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Commentary on "In the Beginning"
Day 5: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 - The Cross and Creation
Overview
Today’s lesson attempts to show that a literal understanding of creation is necessary in order to “account [for] the whole plan of salvation”. It refers both to John 1:1-3 and to Romans 5:12. The last paragraph of the lesson states, “Again, the abusrdity of the position utterly rules it out. the only way to make sense of the Cross, of the need for the Savior to redeem a fallen race, is for human beings to have 'fallen’ from something, and a 'fall’ implies a descent, a degeneration, it means that we went from that which was good to somethings that wasn’t as good.”
Observations
While I agree that salvation only makes sense from a perspective of a Creator taking responsibility for His creations, the arguments used here seem insulting to me. Instead of using facts to build a case, the author is creating hypothetical arguments using illogical assumptions and conclusions to show that evolution makes no sense.
I find the arguments to be as illogical as the assumption of evolution.
The argument that the fall resulted in human degeneration misses the mark. Degeneration is a physical problem; sin is a spiritual problem. Adam and Eve’s spirits died the day they ate of that tree, and each of us is born spiritually dead in sin. We are “by nature children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3), citizens of the domain of darkness (Col. 1:13). We are not merely degenerate with lingering vestiges of goodness. We are spiritually dead, and only if we become alive through faith in the Lord Jesus do our spirits become born again of the Holy Spirit.
John 1:1-13 says this:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:1-13 ESV).
There is no reason to attempt to ridicule the theory of evolution in order to bolster the claims of creation. Truth is powerful on its own; speaking truth automatically reveals lie hidden in darkness.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—(Romans 5:12 ESV).
This powerful verse clearly articulates that we are born not merely degenerate but DEAD. Yet this point seems to be completely missed in the lesson. The entire focus is to try to make the case that Adam was real, and Adam ate the fruit, thus sin spread throughout the human race.
To be sure, this argument is true. Yet the verse says much more. It states that death has claimed and crippled humanity.
Using the texts in this lesson we learn that Jesus the Word is eternally God, created everything that has been created (including the angels), took on flesh, revealed sin, was rejected by His own people, and brought to us the right to become children of God born of God.
The texts are sufficient. We don’t need to expose or ridicule evolution. The reason Adventists are so deeply concerned about creeping evolutionism is that they link their Sabbath sanctity to creation. If instead they pondered the implications of the texts in this lesson, they would come face-to-face with a sovereign, eternal, almighty Lord Jesus who created everything but took flesh to save us.
We are not just flawed; we are naturally dead because of Adam. Without the Lord Jesus, we would remain dead in our sin, and no amount of trying or penance would render us save-able.
We owe our existence and our eternity to the Lord Jesus. Evolution is a straw-man argument. The real issue in this lesson is this: will you, the reader, take the Bible literally, believing its words mean what they say? Will you take Jesus seriously, believing that He died as a sacrifice for your sin and rose on the third day to give you life?
Will you place your faith and trust in Jesus and allow Him to be the Lord of your life?
Summary
- Ridiculing evolution is a straw-man, ineffective argument.
- The real issue is: do you believe Scripture?
- Jesus is the Creator and Savior of creations.
- Will you believe Him and place your faith in Him? Will you let the Lord Jesus be Lord of your life?
Copyright 2012 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised January 9, 2012. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
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