Jeremiah 10:1-16, Evolutionary Creationism

I lean towards a ‘young earth’ view of creation.  That probably has come out in some of my posts.  If you disagree please read on.  I want to lay aside the issue of the age of earth and just go to the idea of evolution vs. creation.  You may hold a view, like many Christians today, which seeks to acknowledge what they believe science proves.  Many believe that science makes evolution in some sense undeniable.  As Christians they know they must give true homage to God the Creator.  So the result is there are a variety of views that we might call evolutionary creationism.  Our purpose today is to give you opportunity to examine the depth of our worship of the Creator.

Jeremiah, in the most basic way, presents the issue for us.  He describes a Biblical view of God.  There is only one God.  There is none like Him. Especially Jeremiah points out that the gods of wood and stone are not like the God of the Bible.  They have created nothing; He has created everything.  Jeremiah thinks, apparently, that the identification of who is and who is not God is bound up in who made the heavens and earth.  The One who made it all is truly God, and the God of the Bible claims through His prophets to be that One.  And note that the God of the Bible is said to be the Portion of Jacob.  His dealings with Israel differentiate Him from what others called ‘god’ such as the people around Israel.  In other words the God of the Bible is Creator and He is involved in that Creation in certain ways.

With this simple background let us ask some questions of ourselves, questions that are good for anyone to consider (including me with my view of creation) but also for you, if you hold to an evolutionary creationism.

·        In my view of God, how is He involved in the world today?  Many consider evolution to be the driving force of life.  So if you hold to any form of creationism (i.e. that there is/was a Creator, even if He set things in motion shortly before a big bang and then went on vacation) our view needs to address the issue of where we can see God at work in the heavens and earth today.

·        Do I treat evolution as if evolution itself is god?  How did we get from one cell to the human body and soul and mind?  What was driving the decisions that had to be made along the way?  Like the preacher in Ecclesiastes (9:11) you might want to say it was time and chance, which if you remove the personal and powerful God of Creation the Bible presents, that is what you are left with.  Or you might call the driving force survival of the fittest or some other principle.  The question we need to think about, for me personally, today, is “Who is my God?”  Who is driving me?  And as we consider this question, we want to further ask, “Am I worshiping evolution?”  If I am then it is no different that worshiping the gods of wood and stone.  And they have created nothing.

·        Am I trying to be at peace with science or with scientists?  It is one thing to accept evolution because I think it fits good science.  But it is another thing if I am trying to maintain some respectability with scientists?  I ask this question because I hear a lot in the writings of evolutionary creationists that they are concerned that if we hold a creationist view we will offend scientists.  For example, read Hugh Ross’s material and you will see this a lot.  In the end we can say that our view of creation is not as important as our view of the gospel.  So if I am concerned about not offending scientists will I ever take a stand for the gospel of Christ?  The gospel is ALWAYS offensive.  Am I going to want to alter the gospel so as to accommodate the scientist?

Whatever your view of creation I hope that as one who confesses Christ as Lord you will consider these questions with some seriousness and depth.