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GENESIS
LESSON #02
INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 2
v MEMORY VERSE: PSALM 33:6
v GENERAL OBSERVATIONS:
Ø WHAT YOU BELIEVE REGARDING CREATION ANDEVOLUTION AFFECTS YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, YOUR BELIEFS, AND HOW YOU LIVE YOURLIFE. WE ARE GOING TO FOLLOW THE FOLLOWING FALSE STATEMENTS TO THEIR LOGICAL FALSECONCLUSIONS.
§ (-A-) IF WE BELIEVE THISWORLD CAME INTO BEING BY EITHER SOME COSMIC, NUCLEAR, OR CHEMICAL ACCIDENT, WITHOUT THEINVOLVEMENT OF AN ALL POWERFUL GOD:
· THEN WE CANNOT COUNT ON GOD TOEVER INTERVENE IN OUR LIVES. (HEB 11:6)
· THEN THERE IS NO POINT TO PRAYER.
· THEN GOD IS NOT A GOD OF ORDER.
· THEN GOD DOES NOT HAVE A PLAN FOROUR LIVES.
¨ IN OTHER WORDS, WE WOULD BE CONVINCED THATGOD IS NOT IN CONTROL OF OUR LIVES, AND WE COULD NOT COUNT ON HIM FOR ANYTHING.
§ (-B-) IF WE BELIEVE THATMAN IS AN ADVANCED ANIMAL BROUGHT ABOUT BY CHANCE AND DESCENDED FROM OTHER ANIMALS:
· THEN WE WOULD BE CONVINCED THATLIFE HAS NO MEANING, PURPOSE OR FUTURE.
· IF WE BELIEVE THAT AN ACCIDENTALGENE TWIST COULD CAUSE MANS EXTINCTION, THEN GOD IS NOT A GOD WITH A PLAN, NOR IS HEIN CONTROL, NOR IS MAN ANY MORE SPECIAL THAN THE SMALLEST CELLED ORGANISM.
§ (-C-) IF WE BELIEVE,ACCORDING TO EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES, THAT LIFE IS ACCIDENTAL AND HAPHAZARD PROGRESSINGTOWARD PERFECTION:
· THEN WE WOULD BE CONVINCED THATTHE DIRECTION OF LIFE IS HAPHAZARD AND ACCIDENTAL.
· WE WOULD BELIEVE THAT GOD ISWITHOUT ORDER, PURPOSE, OR STANDARDS FOR MAN OR ANY LIFE SPECIFICALLY.
· IF WE BELIEVED THAT MAN ISBECOMING MORE PERFECT ACCORDING TO EVOLUTION, THEN WE WOULD NOT NEED A SAVIOR TO REDEEMUS.
· IF MANS DEVELOPMENTPROGRESSES TOWARD POSITIVE IMPROVEMENT AS EVOLUTION CLAIMS, ADAM COULD NOT HAVE BEEN APERFECT CREATION.
¨ WE ARRIVED ON THIS PLANET LATER IN TIME THANJESUS CHRIST, WE, THEREFORE, MUST BE MORE PERFECT THAN HE WAS. THIS IS THE LOGICAL FALSECONCLUSION OF THIS BELIEF.
Ø THEREFORE, JESUS CHRIST WOULD BE NO DIFFERENTFROM ANY OTHER FALLEN, SINFUL MAN OF HIS TIME.
§ (-D-) IF WE BELIEVED,ACCORDING TO EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES, THAT HUMAN LIFE DEVELOPED THROUGH TIME WITH MANYBLIND GENETIC ALLEYS, MISFITS, AND EXTINCTIONS ALWAYS STRUGGLING FOR EXISTENCE OF THE MOSTFIT:
· THEN WE WOULD BE CONVINCED THATLIFE DEVELOPS HAPHAZARDLY. THIS WOULD MEAN THAT GOD IS WITHOUT LOVE. THEREFORE, THERE ISNO NEED FOR CHRISTIAN LOVE TO LOVE THE WEAK, THE HELPLESS, AND THE MISFITS OF SOCIETY.SOCIETY WOULD BE BETTER OFF WITHOUT THEM! THIS IS A TERRIBLE CONCLUSION.
¨ THE RESULTS OF THIS BELIEF IS THAT THERE ISNO SPECIAL VALUE TO LIFE.
Ø THIS MAKES EUTHANASIA AND ABORTION MORALLYACCEPTABLE.
§ NAZIISM WAS BASED ON THISASSUMPTION
§ NEO-NAZIISM, GENETICENGINEERING, AND GENETIC BLIND ALLEYS MEAN THAT GOD DID NOT GET CREATION RIGHT THE FIRSTTIME.
· WE WOULD BE FORCED TO AGREE THATGOD LACKS WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE.
§ (-E-) IF WE BELIEVED THATTHE INDIVIDUAL HUMAN IS ONLY AS IMPORTANT AS THE GENETIC SOCIETY (GENE POOL) FROM WHICH HECOMES:
· THEN WE WOULD BE CONVINCED THATTHE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST IN THE GENE POOL MEANS THE INDIVIDUAL IS NOT IMPORTANT. THEBIBLE DISAGREES. (MAT 18:11-14 2PE 3:9)
¨ THE ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHRISTIANITYAND OTHER RELIGIONS IS ITS QUALITY OF LOVE BASED ON GODS VALUE PLACED ON HUMAN LIFE.
§ (-F-) IF WE BELIEVED THATTHE BEGINNING OF THIS UNIVERSE WAS NOT A SUPERNATURAL, MIRACULOUS EVENT:
· THEN WE MUST CONCLUDE FALSELYTHAT GOD IS NOT THE SUPREME CREATOR.
· THEN WE WOULD NOT OWE GOD OURLOVE, HONOR, WORSHIP OR OBEDIENCE. (ISA 45:9)
· IF CREATION WAS NOT SUPERNATURAL,THEN THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS MIRACLES. IF THERE ARE NO MIRACLES, THEN WE WOULD BECONVINCED THAT WE CANNOT EXPECT ANY MIRACLES IN OUR LIVES.
v REVIEW:
Ø FROM THESE EVOLUTIONARY STATEMENTS, IT ISOBVIOUS FROM WHERE MUCH MODERN THINKING COMES IN REGARDS TO GENETICS, THE VALUE OF HUMANLIFE, AND MORALITY IN GENERAL.
v THEISTICEVOLUTION:
Ø THERE ARE SOME CHRISTIANS WHO ATTEMPT TOBLEND THEIR BELIEF IN THE BIBLE RECORD OF CREATION WITH.A BELIEF IN THE EVOLUTIONARYPROCESS TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS.
§ THEIR ARGUMENT IS, COULDNTGOD HAVE USED THE EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS TO BRING THE EARTH AND MAN INTO BEING?
· THIS IS CALLED THEISTICEVOLUTION. IT WAS ONE OF THE EARLY ATTEMPTS TO BLEND THE TWO BELIEFS.
¨ IT COMES FROM ISAAC NEWTON (1642-1727) WHOSAW GOD AS THE WATCHMAKER:
Ø ISAAC NEWTON SAW THE UNIVERSE LIKE A CLOCKTHAT GOD WOUND UP AND SET TO GO, BUT LEFT IT TO RUN WITHOUT EXTERNAL INTERVENTION BY GOD,AND ACCORDING TO NATURAL LAWS.
§ THIS BELIEF ASSUMES THATTHE AGE OF MIRACLES IS PAST.
§ THIS BELIEF CONTRADICTS THEBIBLE.
· READ COL 1:16-17
· READ HEB 13:8
§ THIS NATURAL CAUSE ANDEFFECT MAKES MAN THE PRODUCT AND VICTIM OF HIS ENVIRONMENTA HELPLESS PAWN.
· IF THIS IS TRUE, MAN THEREFORE,WOULD NOT BE MORALLY RESPONSIBLE TO A GOD WHO LEFT HIM HELPLESS.
· IF THIS IS TRUE, MAN WOULD HAVENO HOPE OF AN INTERVENING GOD WHEN HE PRAYS.
v SOMEBASIC ISSUES AND CONFLICTS:
Ø ACCORDING TO TRUE SCIENCE, BOTH EVOLUTION ANDCREATION ARE THEORIES.
§ THERE WERE NO EYEWITNESSES. EVEN MOSES, WHO WROTE THE BOOK OF GENESIS, WAS NOT THERE WHEN GOD CREATED THEUNIVERSE.
§ NEITHER PROCESS OFEVOLUTION OR CREATION CAN BE REPRODUCED IN THE LABORATORY.
| THEORY OF EVOLUTION | THEORY OF CREATION |
| LIFE ON EARTH HAS BEEN EVOLVING OVER BILLIONS OF YEARS. | THE EARTH AND LIFE ON IT WERE PROBABLY CREATED LESS THAN 10,000 YEARS AGO. |
| THE COURSE OF LIFE ON EARTH HAS BEEN DETERMINED RANDOMLY. | LIFE ON EARTH WAS DESIGNED AND HAS PURPOSE. |
| LIFE IS PROGRESSIVELY BECOMING MORE AND MORE COMPLEX IN BOTH ORDER AND FUNCTION. | LIFE IS DEGENERATING WITH DISORDER, DEFICIENCIES, AND GENETIC WEAKNESSES ACCUMULATING WITH EACH GENERATION. |
| WITHIN THE BIOSPHERE THERE HAS CONSTANTLY DEVELOPED NEW AND MORE COMPLEX LIFE FORMS WITH EACH NEW LIFE FORM BEING EITHER A DEAD FORM OR A LAUNCHING PAD FOR NEW AND MORE COMPLEX LIFE FORMS. | THERE IS A DEFINITE FIXED PATTERN OF KINDS IN BOTH PLANT AND ANIMAL LIFE. |
| THE MECHANISMS OF EVOLUTION ARE:
GENETIC MUTATION, ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES, AND VAST AMOUNTS OF TIME. |
WIDE VARIETY WITHIN KINDS IS GENETICALLY BUILT IN AND CAN BE TRIGGERED BY ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND/OR SELECTIVE BREEDING. |
v SOMESCIENCE BASICS (PHYSICS):
Ø THERE ARE TWO PROVABLE, WELL-ACCEPTEDSCIENTIFIC LAWS OF THERMODYNAMICS TAUGHT IN EVERY PHYSICS CLASS.
§ -1- THE LAW OF THECONSERVATION OF ENERGY:
· NOTHING IS NOW BEING CREATED ORDESTROYED, ONLY CHANGED IN FORM.
¨ THE UNIVERSE IS A CLOSED SYSTEM. EXAMPLES:
Ø MATTER CHANGES TO ENERGY.
Ø CHEMICALS CHANGE FROM LIQUID TO GAS.
§ -2- THE LAW OF RANDOMNESSAND DISORDER (LAW OF INCREASED ENTROPY)
· ENERGY IS CONTINUALLY BEINGDEGRADED INTO NON-USABLE HEAT ENERGY.
· RANDOMNESS AND DISORDER INCREASEOVER TIME HEADING TOWARD TOTAL DISORDER.
Ø BIBLICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE LAWS OFTHERMODYNAMICS:
§ THE 2 SCIENTIFIC LAWS OFTHERMODYNAMICS ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE BIBLE.
· A CREATION RUINED BY SIN ANDSATAN LEFT TO ITSELF WITHOUT INTERVENTION BY A LOVING GOD WOULD ONLY RESULT IN DISORDERAND CHAOS.
¨ READ ROM 8:22
¨ READ MAT 24:6-8
Ø SCIENTIFIC IMPLICATIONS OF THE LAWS OFEVOLUTION:
§ THE 2 SCIENTIFIC LAWS OFTHERMODYNAMICS ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION.
· BECAUSE OF THE SECOND LAW OFTHERMODYNAMICS (ABOVE), AN ORDERED PLANET NATURALLY EVOLVING FROM DISORDERED CHAOS CANNOTLOGICALLY OCCUR.
· BECAUSE OF THE SECOND LAW OFTHERMODYNAMICS, NATURAL EVOLUTION CAN NEVER PRODUCE MORE AND MORE COMPLEX SPECIES FROM ACHAOTIC CHEMICAL POOL.
v CONCLUSION:
Ø IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE CHRISTIAN TO BELIEVEIN CREATION BY A LOVING GOD AS EXPLAINED IN THE BIBLE BECAUSE IT AFFECTS HIS CHRISTIANFAITH AS WELL AS HIS BASIC ATTITUDES TOWARD LIFE AND TOWARD GOD.
Ø BIBLICAL CREATION IS COMPATIBLE WITH BASICLAWS OF PHYSICS WHILE THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION VIOLATES EVEN THE BASIC SCIENTIFIC LAWS.
HOMEWORK
INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 1
v MEMORYVERSE: PSALMS 148:5
