Keeping Focused

DBC had a really good contingent of folks attending the Worldview Weekend Code Blue Rally a couple of Saturdays ago. This is a nationwide tour of Christian speakers who teach about worldview and how to engage people in a discussion about the Christian worldview.

Afterwards, Tim Bryarly, Lynne, and I got into a discussion about the presentations, what we liked, what we didn't like, what we agreed with, what we didn't agree with. All in all, we liked the speakers and the presentations, but we each had our pockets of disagreement with each speaker. And that's healthy - we shouldn't just swallow everything a Christian speaker says, but weigh everything against Scripture, be informed of the various views, and submit our opinion to what we believe God has to say on the matter.

In our discussion, we talked about the issue of Creationism, and one important point came to mind. Clearly, the debate between Creationism and Secular Evolutionism is centered on whether the universe began to exist by the willful act of a Creator or by an accidental (i.e., unplanned) chain reaction of natural events.

But notice what the core of the debate is not about.

This particular debate is not the existence of God ... not really. Clearly, the creationist argues for the existence of a Creator, and often call this Creator "God." But the evolutionary model does not require the non-existence of God (even though most evolutionists hold that view). One could be a deist (believing that God does exist) and still hold to a completely naturalistic explanation of the origin of the universe.

Neither is this debate about the age of the universe ... not really. There are creationists who hold to a "young earth" view, that the universe is somewhere between 6000 and 20,000 years old. There are other creationists who hold an "old earth" view, usually saying that the universe is somewhere in the neighborhood of 16 billion years old. But both camps are creationists - they believe that God created all of this out of nothing by his will. In many cases, advocates from both views are Bible-believing folks who say that Genesis accurately records Creation, and that the species came about by God's creation, rather than some form of macro-evolution. Both can rationally hold that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God.

This post is not to argue old earth vs. young earth, or to defend the biblical merit of either view. I have opinions on the matter, but to discuss them here would miss the point.

My point is this: When we are engaging the world about the issue of Creation, we should focus on what this debate is really about - whether or not a Creator created the universe. That's the main issue of this particular debate. We should keep the conversation on that point and not get distracted by what is not essential to this issue.

For example, if we debate with an evolutionist that they should not only adopt a creationist view, but a "young earth" creationist view, we are confusing the issue. What they first need to accept is that the Creator created. That's an essential factor of faith. Hebrews 11:3 says, "By faith we understand that the worlds were set in order at God’s command, so that the visible has its origin in the invisible." There's nothing here that requires us to believe that the universe is a particular age. The age question is secondary to the fact of Creation.

Someone can have the wrong opinion of the age of the universe and still be a vibrant Christian. But no one can believe that God doesn't exist and be a vibrant Christian. And no one can believe much of what Jesus said if they don't believe that God created everything, because Jesus' teachings rely completely on the fact that God is Creator, Sustainer, Provider, and Savior.

We can have the internal debates about the age of the universe for academic reasons, but when we openly bicker before the unbelieving world or when we make the secondary issues the litmus test of Christianity, we are putting up barriers between the lost and the Savior.

Keep focused on the essentials of Christianity when talking to the unsaved. Those are the truths that will transform their souls.