Searching For Answers? - Entries from December 2009

How can you be sure of your relationship to God?

“If there were no God there would be no atheists.”

G.K. Chesterton

            I regularly hear from students who have grown up in Christian homes and go to college only to have their faith thrown on the rocks of the current cultural challenges.  In the midst of so much uncertainty, is there any solid rock we can stand on?

            Whenever I hear of students losing their faith in college, I discover there are usually specific events leading to the disappearance of their faith.    The first and most predominant event is that the student begins to neglect private reading and meditation on Scripture.  Soon after this, they are presented with challenges from a professor of philosophy, or possibly some other professor, as they openly ridicule the Bible and the Christian faith. 

Since the student has not been trained in how to respond to these challenges, he or she begins to adopt the thinking of the culture.  Some quotes from the culture about the Bible follow: “The Bible really is a good book but it is not really different than Shakespeare or Plato”;  “nice book but not directly from God”; a book written by male chauvinists to keep women enslaved”; “a very nice but outdated religious text.”

            When the pressure of studies overwhelms them, they slowly outgrow their discipline of daily Bible reading.  And for a while nothing seems different.  They get good grades, even though they neglect the Scriptures. 

            What does all this have to do with my assurance of my relationship with God?  It has everything to do with it.  The only place in the Bible where God specifically promises to prosper a person is in this area of Scripture meditation. These promises are found in Joshua 1:6-9, Psalms 1:1-3 and James 1:22-25. They all contain the thought that anyone who daily studies and meditates on the Scripture and seeks to obey its teaching will be blessed.

            In John 8:31-32, ³¹ To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

            I struggled with assurance for the first nine years of my Christian life.  There were times when I felt like I was exactly on target and doing what God wanted me to do and during those times there was no doubt at all.  But the times that were so distressing to me were the times when I was not doing the things I knew I should be doing.

            How do you find assurance when your life is not in perfect harmony with God?  What happens when you know what you are doing is not right?  What I used to do when I felt guilty for not doing what I knew to be right was to make more promises to God that I would read more Scripture, I would talk to more people about Christ, I would fast more, and pray more.  This all worked well for a short time but it never really took care of my lack of assurance.  As long as I was faithful to following the disciplines I was ok, but whenever I stepped off the righteous ritual wagon I felt even worse.  What sort of person am I that my commitment to Christ is so short lived?  Did I really know Christ, or was I just deceiving myself? And on and on the conversation in my head went.

            The freedom for me came at a retreat in May of 1986.  I had been plagued by doubts about my conversion for the past year since I had become a campus pastor of a successful college ministry.  Thoughts in my head constantly accused me of my lack of faithfulness to Christ.  During this retreat I decided that I was no longer to play this game.  I determined to stay up through the night and find my answer or I would resign from my ministry and go do something else.

            I began my quest for an answer around 10:15 p.m.  I opened my journal and began to pour out my complaints to God.  I wrote, “I need to know if I know you or not, God.  If I do not, then I will quit playing this game and resign and do something else.  I am going to stay up all night and seek after you. If I do not get my answer by sunrise, then I will quit.”

            I began to read large portions of Scripture and pray and cry out to God.  I searched my heart for what I really wanted out of life.  I was married to a great wife, had a tremendous young daughter of 18 months, was well thought of by many in the church, and on the outside looked like a very successful minister with college students.  What else could a guy want?

            That was just it.  I had it, but it did not satisfy the deepest longings of my life.  I was still unsure of where I stood with God.  I had prayed and trusted Christ over 9 years ago, I had memorized large portions of Scripture, and even regularly and openly shared about my faith in Christ with others, but the settled assurance was still absent.

            Through the night, as I read and meditated over the Scripture that God had brought to my mind, I found my heart being renewed and strengthened.  Around 3 a.m., I asked God to speak to me clearly.  I needed to know.  After I had prayed that prayer, a passage from Romans Chapter 7 came to my mind.

¹⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶ And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷ As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸ I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
²¹ So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being I delight in God's law; ²³ but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:15-25 (NIV)

            This was a passage I had committed to memory years before, not knowing how the seed of God’s Word would return to me years later.  Around 3 a.m. I heard a voice, not audible, but nevertheless very real, which asked me a question. “Phil, there is no one else here at this moment.  What do you really desire more than anything else right now?” 

I thought about that for a short minute but quickly responded, “I just want to know you, God, I don’t care about anything else.  I don’t care what else happens, I just want to know that I know You!”

            The next question I heard was, “Phil, when did you first become concerned about knowing me?”

            My response, “Nine years ago when I turned from my sins and received Christ.”

            The next thing I heard was, “Who do you think gave you that desire to know me?”

            It was then that Romans 7:22-25 rose to the top of my mind. . “²² For in my inner being I delight in God's law; ²³ but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:15-25 (NIV)

            I knew then at that moment that I had connected with God for sure.  He had placed that desire for Him in my heart nine years ago and now it was all making sense.  Even if nothing makes sense in this world, I know that I know God.  From that moment on I have never doubted my connection with God.  I have, however, doubted His ability to use me in my fallen, imperfect state--but that is another question.

            So, in essence, how can you be sure that you know God?  It will take time and a serious pursuit of the God who has pursued you to this moment.  Why not plan this next week to get away with just your Scripture and spend some time seeking out after God?

Small Group Discussion Questions:

How can I be sure about what God wants me to do?

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it.  Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)

            I was speaking on a campus in the Midwest to a group of about 35-40 students and one of the students spoke up and said, “Phil, I trusted Christ three years ago in high school and I was baptized and even took part in the Bible studies and everything.  My parents are not Christians, and ever since I made that commitment to Christ I have never heard God speak to me at all. Why does God speak to you but not to me?”

            With that question the students who were present all stopped talking and listened intently. 

            “What a great question, Justin!”  That really was the most important question of the day.  As I was talking, I was also busy praying that God would somehow give me a good response to such a challenging question. Two verses from Proverbs came to mind, Proverbs 20:20 and Proverbs 30:17. Both of these verses have to do with how you obey your mother and father.  With these verses brought to mind, I had a clue about the answer.

            My response to Justin was the following, “Justin, you have asked a great question, but I need to ask you one question before I can answer yours.  I have never met you before and I do not know about your family back home, but I need to ask, ‘How are things between your mom and dad and you?’

            The immediate response was, “I don’t have to obey mom and dad; they are not believers!”

            It was then that I knew the answer to Justin’s question.  “Justin, I now know why God has not said anything to you for these years.  The Scriptures command us to obey and honor and respect our parents that it might go well with us. (Exodus 20:12)  They also tell us that if we scorn obedience to our father and mother God will snuff out the light we have to see clearly.’

            ‘Anyone can pray a prayer or get dunked in a tank of water, but it takes the power of God to enable us to submit to our parents.  If you want God to speak to you, His Word tells you to honor and respect your parents.  You need to go back to your dorm and call home and ask their forgiveness for your rebellion. Then ask God to reveal Himself to you again.”

            Justin walked away intent on getting things right with his parents.  He came back to the dialogue the next week but this time he was even more hardened toward God.  He had found a scripture verse in Isaiah 45:7 that he did not like and told me that as a result of this verse he refused to believe in God.

             We talked at length with other students listening.  He left agreeing to come back the next week to continue our talk.  He came back the next week and this time he had brought reinforcements from some of his new found friends who were also not followers of Christ.  I shared with him how the scripture he had found last week in Isaiah 45:7 explained why God was not speaking to him again.  He listened but did not respond to God’s Word.

            I did not see Justin again for about a year.  The next time I saw Justin was in early November and there was freezing rain coming down as I spoke on the Quad at the U of I.  He stopped and talked with me once again.  After talking at length with him and noticing he was shivering from the cold, I asked him what God needed to do to get him to commit his life to Christ.  His response was something I will never forget.

            With the skies overcast and freezing rain descending from the heavens, Justin looked at me and said, “If God would just cause a big ball of fire to appear in the sky, I will believe.”

            As if God was waiting for that statement, the clouds parted and the full force of the sun shone directly to where we were on the Quad.  The students who had heard him speak were awed.  Needless to say, so was I.  I looked at Justin and he was staring into the parted skies.  When he regained his composure, I looked at him eye-to-eye and said, “Is that good enough?”

            Justin’s response was, “That’s not what I meant!”

            “Justin, the parameters you gave God were a big ball of fire in the sky.  We are now staring at a ball of fire one million times larger than the earth.  I think God met your conditions.  Now, what are you going to do about your need to commit your life to Christ and obey His commands in your life?”

            Justin walked away from our discussion that day and I have never seen him since.  That was four years ago.

            How do we know what God wants us to do?   The answer is found in the Scriptures.  A group of religious leaders came to Jesus and said to Him, “If you are the Christ tell us plainly.”  Jesus replied to them, ‘If you want to know if I am from God, do what I say and you will know. (John 7:17-18)

            Obedience is the key to hearing and learning from God.   In John 14:21-23 Jesus says, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
²² Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"
²³ Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. ²⁴ He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. John 14:21-24 (NIV)

            If you want to know what God wants you to do, you must start with obeying the clear instructions from Scripture.  He will continue to shed more light as you walk in obedience with Him.

            One more case in the Bible will suffice in answering this question.  Just how will we know God is speaking to us?  When we determine to obey His voice without any evidence but His Word.  Listen to Exodus 3:11-12:

But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"
¹² And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain." Ex 3:11-12 (NIV)

            Notice the sign that Moses requested would be given only after he obeyed God’s command.  “This will be the sign to you . . . When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship me on this mountain.”

            How would Moses know God had spoken?  By obeying his voice at the first.  There are clear commands in Scripture which God has given us to obey.  If we obey them, He will provide us with the evidence we need.  Now go out and obey His Word!

Small Group Discussion Questions:

Share how obeying God’s Word in your life has made a difference for you lately.

Are there any areas in your life that need to be brought under obedience to the Lord and His Word?

Look up the following passages and list the specific things it says are God’s will for your life.

I Thes. 4:3-7

II Pet. 3:9-10

I Pet 2:13-15

Ephesians 4:29-32

How are you at obeying the clear instructions in the previous passages?

 Repent of your disobedience.

A great passage to commit to memory is Psalms 19:7-12.

Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. ¹⁹ If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” 1 Corinthians 15:17-19 (NIV)

            They really wanted to believe.  They had followed Jesus for close to three years and had witnessed the miracles and listened to his teaching.  They had left houses and homes to follow him, but now it all seemed senseless.  Their leader was dead and it is now three days after his death.  Life will just go back to being the dull, lifeless, purposeless existence they had before they had met Jesus.  And so we meet them on their long walk back to Emmaus, a small little village outside of Jerusalem.  Let’s listen in as they talk about their despairing situation with a stranger on the road.

“.  .  . we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. ²² In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning ²³ but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. ²⁴ Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see." Luke 24:21-24 (NIV)

            Let’s put this account in modern language.  “Even if there was a reason for hope on Friday, there is none now because this is the third day since He died.  We were thinking that maybe he had just passed out on the cross and that he would recover, but there’s no way now.  Already three days have passed.  There is no reason to go on hoping.

            “To make matters worse, some of our women went to the tomb early this morning and came back saying they had seen an angel who said he was alive.  Yeah, I wish I could believe that.  There were some in our group that had to go and check out the story.  We waited with great anticipation.  When they came back, their report was that the grave was empty but there was no evidence of Jesus being alive!

“Now, we not only have lost hope, but our own women have been given to hallucinations.  No, there just is no longer any reason for hoping.”

            How is it that Jesus gives evidence of his resurrection to these hopeless disciples?  Read on!

“He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" ²⁷ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
²⁸ As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. ²⁹ But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.
³⁰ When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. ³² They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"
³³ They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together ³⁴ and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." ³⁵ Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. Luke 24:25-35 (NIV)

            Notice what evidence Jesus gave to demonstrate his resurrection.  He took the Old Testament scriptures, beginning in Genesis, and worked all the way through, explaining carefully how each of the prophecies predicted what he would do when he came and how they would be fulfilled.  Then as they approached the village, he acted as though he would have gone on further.  They begged him to stay and eat with them, still not knowing who he was.

            It was at dinner when he took the bread and blessed it gave to them that their eyes were opened.  I wonder what it was that opened their eyes?  Does the Biblical material give any hint?  I believe it does.

            Notice the scripture says after he gave the bread to them their eyes were opened.  Why at this point and not before?  Before, he was just a great teacher they had engaged in conversation alongside the road.  Their hearts were prepared to see the risen Christ by the testimony of Scripture.  Now, when he gives the bread to them with his own hands and they take the bread, they notice the open wounds on his wrists.  They see the nail scars on his hands. 

            Such is the principle of Scripture in bringing people to Christ.  The Scriptures are the means that prepare the way for the revelation of Christ.  After they had heard the testimony of Scripture for at least one hour, perhaps longer, they were prepared by God’s Word to see the Resurrected Word. 

            We can use historical evidence to support our arguments if we choose, but we will find the world will find other historical arguments to support theirs.  Then the arguments go no further because the Word of God has not been used to prepare the way for faith.  Romans 10:17 says, “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”

            Some may argue that they need more than the Scriptures to support the truth of faith.  For those that argue that point, I direct your attention to the account of the rich man in conversation with Abraham.  He was now in the place of torment, waiting for the judgment at the end of the world.  He was now concerned that his brothers be warned about this place of eternal torment for all the ungodly.  He pleads with Abraham to do something so his brothers will not be deceived like he was and end up here as well.

Listen carefully to the dialogue.

 "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, ²⁸ for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
²⁹ "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'
³⁰ "'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
³¹ "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'" Luke 16:27-31 (NIV)

            Notice what the Scriptures teach at this point.  We think what we really need is more miracles or signs in the heavens so many will believe.  Perhaps even someone coming back from the dead to warn our relatives and friends would do the trick.  Look carefully at how the Scripture responds to such thinking. “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”  If they will not believe the Scriptures, then they will not believe even if there are miracles in their midst.

            When responding to the question, ‘What evidence do we have for the resurrected Lord?’, we point our friends to the Scriptures and their prophetic fulfillment and point to the lives of those who have been changed by Jesus.

Small Group Discussion Questions:

 1.      What evidence has been the most convincing for you about Jesus’ resurrection?

What about Homosexuality?

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders . . .

¹¹ And that is what some of you were. . . .1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NIV)

            On many campuses today, you can find “Christian” churches having Bible studies for those who have adopted “Alternate Lifestyles.” Many religious leaders seem to advocate that homosexuality is God’s gift to many and we should not be condemning toward what God has made.

About two years ago I was listening to Cliffe Knechtle conducting one of his open-air dialogues at the U of I.  Some one had just asked him a question concerning homosexuality and he gave a great Biblical response to the student’s questions.  At just about the same time at the other end of the campus was a rally for gay rights that had several pastors and priests speaking for the acceptance of this lifestyle.  They even stated that God had said this was ok.

In light of our cultural experience, how do we respond to this question?  Many consult psychologists or psychiatrists to give their argument credence.  Many Christians attempt the argument this way by presenting all sort of scientific studies to argue their case.  The Christian must not use science as his argument because the understanding of science changes with the wind.  Science is forever changing.  There is no such thing as an absolute statement in science.  If we set our moral compass by science, we will be far out of tune with truth.      It is very important that we let the Bible speak to us on this subject, and not some outside source.

            Many Christians just quote Leviticus 18,

²² Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. ²³ Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. ²⁴ Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: Lev 18:22-24 (KJV)

    We must present a thorough response to the challenge of this question. 

Many will respond to Leviticus 18 by saying we no longer obey most of Leviticus because of the new covenant Jesus instituted.  If we no longer follow all these other rules why do you still say homosexuality is wrong?

Let us seek to give a clear and precise Biblical response so that we may find the light of God’s truth.

            It is very clear in the very first chapter of the Bible that God made mankind in his image.  He created them male and female.  Both male and female have the image of God stamped on them and they were given the command to, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.”  (Genesis 1:26) 

            In Genesis chapter two we read more in detail about the specific creation of Adam and Eve.  Adam was created first and began to name the animals he saw, and he wondered that there was no partner for him.  Notice this passage indicates that the animals were not for his companionship.  They could not help him reproduce. 

            Then God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep and during his dream sleep God created Eve and brought her to the man.  When Adam saw her for the first time he looked at her and said, “Woe! . . . Man!  And that has been her name ever since! (Another poor attempt at humor, forgive me.) The Scripture indicates in Genesis 2:25 that the man and wife were naked and they felt no shame.  There was perfect beauty in this marital relationship that was unstained by human sin.

            Then the fall of man happens in Genesis chapter three.  By the time we arrive at the sixth chapter of Genesis, we see that mankind was marrying and giving in marriage and that every thought of his heart was only evil continually.  (Genesis 6:5) The flood arrives after years of warning from God to men for them to repent and turn to Him.  They did not listen nor did they turn from their evil ways and as a result they were swept away when the flood came.

Immediately after the flood we see again that man is still forever bent on doing evil.  By the time we get to Genesis 19, which chronologically is not that long after the flood, we find the men of Sodom and Gomorrah have become so debased that they are now turning from the natural use to an unnatural use of their bodies.

God destroys their two cities along with some smaller suburbs that cling to the sin of Sodom.  So just what was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah that brought them such judgment from God?  The Bible answers it for us, “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. ⁵⁰ They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.” Ezek 16:49-50 (NIV)

            I want you to notice the progression in this passage.  They were arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned; they did not help the needy.  They were refused to consult anyone other than themselves for their direction in life.  They were overfed.  They had all they needed.  Everything was almost perfect, no need for anything or anyone.  It seemed as if the culture was all about them.  They were the center of their universe.  We see this because they were completely unconcerned for the needs of the poor.  It is very interesting to see that when you look at today’s religious movements or philosophical systems that are in opposition to God’s truth, they have very little concern for others.  Their talk and public statements are all about their personal concerns for pleasure and a right to live however they see fit.

            For evidence of this, ask yourself who is there when trouble and destruction hit cities and countries?  Who are the people who help rebuild homes or feed the poor?  Who is busy building homes for orphaned children?  Who are the ones who help rebuild cities destroyed by terrorist attacks?  I have been privileged to help in disaster relief efforts of the Southern Baptist convention and not once have I found there to be an atheistic organization giving out water or helping with the victims of hunger or natural disasters.

Whenever a culture turns from worship of the one true God, they eventually turn to worship themselves in some form or fashion.  They became preoccupied with self.  They want to have the pleasure of sex but not if children are included.  Who among our society is the most needy?  Children.  But this world, and the world of Sodom, do not want any obligations toward children; that would be inhibiting to their pursuit of pleasure.

            Now the question, how could they experience the pleasure of sex without the responsibility that goes with it?  We will see the development of the homosexual philosophy as we study Romans Chapter 1:18-32 and see how this all fits together.

            Romans chapter one is written to address a culture that has rebelled from God.  Paul addresses such culture and then lists the indications that God has given a culture over to judgment.

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Notice that this passage says that these people knew God.  They were given a choice to either glorify Him or go their own way.  They chose the latter and as a result their thinking became futile.  Their minds were no longer able to think in the ways that were pleasing to God.  Not only was this so but their hearts were now darkened.  When your mind and your heart are darkened and shut out from the knowledge of God, you will only make wrong decisions and choices. 

 ²² Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
²⁴ Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. ²⁵ They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.
²⁶ Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. ²⁷ In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
²⁸ Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; ³¹ they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ³² Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”  Romans 1:21-32 (NIV)

            You will notice that this passage indicates that all the sins of the culture are a result of the culture not giving glory to God.  When they turned their back on God and refused to express their gratitude, God withdrew his presence from them and let them go on their own way.  As a result they became foolish in their thinking and then their hearts were darkened.  What should have been very easy to see as wrong was what they now deemed right and moral.

            The Scripture says, “God gave them over to do those things which are not convenient.”  They left the permanent pleasures of God for the temporary pleasures of sinful enticements.  This was designed by God to lead them to realize their error.  They became so hardened in their rebellion that they went from bad to worse and even though they knew this was neither what God had intended nor commanded, they took pleasure in rebelling even more. 

            When they experienced the conviction of God, instead of turning to God, they chose not even to think about God.  They pushed thoughts of God farther and farther from their minds and as a result God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.  Look carefully at the downward spiral. The Scriptures say they became filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity.  Does this bring them to a point of repentance?  It does not.  It only strengthens their resolve to refuse God even more, and then they make it impossible for others in the culture to have access to God’s truth.  They know God’s righteous decrees that those who do such things deserve death, and they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.  This is the culture that rebels against God.

The Bible indicates that this world system will always run from the truth of God and seek out other systems that will confirm and condone evil lifestyles.  It is important that we see that the sin of homosexuality is the sign of God taking his hand off a culture.  When you live in a culture that has turned its back on God’s truth you will find every sort of depravity being glorified.

            So how do we respond to the challenge of the person who claims to be a Christian homosexual in our culture?  We point them to the Scriptures,

 “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders ¹⁰ nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor. 6:9-11 (NIV)”

Notice in this passage that Paul says that those who are trapped in specific sins can be delivered.  God commands every one of us to repent and turn to Him and leave our life of destructive and sinful practices.  He says that those who used to be idolaters, greedy, immoral, thieves, drunkards, cheaters, or homosexuals received a new nature when we trusted in Christ.  Notice the key word in verse 11. “ And that is what some of you WERE.”  Because of what Jesus Christ has done, you have been delivered from your life of habitual sin and now are a new creation in Christ Jesus.  II Corinthians 5:17 says, “If anyone is in Christ He is a new creation, the old has gone and the new has come.”

The saving work of Jesus Christ delivers you from the guilt of your sin and now in this present age the saving work of the Spirit of God is delivering you from the power of sin.  If a person has been transformed by Christ, he or she will begin to live a life that is patterned after Christ in the New Testament. 

Homosexuality, along with the sins of lying, adultery, idolatry, etc., are all sins that offend a holy God and sins for which God will visit the offending party with his judgment.  If this is true, then we cannot say to the homosexual offender that we are better than him or her.  We can only say along with them, that we all stand in deep need of God’s mercy and grace.  To ignore the need for repentance, or to refuse to repent in light of God’s judgment, places all of us in grave danger of being separated from God forever.

The liar and the cheater stand next to the homosexual and all are in need of deliverance from sins that will ultimately destroy their lives and lead them down the dark road of deception to destruction.   Homosexuality is equated with sexual immorality and God condemns sexual immorality along with all the other acts of rebellion.

Small Group Discussion Questions:

When you read that “ no thieves, nor greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God”, how do you feel about your own standing before God?

What are the sins that you struggle with that are very difficult to overcome?

How has God brought you victory over different sins in your life?  Are some more difficult to overcome than others?  Why do you think this is?

How can you minister to those who are in the midst of an immoral lifestyle?

For a good insight into reaching those who the world considers moral outcasts, take some time to study Luke 18:9-14

What specific sins has God revealed to you that you need to confess to Him?  Take some time today to get alone with God and let Him convict you of the sin in your life so you can experience His cleansing and renewal.

How secure am I if I have trusted in Christ?

I admire the serene assurance of those who have religious faith. It is wonderful to observe the calm confidence of a Christian with four aces. (Mark Twain)

            In our world where permanents are temporary and life time guarantees run out when the business goes bankrupt, and till death do us part means until I find a better offer, many hear of the security that Christ offers but still are left wondering.  In this world where nothing seems certain, how certain can I be?  It is precisely at this point that the Bible gives great encouragement and hope to those who struggle with assurance, which really means most of us.  Glad you joined the club. 

            As you have seen throughout this book, I have always appealed to the testimony of Scripture and not to what someone else thinks.  So we will do so again.

            At the very beginning who was it that created man? 

            God.

            Good answer.  And what did God say about man?  Let us create man in our image after our likeness? Did God do that?  Yes!  Who was there to make sure that God accomplished the task?  God!  Right again.  So who watches over God’s promises to see that they are fulfilled?  God!

            If God watches over his promises to see that they are fulfilled, then what we need to ask is, “Is there anyone who can ever prevent God from keeping His promises?”

 From the text of Scripture we would have to conclude there is no one who can do that.  So when we see God making a promise to do something then we can rest assured that whatever He promised He will do.

            Let’s examine the Scriptures on this topic of assurance.  “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one." John 10:27-30 (NIV)

            Jesus said that His sheep listen to them and they follow Him and he gives them eternal life.  How long is eternal life?  Eternal!  Good answer.  Now, if you could lose eternal life, would it stop being eternal life?  Yes! Again, you are thinking.

            Now look at the next phrase,  “and they shall never perish.” What does never perish mean? Never perish!  Right again!  We are on a roll here.  

            Go on to the next phrase, “no one shall snatch them out of my hand.”  Who can snatch those who have eternal life out of the hand of God?  No one!  Does that include you?  Yes!  Are you getting the picture yet?

            In case you are still in need of more assurance, let’s look at a few more passages.

“What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:31-39 (NIV)

            I want you to notice what Paul says here in Romans 8.  What are the things that he lists that cannot separate us from God?

            Can trouble?  No!

            Can hardship?  No!

            Can persecution! No!

            Can famine or nakedness or peril or sword?  No!

            Can life or death?  No!

            Can angels or demons?  No!

            Can anything in the present or the future?  No!

            Can any powers? No!

            Can any height or depth?  No!

            Can anything else in all of creation?  No!

            So according to Paul is there anything or anyone in this life or the life to come that can ever separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord?  No!

            Ok, I know you are still having a hard time believing this, so let us look at one more passage. “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory.” Eph 1:13-14 (NIV)

            When you heard the word of truth, how did you respond?  You called on the name of the Lord and turned from your sins and asked Him to forgive you and take over your life.  What does the Scripture say happened to you at that time? You were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.  Now look at the purpose of that Holy Spirit.  He is a deposit guaranteeing your inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession.

            Let’s examine the word “deposit”.  Just what does Paul mean here?  He means that when you believed in Jesus, God placed his Holy Spirit in your life as a down payment indicating that he would complete the purchase. 

            In the days in which Paul writes this passage, we understand the laws governing deposits.  They are much like they are today.  If I want to buy a house and I want to indicate that I am going to complete the purchase, I put down some amount of money as a way of guaranteeing my completion of the transaction.  If for some reason I do not complete the transaction in the agreed upon time, I lose my deposit.

            When Paul says that God placed His Holy Spirit in our lives as a deposit, it was his way of saying that when you were bought with a price, God indicated that He would complete the full purchase by giving His Holy Spirit to you.  If for some reason God did not complete the purchase, He would forfeit his Holy Spirit and thereby cease to be God.

            So, in short, your salvation and position before God are as secure as long as God remains God.  Now, aren’t you glad you read this far in this book?  I think this calls for a celebration!  No matter what happens, I will live before God forever one day in complete uninterrupted fellowship, not because of what I have done, but because of his grace and mercy.  I think it is time for a hallelujah party.  Let’s go have one!

Small Group Discussion Questions:

When you purchase a car or large appliance, do you always purchase an extended warranty? Why?  Why not?

What purchase have you made that had the best guarantee?

Have you ever had any discussions with other Christians about eternal security?  What were the arguments presented?

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being fully assured you belong to Christ and 1 being you have no clue whether you do or not, where are you on the scale?  What do you think you need to do in order to reach a 10?

Here is list of other passages that you can study on this topic.

Psalms 137:7-8

Exodus 12:1-13

Ephesians 1:1-4

II Corinthians 1:20-22

II Corinthians 5:17-18

Galatians 2:20-22

Romans 5:1-9

Romans 6:1-23

Philippians 1:6

Colossians 2:1-10

I Thessalonians 5:23-24

Hebrews 6:1-20; 10:12-19

I Peter 1:1-9

I John 5:13-14

Jude 24-25

Revelation 1:6

You may want to select some verses from this list to commit to memory.

If you are completely secure forever, how does this knowledge affect you and your walk with Christ?

How important is it to believe in the Trinity?

“Trying to explain the Trinity to anyone is way too complicated.”  “Is it really that important?”  “There have been many people through the history of the church that could never really explain the doctrine of the Trinity so why do we need to believe it?”

On the surface this all sounds good.  I have had many discussions with those from other religions that attack the Christian faith precisely on this topic.  Many of my Islamic friends cannot see how the doctrine of the Trinity allows us to worship only one God.  They see the Christian faith as a polytheistic faith that argues semantically to sidestep the issue.  I could avoid a lot of difficulty if I just avoided the topic.  Just how important is this doctrine in our faith?  Hang on to your hat, this discussion will stretch your brain capacity, which for most of us will be a good thing.

It is imperative to state at the outset that no one can ever fully grasp the nature of the God of Scripture since He exists outside of time and space and is without limit or end. Therefore, we must say very clearly that whatever we conclude about the nature of God will always be an understatement.  We will never fully comprehend all there is to God since He is eternal and infinite and we are not.

Knowing these truths let us press on with humility to seek God’s wisdom and instruction in these matters. If we were to understand this doctrine of the Trinity, where would we start? 

            “At the beginning.”

            Great answer!  Let’s do that!

            In Genesis chapter one, verse one, we see that the Bible indicates that God has always existed apart from time and space.  We understand this since He created space and the material world; therefore He must have been before time and space and matter.  The Scripture is clear on this point, that God is Spirit and does not possess a physical body like we do.  (John 4:23-25)

Yet Scripture speaks of God in human terms so we can relate to Him.  Psalms 91 speaks of God protecting us under his wings.  Certainly we agree that God does not have feathers or is like a chicken or any other bird!  This descriptive language is used to describe how he relates to us.  A rule of interpretation we must follow is to always interpret the unclear in light of the clear and always allow Scripture to tell us what Scripture means.  We are not free to decide for ourselves what we think the passage means.  We believe that the Bible contains all that we need to know about God for this life (II Peter 1:2-4), so we must allow the Scripture to teach us what different passages mean.

Genesis 1:2 indicates that the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  Is this just a metaphorical statement, or does this indicate that the nature of God also reveals there to be a Spirit that can hover over and participate in creation in cooperation with the One God that spoke the universe into existence?  We cannot get our answer from this passage; we must let the entirety of Scripture speak to this issue.  Let us press on.

Genesis 1:3-1:25 declares that the God who spoke the universe into existence was actively involved in the process of creation.  By the time we reach Genesis 1:26, we begin to see even more light on the nature of God when he speaks using the plural pronoun “Us.”  “Let us make man in Our image after Our likeness.”  Something at the very beginning of Scripture indicates that there is one God and we now have an insight into his nature being revealed. 

We have a God who exists independent of time and space, who was before all time space and matter, who has within his nature the ability to speak things into existence totally and completely independent of any one or anything.  The God who exists eternally is now creating time and space.

            Now when we arrive at Gen. 1:26-27, we see there must be at least two persons in the nature of God, as He has chosen to reveal Himself to us through the written word.  He uses the plural pronoun for Himself when He says Us and Our.

Some have suggested that his passage refers to the plural of majesty, a form of speech a king would use when granting special permission.  For example, “We are pleased to allow your safe passage.”  However, in the Old Testament there are no examples of a monarch using plural verbs or pronouns in such a way. Others have suggested that God was speaking to the angels.  But angels did not participate in creation, nor was man created in the image of angels but in the image of God. 

What takes place in the text now is very interesting.  God desires to create man after his image, in his likeness.  So how does he create man?  If God were just a monad that existed in isolation, then he would have only created Man.  But he did not create just the man; he also made the female.  “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.”

We now see that when God speaks in his creation he has begun to reveal his nature as being not just one in isolation but also one in community and unity.  When he speaks of Man, he speaks of both male and female.  Both are completely human and yet both are uniquely separate.  You do not have the human race without both male and female, and yet both male and female are separate

From the very beginning, there has been the mystery of having one God. God, not gods, created the heavens and the earth.  However, we also see that this one God reveals himself as having a Spirit who is equal with and in relationship to Him.  There are many other places in the Old Testament where the plural is used to speak of God.  Consider Genesis 3:22 and Genesis 11:4-7.

We see this triune nature of God revealed in the prophecies of the coming Messiah in Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  Notice the name of the Messiah would be “mighty God, everlasting father.”  It is clear from this passage that the Messiah would be God, come in the flesh.

We have just a few more passages to consider for our discussion.  In  the book of Mark, Chapter 2:1-9, we see the clear teaching of Scripture as to the person and work of Christ.  Look carefully at the passage:

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. ² So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. ³ Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. ⁴ Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
⁶ Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ⁷ "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
⁸ Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? ⁹ Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? ¹⁰ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." He said to the paralytic, ¹¹ "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." ¹² He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!" Mark 2:1-12 (NIV)

 Here are very strong pieces of evidence that Jesus was not only claiming to be God but also demonstrated those claims by signs, wonders, and miracles.  Not only does Jesus heal a man that was paralyzed for years in full view of everyone, he makes some very specific claims.  He claims to have the power to forgive this man’s sins.  “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

When Jesus makes this statement, the religious leaders in the crowd think to themselves, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?”   Then they discover that He also reads their minds perfectly.  Now the question is not only, “Who can forgive sins?, but, “Who can read the minds of everyone present with complete accuracy?”

            The answer is none other than God himself.  The claim is supported by the evidence.  Jesus was not just a good teacher or a good prophet; he was and is God come in the flesh.  According to the Scripture, we now have a God who has revealed himself to be One God in Deuteronomy 6, but He has also indicated that there was more than one person in the One God in Genesis and Isaiah.

            In John 16:16, Jesus teaches his disciples about the Holy Spirit when he says,  "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever.”  The word for another is the Greek word Allos.  Allos is a word that means another of the same kind. 

            Jesus also indicates that this helper will be able to remain with them forever, indicating that this other helper has the nature of eternity.  There is only one thing that abides forever and that is God.  So when Jesus says, ‘I will give you another helper that will abide with you forever,’ He is saying,  “I will give you another helper that is just like me that will remain with you forever.  This Spirit that will be given by Jesus is exactly like God the Father and God the Son and yet He functions in a different way than the Father or the Son.

            So we see from our limited perusal of Scripture that God reveals himself to be a triune God in the person of the Father who created, the Son who secured our redemption, and the Spirit who applies the benefits of our redemption.

            So it is entirely appropriate to sing Holy, Holy, Holy, God in Three Persons, Blessed Trinity.  This is the foundation of our faith and the bedrock on which we stake our claim.  Now go out and allow your concept of God to grow and expand. 

            Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! ³⁴ For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? ³⁵ Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? ³⁶ For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:33-36 (NASB)

Small Group Discussion Questions:

How has your view of God been challenged or changed as a result of this discussion?

What other questions do you have concerning the Trinity that are still to be answered?

If the Holy Spirit is just like Jesus and He will remain with you forever, how does this truth affect your life?

Read Ephesians 1:13-14 and Colossians 2:9-10.  Is there anything you lack after you have received Christ?

Pick a few verses from our discussion and commit them to memory.  Be ready to quote them when you meet together next time.

What about evolution?

"The more statistically improbable a thing is, the less can we believe that it just

happened by blind chance. Superficially the obvious alternative to chance is

an intelligent Designer."

Dr. Richard Dawkins (Department of Zoology, Oxford University, UK)

            Proverbs says, “As a man thinks in his heart so is he.”  (Proverbs 23:7) What you think about your life and its beginnings has a vast and profound effect on you and what you decide to do with your life.  If you evolved from some primordial slime and have wriggled your way to college, it really does not matter what you do with your life.  After all, you are only educated slime mold anyway.

            On the other hand, if you are the product of a creative, omnipotent God who has designed you for his glory and purposes, then everything changes.  It does matter how you live and what you do with the threescore and ten that you have been allotted.

            Let’s look at what the Bible teaches at the very beginning. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Gen 1:1 (NIV) The Bible is clear: “In the beginning, God!” not, “In the beginning, hydrogen.”  This universe has its origin in the mind of God, who has a grand purpose for this creation.  When you consider the statistical probability of life evolving by chance random processes, even the laws of statistics say it is way beyond impossible.

            Our attempt in this discussion is not to examine all the evidence of science and see if it all agrees with the Bible; rather, we want to see what the Biblical material says and then based on that make the conclusions that Scripture makes.  We will not study what current science tells us to believe, because all of what science tells us can only be partial knowledge because science is the tool of imperfect man to view their world through imperfect lenses.  The Bible tells us that this world and this universe is now under a curse and man in his fallen condition will not see things clearly. The conclusions that man reaches can be extremely biased against God and His truth, so we will seek to understand what the Scriptures teach and then look at the world and see if the evidence supports the Biblical picture. 

If we were to put our faith in what science tells us we would never be able to speak with confidence, because everything in science is only partial knowledge at best. Science is constantly changing due to new information.   All the evidence given at the Scope’s Trial in 1925 to support evolution is now considered completely outdated because of new discoveries.  If we adapt our understanding of the Bible by what science says, we will be outdated in a few short years.  In the words of Jesus, “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” Matt 5:18 (NIV)

            For evolution to be true, several things must be substantiated.  Among these is the idea of the universe being billions of years old.  If you do not have billions of years, you cannot have evolution as the evolutionists demand.  You must have a huge fossil record that gives compelling evidence for evolution to be established.  You must have evidence of ongoing upwardly progressing evolution.  You must have evidence somewhere of information being added to the genetic code of living organisms.

            These are just a few of pieces of the puzzle that must be existent for anyone to claim evolution can even exist as a theory.  And yet, when the evidence is pooled together you have exactly the opposite.  As each piece of evidence is uncovered, the evidence confirms what the Biblical record indicates.

            Because this is not intended to be a detailed accounting of the evolutionary model, let us examine the Biblical material and see what the Bible teaches about this topic.  When we first open the Bible, we see the very first verse contradicts the teaching of evolution.  “In the beginning, God created.” (Genesis 1:1) According to the principles observed in Information Science, there has never been any new information or observation added to the genetic code since the beginning. 

            All information must have a personal communicator for the information to make any sense.  If you are given a bag of 26 letters and asked to draw out three letters until you get a meaningful word, and after several attempts you draw out the letters BAT, what do you have?  You might be tempted to answer, “bat.” But that is assuming someone told you what these symbols were.  If you were not familiar with the English alphabet, you would not know what you had.  The code would only have meaning to those who had the explanation of the code.  Without a personal agent communicating the meaning of the code you would not have anything.  According to Information Science principles, you cannot have any meaning without a personal agent behind it.  This is exactly what the Scriptures support.  In the beginning God, a personal agent, communicated to the universe through His creative and personal involvement.  The evidence for the creation account is firmly established at the very first verse of Genesis chapter one, verse one.

            What about the days in Genesis chapter one?  Are these days literal twenty-four hour days or are they something else?  Now, remember, we are going to let the Scripture tell us what these days mean, not something outside of Scripture.  This is always a good principle of studying the Bible.  The Bible has the ability to tell us what each passage means all by itself.  By comparing Scripture with Scripture, we learn that the word “Day” in Genesis 1 means a literal twenty-four hour period.  You may ask how we can know that.  Thanks for asking!

            To know what a passage means we turn to other places in the Bible where the same word is used and we also consider the context in which it is used.  Concerning Genesis chapter one, we see a very interesting pattern emerge: 

And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day. Gen 1:5 (NIV)

And there was evening, and there was morning--the second day. Gen 1:8 (NIV)

And there was evening, and there was morning--the third day. Gen 1:13 (NIV)

And there was evening, and there was morning--the fourth day. Gen 1:19 (NIV)

And there was evening, and there was morning--the fifth day. Gen 1:23 (NIV)

And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day. Gen 1:31 (NIV)

            Whenever the phrase ‘evening and morning’ is used outside of Genesis 1 without the word day (38 times), it always means an ordinary day—no exception. Whenever the words ‘evening’ and ‘morning’ are used individually with the word day (in fact 23 times each) outside of Genesis 1, the word day always means an ordinary day. Whenever the word ‘night’ is used with the word day (52 times outside of Genesis 1) the word day always means an ordinary day. In other words, whenever the word day is used with a number, or with the words evening or morning, or with the word night, or whenever the phrase ‘evening and morning’ is used, outside of Genesis 1, the Hebrew word for day always means an ordinary day, or the phrase evening morning means an ordinary day.

When you look carefully at Genesis 1, you’ll notice that the first time the word day is used, it is qualified with the words night, evening, morning, and number. And for each of the other times the word day is used for the six days of Creation, we see it used with a number and the words evening or morning. In other words, the contextual usage of the word day in Genesis 1 makes it obvious that it must be interpreted as an ordinary day.¹

Now if these really are twenty-four hour days, then we have a lot of rethinking to do.  But let’s suppose for study purposes that we let the Bible tell us these are literal twenty-four hour days.  Then we go to the world around us and see what we find.  If the world is only 6,000 or so years old then perhaps the rest of the Bible is true as well.  Is there a record of a global flood and a dispersion of the races from one common ancestor?  Is there compelling evidence of a very young earth? 

As I have studied the evidence, I have found compelling reasons to believe the Biblical account of creation and its history over the evolutionary model.  Time and space do not allow me to go any further but I suggest you visit two very good websites for further study.  The websites are answersingenesis.org and icr.org.  Isn’t it nice to know that you are not a primordial slime mold, but you do have a grand purpose for which you were created and this world is not the end but only the beginning.

Now go out and live like you were meant to live, not as an animal but as a human made in the image of God.

Small Group Discussion Questions:

Have you ever been accused of behaving like a monkey?  How many times?

Do you view the Bible as a book that speaks with authority on matters of Science and history and anthropology, etc.?  Why? Why not?

How has this discussion changed the way you view life?

Do you have any other questions concerning evolution and the Bible?

Consider looking up answersingenesis.org.  Perhaps note the next Creation Conference they are conducting nearby, and plan to attend it.  Better yet, see if you can bring an Answers In Genesis Conference to your campus.

What about all the evil and suffering in the world?

“Did you ever notice that evil spelled backwards is live?”  (Anonymous)

            I have had several students ask this question when I have held open air dialogues on their campuses.  One student, Steve, stepped out of the crowd and asked, “If God is so loving, then how come there are starving children in Africa?”

            I responded, “You seem quite concerned about the starving children in Africa Steve.  I commend you for being so concerned.”  He stepped back, rather shocked that I would even indicate that there might be something good in him after all.

            “Steve, are you really concerned with the starving children?” He was not sure how to answer, so I answered for him. “ It does seem to me that you are.  So let’s see how concerned you are.”

            “Steve, I know you are a college student.  I wonder how much money you spent on going to concerts, buying music cd’s, and purchasing alcohol this past year?”

            Steve replied, “ I don’t see what that has to do with my question?”

            “Trust me, Steve, it has everything to do with it.  How much did you spend?”

            Steve replied rather slowly, “I guess about one thousand dollars.”

            “That’s great, Steve.  Thanks for your honesty.  Now you have just told me that you were concerned about the starving children in Africa, and that you have spent at least one thousand dollars on your going to concerts, buying music, and having a few cold ones every week.  What I would like to ask you now is, since you are so concerned with the starving children in Africa, how much money have you given to help alleviate the hunger conditions in Africa this past year?”

            Steve looked rather embarrassed.  “Uh, I have not given anything.”

            The crowd standing around Steve began to accuse him of his hypocrisy.  I quickly came to his defense.  “Steve, I want to thank you for your honesty.  I know it is embarrassing to discover that you are now part of the problem of the hunger in Africa.  But so are all of us here today.  When you asked the question, “What about all the starving in Africa?” you indicated by your question that the starving children were God’s problem.  But now, when you take a good look at yourself, you find you are the problem. 

God has given you the resources to help alleviate hunger but you have not.  Why?  Because the Bible says that everyone one of us have sinned by refusing to follow God’s commands.  As a result this world is not a safe place to live.

            In short, this world is filled with evil people, and evil people do evil things and people die.  But it was not so at the beginning.  The Bible says that in the beginning it was very good.  Death and disease and suffering are all a part of Man’s rebellion.  This world in which you live is cursed and as a result you will all die at some time in the future because of your sin.

            There is a new world coming where there is no death and disease, no sickness or pain.  If you want to get to the new world you must obey God’s Word which says to “Repent and turn to God that your sins and acts of rebellion can be wiped out so that times of refreshing might come from the Lord.” (Acts 3:19)

            When you repent and trust in Jesus Christ, your sins will be forgiven and you will find God giving you a heart to care for the starving children in Africa and to reach out to those who are hurting with the good news that this life is not all there is.  Even though this life is under a curse, you can be set free from the curse and find a new hope in Christ and the promise of a new world to come.”

            Steve and a few other students walked away looking rather embarrassed and ashamed. 

            Certainly this does not answer all the questions of evil and suffering, but it can be a great launching pad for further discussion.

Small Group Discussion Questions:

1.      What questions do you still have about evil and suffering?

2.      What do you believe God wants you to do about the evil and suffering in the world at present?

3.      Who in your circle of influence do you know that is going through a period of suffering right now?  Take a moment to pray for them and then ask God how He wants you to minister to them during this time of suffering.

4.      Select a ministry that cares for those who are suffering and decide to take some specific action to meet their needs.

a.       Crisis Pregnancy Centers

b.      Hunger Relief through the International Mission Board, Attention: World Hunger, P.O 6767, Richmond Virginia 23230-0767

c.       Hunger Relief For North America; North American Mission Board, 4200 North Point Parkway, Alpharetta, Georgia 30022-4167

d.      Disaster Relief Ministries, State Convention Office