By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Hebrews 1:3, NIV)
While working with College Golf Fellowship over the past seven years, I have crossed paths with many European golfers that I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know. The common bond of golf and the love of the game provide easy introductions and quick friendships. Along the way, the conversation usually leads to worldviews and beliefs. Almost without exception, each European college golfer was taught the Big Bang theory and atheistic evolution as fact.
The major hurdle for the Europeans I have worked with in regards to faith is the hurdle of creation. Having been taught that God had nothing to do with the Big Bang or evolution, most of these Europeans have punted the faith of their forefathers. Hebrews 11:3 states, “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command.” The beginning of faith starts with an acknowledgement of God as creator. Without acknowledging God as creator, we are left with a wimpy, powerless divine being who belongs alongside fairy tales and modern day cartoons.
Granted, there are many believers today that would adhere to BioLogos, or theistic evolution. This is the belief that God has been the mastermind behind millions of years of evolution. In my opinion, the age of the earth is a second-base issue in regards to salvation…you don’t have to get that question right to be saved. Therefore, the main point that I attempt to get across to people with respect to the beginning of the world is that the seemingly illogical—that there is an eternal being who created it all—becomes the only logical conclusion when we look at the complexity of life in the universe.
A common illustration that gains significant yardage with guys is the story of the old man and the watch on the beach. Imagine you are running on a beach and you find a Timex Ironman watch about 10 feet away from an old man. You ask the old man if he lost his watch and the old man says, “Sonny, no one lost that watch. It just popped out of the ocean.” Obviously the old man is not correct, as the watch has to have had a designer and a maker. Yet, the wrist that the watch is worn on is much more complex that the watch, as is the nervous system, as is the human body, as is the earth, as is the solar system, as is the universe. If it is unintelligent to think that the watch would come about without a designer and maker, how much more questionable is it to think humans and the universe would just randomly come about? If the watch has a designer and a maker, how much more so do humans and the universe have to have a designer and a maker?
Psalm 19 and Romans 1 point to nature as proofs of God’s existence and glory. May we be in awe of the God who can speak the universe into existence and yet cares for each of us and knows every hair on our head. He loves us enough to send his Son for us, that those who trust in Jesus Christ will know God personally, now and for eternity.
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Korky Kemp
October 25, 2012
Copyright 2012 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.