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The concept of long ages is found nowhere in Scripture, but a young earth and universe are clearly communicated. The real issue is not a question of ages but one of authority.

God’s word is to be the foundation of a Christian’s belief system in all areas of life. Regarding one’s view of origins, both evolutionism and creation are religious because they each require faith to believe; no human was around until day six to observe the creation account.

Evolutionism versus Creation is never a matter of facts and evidence, but a mater of how one interprets the evidence. True science is only that which is observable, testable, and repeatable. A Christian places faith in the word of God as divine, trustworthy, accurate, and immutable. An evolutionist places faith mostly in naturalism, human intellect, and science to explain creation.

Similarly, both long-ages and a recent creation require faith: one in man’s opinions, the other based on God’s word. The Bible is not just a guidebook for life; it is the basis on which all thinking must be built. When the Bible speaks on any topic, whether origins or salvation or history, it is absolute and true because its Author is Absolute Truth.

Every foundational Christian principle begins in Genesis: marriage between one man and one woman, the fall, right and wrong, why we are sinners, death and suffering, redemption, why there will be a new heaven and earth, etc. Jesus says in John 5:47 that we must believe the writings of Moses.

If we do not trust the first chapters of the Bible, what pattern are we setting for others and ourselves to embrace any of it? Adam did not trust God’s first command to him. Maybe Adam, who was very intelligent, applied human reasoning and scientific principles to observe and inspect a few forbidden fruits before he ate one. Maybe he reasoned from common sense that there was no inherent evil in simply eating a piece of fruit. Regardless of his premeditation, he concluded that man’s opinions and the authority of a created being were superior to God’s word.

A person can be a born-again Christian and also embrace man-made theories of billions of years, but it leaves the door open to deny the authority of the Scriptures in many other areas.

For example, should the opinions of man interfere with God’s word, or should God’s word qualify the opinions of man?

Will one tell God He was inaccurate when He gave the 4th commandment? Ex. 20:11 – “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it”.

Was Jesus misinformed when He answered the Pharisees on divorce? Mark 10:6 – “But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’”

Are we to say God may not be correct in His understanding? Isaiah 29:16 - Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; for shall the thing made say of him who made it, "He did not make me"? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding"?

The Bible is not a science textbook because science changes all the time; it is a revelation from God that is unchanging. Where it does speak on history or science or past events, it is always accurate, true, and absolute. We are not called to judge the parts of God’s word we want to believe. We are called to be equipped defenders of the faith who are ready to provide sound answers for the hope we have within.

Salvation is based only on one piece of evidence: God’s word. A person can be assured of their salvation because God’s truth is 100% accurate and trustworthy from Genesis to Revelation. Man’s dilemma from the start: Believing the lie of a created being who questioned God’s word, “Has God indeed said…”

One can believe in billions of years to attempt to explain creation, but rationalizing for God how He did something is treading on dangerous ground. Can such a view glorify Him?

When Jesus returns, He will create a new heaven and a new earth. It will be as in the first creation: instantaneous, sinless, and perfectly good. It will not require millions or billions of years as some have attempted to explain for God how He performed His first creation.

The only commonality between Christianity and long ages is that a billion years from now every person ever conceived will be alive in a resurrected physical body, either forever separated from God where there is eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth, or united with Him forever in Paradise. Jesus is the only way.

Where will you be?

For scientific information that upholds the authority of God’s word, go to www.answersingenesis.org and www.creationscience.com.

Ron Lehotsky is a Pitt student who believes in the absolute authority of God's Word.

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MARCH 2004

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Both evolutionism and creationism comes down to faith!

Writing with faith, hope, and love
Express your letters to the Editor