One of the unfortunate struggles that Christians have in a world of unbelief is that the philosophy of the unbelieving world has often become the standard by which society establishes norms of moral behavior. Since the rise of the god of science a few centuries ago, this has been a particular problem for those who believe that the Bible must always be our final authority in establishing moral conduct. Unfortunately, we have discovered that many Christians have accepted some of the moral norms of unbelievers, and thus in many ways have conformed the behavior of their faith to the thinking of an unbelieving world.
The preceding is such a problem in the modern world that anyone who would question the invasion of either atheistic, or at least agnostic philosophies into the realm of “Christianity,” are consider unscientific. This is a constant challenge against those who believe in the historical statements of the Bible. In the context of this discussion, therefore, we understand that the word “believer” refers to one who unquestionably views the Bible as the final authority in all matters of faith and conduct. This is especially true in reference to the biblical claim concerning origins.
The true believer understands that the history of the Bible is infallible. He or she understands that there is absolutely no scientific “truth” or “fact” that would contradict the existence of the Son of God in reference to His incarnational offering on a cross two thousands years ago. The historical claims of the Bible in reference to the origin of all things are without question, and thus any “scientific” hypothesis that would come forth from the field of science that contradicts the Bible must be considered false. If a supposed scientific hypothesis, or supposed fact, is presented as the final truth in any matter of morals or history, then that hypothesis must be considered false if it in any way contradicts the moral standards of the Bible. This must be the position of the believer. If it is not, then the Bible cannot be trusted in reference to history. It cannot be considered a final standard for determining moral behavior. It cannot be considered the inspired word of God.
The point of our concern, therefore, is to consider the fact that the some believers may have accepted as either “truth” or “fact” some supposed “scientific” hypothesis that are contrary to the Bible, and thus are an attack against the gospel. We live in a world where the scientific world has forsaken the Bible to be any final authority in matters of science or philosophy. For this reason, therefore, Christians must assume that these two fields of study will move our civilization away from God. If we are led to question the truth of the gospel of the incarnate Son of God, His atoning death, and gospel ascension to the right hand of the Father in heaven, then we must understand that our faith as defined by the Bible is gone. Therefore, any philosophy or supposed scientific fact that would lead us to question a Bible-based fact or historical statement must immediately be rejected. For the Christian, the Bible must not be considered just another book of religion. It must be considered the only book of a faith that is pleasing to God (Hb 11:6).
[Next in series: May 23]