Creation Revisited (Part 1)

I am studying creation (Genesis 1:1-2:4) now in seminary. And it has been very interesting! Coming from a scientific background (biochemistry and medicine) that is heavily influenced by an atheistic worldview, it has been thought-provoking to hear a clear, insightful, educated, and rational (not to mention humble) perspective in support of a literal interpretation of Genesis. (I have had some very negative experiences from hateful and overbearing creationists in the past.) My professor, Douglas Kelly, wrote the book Creation and Change and he makes some very interesting theological points that have caused me to critically “readdress” the issues regarding creation (instead of panning the debate as largely irrelevant). This week, I will be sharing some insights that I have picked up from his lectures and reading materials. As usual, please understand that a tiny blog entry will not do justice to this immense topic. So I present these points not as a defense of one position or another (since I am still trying to “figure it all out” for myself), but rather as simply thoughts that have caused me to “take pause” and to reconsider some of my assumptions regarding creation. So, here they are (in no particular order of importance):

1. A correct view of creation is important for our understanding of the rest of Scripture. The reason is simple. The creation account found in early Genesis forms the foundation by which we understand all of Scripture at large. Central tenets of Christianity find their establishment with the creation account. In these early chapters, we are informed of who God is, who man is, how sin entered the world, the effect of sin on our relationship with a holy God, and the promise of hope given to Adam and Eve before being expelled from Eden (which allude to Christ’s redemptive work on the cross). Therefore, a mythological interpretation of these early chapters of Genesis would undermine fundamental Christian doctrines.
2. Belief in either evolution or creationism all proceed from faith based presuppositions. In other words, even the evolutionary model is based on “faith” in something which guides how the evolutionist interprets the evidences. Dr. Kelly quotes Michael Polanyi as saying,

   “No human intelligence . . . can operate outside such a context of faith, for it is within that context that there arises within us, under compulsion from the reality of the world we experience, a regulative set of convictions or a framework of beliefs which prompts and guides our inquiries and controls our assessment of the evidence.”

3. The New Testament holds a “high view” of Genesis and there is no suggestion from the New Testament or Christ’s sayings that Genesis should be interpreted as mythological. Dr. Kelly quotes Henry Morris: 

   “The New Testament is, if anything, even more dependent on Genesis than the Old. There are at least 165 passages in Genesis that are either directly quoted or clearly referred to in the New Testament. Many of those are alluded to more than once, so that there are at least two hundred quotations or allusions to Genesis in the New Testament. It is significant that the portion of Genesis which has been the object of the greatest attacks of skepticism and unbelief, the first eleven chapters, is the portion which had the greatest influence on the New Testament. Yet there exist over one hundred quotations or direct references to Genesis 1-11 in the New Testament. Furthermore, every one of these eleven chapter is alluded to somewhere in the New Testament, and every one of the New Testament authors refers somewhere in his writings to Genesis 1-11. On at least six different occasions, Jesus Christ Himself quoted from or referred to something or someone in one of these chapters, including specific references to each of the first seven chapters.”

4. How we interpret Genesis 1-2 will reveal something about our hermeneutical presuppositions (i.e. the “belief system” that guides how we interpret the Bible). If we say that Genesis 1:1-2:4 is “poetry” and “metaphorical”—when the majority of Hebrew scholarship does not identify it as such—are we then imposing our own assumptions regarding the origin of life on a plain interpretation of Scripture? How will this awkward “forcing a square peg into a round hole” affect how we interpret other parts of the Bible that doesn’t agree with our preconceived notions of how life should work?

Anyway, Dr. Kelly makes these and many other good points, and I’m looking forward to finishing his book. Obviously, this little blog entry will do nothing to settle this 200 year old debate. Just something for me personally to think about (since a literal interpretation of Genesis 1:1-2:4 contradicts my indoctrination by a medical education which assumes a purely atheistic or deistic worldview).

NEW SERMON: "The Word Was God"

I'm slowly in the process of getting my old sermons online for family and friends. If you are interested, I just posted a new sermon on John 1:1-5 titled, "The Word Was God." If you want a higher resolution video, click here for a direct link to my channel on Vimeo.

God bless... Have a great Sabbath... I'm going to try to limit using the computer much today, and to spend more time with my wife and kids (and maybe do some reading)...

Predestination (Some Resources)

Here are some useful resources on predestination. I have not read these books from cover to cover yet. But the chapters and excerpts that I have read have helped to shed light on this difficult subject. I'm sure that there are other good books that could be suggested. These are just the ones that come to mind...

"The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination" by Loraine Boettner (available free at CCEL)

"Freedom of The Will" by Jonathan Edwards (available free at CCEL)

"Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God" by J.I. Packer (Amazon)

And finally... From the most important resource...

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)

Predestination and Election (yikes!)

The topic of predestination and election can garner some pretty hostile responses. And although these are the topics that I am currently studying in seminary, writing about them in a blog causes me some trepidation. The reason is simply that the format of a blog is not typically conducive of such weighty and mysterious topics. Huge tomes have been written by “giants” of the faith (so my little “blurb” here will not likely add much to the discussion). Nevertheless, here are some interesting points to consider about the doctrines of predestination and election that I have learned. I present them in no particular order of importance, and this list is obviously not exhaustive. These are simply some points that strike me as “touching” or “thought provoking” or “worshipful:

1. These doctrines reveal the loving heart of a compassionate God. When God predestines and chooses those who rebel against him, hate him, and want to have nothing to do with him, his election proceeds from his abundant heart of tenderness and mercy. As I look back on my life and conversion, I can see no valid reason for God to choose me. And the fact that he does speak volumes of his love rather than my lovability or personal wisdom in choosing him.
2. A proper understanding of God’s sovereignty is not reserved for the philosophical and theological musings of pastors and seminary professors. It is eminently practical for everyone. Right now, I have a patient in the hospital who is likely dying of heart failure. But what comforts her is the knowledge that her suffering and pain are not the random outworking of a cruel materialistic Universe (or an impersonal deistic god), but rather they are grounded in the purposeful will of a true, living, and good God who will “work all things for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28). This promise is extremely comforting. There is an existential need in every Christian to know that even in the most horrible tragedies of our lives, God is in control.
3. In some ways, almost every Christian believes, at least partially, in God’s election. Most Christians, for example, believe that children who die and those who are severely mentally impaired go to heaven. (Personally, this understanding alone has been enough to convince me of God’s election for the rest of mankind.) Also, when most Christians pray for the conversion of a loved-one, we do not pray a “wishy-washy” request for God to convince a sinner of the merits of his love. Rather, we pray that God breaks the heart of stone and actively replaces it with a heart of affection. We pray for God to act decisively. 
4. The doctrine of predestination and election do not invalidate man’s responsibility or the Christian’s call to passionately and urgently evangelize. Such beliefs are unfaithful to Scripture and proceed from man’s attempt to “logically extrapolate” from something that is infinitely complicated and mysterious. That should never be done. Our biblical motivations for evangelism are from faithfulness to God's command (Matthew 28:19), intrinsic joy (John 4:27-42), and a deep love for others.
5. We must accept mystery here. That God is utterly sovereign and that man is responsible are both clearly taught in the Bible. However, we will never reconcile these two truths "logically" on this earth. We must live Scripturally. We must live by faith. And the fact that we cannot piece together this infinite puzzle into our finite minds should not provoke us to despair. Rather it should induce us towards worship.

On Depravity (via Beach Balls)

This past Sunday we had dinner at a friend’s house. A bunch of us were in the basement watching our kids playing. Then, suddenly, one of the young boys took a beach ball and whacked another boy squarely on the head. This random act of violence was witnessed by me and the parents of the boy that got whacked. I made the comment that “people who don’t believe in the depravity of man obviously do not have children.” Then one of the parents said, “You’re not going to record this on your blog, are you?” (I guess I just did...)
       John Calvin once made the comment that “children are like rats.” To which, R.C. Sproul commented, “When I get to heaven, I’m going to tell Calvin that his assessment of children was completely unfair... to the rats!” (By the way, I have three cute little “rats” of my own who I completely adore... And I'm surprised that it wasn't one of my "rats" who inflicted the violence... Maybe next time...)

On Depravity (A Fireside Chat)

Please join me as we snuggle up to a cozy fire and discuss the warm and fuzzy topic of man’s depravity. Ok... maybe this topic isn’t so “warm and fuzzy”, but it is extremely important! In fact, a correct view of our nature is a matter of life and death. Jesus said in Mark 2:17, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” In other words, we cannot receive the cure unless we believe in our deadly malady.
       The dictionary defines depravity as “the innate wickedness and moral corruptness of human nature.” Now, the biggest problem with this doctrine is that nobody really believes it (at least not in the fullness in which it reveals the darkness of our hearts). Sure, we may play lip service to this doctrine and say that we are evil and bad, and then maybe say something profound about the doctrine of original sin. In other words, we may understand this doctrine on an intellectual level. But the honest truth is that nobody really feels the full weight of this doctrine. Am I overstating the case? I don’t think so. How do I know this position is true? Simple because our depravity impedes us from fully seeing our depravity!—Ironic isn’t it? And not having an accurate and honest assessment of ourselves horribly demeans God. Let me try to support this last assertion with an illustration...
       Imagine that you have been convicted of a horrible crime and have been sentenced to death. You know that what you did was terrible and that you completely deserve to die. On your way to the gallows, you meditate on your sins and have resigned yourself to pay the full penalty for your crime. However, as you approach the gallows, you see someone else hanging dead on the ropes. Then the executioner unties your hands and informs you that you may go free.
       In disbelief and confusion, you ask, “What’s going on?”
       The executioner then says, “We have a law in our country that says if someone else pays the penalty for your crime, you may go free.”
       “What?” you ask in disbelief. “Who would do that for me?”
       Then looking at the cloths and shoes of the man hanging on the ropes, you notice that they belong to the judge who sentenced you to death. He has paid the price for your crime. He has ransomed his life for yours.
       You see, the gifts of life that Christ offers can only be appreciated when we understand our deserved judgement and death. What good would the judge’s sacrifice be if the criminal did not believe in his own guilt? In the final analysis, by not knowing and feeling the full weight and condemnation of our sins, we rob the cross of its love and sacrifice and glory (and we mock God’s infinite holiness). So to conclude, let me leave you with a quote from Paris Reidhead, 

“Turn to God from idols. For the sword of His wrath that had been aimed at you has been sheathed into the heart of His Son. And the arrows of His anger that had been put against your breast were loosed into the Lord Jesus Christ. Because He has died for you, you were forgiven.”

Father, we remember these words: “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found. Was blind but now I see!”

How Music "Works" in Worship

Bob Kauflin is the director of worship for Sovereign Grace Ministries. He formerly served as a pastor and as a songwriter, speaker, and arranger for the Christian acappella music group GLAD. The following is an interview between of Bob with Tim Smith. Here is the description that Bob gave of this interview on his website www.worshipmatters.com:

This is the third clip from a longer video in which Tim Smith, worship pastor from Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA, asked me various questions related to worship. In this portion, Tim asked me about the relationship between music and worship. In it I talk about some of the factors that have made music such a volatile issue in the church today, and different ways that Christians view music. Just scratching the surface here…If you want to dig deeper, I’d highly recommend you read Harold Best’s Music Through the Eyes of Faith. I read it in the mid-90’s and haven’t found anything as insightful, helpful, and biblically faithful.

A link to the entire interview can be found by clicking here (this version has much better resolution but may require a faster computer to play).



Bob also gives eight messages called Foundations for Worship at the Sovereign Grace Ministry website (which are all free for download). Here are the titles of his eight messages:

1. Worship: What Really Matters
2. Building a Worshiping Community
3. The Worship Leader's Role
4. Why Do We Sing?
5. Leading and Feeding Your Team
6. Heart Attitudes for the Worship Team
7. Worship Leading and the Prophetic Gifts
8. Closing the Gap: Pastors and Worship Leaders

I have not personally listened to these messages yet (but I plan to). What strikes me from listening to his interview is Bob's strong emphasis on applying Scriptural truth to corporate worship...