The Intelligent Design Theory says that intelligent causes are necessary
to explain the complex, information-rich structures of biology and that
these causes are empirically detectable. Certain biological features
defy the standard Darwinian random-chance explanation, because they
appear to have been designed. Since design logically necessitates an
intelligent designer, the appearance of design is cited as evidence for a
designer. There are three primary arguments in the Intelligent Design
Theory: 1) irreducible complexity, 2) specified complexity, and 3) the
anthropic principle.
Irreducible complexity is defined as “...a single system which is
composed of several well-matched interacting parts that contribute to
the basic function, wherein the removal of any one of the parts causes
the system to effectively cease functioning.” Simply put, life is
comprised of intertwined parts that rely on each other in order to be
useful. Random mutation may account for the development of a new part,
but it cannot account for the concurrent development of multiple parts
necessary for a functioning system. For example, the human eye is
obviously a very useful system. Without the eyeball, the optic nerve,
and the visual cortex, a randomly mutated incomplete eye would actually
be counterproductive to the survival of a species and would therefore be
eliminated through the process of natural selection. An eye is not a
useful system unless all its parts are present and functioning properly
at the same time.
Specified complexity is the concept that, since specified complex
patterns can be found in organisms, some form of guidance must have
accounted for their origin. The specified complexity argument states
that it is impossible for complex patterns to be developed through
random processes. For example, a room filled with 100 monkeys and 100
computers may eventually produce a few words, or maybe even a sentence,
but it would never produce a Shakespearean play. And how much more
complex is biological life than a Shakespearean play?
The anthropic principle states that the world and universe are
“fine-tuned” to allow for life on earth. If the ratio of elements in the
air of the earth was altered slightly, many species would very quickly
cease to exist. If the earth were significantly closer to or further
away from the sun, many species would cease to exist. The existence and
development of life on earth requires so many variables to be perfectly
in tune that it would be impossible for all the variables to come into
being through random, uncoordinated events.
While the Intelligent Design Theory does not presume to identify the
source of intelligence (whether it be God or UFOs or something else),
the vast majority of Intelligent Design theorists are theists. They see
the appearance of design which pervades the biological world as evidence
for the existence of God. There are, however, a few atheists who cannot
deny the strong evidence for design, but are not willing to acknowledge
a Creator God. They tend to interpret the data as evidence that earth
was seeded by some sort of master race of extraterrestrial creatures
(aliens). Of course, they do not address the origin of the aliens
either, so they are back to the original argument with no credible
answer.
The Intelligent Design Theory is not biblical creationism. There is an
important distinction between the two positions. Biblical creationists
begin with a conclusion that the biblical account of creation is
reliable and correct, that life on Earth was designed by an intelligent
agent—God. They then look for evidence from the natural realm to support
this conclusion. Intelligent Design theorists begin with the natural
realm and reach the conclusion that life on Earth was designed by an
intelligent agent (whoever that might be).
Recommended Resource: Darwin's Doubt: The Explosive Origin of Animal Life and the Case for Intelligent Design by Stephen Meyer.
The Bible never records Jesus saying the precise words, “I am God.” That
does not mean, however, that He did not proclaim that He is God. Take
for example Jesus’ words in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” We
need only to look at the Jews’ reaction to His statement to know He was
claiming to be God. They tried to stone Him for this very reason: “You, a
mere man, claim to be God” (John 10:33). The Jews understood exactly
what Jesus was claiming—deity. When Jesus declared, “I and the Father
are one,” He was saying that He and the Father are of one nature and
essence. John 8:58 is another example. Jesus declared, “I tell you the
truth … before Abraham was born, I am!” Jews who heard this statement
responded by taking up stones to kill Him for blasphemy, as the Mosaic
Law commanded (Leviticus 24:16).
John reiterates the concept of Jesus’ deity: “The Word [Jesus] was God”
and “the Word became flesh” (John 1:1, 14). These verses clearly
indicate that Jesus is God in the flesh. Acts 20:28 tells us, “Be
shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” Who
bought the church with His own blood? Jesus Christ. And this same verse
declares that God purchased His church with His own blood. Therefore,
Jesus is God!
Thomas the disciple declared concerning Jesus, “My Lord and my God”
(John 20:28). Jesus does not correct him. Titus 2:13 encourages us to
wait for the coming of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ (see also 2
Peter 1:1). In Hebrews 1:8, the Father declares of Jesus, “But about the
Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever, and
righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.’” The Father refers
to Jesus as “O God,” indicating that Jesus is indeed God.
In Revelation, an angel instructed the apostle John to only worship God
(Revelation 19:10). Several times in Scripture Jesus receives worship
(Matthew 2:11; 14:33; 28:9, 17; Luke 24:52; John 9:38). He never rebukes
people for worshiping Him. If Jesus were not God, He would have told
people to not worship Him, just as the angel in Revelation did. There
are many other passages of Scripture that argue for Jesus’ deity.
The most important reason that Jesus has to be God is that, if He is not
God, His death would not have been sufficient to pay the penalty for
the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). A created being, which Jesus would
be if He were not God, could not pay the infinite penalty required for
sin against an infinite God. Only God could pay such an infinite
penalty. Only God could take on the sins of the world (2 Corinthians
5:21), die, and be resurrected, proving His victory over sin and death.
Recommended Resources: Logos Bible Software
and
Jesus: The Greatest Life of All by Charles Swindoll.
What is the meaning of life? How can purpose, fulfillment, and
satisfaction in life be found? How can something of lasting significance
be achieved? So many people have never stopped to consider these
important questions. They look back years later and wonder why their
relationships have fallen apart and why they feel so empty, even though
they may have achieved what they set out to accomplish. An athlete who
had reached the pinnacle of his sport was once asked what he wished
someone would have told him when he first started playing his sport. He
replied, “I wish that someone would have told me that when you reach the
top, there's nothing there.” Many goals reveal their emptiness only
after years have been wasted in their pursuit.
In our humanistic culture, people pursue many things, thinking that in
them they will find meaning. Some of these pursuits include business
success, wealth, good relationships, entertainment, and doing good to
others. People have testified that while they achieved their goals of
wealth, relationships, and pleasure, there was still a deep void inside,
a feeling of emptiness that nothing seemed to fill.
The author of the biblical book of Ecclesiastes describes this feeling
when he says, “Meaningless! Meaningless! ...Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). King Solomon, the writer
of Ecclesiastes, had wealth beyond measure, wisdom beyond any man of his
time or ours, hundreds of women, palaces and gardens that were the envy
of kingdoms, the best food and wine, and every form of entertainment
available. He said at one point that anything his heart wanted, he
pursued. And yet he summed up “life under the sun”—life lived as though
all there is to life is what we can see with our eyes and experience
with our senses—is meaningless. Why is there such a void? Because God
created us for something beyond what we can experience in the
here-and-now. Solomon said of God, “He has also set eternity in the
hearts of men...” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). In our hearts we are aware that
the “here-and-now” is not all that there is.
In Genesis, the first book of the Bible, we find that God created
mankind in His image (Genesis 1:26). This means that we are more like
God than we are like anything else (any other life form). We also find
that before mankind fell into sin and the curse of sin came upon the
earth, the following things were true: 1) God made man a social creature
(Genesis 2:18-25); 2) God gave man work (Genesis 2:15); 3) God had
fellowship with man (Genesis 3:8); and 4) God gave man dominion over the
earth (Genesis 1:26). What is the significance of these things? God
intended for each of these to add to our fulfillment in life, but all of
these (especially man's fellowship with God) were adversely affected by
man's fall into sin and the resulting curse upon the earth (Genesis 3).
In Revelation, the last book of the Bible, God reveals that He will
destroy this present earth and heavens and usher in the eternal state by
creating a new heaven and a new earth. At that time, He will restore
full fellowship with redeemed mankind, while the unredeemed will have
been judged unworthy and cast into the lake of fire (Revelation
20:11-15). The curse of sin will be done away with; there will be no
more sin, sorrow, sickness, death, or pain (Revelation 21:4). God will
dwell with them, and they shall be His sons (Revelation 21:7). Thus, we
come full circle: God created us to have fellowship with Him, man
sinned, breaking that fellowship, God restores that fellowship fully in
the eternal state. To go through life achieving everything only to die
separated from God for eternity would be worse than futile! But God has
made a way to not only make eternal bliss possible (Luke 23:43) but also
life on earth satisfying and meaningful. How is this eternal bliss and
“heaven on earth” obtained?
Meaning of life restored through Jesus Christ
Real meaning in life, both now and in eternity, is found in the
restoration of the relationship with God that was lost with Adam and
Eve's fall into sin. That relationship with God is only possible through
His Son, Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; John 1:12; 14:6). Eternal life is
gained when we repent of our sin (no longer want to continue in it) and
Christ changes us, making of us new creations, and we rely on Jesus
Christ as Savior.
Real meaning in life is not found only in accepting Jesus as Savior, as
wonderful as that is. Rather, real meaning in life is when one begins to
follow Christ as His disciple, learning of Him, spending time with Him
in His Word, communing with Him in prayer, and in walking with Him in
obedience to His commands. If you are not a Christian (or perhaps a new
believer), you might be saying to yourself, “That does not sound very
exciting or fulfilling to me!” But Jesus made the following statements:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you
rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is
easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). “I have come that they
may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10b). “If anyone would
come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his
life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25). “Delight yourself in the
LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).
What all of these verses are saying is that we have a choice. We can
continue to seek to guide our own lives, which results in emptiness, or
we can choose to pursue God and His will for our lives with a whole
heart, which will result in living life to the full, having the desires
of our hearts met, and finding contentment and satisfaction. This is so
because our Creator loves us and desires the best for us (not
necessarily the easiest life, but the most fulfilling).
The Christian life can be compared to the choice of whether to purchase
the expensive seats at a sporting event that are close to the action, or
pay less and watch the game from a distance. Watching God work “from
the front row” is what we should choose but, sadly, is not what most
people choose. Watching God work firsthand is for whole-hearted
disciples of Christ who have truly stopped pursuing their own desires to
pursue instead God's purposes. They have paid the price (complete
surrender to Christ and His will); they are experiencing life to its
fullest; and they can face themselves, their fellow man, and their Maker
with no regrets. Have you paid the price? Are you willing to? If so,
you will not hunger after meaning or purpose again.
Recommended Resources: Logos Bible Software
and
Cure for the Common Life: Living in Your Sweet Spot by Max Lucado.
In Psalm 119:16, David promises God, "I shall delight in Your statues; I
shall not forget Your word." In Deuteronomy 11:18-19, God exhorts the
Israelites, "You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your
heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand,
and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall teach them to
your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk
along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up." As
believers, we know we are to study the Bible, memorize it, and obey it.
But does the Bible say what we think it says? The truth is, there are
several phrases that sound like they come from the Bible, but do not.
"God helps those who help themselves."
The earliest recording of this saying is actually from Aesop's fable
"Hercules and the Waggoner." A man's wagon got stuck in a muddy road,
and he prayed for Hercules to help. Hercules appeared and said, "Get up
and put your shoulder to the wheel." The moral given was "The gods help
them that help themselves." Aesop was a Greek writer who lived from 620
to 564 BC, but obviously did not contribute to the Bible. As a biblical
truism, the proverb has mixed results. We can do nothing to help when it
comes to salvation; salvation is through Christ alone. In the work of
sanctification—becoming more spiritually mature—we are to join in the
work. 1 Peter 1:14-15 says, "As obedient children, do not be conformed
to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the
Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior."
"Cleanliness is next to godliness."
Despite the strict rules given to the Israelites about uncleanness as a
metaphor for sinfulness and ceremonial washing required by the priests
(see: Exodus, Leviticus), this phrase is not in the Bible. It originated
as an ancient Babylonian and Hebrew proverb, but became very popular
during the Victorian era after being revived by Sir Francis Bacon and
John Wesley. Is the proverb true beyond the metaphor? A new study shows
that people are generally fairer and more generous when in a
clean-smelling environment. But Jesus also exhorts us to worry more
about the sin in our hearts than the dirt on our hands (Matthew
7:18-23).
"In the last days, you will not be able to know the seasons except by the changing of the leaves."
Even a thorough Google search will not reveal the origin of this saying,
but it is not found in the Bible. Matthew 24:32-33 uses the budding of
leaves heralding the coming of summer as a metaphor for the signs that
Christ will return. But nowhere does the Bible mention that seasons will
be so altered that only the changing leaves will identify them.
"Hate the sin, love the sinner."
Although this is a biblical-sounding admonition, it is not directly from
the Bible. It's a quote from Mahatma Gandhi. As a guideline, it's
valid. We are to hate sin—even our own. And we are to show love to all
others. Gandhi's quote is coming under fire in the world as more and
more people define themselves by their sin and resent the guidelines God
has given us in His Word.
"Money is the root of all evil."
This is a common misconception with an easy fix. 1 Timothy 6:10 actually
says, "For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil…" Money is
not good or bad, and being wealthy is not a sin; Job was wealthy and
described as a man who was "blameless, upright, fearing God and turning
away from evil" (Job 1:1). Loving money, which in the Greek is
"avarice" and infers an emotional affection, is the root of all sorts of
evil as the desire to accumulate wealth is placed above God and others.
"This too shall pass."
This is actually a misinterpretation of a line from "The Lament of
Doer," an Old English poem. Doer has been replaced as his lord's poet,
and calls to mind several other Germanic mythological figures who went
through troubled times. Each refrain ends with, "that passed away, so
may this." Several verses in the Bible remind us that our lives and,
indeed, heaven and earth will pass away (Matthew 24:35). But while we
can find comfort knowing that our earthly sorrows are temporary, we're
still called to rejoice in our trials, knowing that they will lead to
endurance and sanctification (James 1:2-4).
"The lion shall lay down with the lamb."
Although Jesus is both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God (Revelation
5), this phrase does not appear in the Bible. Isaiah 11:6 says, "And
the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with
the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling
together; and a little boy will lead them." Similarly, Isaiah 65:25
reads, "The wolf and the lamb will graze together and the lion will eat
straw like an ox…" The sentiment reads true, however—hunter and prey
will be reconciled and live in peace in the eternal kingdom.
God left us the Bible as a written testimony of His Word. His truth is
found in the Bible. Some sayings are simple rewordings of biblical
truth, but others are dangerous heresy. Despite how clever or even
edifying a quote may be, if it isn't in the Bible, we have no guarantee
that it is the Word of God. And the only way we'll know is if we read
the Bible.
Recommended Resources: Logos Bible Software
and
The Quest Study Bible.
The Bible, God’s Word, tells us what God is like and
what He is not like. Without the authority of the Bible, any attempt to
explain God’s attributes would be no better than an opinion, which by
itself is often incorrect, especially in understanding God (Job 42:7).
To say that it is important for us to try to understand what God is like
is a huge understatement. Failure to do so can cause us to set up,
chase after, and worship false gods contrary to His will (Exodus
20:3-5).
Only what God has chosen to reveal of Himself can be
known. One of God's attributes or qualities is “light,” meaning that He
is self-revealing in information of Himself (Isaiah 60:19; James 1:17).
The fact that God has revealed knowledge of Himself should not be
neglected (Hebrews 4:1). Creation, the Bible, and the Word made flesh
(Jesus Christ) will help us to know what God is like.
Let's start by understanding that God is our Creator and
that we are a part of His creation (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 24:1) and are
created in His image. Man is above the rest of creation and was given
dominion over it (Genesis 1:26-28). Creation is marred by the fall but
still offers a glimpse of God’s works (Genesis 3:17-18; Romans 1:19-20).
By considering creation's vastness, complexity, beauty, and order, we
can have a sense of the awesomeness of God.
Reading through some of the names of God can be helpful in our search of what God is like. They are as follows:
Elohim - strong One, divine (Genesis 1:1)
Adonai - Lord, indicating a Master-to-servant relationship (Exodus 4:10, 13)
El Elyon - Most High, the strongest One (Genesis 14:20)
El Roi - the strong One who sees (Genesis 16:13)
El Shaddai - Almighty God (Genesis 17:1)
El Olam - Everlasting God (Isaiah 40:28)
Yahweh - LORD “I Am,” meaning the eternal self-existent God (Exodus 3:13, 14).
God is eternal, meaning He had no beginning and His
existence will never end. He is immortal and infinite (Deuteronomy
33:27; Psalm 90:2; 1 Timothy 1:17). God is immutable, meaning He is
unchanging; this in turn means that God is absolutely reliable and
trustworthy (Malachi 3:6; Numbers 23:19; Psalm 102:26, 27). God is
incomparable; there is no one like Him in works or being. He is
unequaled and perfect (2 Samuel 7:22; Psalm 86:8; Isaiah 40:25; Matthew
5:48). God is inscrutable, unfathomable, unsearchable, and past finding
out as far as understanding Him completely (Isaiah 40:28; Psalm 145:3;
Romans 11:33, 34).
God is just; He is no respecter of persons in the sense
of showing favoritism (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 18:30). God is
omnipotent; He is all-powerful and can do anything that pleases Him, but
His actions will always be in accord with the rest of His character
(Revelation 19:6; Jeremiah 32:17, 27). God is omnipresent, meaning He is
present everywhere, but this does not mean that God is everything
(Psalm 139:7-13; Jeremiah 23:23). God is omniscient, meaning He knows
the past, present, and future, including what we are thinking at any
given moment. Since He knows everything, His justice will always be
administered fairly (Psalm 139:1-5; Proverbs 5:21).
God is one; not only is there no other, but He is alone
in being able to meet the deepest needs and longings of our hearts. God
alone is worthy of our worship and devotion (Deuteronomy 6:4). God is
righteous, meaning that God cannot and will not pass over wrongdoing. It
is because of God’s righteousness and justice that, in order for our
sins to be forgiven, Jesus had to experience God's wrath when our sins
were placed upon Him (Exodus 9:27; Matthew 27:45-46; Romans 3:21-26).
God is sovereign, meaning He is supreme. All of His
creation put together cannot thwart His purposes (Psalm 93:1; 95:3;
Jeremiah 23:20). God is spirit, meaning He is invisible (John 1:18;
4:24). God is a Trinity. He is three in one, the same in substance,
equal in power and glory. God is truth, He will remain incorruptible and
cannot lie (Psalm 117:2; 1 Samuel 15:29).
God is holy, separated from all moral defilement and
hostile toward it. God sees all evil and it angers Him. God is referred
to as a consuming fire (Isaiah 6:3; Habakkuk 1:13; Exodus 3:2, 4-5;
Hebrews 12:29). God is gracious, and His grace includes His goodness,
kindness, mercy, and love. If it were not for God's grace, His holiness
would exclude us from His presence. Thankfully, this is not the case,
for He desires to know each of us personally (Exodus 34:6; Psalm 31:19; 1
Peter 1:3; John 3:16, 17:3).
Since God is an infinite Being, no human can fully
answer this God-sized question, but through God’s Word, we can
understand much about who God is and what He is like. May we all
wholeheartedly continue to seek after Him (Jeremiah 29:13).
Recommended Resources: Logos Bible Software
and
Knowing God by J.I. Packer.
