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OK, so the question tonight is:
Many people I know see creation as proof of science’s superiority over Christianity, using formulas and statistics to suggest that the existence of extraterrestrial life and other counter-Christian explanations are the most logical conclusion. However, Romans 1:20 gives a very different perspective on creation. Why do you think there is such a difference between these two views and how does this affect the way we evangelise?
So, I’m understanding the question to be about the fact that Christians look at this universe and see evidence of a Creator, whereas many other people look at this universe and find an explanation that doesn’t require a Creator. And the verse referred to is Romans 1:20, which says: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” So how can some scientists (not all scientists) but some scientists look at this world and say: “I don’t see any evidence of God. I think this can all be explained as a set of random mutations”…?
Well the next verse in Romans explains what’s going on, Romans 1:21 says: “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” And so what this is saying is that at our core either we love God and want to give him glory and thanks…or at our core we hate God, we don’t want to glorify him and don’t want to give him thanks and so will look for some alternative to Him. See where your heart starts, will direct where your thinking will go. If your heart starts with love for God, then you will explore creation and go: “Wow! What a brilliant Creator!” But if your heart starts darkened, then you will look at exactly the same evidence and conclude: “Wow! I can explain everything without the need for God.”
And so this is why we can’t just argue people into God’s kingdom by pulling out a big mountain of scientific evidence. Perhaps what we can do is show that our explanation is plausible, that when we invite people to believe in God, we’re not asking them to do anything irrational. Perhaps we can give a defence of our faith which might help someone see that believers in science are just as much operating on faith and pre-supposition as believers in Christ. But ultimately what the person with a darkened heart needs is for the light to be switched on inside of them.
2 Corinthians 4:6 says: “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” Notice it’s God who switches the light on, but he does this in face of Christ. And so to being an effective evangelist to “science-people” is more about your commitment to prayer and to Jesus, than it is about needing to be really clever. It’s about prayer that God would switch the light on. And about being willing to talk about the attractiveness of Jesus our Saviour who laid down his life for us, and who offers us forgiveness and new life.
If you want to think some more about this, you might want to go and listen to our recent sermons on Genesis chapter 1, here, here and here, and Romans 1:18-31 here.
This question was originally answered in our evening service on 13 October 2024. I’ll aim to post another question and answer next week. You can read about how our question box works here.
Andrew Vines