There have been many discussions in this forum concerning old earth creation vs. young earth creation. I have been on the old earth part of that discussion in the past, while admitting that the so called scientific evidence is inconclusive at best, and that there is a good argument for a young earth as well.
But what does the bible say? Is this not the standard of Truth?
Most of the arguments that I have seen that are based on sound hermenutics would seem to indicate that the Genesis account is based on six literal 24 hour days as we know them. I am open to a biblical hermeneutic which would allow for a nonliteral translation. This should, however, be based on biblical hermenutical interpretation, and not a twisting of Scripture to allow for the so called billions of years of earth history. Based on the biblical interpretation, I am now forced to accept the young earth position.
But does it matter?
In terms of our salvation, (those of us who are already saved), it makes no difference at all. We do not have to believe in a young earth in order to be saved. We need only believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior, His mission and accomplishments on the cross, and put our trust, hope, and faith in Him.
BUT, there is more at stake here. According to Ken Ham, statistics show that 2/3 of young people growing up in Christian families and attending Christian churches are leaving the faith by the time they make it to college. Why? The statistics also show that young people in Christian homes are beginning to question or doubt the Bible by Middle School age. Why again?
The answer of course is that we have an education system which teaches the religion of secular humanism (or other forms like cosmic humanism), and live in a culture that is anti-Bible and anti-Christian. What happens when young people ask us why they are being taught that which is contradictory to what the Bible says?
Often they are told, just have faith in Jesus and the Bible. Or worse, they are being told, you can believe in evolution but just remember that God did it! Really?
Even if the days in Genesis are not literal 24 hour days, how does the fossil record as taught in the schools, in which billions of animals died before man evolved be reconciled with the Genesis account where God says that the first animals and man were vegetarians and that death did not exist until Adam and Eve sinned in the garden? In fact, death was a direct consequence of man's sin. Why then all of the death before man evolved?
Young people today are being taught apologetics in school, the apologetics of humanism. They are being told that man evolved from lower forms of life, and here is the evidence (so called). They are being told that the history of the Bible does not match the secular history and here is the evidence (so called).
And what are we telling them? We are telling them stories and telling them to trust Jesus.
1 Peter 3:15 says that we should always be ready to make a defense of the hope that we have. Most people are ill prepared to answer questions and doubts which are presented by the world to young people. Is it any wonder that they are led away from the faith?
And so, yes it does matter. Because if we can't trust the Bible in Genesis 1-11, then maybe we can't trust the gospels either. The Bible is authoritative in all things. It is the Word of God.
The Bible is under attack like never before. I have seen it often in this forum. Young people are beginning to doubt, and we are not giving them the answers that they need to hear. We need to educate ourselves in Christian apologetics and our children, so that they will not be led astray by Satan as he builds his kingdom which (hopefully) will soon be destroyed by Christ as He returns for His own.
But what does the bible say? Is this not the standard of Truth?
Most of the arguments that I have seen that are based on sound hermenutics would seem to indicate that the Genesis account is based on six literal 24 hour days as we know them. I am open to a biblical hermeneutic which would allow for a nonliteral translation. This should, however, be based on biblical hermenutical interpretation, and not a twisting of Scripture to allow for the so called billions of years of earth history. Based on the biblical interpretation, I am now forced to accept the young earth position.
But does it matter?
In terms of our salvation, (those of us who are already saved), it makes no difference at all. We do not have to believe in a young earth in order to be saved. We need only believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior, His mission and accomplishments on the cross, and put our trust, hope, and faith in Him.
BUT, there is more at stake here. According to Ken Ham, statistics show that 2/3 of young people growing up in Christian families and attending Christian churches are leaving the faith by the time they make it to college. Why? The statistics also show that young people in Christian homes are beginning to question or doubt the Bible by Middle School age. Why again?
The answer of course is that we have an education system which teaches the religion of secular humanism (or other forms like cosmic humanism), and live in a culture that is anti-Bible and anti-Christian. What happens when young people ask us why they are being taught that which is contradictory to what the Bible says?
Often they are told, just have faith in Jesus and the Bible. Or worse, they are being told, you can believe in evolution but just remember that God did it! Really?
Even if the days in Genesis are not literal 24 hour days, how does the fossil record as taught in the schools, in which billions of animals died before man evolved be reconciled with the Genesis account where God says that the first animals and man were vegetarians and that death did not exist until Adam and Eve sinned in the garden? In fact, death was a direct consequence of man's sin. Why then all of the death before man evolved?
Young people today are being taught apologetics in school, the apologetics of humanism. They are being told that man evolved from lower forms of life, and here is the evidence (so called). They are being told that the history of the Bible does not match the secular history and here is the evidence (so called).
And what are we telling them? We are telling them stories and telling them to trust Jesus.
1 Peter 3:15 says that we should always be ready to make a defense of the hope that we have. Most people are ill prepared to answer questions and doubts which are presented by the world to young people. Is it any wonder that they are led away from the faith?
And so, yes it does matter. Because if we can't trust the Bible in Genesis 1-11, then maybe we can't trust the gospels either. The Bible is authoritative in all things. It is the Word of God.
The Bible is under attack like never before. I have seen it often in this forum. Young people are beginning to doubt, and we are not giving them the answers that they need to hear. We need to educate ourselves in Christian apologetics and our children, so that they will not be led astray by Satan as he builds his kingdom which (hopefully) will soon be destroyed by Christ as He returns for His own.
As long as we know and recognize that it is God who created everything through miraculous means, then I am okay with it.
