him. Trusting him will lead you to freedom and peace!

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