Foundations of Faith
CREATION (VI)

Creation Vs. Evolution (Continued)

Macroevolution. As noted in Nov01, Darwin and others observed only microevolution in action. They observed birds, plants, and micro-organisms showing minor adaptive changes in response to a changed environment as well as more substantial changes in response to breeding programs. These scientists then made a tremendous leap:they hypothesized that over the course of millions of years multitudes of small changes would accumulate so that new species and even new families, new orders, and new phyla of animals and plants would be formed. These large changes are called macroevolution.

There are many problems with macroevolution. One is that it is not supported by the fossil record. While evolutionists believe that birds evolved from reptiles, there are a great many fossils of fully formed reptiles and birds, but no fossils of the hundreds of intermediate forms required by Darwin’s theory.

A second problem with macro-evolution has to do with the nature of mutations. Sometimes when living cells are reproducing a gene may not get copied exactly right. This is called a mutation. If this occurs in reproductive cells, the offspring may have a characteristic that neither of the parents possessed due to the mutation. It has been observed by scientists that the vast majority of mutations are harmful (such as producing a disease). For macroevolution to work, however, in every step of the evolutionary pathway (say from a reptile to a bird) there must occur a helpful, beneficial mutation.

A third problem with macroevolution is that of understanding how the intermediate forms could have survived and prospered. Imagine the evolution of a lizard into a bird. The lizard’s forelegs would have to become much longer (to develop into wings), its bone density would have to decrease greatly (to make flight possible), its leathery skin would have to change into feathers, among many other major changes. Now try to picture a lizard that, over millions of years, has evolved half the way to becoming a bird. It is neither a lizard nor a bird. It is now lacking some of the features that made it possible to survive as a lizard, and doesn’t yet have the features that would make it possible to fly and survive as a bird. That such a creature would be able to survive and reproduce itself for millions of years while evolving into a bird sounds more like survival of the “misfits” than of the “fittest”!

These are not simply the mocking expressions of a creationist. Here is a quotation by the foremost evolutionist, Ernst Mayr, in his book Systematics and the Origin of Species:“It must be admitted that it is a considerable strain on one’s credulity to assume that finely balanced systems such as certain sense organs (the eye of vertebrates, or bird’s feathers) could be improved by random mutations…. However, the objectors to random mutations have so far been unable to advance any alternative explanation that was supported by substantial evidence.” Is this science, or is this faith in a different kind of creator, the god of Chance? (See Assignment 16)

Punctuated Equilibrium. In the past two or three decades, more and more evolutionists have been withdrawing their support of Darwinian evolution. A number of alternative theories have been proposed, the most popular being that of punctuated equilibrium. This theory does away with the hundreds of tiny changes proposed by Darwin and requires very large and sudden changes, such as a lizard giving birth to a bird. Of course there is not a shred of evidence supporting this. But it illustrates the lengths to which evolutionists will go to avoid acknowledging a Creator.

Intelligent Design. While many books still refer to evolution as “a fact,” there is movement among evolutionists today toward acknowledging that there must at least be an “intelligent designer” who has directed the evolution. (This is somewhat similar to “theistic evolution” mentioned in Nov01.) The following books might be helpful to read and share with the teachers of evolution at your school:(1) Darwin’s Black Box by Michael Behe, (2) Evolution:A Theory In Crisis and (3) Nature’s Destiny, both by Michael Denton, and (4) Darwin on Trial by Phillip E. Johnson.

It is important to understand that scientists have defined “scientific evidence” in such a way as to exclude anything that is supernatural, or cannot be explained by natural happenings. If the scientists were honestly to compare all of their scientific knowledge against two theories-the theory of evolution by time and chance and the theory of creation by a Supreme Being-I believe that the creation theory would fit much, much better with the evidence. But the scientists will not permit such a test to take place with the argument that Divine creation is “unscientific.”

Much, much more could be written about these matters, but it all boils down to this:Will you believe in eternal Matter and omnipotent, omniscient Chance, or in the eternal, omnipotent, omniscient Creator-God?

Running the Race
Assignment 16: Write out at least one verse in 1 Corinthians 15 that might be used as an argument from the Bible against macroevolution.

Assignment 17: The following is a review quiz based on the Year-2001 issues of GROWING. Please refer back to the indicated issue when answering each question.

1. (Jan.) What made Jesus angry? Write out some verses that describe His anger.

2. (Feb.) Write out verses to describe three examples of sinful anger.

3. (Mar.) Write out three verses that give us Biblical instruction concerning anger.

4. (Apr.) Briefly describe three ways that a Christian might deal with the problem of sinful anger.

5. (May) What do the following classes of Christians need: (a) babes in Christ; (b) young believers; and (c) spiritual fathers?

6. (June) What does it mean to “know Christ”?

7. (July) Write out verses that state (a) how and (b) why God created the universe.

8. (Aug.) On the second day God made the firmament or expanse; write down three ways in which this benefits mankind.

9. (Sept.) Write down three ways in which the fourth day of creation benefits mankind.

The remaining three parts will be given in Jan02 GROWING.

Foundations of Faith
CREATION (V)

Creation Versus Evolution

How did our universe, the galaxies, the planets, earth, life, and man come into being? As noted in Jul01, “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth…. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psa. 33:6-9).

Our school books, however, give quite a different story. It goes something like this:About 15 billion years ago a super-dense ball of matter exploded, scattering clouds of hydrogen and helium in every direction; gravitational forces caused these gases to be drawn together into stars and stars into galaxies; various other forces caused the hydrogen and helium atoms to combine to form larger atoms, like oxygen, carbon, iron, and many others; large clumps of these heavier atoms spun off the stars to form planets; on at least one of these planets, the action of lightning and other strong forces caused some of the hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen atoms to combine to form various amino acids and nucleotides; unknown forces caused the amino acids to unite together in long chains to form proteins and enzymes and the nucleotides to join together to form DNA (the stuff that makes up genetic material); then somehow or other, the DNA, proteins, and enzymes all got together in exactly the right way to form a living, reproducing cell. At this point, the biologists and evolutionists pick up the story and tell us that the early one-celled organisms, progressively changed into multi-celled organisms, and then into plant and animal creatures of increasingly greater complexity, until finally the highest being of all—man—appeared.

Now this is a most amazing story, because most scientists will tell us—with a straight face, mind you— that the two mysterious powers driving the immense changes from chaos to ever-increasing magnitudes of order and complexity are … Time and Chance! Yes, they say that given enough time all these wonderful things will happen randomly or by pure chance. As noted in Oct01, we all have observed that everything, left to itself without human or divine intervention, tends to run down, decay, and deteriorate. I confess that I haven’t cleaned out the tool shed under the front porch for several years. Is it self-cleaning? Alas, no! Spider webs on the walls, decaying leaves on the floor, garden tools in disarray. Do I see change from chaos to order? No! Change from order to chaos? Definitely!

The Evolution of Life. A scientist named Stanley Miller is a hero among those who worship the gods of Time and Chance. Several decades ago he devised an experiment that showed that by heating the gases methane, ammonia, and cyanogen in the presence of water and an electric spark, which produces ultraviolet light, many different chemical compounds are formed. He found in these preparations nearly all of the amino acids found in all living things. But in spite of many attempts since then to carry these results to the next step, no scientist has found a “natural” way of combining these amino acids into proteins, crucial building blocks of life. Furthermore, no scientist has yet been able—even with great intellectual effort—to “create” a living cell out of non-living chemicals.

But suppose that a simple protein should be formed by chance, what then? An isolated protein does not represent life. A living cell consists not only of suitable proteins but of strands of DNA that make it possible for those proteins to be replicated to form a new cell. The DNA has to be precisely matched with the protein in order to reproduce it exactly. So for that first living cell, not only was it necessary for one or more proteins to be formed by chance but also for the exactly corresponding DNA chain to be formed by chance at the exact same time and place. What is the probability of such a thing occurring by chance? Evolutionists Fred Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe have recently calculated this probability—or the probability of life evolving by chance from non life—to be of the magnitude of 1/10^40,000 (that is, one chance out of the number 1 followed by 40,000 zeros). Hoyle says that a living organism emerging by chance from a soup of chemicals is about as likely as that “a tornado sweeping through a junkyard might assemble a Boeing 747 from the materials therein.”

The Bible says that God is the source of all kinds of life (Genesis 1, 2). Which takes more faith? To believe that a Divine Creator brought life into existence by His own wisdom and power, or that life spontaneously evolved from non life over the course of 100 million years?

Evolution and Natural Selection. The theory of evolution states that all living things on earth are here as a result of descent, with modification, from a common ancestor. Charles Darwin in the 19th century proposed a mechanism to explain how evolutionary change takes place. This mechanism—natural selection or “survival of the fittest”—is the cornerstone of the theory of evolution.

Darwin observed what he presumed to be the outcome of evolution in his study of the finches of the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean. He noted that variations in beak size, body shape and other anatomical features among the finches conformed to variations in climate and vegetation on the different islands. (Something similar is going on whenever drug-resistant strains of viruses and bacteria appear.) Darwin also was impressed with the great variations that could be obtained with artificial selection—such as the breeding of dogs (from Chihuahua to St. Bernard), livestock (for milk, wool production), and crops (for yield, disease and drought resistance). (See Gen. 30:25 43.)

What Darwin observed, and what we observe in plant and animal breeding and in microorganisms that are resistant to antibiotics, is micro-evolution. There may be large differences among different breeds of dogs … but they are all still dogs. No one has ever been able to breed a non-dog from a dog. A new strain of the “staph” bacterium that is resistant to penicillin is still the same species, Staphylococcus aureus.

(To be continued.)

Running the Race
Assignment 15: Write out at least four verses in Genesis 1 that show, or at least imply, that species of plants and animals are fixed and do not change into other species.

Foundations of Faith
CREATION (IV)

Wonders and Beauties of God’s Creation (Continued)

We could easily take up the next several issues of GROWING with a consideration of the many wonders and beauties of God’s creation. But let us conclude by listing just a few of the many evidences found in the universe that point to a Creator-God.

1. The high degree of order of our universe, given that all things, left to themselves without human or divine intervention, tend to run down, decay, and deteriorate.

2. The balance between gravitational force and electromagnetic force in stars:if the strength of gravity were altered by one part in 10^40, all stars would be either red dwarfs or blue giants and suns supporting planets with life could not exist.

3. The holding together of the nucleus of the atom. Except for hydrogen atoms, each atomic nucleus has two or more positively charged protons along with neutrons. Just as the positive poles of two magnets repel each other, so the protons in a nucleus will naturally repel each other. Unless there is an extremely strong force holding the nucleus together, the nucleus will fly apart. Physicists have no idea what holds the nucleus together, but they have invented a term for it:the “strong nuclear force.” I suggest that Christ Himself is the strong nuclear force, for the Bible says that “by Him all things [hold together]” (Col. 1:17).

4. Surface tension of water (why water rises from roots to tops of trees).

5. The multi-step blood clotting system (why clotting stops once the open wound is “bandaged” and does not keep on clotting until the arteries are completely clogged).

6. The body’s immune system (how the human body is prepared at a moment’s notice to produce zillions of just the right kind of antibodies to attack an invading army of viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms).

When Did Genesis 1 Take Place?

There are a number of different theories held by Christians as to the timing of the creation events described in Genesis 1. These include the gap theory, the young universe theory, the young earth old universe theory, the day-age theory, and the theistic evolution theory, among many others. A description of each of these theories and arguments both for and against each one will now be presented. The writer does not find any of these theories totally satisfactory—either scientifically or scripturally—and believes we may have to wait until we are able to talk to the Creator in person before we can know for certain which—if any—of these theories is correct.

The Gap Theory. The creation of “the heaven and the earth” (Gen. 1:1) may have taken place billions of years ago—as claimed by scientists. There may have been plant and animal life on the earth during this time. Something—possibly the fall of Satan —caused the earth to be totally covered by water (Gen. 1:2). Then in six literal days about 6,000 years ago God reformed the heavens and the earth specifically for the creation of man in His own image (Gen. 1:3-27). A verse in Isaiah (45:18) is used to argue that God did not originally create the earth in the condition described in Gen. 1:2. However, if we consider Isa. 45:18 in its context, this may not be an appropriate interpretation. A stronger argument for the Gap Theory comes from the Hebrew structure of Gen. 1:1,2:The past tense is used in the first two verses while the present tense is used in the rest of the chapter, suggesting a break between the initial creation of “the heaven and the earth” and the six days. Historically, the Gap Theory is said to have been formulated in the early 1800’s to accommodate claims by geologists that the earth is billions (rather than thousands) of years old. However, to the writer’s knowledge, there is little scientific evidence to support an earth previously filled with plant and animal life but becoming “without form and void” about 6,000 years ago.

The Young Universe Theory. Gen. 1:2 describes the state of the earth immediately after God formed it and the six literal days of creation tell how God shaped and populated the earth. Contrary to claims by scientists, the universe is only a few thousand years old. All of the geological formations, fossils, and fossil fuel deposits can be explained by the world-wide flood of Gen. 6-8. Those who promote this theory discount the carbon-14 and other dating methods used by scientists, saying these methods are based on unprovable assumptions. (However, their own theories are also based upon unprovable assumptions.) They also claim that God created the universe with merely an appearance of great age some 6,000 years ago. Some object that this theory portrays God as a deceiver.

The Old Universe, Recent Creation of Life Theory. This is kind of a cross between the first two theories; it allows for a universe and earth billions of years old but no life on earth prior to the six days of Genesis 1 about 6,000 years ago. Again, fossils and fuel deposits are explained by the flood.

The Day-Age Theory. The six days in Genesis 1 represent six long periods of time, each period marked by God’s direct formation and creation of new heavenly and geological features and new life forms. One argument for this theory is that the events of the sixth day (Gen. 1:26-31; 2:19-22) seem to cover much more than 24 hours. It is also argued that the Hebrew word for “day” is sometimes used in the Old Testament for long periods of time (such as Prov. 4:18; Eccl. 7:14; Isa. 2:11, 12); however, such use is infrequent. Also, the repeated use of the expression, “and the evening and the morning were the third day,” in Genesis 1 would seem to argue against this theory.

An argument sometimes made for the Recent Creation of Life Theory and against the Gap and Day-Age Theories is that “by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin” (Rom. 5:12). The opposing argument is that the next phrase specifically applies this to the death of man:“death passed upon all men.”

The Theistic Evolution Theory. God created the universe with a built-in program that would bring about by so-called “natural causes” the formation of chemical elements, heavenly bodies, planets, life, and ultimately man.

(To be continued.)

Running the Race
Assignment 14: (a) What arguments, if any, can you think of in favor of the Theistic Evolution Theory? (b) What arguments, if any, can you think of in opposition to this theory?

Foundations of Faith
CREATION (III)

Wonders and Beauties of God’s Creation (Continued)

The Third, Fifth, and Sixth Days— Dry Land and Three Kinds of Life. On the third day God caused dry land to appear by fashioning the earth into hills and valleys. Then He caused the earth to bring forth plant life. This life-form consists only of “body.” Plants do not have souls. They can respond to physical and chemical stimuli such as light and water, but cannot think.

On the fifth day we find the second occurrence of the word “create”:“And God created great whales and every living creature [or literally, soul] … and every winged fowl” (Gen. 1:21). All of the elements of plants are in common with the elements of the dust of the earth; therefore we don’t read of God “creating” the plants, that is, forming them out of nothing (see Aug01). But the soul was something totally new, and therefore was “created.” Both animals and man have souls, by which they think, learn, remember, and express emotion.

On the sixth day we find the third occurrence of the word “create”:“God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them” (Gen. 1:27). Here again is something new. The animals, while they have souls, were not created in God’s image; only man was. While the word is not used in Genesis 1, that which distinguishes man from animals is possession of a spirit. The attributes of the spirit include reasoning power, creativity, conscience, responsibility, moral qualities, and ability to know, believe in, and communicate with the invisible God. Biologists have defined basically two kingdoms of life—the plant kingdom and the animal kingdom. But God clearly shows us in Genesis 1 that there are three kingdoms of life— plant, animal, and man. (See Assignment 13)

The Fourth Day-Sun, Moon, and Stars. On the first day God called light into existence, without specifying the source of that light. What may have occurred in the fourth day was the adjustment of the heavenly bodies to the optimum arrangement for habitation of the earth by man. Let us consider some features that God has given to this universe of galaxies, stars, sun, moon, and earth that make it possible for life to exist and for man to live comfortably.

First, what relationship between the earth and the sun determines the length of a day? It is the time it takes for the earth to make one rotation on its axis-24 hours. Have you ever thought about the value and importance of the rotation of the earth? It is God’s way of providing the light and heat of the sun for a part of each 24-hour day for every part of the earth. Also, if part of the earth were continually facing the sun it would become unbearably hot, just as the part continually away from the sun would become unbearably cold.

Second, what determines the length of a year? It is the time required for the earth to make one complete revolution around the sun-about 365 1/4 days. God set the earth in motion around the sun at precisely the correct speed to balance the centrifugal force of the revolving earth against the gravitational force of the sun. If its speeds were slightly greater, the earth would fly off into outer space; if slightly less, it would be pulled into the sun. Is it not evidence of God’s creative power and genius that not just earth but eight other planets as well maintain regular, predictable orbits around the sun? Could this have happened by chance? Surely “the heavens declare the glory of God” (Psa. 19:1)!

Third, what determines the change of seasons from spring to summer to autumn to winter? It is the 23 degree tilt of the earth’s axis with respect to the sun, along with the revolution of the earth about the sun, that determines the seasons. If the Earth’s axis (that is, the imaginary line running through the earth from the North Pole to the South Pole) were perpendicular to the sun while the earth revolved around the sun, then the entire earth would always experience the first day of spring or the first day of autumn. While that may sound pretty good to some of you, note that on the first day of spring in northern Minnesota a few years ago it was -15 degrees F. (-26 degrees C.)! So once again, we can be thankful to our all-wise God who has designed the movements of the earth to provide a very large part of the earth with comfortable weather as well as a climate suitable for growing crops for a substantial part of the year.

Let us make another observation in connection with the seasons. The earth’s orbit around the sun is not circular but slightly elliptical. This means the earth’s distance from the sun varies through the year. Now at what part of the year do you think the earth is closest to the sun? I would have guessed summertime too, but that is not the correct answer. The earth is closest to the sun (91.4 million miles) in early January and farthest from the sun (94.6 million miles) in early July each year. What does this mean for man? Again I believe that God designed the orbit of the earth around the sun to maximize the survivability and comfort of man and the growing season for crops for the earth as a whole. With a circular orbit, it would get even hotter in the summer and colder in the winter than it does now.

Now some clever reader may observe that this arrangement is all well and good for us who live north of the equator. But how about those poor folks who live in the southern hemisphere? For them, the earth is closest to the sun in their summer season and farthest from the sun in their winter season. Once again the perfect wisdom of God shines out. If we look at a map of the world we see that there are vast land masses in the northern hemisphere north of the 30th parallel (all of Europe and most of North America and Asia), while in the southern hemisphere there is very little land south of the 30th parallel. So the lands that need it the most-because farthest from the moderating ocean breezes-benefit most from the earth’s elliptical orbit about the sun.

“And God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day” (Gen. 1:18, 19). As we learn more about the marvelous universe that God has created for man, how we can echo, with worship and praise, those words, “It was-and still is-good.”

(To be continued.)

Running the Race
Assignment 13: (a) Write out a verse in Romans 8 about God communicating with the human spirit. (b) Write out a verse in 1 Thessalonians 5 that distinguishes between soul and spirit.

Foundations of Faith
CREATION (II)

Did It All Begin with a Bang?

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). The word “create” in this verse means to form something out of nothing. How does the big bang theory—that a dense ball of matter exploded into the universe—fit in with Gen. 1:1? There is a superficial similarity between the two in that both state that the universe suddenly came into existence. However, the big bang theory says that everything we see in the universe evolved from the initial explosion by chance over a long period of time, whereas Genesis 1 makes it clear that the Creator-God was very actively involved in it all.

Some scientists naively think that with the big bang God is removed from the picture. They must, however, explain how the matter got there in the first place. Some think they can get around this by appealing to Einstein’s equation, E=mc2. This equation states that small amounts of mass (m) can be converted into a tremendous amount of energy (E) (such as in a nuclear explosion) because of the great speed of light (c). Turning the equation around, all that is needed for the big bang to occur is a vast amount of energy. However, the scientists are still in a bind because they cannot explain where all that energy came from. (We can, though, can’t we, by appealing to the omnipotence of God.) Still other scientists claim, with a wave of their hands, that matter and energy are eternal and self-existent, so the necessary ingredients for the big bang have always been around. But they have only replaced the personal Creator-God with an impersonal matter-energy-god. They worship their god as much as we Christians worship our God.

There is another problem with the big bang if God is left out of the equation. Have you ever seen the results of an explosion? What is it like? Do brand new buildings and automobiles and new varieties of trees and animals suddenly appear that were not there before the explosion? No, all you see is ruin, rubble and devastation. So how does the tremendous explosion of the big bang happen to produce such a highly ordered and beautiful universe?

Wonders and Beauties of God’s Creation

Genesis 1 describes for us what God did on each of six days of creation. He could just as easily have done it all in one day or one split second; perhaps He spread it out to help us meditate with awe and wonder upon the details of what He did. Let us consider some of the highlights of what happened on each of the six days of creation.

The First Day—Light. There was light on the First Day, even though the sun, moon, and stars are not mentioned until the Fourth Day. God is the source of all light—both physical and spiritual. Are you walking in the spiritual light of God’s Word and will for you (1 John 1:7)? Those who love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil (John 3:19) will be rewarded with “outer darkness” (Matt. 8:12; 22:13) for eternity.

The Second Day—Firmament. God inserted an atmosphere of air between water on earth and water in the clouds. Do you remember the composition of air? It is 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen plus a mixture of other gases. This composition is ideal for man; a higher concentration of oxygen would result in many spontaneous explosions, while a smaller concentration would not be enough for people who live in places like Mexico City that are nearly two miles above sea level. What is the nitrogen in the air used for? Interestingly, while the human body has a great need for nitrogen (an important element in protein), our bodies are totally incapable of extracting nitrogen from the air. Rather, we are de-pendent upon tiny “nitrogen-fixing” bacteria that convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia and nitrates that are incorporated into plants. When we eat the plants or eat the animals that have eaten the plants, our bodies get the needed nitrogen to make protein.

We also find on the Second Day the development of a most marvelous water distribution and purification system. Water evaporates from the oceans and is carried in clouds by the wind thousands of miles inland where it falls to the earth as dew and rain. Furthermore, the process of evaporation provides pure water, leaving the salt and pollutants behind in the oceans. It sure beats building long irrigation canals and large desalination (that is, salt-removal) plants, doesn’t it! (See Assignment 11)

Speaking of water, this common substance that we take so much for granted is one of the most wonderful parts of God’s creation. You may be thinking of how much fun it is to go swimming, surfing, or boating in the water, or to watch the sun rise or set over the ocean. Others may think of how refreshing it is to drink an ice-cold glass of water on hot day or a cup of hot tea or coffee on a cold day. Still others may appreciate the cleansing powers of water. But what is particularly wonderful and unique about water is that its solid state-ice-is lighter than its liquid state. What is so special about this? For one thing, there is no other known substance that has this property of being less dense when frozen than when liquid. But of tremendous practical importance, this is why ice forms on the top of lakes and rivers-where the hot sun can melt it in the Spring-rather than at the bottom where the sun would never reach it. If water were like every other liquid, most of the water on earth would be permanently frozen into vast beds of ice at the bottom of the oceans. Did the formation of water “just happen” as a random outcome of the big bang, or does it point to an all-wise Creator-God? (See Assignment 12)

(To be continued.)

CONGRATULATIONS!

Four of our readers completed all 28 (16 regular plus 12 review) assignments for 2000:Drew Johnson (Pennsylvania), John Hope (Virginia), Lori Spielman (Pennsylvania), and Juliet King (Nigeria). Also, the following (all from Nigeria) completed the assignments for previous years:Gabriel Akagwu (1996), Richard Unutaire (1997), Joseph Amusak (1998), Ojukwu Jonah (1998), and Juliet King (1998, 1999).

Running the Race
Assignment 11: Write out a verse in Ecclesiastes 1 that refers to the water cycle, and a verse in Job 38 that points to God’s role in watering the plants.

Assignment 12: Write out a verse in Job 38 that speaks of ice being lighter than water, and a verse in Psalm 147 about the power of God to melt the ice.

Foundations of Faith
CREATION (I)

Introduction

After spending over a year considering issues of Christian living and spiritual growth, let us return to our study of the basic doctrines of Scripture. In a few months we will be taking up Biblical teaching concerning the end times. But before that let us go way back and consider what the Bible teaches about the beginning of time.

“In the Beginning God…”

What majestic and powerful opening words are these for the book we call “The Bible”! But how can we know for sure that this description of God’s creation of “the heaven and the earth” wasn’t just the poetic expression of some ancient person’s imagination?

1. One answer to this question takes us back to the very first issues of GROWING (Feb93-May93) in which we considered many different evidences for the divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. God does not give us permission to pick and choose the passages of Scripture that suit us (such as those about love and tolerance and how others should treat me), and reject others that speak of the infinite power of God and His authority over His created beings.

2. The Biblical account of creation is not confined to Genesis 1 and 2. There are at least 44 distinct references in 12 Old and 12 New Testament books to the creation of the world or universe by God:

Gen. 1,2; 5:1,2; 9:6; Exod. 20:11; 31:17; Deut. 4:32; 1 Chron. 16:26; Neh. 9:6; Job 33:4; 38; Psa. 8; 19:1-6; 33:6-9; 90:2; 96:5; 102:25; 104:2-5; 148:5; Prov. 8:27; Isa. 40:22; 42:5; 44:24; 45:18; 51:13-16; Jer. 32:17; Amos 4:13; Matt. 19:4,5; Mark 13:19; Acts 17:28; Rom. 1:20; 11:36; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:16,17; 1 Tim. 2:13; Heb. 1:2,3,10; 4:4; 11:3; 2 Pet. 3:5; Rev. 4:11; 10:6. (See also Assignment 10 for additional references.) (See Assignment 9)

3. There is evidence outside of the Bible that provides a measure of agreement with the teaching of Genesis 1. According to The New Encyclopedia Britannica (1987 edition), the writings of most ancient cultures of the world include accounts of the creation of the earth, and many of these refer to creation by a supreme being. Though the precise nature and characteristics of the creator deity differ from culture to culture, most speak of this deity as being all wise and all powerful, and having a definite plan of creation in mind (rather than creating on a trial-and-error basis).

4. A fourth, and probably most important, basis for accepting the truth of Genesis 1:1 is given to us in the New Testament:“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Heb. 11:3). There is no way we can prove absolutely that the universe was created by a supreme being, so ultimately we must accept by faith that the testimony of the Scriptures is true. (It might be noted that neither can scientists prove that the universe was not created by God or that the universe evolved over long periods of time purely by chance; therefore the creed of most scientists is:“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by chance out of eternal matter.”)

Who? How? When? Why? What Then?

1. Who brought everything into being? Why God did, of course! But the point of the question is to affirm the involvement of the entire Trinity-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-in creation. (See Assignment 10)

2. How did God do it? Did it require tremendous effort on His part? No, but “by the word of the LORD were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth…. He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psa. 33:6-9). Notice how often in Genesis 1 we find the expression, “And God said, Let….” We find that same power residing in the Lord Jesus when He simply “speak[s] the word” to heal the centurion’s servant (Matt. 8:8, 13), “Lazarus, come forth [from the grave]” (John 11:43).

The fact that “God … rested on the seventh day” (Gen. 2:2) doesn’t mean that He was all tired out from His work of creation. Rather it signifies that the work of creation was complete.

3. When did God create “the heaven and the earth”? This very controversial question among Bible-believing Christians will be considered in a future issue of GROWING.

4. Why did God create the universe, the earth, and man? Some people have the idea that God created man because He was lonely. But given the eternal fellowship enjoyed mutually by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we can be sure that God was never lonely. Therefore, God did not need to create. This fact makes it all the more wonderful that God, in fact, did create man in His own image, and did make it possible for finite, sinful man to be brought into a close relationship with the infinite, personal, holy God by His grace. But more than this, we can be sure that God created all things for His own glory. “Bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the ends of the earth; for I have created him for My glory” (Isa. 43:6, 7; also 60:21; 61:3). “For of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things:to whom be glory for ever” (Rom. 11:36).

5. What then? Once the work of creation was complete, did God retire and let the universe run by itself? Not at all:“For by Him [Christ] were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth … and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist [or subsist, or hold together]” (Col. 1:16, 17). “God … has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son … by whom also He made the worlds … upholding all things by the word of His power” (Heb. 1:2, 3). God has not only put the universe together, He also actively keeps it from disintegrating into nothingness.

(To be continued.)

Running the Race
Assignment 9: In Job 38 the LORD asks Job a number of questions because Job has been questioning His goodness and justice. Find and write out three verses from this chapter that make a statement (rather than ask a question) about the LORD’s creative works.

Assignment 10: Write out a verse in Malachi 2 and one in 1 Corinthians 8 that speak of God the Father as Creator; a verse in John 1 that speaks of God the Son as Creator; and a verse in Genesis 1 and one in Job 26 that speak of God the Holy Spirit as Creator.

Foundations of Faith
SPIRITUAL GROWTH (II)

“That I May Know Him”

In the previous issue we noticed the apostle Paul’s desire to know Christ. What is involved in knowing Him? Just as “all Scripture … is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction” (2 Tim. 3:16), so knowing Christ involves these same three elements.

1. Doctrine. Knowing Christ, first of all, involves learning about Him (1 John 1:1), His Person and work, primarily as revealed in the Gospels.

2. Reproof. Knowing Christ involves recognizing areas of our lives that are contrary to His commandments, words, ways, and walk. “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also so to walk even as He walked” (1 John 2:6).

3. Correction. Knowing Christ involves bringing our lives, attitudes, responses, and ways into agreement with His holy life. This does not mean simply that we make outward changes in our behavior, such as attending all the meetings of the assembly or legalistically saying “I am going to stop doing this and start doing that.” It involves deep inward changes in our whole way of thinking. It involves finding Christ more and more attractive, resulting in the things of earth losing their attraction to us. It involves a growing sensitivity to the mind and will of Christ.

This matter of spiritual growth is not something we do by ourselves, in our own strength. Rather, God gives us all the power and encouragement we need for this growth through the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, for it is the Holy Spirit who ministers Christ to our souls (John 16:13-15; Eph. 5:18; Phil. 1:6).

4. Knowing Christ involves experiencing the joy of communing with Him, walking with Him, pleasing Him, trusting Him, responding in the way He would, learning and doing His will, and serving Him. The more we are occupied with Christ, the greater our motivation for wanting to know Him even better.

5. Knowing Christ involves longing to know Him in ways we cannot know Him here below. “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death” (Phil. 3:10). Note in this verse that the ideal path to getting to know Christ the best of all involves suffering and perhaps even death for His sake (see also Phil. 1:29; Col. 1:24).

Other Scriptures That Link the Knowledge of Christ with Maturity

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18).

“Till we all come … of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13).

“God would make known … Christ in you, the hope of glory; whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Col. 1:27,28).

“We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

Learn About Christ by Studying the Gospels

As noted above, our knowing Christ involves bringing our lives, attitudes, responses, and ways into agreement with His. Christ’s life as recorded in the Gospels serves as the perfect example for the devoted Christian to follow (John 13:14, 15; Phil. 2:5-8; 1 Pet. 2:21, 22; 1 John 2:6). Previously in GROWING (Aug94) we have listed some of the things we learn about Christ in the Gospels, including His purity of heart and life, His attitudes in various circumstances of life, His actions, His responses to those who opposed and mistreated Him, His responses to man’s sin, and His work. It is an immensely profitable study to go through the four Gospels and notice how the Lord Jesus lived His life and responded in a whole variety of situations. What a challenge it is to each one of us to seek to live our daily lives as Christ lived His. Let us be learning continually to ask ourselves, “What would Jesus have said or done in these circumstances?” and “What can I do to please and glorify the One who humbled Himself for my sake?”

Evidences of Spiritual Growth

The following evidences of spiritual growth in the Christian are based on verses that include the Greek word teleios, meaning “perfect,” “full-grown,” or “mature”:

1. Having love, even for one’s enemies (Matt. 5:44-48; Col. 3:14).

2. Acknowledging one’s own weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).

3. Having well-exercised spiritual perception with discernment of good and evil (Heb. 5:14).

4. Separated from unholy alliances and cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1).

5. Able consistently to discern God’s will (Col. 4:12).

6. Like-minded with other mature Christians (Phil. 3:15; contrast 1 Cor. 3:1-4). (See Assignment 8)

7. Desiring even greater maturity (Phil. 3:12, 13).

Running the Race
WHY SHOULD I BOTHER?

“Why should I bother trying to grow spiritually? I want to enjoy earth now; I can enjoy Christ when I get to heaven.” Have you ever had questions and thoughts like these? Consider the following parable:

Fifty world-class chefs have gathered from around the world to engage in a competition. You have won a free ticket to a buffet consisting of the most special creations of these chefs. On the way to the buffet you pass a McDonald’s Restaurant. You think, “I don’t know what the buffet will be like. Maybe it will just be stuff like caviar, brains, and cauliflower. I think I’ll go to McDonald’s instead.”

Some Christians may have thoughts like that about heaven. “In case there is no tennis, Scrabble, Internet, videos, or (fill in the blank) in heaven, I want to make sure I get my fill here on earth.” What they do not realize is that the least of heaven’s joys will far exceed the best that this world has to offer. Furthermore, if we are truly saved, we will want to bear fruit (John 15:1-5), give evidence of our faith (Jas. 2:14-26), and grow to be more like Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). “The love of Christ constrains us … that [we] should not … live unto ourselves, but unto Him who died for [us] and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:14, 15).

Assignment 8: Write out verses in James 1 and 3 and 1 John 4 that give evidences of spiritual “perfection” (or full growth and maturity).

Foundations of Faith
SPIRITUAL GROWTH (I)

Spiritual Infancy

When my grandson was two years old, often the first thing he would say when he came to our house was, “Play cars.” He could spend hours on end playing with cars. When he was five, he said, “I don’t think I will ever get tired of playing cars, do you?”

Do you still like to play with matchbox cars or dolls? Would you like to retain the body of a 2- or 5-year-old? How about the mind and level of intelligence of one?

Probably most, if not all, of our readers would not want to go back to the body and mind of a child. But how about your level of spiritual growth? Are you happy with where you are right now? Are you content with just being saved and no more, with preserving your childlike faith, with remaining a spiritual baby the rest of your life?

The Bible never suggests that it is normal for a believer in Christ to remain a spiritual infant. Thus, we need to ask ourselves these three questions:(1) “How much have I grown and matured spiritually since I first trusted Christ?” (2) “How much more do I have to grow to be conformed to the image of [God’s] Son (Rom. 8:29)?” and (3) “How can I narrow the gap between where I am and where I ought to be?” Let us see what we can learn about what the Bible teaches us about the spiritual growth of the Christian.

Three Levels of Christian Maturity

The apostle John writes to three classes of Christians according to their level of spiritual maturity:little children, young men, and fathers (1 John 2:13-27). Let us consider each of these classes, both what they have and what they need.

Little children—what they have:“You have known the Father” (2:13). Similarly:“You have received the Spirit of adoption [or sonship], whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15, 16). Even newborn babes in Christ quickly learn to know the blessed position they have as children of their heavenly Father. Here are some ways God relates to us as Father (May94):

1. He has affection for us, is our Friend (John 16:27).

2. He instructs us in holiness by allowing us to experience trials and testings (Heb. 12:5-11).

3. He keeps us safe and secure for all eternity (John 10:29).

4. He answers our prayers (Matt. 6:9; 7:11; John 15:16).

5. He reveals to us His will for our lives (Matt. 12:50; 16:17).

Little children—what they need:“Even now are there many antichrists…. He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:18, 22). The babes in Christ, because they are not yet grounded in the teachings of the Word of God, are particularly vulnerable to false teaching, such as the following:

1. Jesus is a good man and a great prophet, or the highest created angel, but is not God.

2. Jesus is God, but is not human.

3. The Holy Spirit is not a Person but just an influence.

4. Satan is a myth.

5. There is no life after death.

6. The universe and all that is in it came into being by chance.

The little children need to be established in the basic teachings of the Bible, especially concerning the Person and work of Christ. Our passage tells us that the Holy Spirit— “the anointing”—is equal to the task of “teach[ing] us of all things” (2:27). The Spirit often leads an older Christian to take the little child under his/her wing and encourage the learning of the Scriptures (1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15).

Young men—what they have:“You are strong, and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one” (2:13, 14). This, linked with what the little children need, means that the young men have learned the basic teachings of Scripture so that they are not in danger of accepting the false teachings that Satan—“the wicked one”—places before them.

Young men—what they need:“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world…. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (2:15, 16; see Jun00). Even though this class of “young men” know the Scriptures well, they are not fully walking according to them in faithfulness to the One who loved them and gave Himself for them (Gal. 2:20). Their focus is not yet entirely on the Lord Jesus Christ. His power, glory, creation, incarnation, humility, love, sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension into heaven, intercession for us, and coming again do not yet fill and thrill the hearts of these redeemed ones.

Fathers—what they have:“You have known Him who is from the beginning” (1 John 2:13). Who is this? The apostle tells us at the opening of his Epistle that this One is the Lord Jesus Christ “who was from the beginning, whom we have heard,… whom we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life” (1:1-3).

The fathers have what the young men yet lack—a whole-hearted attraction and commitment to their Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. They no longer struggle with “the lust of the flesh.” They have found Christ to be far better than the glitzy but empty attractions of the world, the “lust of the eyes.” all of these. They have become sufficiently “conformed to the image of” God’s Son that they recognize and judge the subtle “pride of life” that once controlled them. The apostle Paul’s desire, “that I may know [Christ]” (Phil. 3:10), is surely the expression of a spiritual “father.”

Fathers—what they need:“You have known Him who is from the beginning” (1 John 2:14). This is exactly the same as the statement in the previous verse of what they fathers already have. Therefore, all the fathers need is to “keep on keeping on.”

While the apostle John presents three classes of spiritual maturity, I would suggest that there are not strict lines separating these three classes. Just as physical growth follows a continuous pattern, so does spiritual growth. Likewise, just as one’s body weight may rise and fall, depending on how much and what we eat, or being afflicted with certain illnesses, so one who has become a “young man” may regress back to a “little child” if he stops studying the Word of God, and a “father” may return to being a “young man” if he gets his eyes off Christ.

(To be continued.)

Running the Race
Assignment 7: Write out some of the ways you have grown spiritually since you became a newborn (born-again) child of God.

Foundations of Faith
ANGER (IV)

Dealing with the Problem of Sinful Anger

It is easy to say, “Stop your sinful anger,” but many people, including Christians, really struggle with the problem of uncontrolled anger. It may seem like the anger just flashes out before the person knows it is happening. What advice can we give to such people?

1. First of all, take an inventory of all the excuses you have made for your anger problem. Do you say, “That’s just the way I am,” or “That’s the way God made me,” or “I’m only human,” or “I’m just a sinner like everyone else,” or “All the males in my family get angry,” or “I have a short fuse but I get over it quickly,” or “I often wake up on the wrong side of the bed”? Not a single one of these excuses is valid, because as a Christian you are a new creation in Christ:“Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). Confess your excuse-making to the Lord, and don’t make excuses any more. (See Assignment 6)

2. Do not justify your anger as being righteous unless you can properly, scripturally distinguish between righteous anger and sinful anger (see Jan01 and Feb01).

3. Check your thought life. Do you often have angry thoughts toward certain people? Does your mind go through scenarios in which you are engaged in an angry argument with someone? When this happens, do you catch yourself, confess your sin to God, and ask Him to help you to deal with that person in a loving, Christ-like way? “Be not hasty in your spirit to be angry” (Eccl. 7:9).

4. Memorize Phil. 4:8 and meditate upon it often. When you find yourself having angry, vengeful thoughts about a person, replace them with thoughts of that which is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy about the person. For example, instead of thinking about spreading falsehoods or evil reports in vengeance against that person, think rather about that person’s character traits that are virtuous or worthy of praise. “Whatsoever things are lovely” means those things that tend toward making friends. So replace your thoughts of anger with thoughts about how you and the other person can become better friends.

5. Memorize Matt. 5:44:“Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, etc.” We may not think of applying this verse to a family member who has irritating habits and behaviors. But if we are to love and bless and do good to those who are our sworn enemies, how much more ought we to do these things to those who are our close friends and loved ones!

6. If you have a problem with angry words “popping out” before you know it, pay attention to whether this ever happens when you have company over, or are in the presence of other Christians in the assembly or your next door neighbor or your boss at work, or while you are talking on the telephone with the director of the local gossip society. If you can control yourself under certain circumstances, then you can control yourself in all circumstances by keeping in mind that if you are God’s child the entire Trinity dwells in you (Rom. 8:9, 11; 1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 3:17; 2 Tim. 1:4; 1 John 4:12,15,16). Surely we want to have self-control in the presence of our blessed Saviour. The “fruit of the Spirit is … temperance [or self-control]” (Gal. 5:22, 23); we are not slaves to the lack of self-control that is part of our old, sinful nature.

7. Just keeping the anger bottled up inside us is not the solution to our problem. This will tend to create other problems such as stress, depression, and physical illness. You need either to turn the whole thing over to the Lord and let Him deal with it, or else in a prayerful, loving, Christ-like manner go to the person with whom you are angry and seek to resolve the problem. “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21). J.N. Darby wrote, in connection with this verse, “Let not my bad temper put you in a bad temper.” And George Washington Carver said once, “I will never let another man ruin my life by making me hate him.”

8. In Psa. 76:10 we read, “Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee:the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain.” What does this mean? God turns man’s wrathful fury into ultimate blessing for man. Nowhere is this better seen than at the Cross of Calvary. Also, there is a saying that goes something like:“The persecution of the saints is the seed of the Church.” Satan and man have joined together in repeated attempts to destroy God’s people from off the face of the earth. But the Scriptures assure us that God puts great limitations upon man’s wrath. He will only permit that which will ultimately bring praise and glory to Himself; the rest He will restrain.

An implication of this verse is that God permits the anger and sinful behaviors of men and women as tests of faith for His own people, just as the unjust charges brought against Job by his so-called “comforters” turned out to be a bigger challenge to Job’s faith than the loss of all things brought about by Satan’s hand. When the Lord tests His own, it is in view of our passing the test in the strength and ability that He gives to us. So, let us consider those things or people that cause us to become angry to be tests from God. And let us remember that “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tested above that you are able; but will with the testing also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13).

Running the Race
WHAT MAKES YOU ANGRY (III)

The third most frequent response to a question posed to young people, “What makes you the angriest,” was “people who are proud, arrogant, and display a superior attitude.”

Like the other behaviors that make this group of young people angry, pride and arrogance are sinful (1 Sam. 2:3; Prov. 8:13; Isa. 13:11). It is well to analyze why these attitudes make us angry. Is it because those who profess to be Christians are dishonoring the Lord by such behavior? Then perhaps our anger will lead us prayerfully to speak a word to awaken them to their sinful behavior.

But maybe it is our own pride and high thoughts of self that cause us to be irritated at another’s display of pride and superiority. “In lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves” (Phil. 2:3).

Assignment 6: Write out verses in Genesis 3, Exodus 32, and 1 Samuel 15 in which people make excuses for their sinful behavior.

Foundations of Faith
ANGER (III)

How Is Anger Expressed?

We most often think of people losing their temper, blowing up, shouting, etc. But there are other ways. Here is an example from 1 Ki. 21:1-4:“Ahab spoke unto Naboth, saying, Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs…. And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto you. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased … and he lay down upon his bed and turned away his face and would eat no bread.” Ahab was angry because he wasn’t getting his own way even though he was king. He didn’t blow up in anger; rather he went off and pouted, perhaps became depressed. It is said that depression often results from suppressed anger—not always, but often. Much of what people today call “stress” is due to going on day after day with suppressed anger and holding grudges.

Another way anger is manifested is the silent treatment. Some people realize deep down that losing one’s temper is wrong, so they express their anger by being silent, not communicating with the ones who make them angry. I once read about two sisters who lived together in the same house. They had a falling out, and lived the last 20 years each keeping to her side of the house, and never once speaking to the other. How awful! How stressful!

Then there are those whose motto is:“I don’t get angry; I just get even.” Surely that is wrong:“Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord” (Rom. 12:19, 20). A variation of this is using cutting or mocking words. I remember a high school teacher who, when a certain boy misbehaved in class, called him “Butterball.” If, in our anger, we attack or make fun of the person (in this case, the physical appearance of the person) rather than using the energy derived from our anger to attack and resolve the problem (in this case, his misbehavior), then we are really taking vengeance into our own hands.

Biblical Instruction Concerning Anger

We are to be angry, but without sinning. “Be angry and sin not:let not the sun go down upon your wrath:neither give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:26, 27). We considered this in the Jan01 issue.

We are to be slow to anger. “He who is slow to wrath is of great understanding” (Prov. 14:29). “Love suffers long [or is long-tempered] … is not easily provoked” (1 Cor. 13:4, 5). (See Assignment 4)

We are to stop our sinful anger. “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath:fret not yourself in any wise to do evil” (Psa. 37:8; also Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 4:31; Col. 3:8). In the next issue we shall return to this very important question of how to deal with our problem of anger.

We are to consider the effects and consequences of our anger. “A wrathful man stirs up strife” (Prov. 15:18; also 27:4; Heb. 12:15; Jas. 1:20). “Whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment” (Matt. 5:22).

We have the privilege of passing over some transgressions. “The discretion of a man defers his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression” (Prov. 19:11). Before you lash out at another person for a trivial misdeed (like squeezing the tube of toothpaste in the wrong place), pray! Ask God and ask yourself if it is worth bringing conflict and disharmony into your relationship with the other person over such a matter as this. Also ask God to remind you of the many times the other person has passed over your transgressions. And don’t forget your Saviour who suffered for your transgressions instead of taking vengeance upon you (1 Pet. 3:18).

Christ, besides praying for His tormenters (Luke 23:34), was very patient with His disciples:“There was also a strife among [the disciples], which of them should be accounted the greatest.” The Lord had just instituted the remembrance feast with His disciples. He had just asked them to remember Him, and already they are arguing among themselves which of them should be accounted the greatest. I think the Lord would have been fully justified in giving all of His disciples a sound thrashing for their selfishness … but He didn’t. Rather He gently gave them more ministry.

Likewise, the apostle Paul might rightly have rebuked the Philippians for engaging in petty conflicts, but instead he gave them (and us) the wonderful ministry of Phil. 2:5-11 concerning the humility and subsequent exaltation of Christ Jesus. (See Assignment 5)

How we are to deal with other people’s anger. “A soft answer turns away wrath” (Prov. 15:1; also Matt. 5:44).

We are to avoid stirring up anger in others. “Grievous words stir up anger” (Prov. 15:1). “Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath:but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21). If a member of our family has an anger problem, the other members should be much in prayer and in the Word to discover any behaviors on their part that may be helping to kindle the anger of the other. This does not at all excuse one’s anger. “The devil made me do it” or “my parents drove me to anger” doesn’t cut it with God. But at the same time, the more reasons and excuses we can remove from the path of angry persons, the greater the possibility of helping those persons with their problem of anger.

(To be continued.)

Running the Race
WHAT MAKES YOU ANGRY? (II)

The second most frequent response to a question posed to young people, “What makes you the angriest,” was “people who gossip about me behind my back.”

While whispering and backbiting are sinful (Rom. 1:29, 30), we cannot keep others from doing this. If they are gossiping about your sinful behavior, then repent and change your behavior. If they are gossiping about things you cannot change-such as looks or personality-the suggestions given in the previous issue may help. If they are gossiping about your Christian testimony, rejoice (Matt. 5:11, 12)! You are in good company (Psa. 22:7; 69:12).

(To be continued.)

Assignment 4: Write out verses in Proverbs 15 and 16 and James 1 that tell us to be slow to anger.

Assignment 5: (a) In Num. 20:1-12, how did Moses’s response to the people’s sin differ from the LORD’s response? (b) How does this passage illustrate Prov. 19:11?

Foundations of Faith
ANGER (II)

In Part I of this series, we learned that some of us need to learn to be angry-that is, to express righteous anger in the appropriate situations. However, before any of us is qualified to express and act upon righteous anger, we must be absolutely certain that we can properly, scripturally, differentiate between righteous anger and sinful anger.

Sinful Anger

In the previous issue it was noted that there are over 40 people, or groups of people, reported in the Bible as having sinful anger. There are various reasons for these people’s anger:

Cain was angry at his brother Abel because of envy (Gen. 4:5,6). God accepted Abel’s offering and not Cain’s. There is no evidence that Abel had done anything personally against Cain. It was a simple matter of wounded pride on the part of Cain.

Jacob was angry at his wife Rachel because she complained to him about not giving her any children (Gen. 30:2).

Simeon and Levi were angry at Shechem for violating their family honor (Gen. 34:7).

Moses was angry when the Israelites complained about having no water (Num. 20:10,11).

Balaam was angry at his donkey when it didn’t go where he wanted it to go (Num. 22:27).

Balak was angry at Balaam because Balaam didn’t do what Balak had hired him to do (Num. 24:10).

Asa was angry at the prophet Hanani for rebuking him (2 Chron. 16:10).

Namaan was angry at Elisha when told he would have to wash in the Jordan River in order to be cleansed of his leprosy (2 Ki. 5:11).

Haman was angry at Mordecai because Mordecai did not bow down to him (Esth. 3:5).

The older brother was angry at his father for treating his prodigal brother so kindly (Luke 15:28).

Herod was angry at the wise men because they did not tell him where he could find the child Jesus (Matt. 2:16). (See Assignment 3)

Reasons Behind Sinful Anger

Let us try to summarize the categories of reasons behind these people’s anger. If we were able to interview these people in the Bible and ask, “Why were you angry?” here is what they would have said (if they had been honest):

1. I’m being treated unfairly.

2. I’m being blamed for something that is not my fault.

3. I or my family haven’t been treated with proper respect.

4. That person didn’t do what I wanted him to do.

5. That person dared to tell me that I was wrong.

Notice how each of these reasons has a strong element of self and pride in it. Furthermore, the anger of several (Cain, Balaam, Balak, Asa, Naaman, Haman, and Herod) was directed at one who was simply doing what God wanted him to do. These examples in the Bible should give us much pause the next time we are about to blow up at someone.

Sinful Anger in Response to Sin

There are also examples in the Bible in which sinful anger was directed at a person who had sinned:

Esau and Jacob. Jacob had lied to his father, and Esau responded by plotting to kill his brother.

Jacob and Rachel. Rachel was sinfully complaining, and Jacob lashed out at her in anger rather than suggesting they pray together about it.

Simeon and Levi. Shechem had raped their sister, and Simeon and Levi got even by massacring all of the men in the village.

Moses and the Israelites. The people were sinfully complaining against God and Moses responded with anger rather than letting God deal with the people in His way.

If a person sins against me and I respond in anger, does the fact that it is a response to sin automatically make my anger righteous? Not necessarily. In each of these examples there is evidence of wounded pride; the anger is not used to make a godly appeal to the person to repent of his/her sin, but to attack and/or get even with the sinner. Here are reasons why I ought to be slow to anger when I think that someone is sinning against me:

1. My thinking may be wrong; I may have misunderstood or misinterpreted the person’s words or actions; thus my anger would be totally wrong.

2. My thinking may be correct, but if my anger is expressed only for the purpose of punishing the person, it is wrong, because I am to leave vengeance in the Lord’s hands (Rom. 12:19).

3. “The discretion of a man defers his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression” (Prov. 19:11). Christ is our example in this, as already mentioned.

Anger as a Means of Controlling Others

All are familiar with Peter’s angry denial of Christ when people kept insisting that they recognized him as a disciple of Jesus. The people were right and Peter was lying to them. So why did he get angry? As a means of control, I suggest. The situation was getting out of control, and he feared for his life. So he used anger as a means of getting the people to back off. This is a very common use of anger-for controlling other people and getting them to do what I want them to do. There is no Scriptural support for this:it is a result of pride and selfishness through and through.

(To be continued.)

Running the Race
WHAT MAKES YOU ANGRY? (I)

In response to a question posed to young people, “What makes you the angriest,” the most frequent response was “people who are mean, harass me, or make fun of me.”

Is it wrong to be angry when people are mean to us? How did the Lord Jesus respond when people were mean to Him? He always took it meekly and silently and prayed for the mean people, didn’t He? And He tells us to do the same (Matt. 5:44).

When people make fun of us, it often means that they have problems in their life. Maybe by seeing you get angry they feel less guilty about their own anger. When people are mean or make fun of you, try gently, lovingly asking them why they are doing it and if they would care to talk about what is “bugging” them or going on in their life.

(To be continued.)

Assignment 3: (a) Why were King Saul and his son Jonathan angry in 1 Samuel 18 and 20? (b) In each case was it righteous or sinful anger? (c) Write out an incident in which you expressed sinful anger.

Foundations of Faith
ANGER (I)

Introduction

Do you ever get angry? If so, you have lots of company. I recently polled about 75 young people on the question, “What makes you the angriest?” Only one respondent denied getting angry. Is it wrong to get angry? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. We will try to sort this out in this series of articles.

This topic is slightly out of place. No doubt it should have appeared prior to the Oct00 issue of GROWING. The problem of anger has been mentioned a few times previously in GROWING, but it is such a widespread and serious problem, even among Christians-young and old alike-that it merits special consideration in this publication. Anger destroys marriages. Anger alienates parents and children. Anger has led to physical assault and murder. Road rage maims and kills.

The problem is not new. There are nearly 500 verses in the Bible with the words “anger,” “wrath,” “bitterness,” and related words, and there are over 40 people, or groups of people, in the Bible who are reported to be angry.

The Wrath of God

There is one Person whose anger is referred to in the Bible more often than that of all others put together:God. Why is God angry so often? Here is just one of many examples:”You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people that are round about you (for the Lord you God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you and destroy you from off the face of the earth” (Deut. 6:14,15). Some Christians seem to be embarrassed by the frequent references to the anger and wrath of God; but we need to remember that God is a holy God (Nov93) and hates sin and must judge sin; that is why He had to send His own Son to bear His holy judgment against sin.

Righteous Anger-the Example of Christ

There are basically two kinds of anger-righteous anger and sinful anger. There are at least three reasons we can know that some kinds of anger are not sinful:(1) God has anger and we know that God does not sin; (2) Jesus Christ when here on earth sometimes displayed anger and we know that He never sinned; and (3) we Christians are commanded to “be angry” (Eph. 4:26).

How can we tell the difference between righteous anger and sinful anger? Let us consider the examples of Jesus’ anger:”He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand. And they watched Him, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse Him…. And when He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He said unto the man, Stretch forth your hand. And he stretched it out:and his hand was restored whole as the other” (Mark 3:1-5). Jesus was angry because of the people’s hypocrisy. They were very happy to be able to have whole bodies and be able to use their hands and feet properly on the Sabbath day; but their hearts were so hardened that they were more interested in having an opportunity to find fault with Jesus than seeing this man’s body made whole like their own. Jesus was angry because of their pretended concern for the Sabbath of Jehovah-God and their corresponding lack of concern for those whom God loved.

In Matthew 23:23-31 we have another example of Christ’s anger when He openly denounced the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. They pretended to be religious while carrying around many very sinful attitudes and behaviors. One more example is found in John 2:13-16 where we read of Jesus overturning tables and driving out merchants from the temple. By selling animals for sacrifice at the temple, the religious leaders pretended to be promoting proper religious activity, while actually it was a front for gouging the public and enriching themselves.

Note that in each of these examples, Jesus’ anger was not in response to being personally offended or hurt. On the occasion of man’s greatest personal offenses against Him, when they wrongfully condemned Him to death by crucifixion, consider His responses:”He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth” (Isa. 53:7; see also 1 Pet. 2:23). “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). He was angry, rather, because of the way they misrepresented God by their pretended love for God’s law and lack of love for God’s people.
The Bible describes others who had righteous anger. Potiphar’s anger toward Joseph (Gen. 39:19) was righteous based on his wife’s testimony; sadly, her testimony was false. (See Assignment 1)

Righteous Anger in Christians Today

There is a place in our lives for righteous anger. Christ is our example. We do well to respond with anger when we hear or read of men or women who bring reproach upon God or Christ or the Holy Scriptures or God’s people, or who grossly misrepresent the Bible or God.

But what are we to do with our righteous anger? Just vent it and go on to something else? No! God created us with the capacity for anger for a reason. Anger spurs us to action, to defense, or to attack. There is a physiological response in anger that gives us heightened clarity of mind and increased strength. It is given to us to use to deal with the sin against God or against a fellow human being that we have just observed. So, as with any other problem, we first take it to the Lord in prayer (if even for a split-second). Then we act upon the Lord’s direction and strength in seeking to rescue a person from a verbal or physical attack, or in speaking or writing strongly to the sinning person.

Our anger stirs us to action. That does not mean that we attack the person, using nasty language and the like. We use anger to attack the problem rather than the person. So we try to get them to see how they have reproached or misrepresented God by what they have said or done. (See Assignment 2)

Before any of us is qualified to express righteous anger, we must be certain that we can properly, scripturally, differentiate between righteous anger and sinful anger. This will be considered in the next issue.

(To be continued.)

Running the Race
Assignment 1: Why was Moses angry in Exodus 32, and why was Elihu angry in Job 32?

Assignment 2: Describe a situation in your life in which you expressed righteous anger.