Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 18
NEED_DATE
NUMBER 21, PAGE 6c-7a

"It Is Confusion"

John A. Welch

Modern scientific theorists are postulating systems of gradual evolution. In one form or another, the claim is that the modern world has arisen from lower forms through a process of gradual evolution to its present state. Many people in the church and religious circles seem to have started trying to support these ideas, thinking them the only logical explanation. Others try to reconcile many of these theories of evolution to the account of creation in Genesis.

It is important to realize now, that the basic idea of evolution and God's account of the creation are completely divergent. As stated before, the basic thesis of evolution is a rise upward from lower forms to the present day status. God's account of creation in Genesis involves not a rise of mankind, but instead, a fall into degeneracy. This is amply evidenced by the statement, "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him..." (Gen. 1:27). Later, man is described in these terms; "every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Gen.6:5).

The universe, at first, was described as being in a state of chaos, from which God created the ordered development of natural laws. Man had dominion over all animals and was in God's own image. He lived in the special care of God, and was apparently able to live forever, not knowing sin.

After he sinned, degeneracy began. Man's life span fell from a high point with Methuselah of 969 years, to as low as 20 years at some points in history. In Gen. 6:4 the presence of giants is asserted, giving credence to the possible existence of other misshapen humans. In Lev.18:23, the Lord warned His people about sins, which from their prohibition must have been existent. He described them by saying, "It is confusion." Archaeologists have supposedly found the remains of prehistoric men with receding foreheads, and a seemingly close resemblance to animals, and at the same time, men. They declare that these remains are parts of the "links" in their theories. It is wholly in order to wonder if these men might possibly be the product of man's degeneracy, rather than a part of his rise to the modern evolutionary state of today.

God's laws from the beginning have been evident, even without a special revelation of His will. Men could always realize the existence of God and much of His will, in spite of this very degenerative power of sin. Paul illustrated to the Gentiles that their supposed lack of knowledge of God was without excuse. In Acts 17:6, He mentioned three evidences of His presence: (1) The one blood of mankind, which cannot be substituted by another substance or manufactured product, nor can it be replaced by an animal's blood. (2) The times before appointed, both the judgment and all other natural laws. Solomon in Ecclesiastes 1 considered the cycles of nature as an example of this. Consider the consistent plan of God as the sun rises and sets, generations pass, and the continual evaporation cycle, in comparison with the confusion and chaos created by men. (3) The bounds of our habitation, evidenced by the need of astronauts to carry with them fantastic equipment to approximate the earth's conditions of temperature, oxygen, pressure, food, etc. "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." (Rom.1:20). Paul accused them of failing to worship God as He was, and as they could realize, eternal and all powerful; exchanging Him for created Gods like to themselves as corruptible men, even as many try to do today. He termed this, human vanity.

Not only could these people know the nature of God, but they could also know a great deal of His will, "God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient." (Rom. 1:28), Sin is self-destructive, and these people could realize it naturally. "...the Gentiles...do by nature the things contained in the law." (Rom. 2:14). Consider why many legal codes of heathen nations were written with injunctions against murder, fraud, theft, lying, etc., if it was not a natural revelation against sin, Sin is self-destructive. It has been destroying, not only the souls of men, but also their physical bodies ever since, from Adam, they began to persist in it. When questioned about divorce for any cause, Christ states, "... from the beginning it was not so," (Matt. 19:8). It was simply not natural for one man really to be united with more than one woman at a time. The entire old law was written because the people refused to keep themselves pure through observation of simple natural laws. "Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgression..." (Gal.3:19).

The deed from the beginning has been the things that was not convenient, unnatural. God's law has made the act a sin. "whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." (I Jn.3:4). However, the commands were given because these acts destroy men. These acts, now become sin, have led to the degeneracy of all mankind physically, not to mention the loss of many souls. Man has degenerated from the perfect state in which God created him. If anything we are in retrogression, or anti-evolution. "It is confusion." The word of God did not create these acts, with the consequent destruction of body. His Word was given to keep and save us from these sinful and destructive acts. "These things write I unto you that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (I Jn.2:1-2)