Do We Still?

Luke 4:18-19, 21 "The Spirit of the LORD is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor." He began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." 

Because of our sinful nature we tend to take the path of least resistance at times, you know, the easier way. If we’re not careful that way of thinking can slip into our faith life and that’s a problem because it’s not taking up our cross! Jesus cautions us; whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. It’s no easy task to take up our cross day after day and follow our Lord. It’s possibly the most difficult thing we do. It can wear on us, but do we still make that effort every day? Do we still have that zeal for our Lord? Is Jesus still our hearts desire?

Jesus came to give what no one could’ve ever dreamed up - salvation by grace through faith alone. As a result, we’re justified by faith apart from the works of the law. You’d think people would be overjoyed at that Message, to be relieved of the unbearable weight of God’s Law but most react just the opposite. Even though Jesus teaches throughout Scripture that the Law only condemns, that it has no power to save, that by the law is the knowledge sin. Many still think they deserve heaven! God’s Law acts, in part, like a mirror. When we look into the Law it reflects back the fact that we’ve failed, that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God! For that reason, everyone is destitute, penniless of any righteousness within ourselves!

We have nothing that we can use to bargain with God. But there is Good News, in perfect love for mankind, our Savior died so that we could be forgiven and saved by His grace alone. In Jesus we have unconditional forgiveness of every wrong, no questions asked, no strings attached! as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us! He assures us that He doesn’t even remember them anymore. Through Him the spiritually poor, (you, me, and all people) are given riches beyond measure and understanding! The free riches of God’s forgiving grace in Jesus. Make no mistake, we’re all completely dependent on Jesus’ righteousness alone!

That’s why He came! to heal the brokenhearted – everyone who realizes our sin and its terrible consequences. Jesus has healed our hearts, washed away our sins; given us peace with our heavenly Father, and a new life of saving faith! Jesus came to proclaim liberty to the captives. To set free all who were held prisoner by the power of sin and satan. Picture a dungeon, one of our own making, where we and all mankind were imprisoned awaiting eternal death! Our jailor was evil incarnate whose hatred for us goes beyond anything we can imagine!

Now, picture yourself chained in that dark, wet, dungeon; starving, dying, with no hope and no possible way to escape! That was our fate - until Jesus opened the prison door and set us free. To those blinded by the darkness of unbelief He gives recovery of sight. The Holy Spirit replaces the absolute darkness of death with the Light of Life – the power of God to salvation! No longer are we trapped in the depths of despair. Jesus set at liberty those who are oppressed, those who were slaves of their own mind and its corrupt desires! The souls of all throughout time who were chained in darkness Jesus has set free. He shattered those chains, forever destroying our adversary’s power over us. That’s the greatest act of love in all eternity, willingly taking all mankind’s sins upon Himself and dying the death we deserved to pay the full price for our redemption. Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. Jesus came to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. The time when God extends His saving grace to mankind. That time is right now and for as long as the Lord permits the world to continue! Jesus then spoke a most glorious revelation of mankind’s redemption; today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. This Message of perfect love and forgiveness, deliverance and life, is for all mankind! It’s the greatest Message of peace and love the world will ever know!

The OT faithful had waited thousands of years to hear those Words. It had been passed down from generation to generation, and now, before their very eyes, stood the fulfilment! Jesus the Messiah had come! But most had fallen into the deep and deadly sleep of spiritual indifference! Many no longer cared, they couldn’t even see why they needed to be forgiven, they thought they were good with God. It’s the same today! The saving Gospel, Jesus crucified for the sins of the world, often falls on indifferent ears.

By God’s grace we celebrate what the world despises and laughs at, our Lord’s Message of full and free salvation! Jesus has set us free from the prison of eternal death by forgiving us! He still freely gives that life and salvation to everyone who asks! He promises; ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  That’s our Savior’s boundless love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. That perfect love forever stands revealed on Calvary!  

But sadly, many are still blinded by unbelief, they ridicule and curse the Message of Life and Its Author! Their minds have been deceived by the world and its prince, they’ve turned their ears away from the truth!  They’ve grown indifferent and quite simply – just don’t care.

But, what about us? Have we grown spiritual indifferent?

Do we still trust in Jesus alone for life and salvation?

Do we still look to Jesus alone for strength and courage?

Do we still build our faith on the eternal foundation of His saving Word alone?

Do we still find joy in serving our Lord with our gifts?

Do we still have a burning zeal to share His saving Gospel with the world around us?

If not, we’re dead! We’ve fallen back into the death He saved us from! By God’s grace the Christian faith still burns brightly in this congregation. But we must always be on our guard! May the Spirit enable us to always see (through eyes of faith) what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God?

Amen

THE PERSPICUITY OF SCRIPTURE

THE PERSPICUITY OF SCRIPTURE

Presented to the South East Pastoral Conference

Jay Hartmann

   So called “men of God” or “theologians” have long claimed that the Scriptures are unclear and/or open to numerous interpretations, or that the interpretation of Scripture changes with the changing of times and morals; this simply is not so except to the spiritually blind and dead.

Our Lord makes that clear when He tells us; For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. Colossians 2:1-10 (NKJV)

And again; And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:19-21 (NKJV)

   That the Scriptures are clear and understandable by the “common person” is self-evident!  There is only one Spirit intended meaning of the Bible, not many as commonly held in our day. People have been fooled and satan has won a great victory by casting doubt on the perspicuity (clarity) of Scripture. The doctrine of the perspicuity or clarity of Scripture is simply this; our Lord has revealed to us in a clear and understandable manner all things necessary for salvation. The Psalms abound with statements affirming the clarity of Scripture.

Psalms 19:7-8 (NKJV) The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;  The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;

Psalms 94:12 (NKJV) Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law,

Psalms 119:104 (NKJV) Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

Psalms 119:130 (NKJV) The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

   Only because the Word of God, the Holy Scripture, possesses clarity can it make wise, impart blessedness, move us to hate every false way, and give understanding to the simple.

Again, through the Apostle Peter we have a statement of the clarity of Scripture.

And so we have the prophetic Word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 2 Peter 1:19 (NKJV)

In the following is a reminder of the certainty of the clarity of Scripture.

And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:15-17 (NKJV)

   The Scripture had come to Timothy; yet, by virtue of its own clarity this Scripture had imparted full wisdom unto salvation.

   Scripture clearly sets forth all that we need to know for salvation. That is why it is able to make people wise for salvation through faith in Jesus. Probably even more abundantly Scripture asserts its clarity by simply presupposing it as a self-evident fact in various situations. In the Savior’s parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus, Abraham counters the rich man’s plea that Lazarus be sent from beyond the grave to enlighten his five living brothers, with the statement “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them” (Luke 16:29)This shows that these Old Testament Scriptures clearly presented everything that they needed to know in order to be saved.

   Jesus encourages His Jewish hearers in their searching of the Scriptures. He assured them they would indeed find life eternal thereby because the Scriptures testified of Him as their Savior. Such encouragement would be meaningless without a Scripture that is clear! You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me (John 5:39 NKJV).

   The Bereans, just “ordinary” members of a Christian congregation, carefully compared everything Paul had preached to them with what they themselves found in their diligent searching of the Scriptures. They believed that the Scriptures were clear; by commending their activity and designating it as noble, Paul attested to the clarity of Scripture. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11) (NKJV) Every admonition of Scripture to beware of false prophets “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves (Matthew 7:15 NKJV), every exhortation to hold fast the sound doctrine ; Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus; (2 Timothy 1:13 NKJV),  and to hold fast the faithful Word (Titus 1:9 NKJV) holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict, presupposes a Scripture which is clear!

   This clarity is also asserted in every earnest warning against adding anything to God’s verbally inspired, inerrant, infallible Word or against subtracting anything from it.

Deuteronomy 4:2 (NKJV) You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

Matthew 5:19 (NKJV) Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Revelation 22:18-19 (NKJV) For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

   How could anyone know whether he was adding or subtracting to Scripture if It were not clear? Jesus states in John 8:31-32 (NKJV) Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” This again implies explicitly that Jesus has given us a clear Word so that it is possible to know whether we are continuing in it or not.

The clarity which Scripture ascribes to itself is, first of all, an outward clarity. It consists in this, that in the words and sentences of intelligible, comprehensible human language, Scripture clearly expresses all the truths which God has been pleased to reveal to us and which we need to know for our Christian faith and life now and for our eternal salvation hereafter. Scripture clearly expresses the truths which God wishes to convey and teach!

PERSPICUITY UNDERPINS ALL OTHER DOCTRINES

   Paul tells Timothy: 2 Timothy 3:15 (NKJV) and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Scripture and Scripture alone makes us wise unto salvation and it makes us wise through faith in Jesus alone! There is only one way of salvation for sinful mankind and that is through the free gift of God’s grace, through the gift of the perfect righteousness which His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, has won for us with His holy life and innocent suffering and death.  Acts 4:12 (NKJV) “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

   The one great Message of Scripture is the Message of this gift of salvation through Jesus. All that the Scriptures tell us serves the purpose of imparting this gift of salvation to us through faith and of making us blessed, rich, and fruitful in Its possession for time and eternity. Through the Gospel Message it creates faith in the sinner’s heart and in such faith comforts us with the assurance of unconditional forgiveness, life, and salvation. It constantly nourishes, strengthens, preserves the believer in faith, enables us to fight against all that is sinful, constrains and guides us in ever striving anew and more fully after all that is pleasing in God’s sight. Scripture and Scripture alone has such power to reprove, to correct, to instruct, such power to produce and sustain spiritual life.  2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Scripture has this power because It (the Canonical Books of the Old and New Testaments) is the verbally inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God from beginning to end. Jesus said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63 NKJV). That is the spiritual clarity of Holy Scripture!

   When one reads the Scriptures, hears the Scriptures, it is the same as though God Himself were standing before you in person in all His holy majesty and were addressing only to you the Words of His love. The Scriptures are not merely a record of the past revelation of God; they are also and above all His ever present and powerful revelation. The Gospel of Christ is ever filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. It is well that we never lose sight of this spiritual clarity of the Holy Scriptures. We should constantly remember that none of these truths or any other point of Christian faith and life can be certain and remain certain for us unless we hold firmly to the fact and doctrine of the perspicuity of the Scriptures. For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes... Romans 1:16 (NKJV). We are, by the Spirit’s strength and power working in us, to hold fervently to the clarity of Scripture, by doing so we know that we are dealing with certainties and not the fallacious philosophies of men.

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. Colossians 2:8 (NKJV)

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:19-21 (NKJV)  

   In our day many have relegated the Scriptures to “just another holy writing of men,” open to various interpretations and meanings. If the doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture were lost, and has been by many, then all doctrines will fall! Is that not obvious from the troubles we see in “mainline Christianity” today?

   Ravi Zacharias in his book called; “Jesus Among Other Gods” (Nashville: Wolfe Publishing, 2000) wrote: “We are living in a time when you can believe anything, as long as you do not claim it to be true. In the name of ‘tolerance’ our post modern culture embraces everything from Eastern mysticism to new Age spirituality. But such unquestioning acceptance of all things spiritual is absurd. All religions, plainly and simply, cannot be true.”

   The Lord tells us quite simply and clearly, A little leaven leavens the whole lump Galatians 5:9 (NKJV). We have seen the deterioration of what were once commonly held doctrines; creation, virgin birth, physical resurrection, even the central teaching of Scripture-Justification by Faith, be replaced by the false and damning teachings of men! And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men Matthew 15:9 (NKJV). When the clear teaching of Scripture is called into doubt it creates a domino effect, first one doctrine and then, given time, all will fall. What you have left is a vain and foolish religion of man, for man, by man! A common example of this is the “social gospel” of which our Lord clearly says; But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed Galatians 1:8 (NKJV). Our Lord warns us again quite clearly; For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NKJV).

   How can or does this impact us when we try to engage in doctrinal discussions with other denominations? We find ourselves talking to people who have little or no spiritual or moral absolutes. For most, all things are “relative”. This makes it very difficult, from a human point of view, to converse intelligently about matters of faith with these misled souls as they are not standing on the same level ground of Scripture. It is not impossible however, as we never limit the Spirit’s ability to shatter spiritual blindness through the “simple” Gospel message shared. Keep in mind, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV). The Lord does not hold us responsible for the effect His Word has on others, but He does hold us responsible for sharing that Word! But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear! 1 Peter 3:15 (NKJV) We are to continue to; Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching 2 Timothy 4:2 (NKJV). Many times, it may seem as if we are beating our heads against a wall; but ours is to plant, the Lord gives the increase!

CONCLUSION

   A precious and clear passage of Scripture such as; For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3:16 (NKJV), is a glorious, simple, and clear proclamation of the Gospel. This passage has been called the Gospel in a nutshell, it is a passage even our children know and understand. We are reminded that God’s Word was never intended to be a “Book” that only the clergy or spiritually elite could understand. The Bible was written for you and me and all people. It is the Word of God, the way our Lord speaks to us and guides us. Our Savior tells us; “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” Romans 10:17 (NKJV). It is that simple because the Holy Spirit who works through the Word giving us understanding and guidance and through that same Word creates, strengthens, and preserves us in the Christian faith.

   There is only one Spirit intended meaning of God’s Word, one reason why our Lord gave us His Word, to reveal to us our Savior and thereby the Way of Salvation! You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me John 5:39 (NKJV). And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent (John 17:3 (NKJV). That is what is revealed to us in the Word, our Savior Jesus Christ and the forgiveness and life He offers to all! Scripture is clear on all points of faith and doctrine. Scripture clearly expresses the truths which God wishes to convey and teach! The Word must ever be preserved in its truth, purity, and clarity by God’s grace and guidance. Our Lord has revealed to us in a clear and understandable manner all things necessary for salvation; to concede the doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture is to concede all!

The Creation-Evolution Controversy Dr. David Menton

Dr. David Menton holds a PhD in biology from Brown University and served as an award-winning professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis for 34 years. He retired as an Associate Professor Emeritus and now serves with Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher.

           "Some piously record `In the beginning God,' but I say in the beginning hydrogen." This pompous claim of crass materialism challenging the creative work of God by astronomer Harlow Shapley reflects the quandary students face today in our public and private schools. Many students, for example, have been required to watch and discuss the 13-part television series "Cosmos" featuring one of Shapley's best known students, Carl Sagan. In the first sentence of his book Cosmos (which is meant to supplement the television series), Sagan confidently declared in capital letters that "THE COSMOS IS ALL THAT IS OR EVER WAS OR EVER WILL BE." Sagan assures us that "we humans are the products of a long series of biological accidents" and concludes that all of our human traits - loves and hates, passions and despairs, tenderness and aggression are simply the result of "minor accidents in our immensely long evolutionary history." Sagan believes that "men may not be the dreams of the gods, but rather that the gods are the dreams of men." In an interview published in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat (Oct. 6, 1980), Sagan was asked to comment on his view of the future of man. Sagan replied, "I feel in order to survive we someday must be able to give up our allegiance to our nation, our religion, our race and economic group and think of ourselves more as just a temporary form of life . . ."

            We hear much about that great "wall of separation" that the framers of our Constitution were supposed to have erected to protect us from state-mandated religion. But are we to also be protected from state-mandated instruction in evolutionary beliefs and speculations that threaten to undermine the religious beliefs of many of our students? Evolution is a jealous god that neither seeks nor welcomes divine intervention. Julian Huxley, one of evolution's most vocal champions, declared that "the whole of reality is evolution-a single process of self-transformation." In this view there can be nothing above or outside of evolution, and thus the origin of religion itself is merely a minor blip in the recent evolutionary history of the universe. Even so, evolutionists often argue that there is nothing incompatible between religion and evolution as long as each confines itself to its own legitimate domain. But what limits can be set for a natural process that claims to be nothing less than the whole of reality?

            Science, or more accurately "scientism," has not hesitated to wade into the domain of religion. In 1981, theologians and scientists met at Massachusetts Institute of Technology under the auspices of the World Council of Churches to discuss the topic "Science, Faith and the Future." The general premise of the conference was that modern science requires us to develop an entirely new religion for the future. One theologian proposed evolutionary theory as "an especially rich source" for this new religion. Another proposed "ecotheology" as an approach to religion that "starts with the premise that the universe is god." Not to be outdone by theologians, a scientist claimed to have localized the exact part of the brain responsible for what "traditional religion calls the intuitive perception of God." Religious experience, he claimed, is "a product of the parietal-occipital region on the nondominant side of the brain." [Long, 1981 #246] Who knows - by now he may even have found a cure!

            Although many popular spokesmen for evolutionism are self-proclaimed atheists or agnostics, this certainly does not mean that all those who accept evolution in principle are atheists or agnostics. Indeed, many leaders, teachers and clergy in most major Christian and Jewish denominations have tried to make their peace with Darwin. These theologians generally argue that the Bible tells us who created, while science (that is evolution) tells us how He "created." This perhaps explains why a large gathering of Catholic educators meeting in St. Louis a few years ago invited Carl Sagan to be their keynote speaker!

            Darwin himself received his formal education in theology, not science. His atheist father sent him to divinity school at Cambridge University after he dropped out of medical school. In his autobiography, Darwin claimed to have once believed in God and "every word of the Bible" but confessed that his growing evolutionary views gradually led him to unbelief. In the end he considered the Old Testament to be a "manifestly false history of the world" and said that he "could hardly see how anyone ought to wish Christianity to be true." [Darwin, 1896 #242] Sadly, the widespread rumors of his deathbed repudiation of evolutionism and return to Christianity are unfounded.

            Today we encounter evolutionary indoctrination wherever we turn. It may be incorporated into almost any subject at any grade level in our schools, but it is especially prevalent in classes dealing with social studies, history and science. Outside the classroom, evolution is heavily promoted in our newspapers, popular magazines, television, radio, movies, national parks, museums, science centers, zoos and even on the backs of breakfast cereal boxes. Despite all this exposure, most Americans are still not convinced that evolution can explain the marvelous complexity we see all around us in nature.

            A recent Gallop poll revealed that 47% of Americans believe "God created man pretty much in his present form at one time within the last 10,000 years." Only 9% believed that "man has developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life" by a purely materialistic process. Most of the remaining respondents believed in some form of divinely-guided evolution. Still, the media would have us believe that those who reject evolution in favor of special creation comprise only a tiny minority, even among the religious - a small band of ignorant fundamentalists who are "poorly educated and easily led."

            We will critically examine the scientific evidence both for and against evolution. Is the evidence for evolution so overwhelming that teachers may be justified in running rough-shod over the most cherished religious beliefs of many students and their parents? On the other hand, is there scientific evidence in support of special creation? Finally, can Bible-believing Christians safely make their peace with Darwin? We will attempt to answer these and many other questions on the relationship of science and Scripture. I think you are in for some real surprises.

THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW AGAINST EVOLUTION -- AND THERE IS! Dr. David Menton

Dr. David Menton holds a PhD in biology from Brown University and served as an award-winning professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis for 34 years. He retired as an Associate Professor Emeritus and now serves with Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher.

            Perhaps the reason so many people continue to reject the notion of evolution is that it seems contrary to ordinary experience. Things left to chance just don't get done. Random changes in anything simply do not produce higher levels of organization and complexity. Rather, all complex machines and devices with which we are familiar are the result of intelligent design and manufacture. Random changes can only destroy them.

            None the less, the essential claim of evolution is that random change and natural selection do make simple things spontaneously transform into more complex things without recourse to intelligent purpose or design. The famous evolutionist Julian Huxley has defined evolution as a "directional and essentially irreversible process occurring in time, which in its course gives rise to an increase of variety and an increasingly high level of organization in its products." In his book Evolution in Action, Huxley says that nowhere in the process of evolution "is there any trace of purpose, or even of prospective significance." Huxley says that evolution is driven solely by "blind physical forces" engaged in what he calls a great "chaotic jazz dance of particles and radiations."

            Incredibly, Huxley concludes that evolution is a process in which "the only over-all tendency we have so far been able to detect is that summarized by the second law of thermodynamics - the tendency to run down." Now think about this - one of the most highly respected spokesman for evolution tells us that evolution produces an increasingly high level of organization in things by means of a chance process whose only over-all tendency is to cause things to break down!

            The whole notion that random change over a long period of time can transform simple systems into ever more complex systems runs precisely contrary to one of the most fundamental laws of nature - the second law of thermodynamics. The Second Law states that with time, everything in the universe tends to undergo progressive degradation. With the passing of time, things do not naturally increase in order and complexity - they decrease. Think of what spontaneous change over say a thousand years will do to an automobile, or your own body. Scientists tell us that with enough time, this natural degradation process will lead to the "heat death" of the whole universe when virtually everything in nature will run down to the point that even molecular motion will cease!

            Evolutionists have tried to get around this formidable obstacle by arguing that the Second Law only applies to closed systems that do not receive energy from the outside. The earth, they remind us, is an open system that receives energy from the sun. Evolutionists believe that as long as energy flows into such a system, simple things will just naturally transform into more complex things. They believe that the immense complexity we see in all the living things here on earth has occurred at the expense of our sun. While the sun is burning up, and thus decreasing its free energy and complexity in accordance with the Second Law, the sun's energy promotes a local increase in complexity here on earth.

            To illustrate how all this is supposed to work, evolutionists often give simple examples such as the earth's water cycle. The Second Law predicts that in a closed system, water will naturally flow downhill and will not flow up hill. But the earth being an open system, receives energy from the sun which can in effect make water flow "uphill." Specifically, the sun's energy can evaporate water which has accumulated on the earth causing water vapor to rise up again into the atmosphere. Having made such a small investment in fact, evolutionists hope to gain a wholesale return by huge extrapolation. They would have us believe that just as a little energy from the sun can cause water to evaporate and go "uphill," so a lot of energy impacting on the earth over 4.5 billion years can cause a mixture of the gasses methane and ammonia to transform into people.

            The evolutionist cannot get around the Second Law, as it applies to evolution, with such trivial examples. All observed cases in which complex things are derived from less complex things demand an already existing machine that is at least as complex as that which it produces. While this machine requires energy to do its work, energy by itself is not enough. Energy and raw materials, for example, are used in an automobile factory to make complex automobiles, but nothing would come of these resources were it not for the even more complex machines, designs, and intelligent workers associated with the factory.

            Like factories, living animals and their cells are comprised of extraordinarily complex machines that use energy and raw material in the form of food to do work, produce complex products, and even make identical copies of themselves. The food that sustains life is ultimately a product of living green plants. Such plants use energy from the sun to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugar and starch. This process, known as photosynthesis, involves still other complex machines called chloroplasts in the cells of green plants.

            It is important to emphasize that the different kinds of energy consuming machinery in living cells are not the chance products of mere energy and raw material but are constructed according to extraordinarily complex and precise "blueprints" in the genes of each cell. Copies of these "blueprints" are read and implemented by still other complex machines in the cell called ribosomes. When all of this genetic information and machinery is present and working properly in say an acorn, it has everything it needs to use sunlight and simple raw material to grow into an oak tree. But if the same sunlight shines on a dead oak tree, it will eventually break it down into dust.

            Creationists are convinced then that there is a law against the theory of evolution - the second law of thermodynamics. Evolutionists, on the other hand, continue to reject the idea that thermodynamics is in any way incompatible with evolutionary theory. They insist that creationists simply don't understand thermodynamics. But the great physical scientist Lord Kelvin, who was the very founder of the second law of thermodynamics, was a Bible-believing Christian and a creationist! Kelvin, a contemporary of Charles Darwin, was convinced that the science of dynamics was incompatible with evolution. In one of his published lectures, Kelvin said: "I need scarcely say that the beginning and maintenance of life on earth is absolutely and infinitely beyond the range of all sound speculation in dynamical science. The only contribution of dynamics to theoretical biology is absolute negation of automatic commencement or automatic maintenance of life."

            The Bible tells us that "every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything" (Heb. 3:4). It requires less faith to believe this eminently reasonable statement about the origin of complex things as revealed in the sure Word of God than it does to believe in the unreasonable speculations of men.

Depart in Peace!

Luke 2:25-32 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.  So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:  “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” So far God’s Holy Word!

We’ve opened our gifts, celebrated the festivities, now what? We do so much leading up to Christmas that when it passes it almost seems anticlimactic, as if there should be more - but there is more - much, much more! Christmas brought to us an eternity of God’s grace. Everyday should be just like Christmas for us because the gifts we received from our Savior never stop giving.  That which Christmas gave to us, the Gift of our Savior, is ours now and forever. Jesus has given us life in its fullest and salvation for eternity. Through the Christ Child we have been given gifts that will never grow old, never wear out, and we’ll never outgrow. Christmas should leave us with the thought; “Depart in Peace” May the Spirit bless our meditation!

There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. His name means; God-receiver. He was the Officiating Priest when Mary & Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple – this was no accident. The Spirit says that Simeon was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel. He was one of the very few faithful during that time of spiritual apathy and death. Mary & Joseph brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the Law. Simeon was to conduct a ceremony called Pidyon Haben or redemption of the first-born son a traditional Jewish ritual that released the firstborn son from the obligation of being a priest.

Otherwise there’s not much known about Simeon other than what the Holy Spirit reveals here. But what else could possibly matter? What greater honor or testament could there be for any person? Simeon was a Christian. The Holy Spirit was upon him and led him in his life of faith and also gave Simeon a very special blessing; He promised Simeon he wouldn’t die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

Simeon had the honor of not only seeing the Christ Child but also holding Him. We too have seen the Christ Child through the eyes of faith. We can rejoice as Simeon did knowing that in Jesus forgiveness and life eternal are ours! We’ve all received gifts from family or friends and we cherish those gifts knowing they were given in love; but how much more so should we cherish the gifts of God given in perfect and unconditional love? Nothing compares to His Gift of our Redeemer Jesus!

Simeon was led by the Spirit to the Temple at the same time Jesus’ parents went there to perform the sacrifice according to the Law of Moses. While they were there Simeon did something that must’ve astonished Mary and Joseph. Stepping up to them, he took the precious Child in his arms and blessed God. Simeon held Jesus and praised God for the Gift of a Savior from sin! In faith, led by the Spirit, Simeon said, Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word.

Those words are part of the Nunc Dimittis also called the Song of Simeon, a hymn of praise to God by the aged Simeon. But there’s a whole lot more to these Words than we might think!  They are a proclamation to all mankind of God’s love! To understand this, we must keep in mind our Lord’s Words, apart from faith in Christ, there is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. But yet, because of His perfect and never-ending love; the Words Simeon spoke are a proclamation of God’s Universal Grace given to mankind through Jesus’ sacrifice! Simeon’s old eyes saw the salvation of God; my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples! Simeon announced that salvation is for all and the only way of salvation is through faith in the precious Christ Child, the long-awaited Messiah! The very Child he held. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.

Life eternal through the promised Messiah is given to whoever believes in HIM and it’s intended for everyone! Jesus is the universal gift of God’s grace freely given to mankind! The perfect and never-failing Gift that gives unconditional forgiveness and certain salvation! Now, Simeon could truly “depart” this life in peace having seen mankind’s Redeemer! A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of HIS people Israel. Jesus, the Light of Life, has given the full brightness of the Gospel to mankind! the people walking in darkness have seen a great light. This beautiful hymn of praise to God emphasizes, in the strongest possible terms that God’s saving grace in Jesus is for all! No One is excluded from the salvation freely given by Jesus unless they want to be! He died for all!

Christmas, and the joy it gives, doesn’t end after the presents are opened or a calendar day passes, the Gift Christmas gave us is ours for eternity! Christmas should always leave us with the thought; Depart in Peace!

Amen!

Behold Your Redeemer's Glory!

Matthew 3:13-17 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased."

Epiphany is a time in the church year that gives us opportunity to see our Savior as the One in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily! To see Him as the eternally blessed God; who came to save mankind. Epiphany gives us the opportunity to see the glory, majesty, and power of our Lord before we see His death march to Calvary! Jesus’ baptism was a miraculous event that revealed His glory and divinity. It marked the end of John the Baptizer’s ministry and the beginning of our Savior’s ministry of reconciliation to bring mankind back together with God! It was a bitter and rough road that the King of kings would travel but Jesus, knowing His Father was with Him, with absolute resolve born of unconditional love, began His journey to the final battle for salvation! Jesus left the disguise of His obscure life walking out of the shadows into the spotlight. He would no longer be anonymous or faceless to the masses; Jesus, the eternally blessed God; would now be the most prominent figure in all of history as well as the most persecuted.

When John was at the very height of his ministry Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. Isaiah had prophesied long ago concerning John; The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. John was the road builder, he paved the way for the Messiah, but he never forgot that Jesus came to save him as well! John knew he also needed the redemption that only Jesus can give! John said that he was not worthy to untie Jesus’ sandal strap much less baptize Him. John tried to prevent Him, saying, I need to be baptized by you! That was a confession of faith, he knew and proclaimed Jesus as the Redeemer! He pointed the people away from himself to their only Way of salvation!

----Jesus said of John; among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist. John could’ve let that go to his head and become proud thinking too highly of himself. But John understood his role, and so should we. John said; Jesus must increase, but I must decrease. That’s something we need to remember as well! We want Jesus to increase in us and through us. All we do, our thoughts, words and actions should glorify our Lord! We are to be a light to the world and let our light shine to lead people to their Savior! Jesus must increase and we must decrease; that is think less of ourselves and our desires and more of our Lord and serving Him, keeping Him first in our lives. We’re not here to serve ourselves but to serve our Lord Jesus in any way and every way we can. We’re to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, knowing everything we have need of will be given to us as well. There’s a saying that might help us put this in perspective; If you meet me and forget me, you’ve lost nothing. But if you meet Jesus Christ and forget Him you’ve lost everything.

John understood, he felt unworthy to baptize Jesus and it’s not hard to understand how he must’ve felt. How can I, a mere sinner, baptize the King of Glory? Why would my God and Savior come to me seeking Baptism - why would Jesus need it? John knew there was no sin in Jesus for Baptism to remove but everything the Father asked of Him, Jesus willingly did! Down to the smallest detail Jesus fulfilled everything necessary for our salvation. Jesus gently, but firmly, assured John It was the proper thing to do. Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness. At the Savior’s Word John Baptized the Lord of Glory! As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened. An incredible and miraculous event! The Holy Spirit descended like a dove. The Father is revealed in a voice from heaven; this is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. He gave the seal of approval upon the Savior’s work of redemption! It was the Father’s full and undeniable consent and blessing upon Jesus’ ministry of reconciliation.

God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were present at Jesus’ baptism. It reveals the majesty and divinity of our Savior. Jesus - who is over all the eternally blessed God – had begun the fulltime work of mankind’s salvation! Jesus would take as His own the sins of mankind and in love allow Himself to be crucified in our place to pay for them. The greatest act of love in all eternity! No wonder we hear; this is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!

Not very many today can see Jesus’ glory, only those to whom it’s been revealed. Think of what that means and then rejoice that you can see His glory through eyes of faith! Contemplate that fact, let it sink deep down into your hearts, you’re among those who’ve been redeemed by Jesus! Our Savior has made us His very own for life and eternity! That’s why we thank and praise Him and it’s why we want to serve Him!

Amen!

Do We Still?

Luke 4:18-19, 21 "The Spirit of the LORD is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor." He began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." So far God’s holy Word!

Because of our sinful nature we all tend to take the path of least resistance at times, you know, the easier way. If we’re not careful that way of thinking can slip into our faith life and that’s a problem because it’s not taking up our cross! Our Redeemer says; whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. It’s no easy task to take up our cross and follow our Lord. It’s possibly the most difficult thing we do as Christians. It can wear on us but we’re to make that effort every day? Do we still have that zeal for our Lord? Is Jesus and serving Him still our hearts desire? Do We Still? May the Spirit bless our meditation!

Jesus came to give what no one could’ve ever dreamed up - salvation by grace through faith alone. We are justified by faith apart from the works of the law. You’d think people would be overjoyed at that Message, but most react just the opposite. Even though Jesus teaches throughout Scripture that the Law only condemns, that it has no power to save, by the law is the knowledge sin. Some still try to work their way to heaven! God’s Law acts, in part, like a mirror. When we look into the Law it reflects back the fact that we’ve failed, that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God! For that reason, everyone is destitute, penniless of any righteousness within ourselves!

We have nothing that we can use to bargain with God. But there is Good News, in perfect love for mankind, our Savior died so that we could be forgiven and saved by His grace alone. In Jesus we have unconditional forgiveness of every wrong, no questions asked, no strings attached! as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us! He assures us that He doesn’t even remember them anymore. Through Him the spiritually poor, (you, me, and all people) are given riches beyond measure and understanding! The free riches of God’s forgiving grace in Jesus. Make no mistake, we are completely dependent on Jesus’ righteousness alone!

That’s why He came! to heal the brokenhearted – that’s everyone who realizes our sin and its terrible consequences. Jesus has healed our hearts, washed away our sins; given us peace with our heavenly Father, and a new life of saving faith! Jesus came to proclaim liberty to the captives. To set free all who were held prisoner by the power of sin and satan. Picture a dungeon, one of our own making, where we and all mankind were imprisoned awaiting eternal death! Our jailor is evil incarnate whose hatred for us goes beyond anything we can imagine! That’s why our Lord warns us; be alert and of sober mind. Our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Now, picture yourself chained in that dark, wet, dungeon; starving, dying, with no hope and no possible way to escape! That was our fate - until Jesus opened the prison door and set us free. To those blinded by the darkness unbelief He gives recovery of sight. The Holy Spirit through the Gospel has opened our eyes with the Light of Life. No longer are we trapped in the depths of despair. Jesus set at liberty those who are oppressed, those who were slaves of their own mind and its corrupt desires! The souls of all throughout time who were chained in darkness Jesus came to and has set free. He shattered those chains, forever destroying our adversary’s power over us. The greatest act of love in all eternity, willingly taking all mankind’s sins upon Himself and dying the death we deserved to pay the full price for our redemption.

Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. Jesus came to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. The time when God extends His saving grace to mankind. That time is right now and for as long as the Lord permits the world to continue! Believe it or not, Jesus spoke these Words while in church. He had stood up to read and chose this powerful Gospel Message from the Book of Isaiah. When He finished all eyes in church were intently watching Him, wondering how He would explain this prophecy. Jesus then proclaimed the glorious revelation of mankind’s redemption; today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. This Message of perfect love and forgiveness, deliverance and life, is for all mankind!

It’s the greatest Message of peace and love the world will ever know!

The OT faithful had waited thousands of years to hear those Words. It had been passed down from generation to generation, and now, before their very eyes, stood the fulfilment! Jesus the Messiah had come! But most had fallen into the deep and deadly sleep of spiritual indifference! Many no longer cared, they couldn’t see their need to be forgiven, they thought they were good with God. It’s the same today! The saving Gospel, Jesus crucified for the sins of the world, often falls on indifferent ears.

Many ridicule and curse the Message of Life and Its Author! Many will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They’re deceived they’ve turned their ears away from the truth! But to all who’ve been blessed with faith, we celebrate our Lord’s declaration of full and free salvation! Jesus is the fulfillment of Scripture! He has set us free from the prison of eternal death by dying as our substitute to give us forgiveness! He still freely gives that life and salvation to everyone who asks! Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

That’s our Savior’s boundless love for all! This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. May the Spirit enable us to always see (through eyes of faith) what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God? That perfect love forever stands revealed for all to see on Calvary and Jesus promises He will never leave us nor forsake us.                                              

But what about us?

Do we still trust in Jesus alone for life and salvation?

Do we still look to Jesus alone for strength and courage?

Do we still build our faith on the eternal foundation of His saving Word alone?

Do we still find joy in serving our Lord with our gifts?

Do we still have a burning zeal to share His saving Gospel with the world around us?

If not, we’re dead! We’ve fallen back into the death He saved us from! By God’s grace the Christian faith still burns brightly in this congregation. But we must always be on our guard! May the Holy Spirit enable us to always trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding; In all our ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct our paths.

Amen