Introduction
Faith is very important. "Without faith it is impossible to please God" (Heb 11:6) "For by grace you have been saved through faith." (Eph 2:8a) There is the faith that has been "proclaimed in all creation." (Col 1:23) Hebrews 11:3 says, "By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible."
To us this clearly means that biological evolution cannot be the process of how things were made. Instead, by faith we understand that God created the universe by his word ("fiat" creation).
Purpose
Scripture
Hebrews 11:3 is beautiful for the Christian who believes God created everything. God creates the universe and calls us to believe it.
The heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 were despised by the world. They did not follow the easy way. All around were alternative explanations for how the universe came into existence, just like there are today. Hebrews 11 begins with the creation of the universe because God's Creation is so fundamental to life. We want to be clear what Hebrews 11:3 means when it says, "what is seen was not made out of things that are visible". Evolution of the Big Bang sort requires that we believe in the millions of years of death before the Fall, even though God said everything "was very good".
We believe God has created a situation in life where each person is faith-tested. We believe God has perfectly balanced the information that we see and hear. We each have the opportunity to honor his Word or to dismiss the clear statements God has made. God allows allows us to hear deceptions, but we are called to reject them. Any "great mind" who leads us to trust in theistic evolution instead of God's 'fiat' creation, should be rejected. Hebrews 11:3 commends a faith in God as being a creator who does not need to submit to "things" being made out of things that are visible.
Scripture helps us interpret other scripture. When Exodus 20:11 says God created in six days, this helps confirm Genesis 1-11. When Jesus says, "But from the beginning of creation, 'God created them male and female.'", this helps us understand the creation. We should have faith in what God says in Genesis 1-11 on its own. But it is as if God knew we would need a little more help in our days of "science" confusion. We think a literal plain reading of Genesis 1-11 is the most God honoring faith.
According to the YEC view, God created in six ordinary days (Exodus 20:11, 31:16-17). This is a significant issue affecting the church and is often the cause of debate or division. There are huge implications if one believes in death before the Curse and pre-Adam human like creatures. We believe it is important to express your Biblically supported views in church.
We stand with ICR, CMI, AIG and other creation ministries who are defending the YEC view. After 50 years of following the plain reading of Genesis 1-11, we are confident that it will be a justified view in the end.
The "things that are visible" cannot come from things that are seen. We believe all things that are visible have been 'fiat' created by an all powerful God. Mutations and natural selection (Darwinism) have no power to create any kind of new feature like macro evolution suggests. Natural selection does not stand a chance when there is significant genetic entropy problem (about 100 mutations per generation). God has revealed his Curse in the overwhelmingly bad genetic entropy situation that is being revealed by modern DNA sequencing.
RECOMMENDED
ICR Podcasts (video)
https://www.icr.org/podcasts
John Sanford and Genetic Entropy (video)
John Sanford - presenting at NIH, 2018
John Sanford - interviewed by James Tour
John Sanford - at International Church of Oahu
John Sanford - @JBible YouTube playlist
James Tour and the complexity of the cell
James Tour - Pascal Lectures, 2016
James Tour - @JBible YouTube playlist
James Tour - Galileo and humility: Minute 44-47
Is Genesis History? (video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM82qxxskZE
Suggested Book for Discussion of OEC/YEC and the Bible
Coming To Grips With Genesis, by Terry Mortinson and Thane H. Ury.
Other Links (text content)
http://tim223.xanga.com/tag/creation/
Worldly Wisdom on the Origin Of Life (We think these are absolutely crazy and weak) (Modern versions of "spontaneous generation" and a silly way to use our tax money)
How Energy Flow Shapes Evolution of Life - Professor Nick Lane
New Theories on the Origin of Life - Dr. Eric Smith
FOOTNOTES
1.
Orthodox according to John McArthur and R.C. Sproul
This is the plain reading of Genesis 1-11 view that is more literal historical
and holds that the earth is young, also known as the YEC view.
John MacArthur is well known proponent of the YEC view.
R.C. Sproul came to this view later in life.
youtube @Jbible John MacArthur/Sproul
5.
The young earth creation view (YEC) believes that
Genesis 1-11 should be interpreted in the plain literal sense.
This view rejects the secular view of evolutionary "science"
that has determined that the universe is many billions of
years old and that man has been evolving for millions of years.
This view sees the Grand Canyon with its many rock
layers as evidence of Noah's flood that created the
geological column in a short time (not millions of years).
The oldest and earliest fossil creatures are at the bottom
because of the way that the flood would have deposited the
mud/sand/silt, that eventually hardended to form the rock
layers. The most modern and recent fossil creatures are
at the top layers becuase of how the world wide flood
would have progressed natually, all in a short time (not
millions of years).
Organizations like
ICR,
AIG,
CMI,
BSI,
etc,
are all promoters of this YEC view.
7.
These books promote a literal historical understanding of Genesis 1.
Terry Mortinson and Thane H. Ury, Coming to Grips with Genesis:
Biblical Authority and the Age of The Earth
(Master Books, First printing 2008, Tenth printing 2021)
Terry Mortinson, Searching for Adam - Genesis & the Truth About Man's Orgin
(Master Books, First printing 2016)
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