Faith & Evidence
Theistic evolution, also known as religious evolution,
mitigated evolution, progressive creation, or threshold evolution, makes
a strong effort to get God involved in the process of evolution. Typically
there are two types of such evolutionists.
1. Some consider it an ongoing process with God always
present, with evolution taking place constructively through natural laws.
2. Some who believe God was at the beginning only and
that the evolution process is left to itself after an original creation.
These people show contempt for God and His word. If one examines their attitude, they actually allow God to be present during the creation of the universe.
The Bible needs no saving from the fragile Idea of evolution. The general organic theory of evolution is flawed so many places that it is inconceivable to me that anyone who studies it along with the scientific evidence of both it and creation would conclude that evolution is possible.
Theistic evolution is purely a compromise with the scientific community, theistic evolution is false teaching. This attitude of compromise leads to compromising our faith. This compromise even has some being willing to compromise with denominational teachings and other beliefs, no matter how different they are from the word of God.
Jesus, Paul, and others warned of false teachers and they are still here today. Many people are too busy working, playing, watching TV, or looking at the Internet to sit down to read and study God’s word. Many people can not even recognize false doctrine because they do not know it when it is taught.
Theistic evolution and other false teachings are here
because of lack of knowledge of the scriptures, and it has come about by
those who lack the willingness to accept God’s word and the humility to
submit to it. All around us there are people looking for a religion that
THEY like. Many go from church to church trying to find a “religion”
that they like, and one that does not impede upon their lifestyle.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end
is the way of death.”
Proverbs
14:12
I believe that belief in theistic evolution shows a lack
of faith in God’s word, and the inspiration of the Bible. I believe that
many that believe it, except for those who are not knowledgeable in God’s
word, and do not stand against it also show a lack of faith.
This is why our lesson today is on faith and evidence.
Faith is often misunderstood. Most people in today’s society would
tell you that religion is based on faith, but science on the other hand
is based on fact.
To look further into this subject I would like to explain
to everyone what faith is not.
Faith is not:
- Belief that has no evidence back of it.
- Belief that accepts unreasonable claims without proof.
- Belief that believes in something in the absence of
evidence.
- Belief that is opposed to reason and fact.
- Belief that is based upon a whim.
- Belief that is based upon believing something you knows
can not be true.
- Belief that is irrational.
- Belief that is based on a “I think so”
- Belief that is gullible.
Webster’s New World Dictionary defines faith as an unquestioning belief, complete trust, assurance, or reliance on something that does not require proof. It is no wonder so many people lack true Biblical faith. Many declare their faith through a special revelation directly from God or an angel. Others say it is a feeling they feel that they can’t describe.
Those in the world say that if you have faith you aren’t acting reasonably or rationally.
1. What is faith?
I believe that the definition the Hebrew writer gives in Hebrews 11:1 is the best and most complete for our study.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
And also pertaining to our study look at verse 3 of the same chapter.
“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”
Many of those who teach evolution will teach it as fact and truth. We need to understand that once one would point out all the facts from science and how it does not support any form of evolution, theistic or not, the evolutionist will attempt to back you and I into a corner and claim creation can not be defended by science either.
Creation does not have to be defended with science. The belief of the creation happening as Genesis 1 describes, and the Bible being wholly and completely true is based on faith.
Recall this faith is not irrational and does have evidence to back it up. It is the substance (that which is the real or essential part of anything) of things hoped for the evidence (something that tends to prove that which is plainly perceptible) of things not seen. Faith is not what you see, what you see is knowledge. Faith is what you don’t see. Faith is the opposite of doubt. (Matt. 21:21) and fear (Mk 4:40).
“ So Jesus answered and said to them “ Assuredly, I say
to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was
done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘ be removed
and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.”
Matt.
21:21
“ But he said to them ‘ Why are you so fearful?
How is it you have no faith?’”
Mark
4:40
2. According to Lk. 1:1-4, Jn.20:24-31, and 1 Cor. 15:4-5, What should our faith be based upon?
Faith should be based upon weighing evidence. This evidence is based upon the strongest type of witnesses. There is eyewitness evidence of Jesus. In the first century faith was not proven by words alone, but upon evidence of what was seen and heard.
Luke said faith is based on evidence:
“In as much as many have taken in hand to set order a
narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those
from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the world delivered
them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had a perfect understanding
of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account,
most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things
in which you were instructed.”
Luke
1: 1- 4
John said faith is based on evidence:
“Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not
with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, ‘We
have seen the Lord.’ So he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the
print of the nails, and put my finger into His side, I will not believe.’
And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them.
Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, ‘Peace
to You!’ Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach your finger here, and look at My
hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving,
but believing.’ And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’
Jesus said to him, ‘Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed.
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.’”
John
20: 24-31
Paul said faith is based on evidence:
“and He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After
that he was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater
part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.”
1 Cor.
15: 5-6
Peter said faith is based on evidence:
“For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when
we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but
were eyewitnesses of His majesty.”
2 Peter
1: 16
There is evidence of man being present since the creation.
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes
are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His
eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,”
Romans
1: 20
If since the creation God’s invisible attributes were clearly seen, who was there to see them? I agree that Adam was there on day 6 just as Genesis tells. Single celled organisms do not have eyes.
The theistic evolutionist who says they believe the Bible would have to account for billions of years or throw away the book of Romans based on the contradiction of their belief in this statement alone.
There is the witness of nature; all anyone has to do is look around.
“The heavens declare the glory of God: And the firmament
shows His handiwork.”
Psalm
19: 1
Evidence does not cancel out faith; True Bible faith is
based upon evidence. Recall faith is not believing something without evidence,
it believes because there is evidence.
3. What must one do to claim to have faith? Acts 8: 30-31
One must understand what we claim to believe. Phillip asked the Ethiopian eunuch if he understood what he was reading.
“So Phillip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet
Isaiah, and said, ‘ Do you understand what you are reading?’ And he said,
‘ How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he asked Phillip to come up
and sit with him.
Acts
8: 30-31
One does not have to understand everything before they believe, there are examples of differing levels of understanding found in Hebrews 5: 12-14, 1 Timothy 3: 6, and others.
As well as different levels of understanding here today.
I for one do not understand everything in the Bible and it is because some
of it is difficult to understand
(Isaiah 55: 8 – 9) and I personally need to study it
more diligently. But one must understand the basic attributes of becoming
a faithful Christian.
We need to know what we believe, why we believe it, and be committed to acting according to our belief.
We need to have a reason for what we believe.
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always
be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope
that is in you, with meekness and fear:”
1 Peter
3: 15
When? Always. To who? Everyone.
Of what? A defense of the hope that is in you.
How? With meekness and fear.
We need to be ready to act according to what we believe.
“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith
without works is dead also.”
James
2: 26
Faith is reasonable, and rational. Faith is rooted in truth, and truth is objective and rational.
4. Without faith what do we have? (Eph. 2:12)
No hope.
“that at the time you were without Christ, being aliens
from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise,
having no hope and without God in the world.”
Ephesians
2: 12
If without faith we have no hope, and faith is based upon evidence I would like to now give you some external evidences of the inspiration of the Bible. Up until now we have looked at evidences from inside the Bible. Now I would like to share some more of the findings and evidences found outside the Bible.
First I would like to take a look at the Bible itself. If one was to take look at the Bible and learn that the sixty six parts of it were written in 3 different languages, (Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek), over about 1500 years, by men who were trained in every sort of occupation of their time. From one trained in the wisdom of Egypt, military leaders, kings, a herdsman, scribes, tax collectors, fisherman, to one trained in Jewish law. And to know it is characterized by such unity, consistency, and accuracy; and has one complete theme throughout, (the redemption of man from sin). It must be the inspired word of God. Consistent evidence argues that it is an inspired document.
In the late 1800’s, Sir William Ramsay, a scholar who was skeptical of the authenticity of the book of Acts, led an archeological expedition to Asia Minor with the intention of disproving the historicity and accuracy of Luke’s narrative. After years of research – literally digging up the evidence – Ramsay was forced to conclude that Acts was accurate historically.
In Acts, Luke mentions thirty two countries, fifty-four
cities, and nine Mediterranean
Islands. He also mentions over ninety persons, over sixty
of which are not named elsewhere in the New Testament. And his references
wherever checkable, always are correct – which is amazing since the political
and territorial situation in the first century was always changing.
According to a study by Jack P. Lewis in 1971, there are
even forty-four Old Testament figures who have “with reasonable certainty
been identified with figures whose names occur in the various sorts of
ancient records of the Middle East.” (Historical Backgrounds of Bible History,
p. 177).
There are over 300 prophecies relating to the Lord. Peter W. Stoner selected eight of the O.T. prophesies concerning Christ, and estimated the odds of these being fulfilled by accident. That would be 1 X 10 to the 17th power or 1 followed by 17 zeros. He illustrated it in this fashion.
“Suppose we take 1 X 10 17th power silver dollars
and lay them on the face of
Texas. They will cover all the state 2 feet deep.
Now mark one of these silver
dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all
over the state. Blindfold a man
and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes,
but he must pick up one silver
dollar and say that this is the right one. What
chance would he have of getting the
right one? (Science Speaks, 1963, pp.106-107).
The one thing that has really opened up my eyes during this study is that the more men try to disprove the Bible, the more they prove it true and that it is the inspired word of God. If we simply study it and put our faith in it we won’t feel intimidated by those teaching the idea of evolution, and we will know what to teach our children. We need our children to have strong roots so they will be able to withstand tribulation and persecution and not stumble.
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when
he is old he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 22: 6
100,000,000,000,000,0