FAITH IN GOD OR EVOLUTION?

By David J. Riggs

                                        
Intro.
   A. In this lesson we want to consider faith in, and knowledge of, 
      the true God.

I. OUR FAITH IN THE EXISTENCE OF GOD IS BASED ON EVIDENCE. (See Chart
   #1 below)
   A. Cause and effect gives evidence.
      1. A design demands a designer, a building, a builder; a thing
         made, a maker; and a creation, a creator. Heb. 3:4; Psalm
         19:1-3
   B. Man is a moral creature. He has within himself a likeness to
      God. Gen. 1:26; James 3:9
      1. This similitude of God is what distinguishes man from all
         other animals.
      2. A man wrote to Dear Abby and said, "Dear Abby: I am in
         love and am having an affair with two different women. I
         can't marry them both. Please tell me what to do, but don't
         give man any of that morality stuff." Abby's answer was a
         good one. She said, "Dear Sir: The only difference between
         humans and animals is morality. Please write to a
         veterinarian."
   C. Man is a worshiping creature.
      1. There is a universal tendency in man to regard someone
         greater than himself.
      2. In all ages, and in all cultures, man has been found to be a
         worshipful being. Why? Because his inward nature points to
         a higher being.
   D. God has revealed Himself.
      1. He has revealed Himself through "natural" revelation, by the
         things which He made. Acts 14:17; Rom. 1:20
      2. He has revealed Himself through "special" revelation, the
         Bible.
      3. The Bible provides:
         a. A ready explanation for the existence of the universe.
            Gen. 1:1
         b. The knowledge of how such amazing design is to be
            found in this world. Gen. 1:31; Psalm 139:14
         c. Information to show why man is superior to and above
            all other things. Gen. 1:26-28
         d. A basis for morality: right and wrong. Heb. 5:12-14
         e. The answers to some of life's most important questions:
            (1) Where did I come from? Gen. 2:7
            (2) Why am I here? Eccl. 12:13-14
            (3) Where am I going? Heb. 9:27; John 5:28-29

II. EVOLUTION IS A RELIGION, A SYSTEM OF FAITH, JUST AS IS           
    CHRISTIANITY.
   A. Religion - "4. A cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to
      with ardor and faith." (Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary)
   B. The evolutionists believe: (See chart #2)
      1. That matter is eternal.
         a. Evolutionists have no answer as to where the first
            matter came from. They just assume that it always
            existed.
      2. That lifeless matter accidentally stirred around and
         brought forth life.
         a. This is contrary to the fact that living creatures are   
            too complex for this to happen. Even the smallest of
            creatures are exceedingly complex.
         b. This is contrary to the fact that "life comes from life."
      3. That the first accidental life survived and multiplied in
         self-reproduction.
      4. That the accidental life survived, self-multiplied, and
         evolved itself into bigger and better life forms.
      5. That the accidental life survived, self-multiplied, and
         evolved itself into bigger and better life forms which
         brought forth humans with intelligence.
      6. That some of these intelligent humans are so ignorant
         that they imagine there is a Higher Being.
         a. Many evolutionists believe these things; thus, this is
            their religion, their system of faith.
         b. "How We Got Cars" by Charles Swindoll 
            Many, many centuries ago, all this iron, glass, rubber,
            plastic, fabric, leather, and wires came up out of the
            ground. Furthermore, each substance fashioned itself
            into various shapes and sizes. Holes evolved at just the
            right places, and the upholstery began to weave itself
            together. After a while threads appeared on bolts and
            nuts and -- amazing as it may seem -- each bolt found
            nuts with matching threads. And, gradually, everything
            sort of screwed up tightly in place. A little later
            correctly shaped glass glued itself in the right places.
            And you see these tires? They became round over the
            years. And they found themselves the right size metal
            wheels. And they sort of popped on. They also filled
            themselves with air somehow. And the thing began to
            roll down the street.
            And one day, many, many years ago -- centuries, really
            -- some people were walking along and they found this
            vehicle sitting under a tree. And one of them looked at  
            it and thought, "how amazing. I think we should call it
            'automobile.'" But there's more! These little automobiles
            have an amazing way of multiplying themselves year
            after year, even changing ever so slightly to meet the
            demands of the public. Actually, that process is called
            "automutations." 
   C. If evolution is true: (See chart #3)
      1. There is no such thing as right and wrong.
      2. Anything from murder to adultery is permissible because man
         is not morally accountable to anyone.
      3. All laws are self-imposed by whatever any given society or
         government decides.
         a. In Germany from 1939 to 1945, the people of Germany
            were under Nazi powers, who commanded the
            extermination of the Jews.
         b. After the war, Nazis, who were being tried as war
            criminals, said, "We were simply doing what we thought
            was right under our law. We are not subject to laws of
            other countries."
         c. Some of the Nazis were found guilty and put do death
            on the basis of: "There is a higher law that transcends
            time and country."

III. MAN OFTEN HAS MISCONCEPTIONS OF THE TRUE GOD.
   A. Instead of learning about the true God from His revealed word,
      man often manufacturers his own God.
   B. To many, God becomes what they prefer, not what He actually is.
      Psalm 50:21
   C. Some modern-day views of God are: (See chart #4)
      1. The god of my health and wealth.
         a. One televangelist said, "God's will is for man to have
            prosperity."
      2. The god of my emotional needs.
         a. Some lower God down to their level to be their servant.
      3. The god of my gender.
         a. Feminists are rewriting the Bible to make it more to
            their liking.
         b. They want a god created by women, for women.
         c. They resent the God of the Bible.
      4. The god of my sexual preference.
         a. Homosexuals want a god who approves their lifestyle.
         b. Adulterers also want second and third marriage
            approval.
      5. The god of my religious preference.
         a. Instead of learning of God's ways and of what God
            requires, they have substituted their own ideas and
            ways.
         b. Man's doctrines and churches abound today.
         c. The social gospel is a religion designed to please men.
         d. The Scriptures declare that if we do not abide in the
            doctrine of Christ, we do not have God. 2 John 9

IV. GOD SHOULD NEVER BE MADE TO CONFORM TO OUR LIKENESS.
   A. He is changeless. Heb. 13:8
      1. God is the great "I am." This shortest sentence in the Bible
         - "I am" - carries great significance.
      2. There is no variation with God. James 1:17
   B. He is beyond our comprehension. Job 11:7-9
   C. His power is infinite. Rev. 19:6
   D. His revelation reveals His mind and will. Eph. 3:1-5
   E. All men are accountable to Him. Heb. 4:13; Rom. 14:11-12
      1. God is the Teacher; we are the students.
      2. He is the Lord; we are the servants.
      3. He is the Creator; we are the created.
      4. He is the Maker; we are the made.
      5. He is the Potter; we are the clay.

Concl.
   A. The Bible spends very little space in trying to prove the      
      existence of God.
      1. God's existence is taken for granted from the very          
         beginning; e.g., "In the beginning God..." Gen. 1:1
      2. Rom. 1:20-22 says that the things which are made prove the
         existence of God, and for one to claim otherwise only proves
         him to be a fool and without excuse.
   B. Evolution is a system of faith just like Christianity is a     
      system of faith.
      1. If evolution is true, there is no right from wrong.
      2. If you don't like the laws of the land, change them to      
         please yourself.
   C. Though many believe in God, they do not truly know Him.
      1. They have fashioned God into what they think He ought to
         be.
   D. Let us learn about the true God, and not fashion Him into
      something He is not.
      1. Let us respect His ways, and follow His will.

Chart #1
Faith in the Existence of God
1. Cause and effect gives evidence. Heb. 3:4; Psalm 19:1-3
2. Man is a moral creature. He has within himself a likeness to God.
   Gen. 1:26; James 3:9
3. Man is a worshiping creature.
4. God has revealed Himself.
   a. Through "natural" revelation, by the things which He made. Acts
      14:17; Rom. 1:20
   a. Through "special" revelation, the Bible.

Chart #2
Faith In Evolution
Religion - "4. A cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with
ardor and faith." (Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary)
1. That matter is eternal.
2. That lifeless matter accidentally stirred around and brought forth
   life.
3. That the first accidental life survived and multiplied in         
   self-reproduction.
4. That the accidental life survived, self-multiplied, and evolved   
   itself into bigger and better life forms.
5. That the accidental life survived, self-multiplied, evolved itself
   into bigger and better life forms which brought forth humans
   with intelligence.
6. That some of these intelligent humans are so ignorant that they   
   imagine there is a Higher Being.

Chart #3
If Evolution Is True:
1. There is no such thing as right and wrong.
2. Anything from murder to adultery is permissible because man is not
   accountable to anyone.
3. All laws are self-imposed by whatever any given society or
   government decides.

Chart #4
Man manufactures his own god
1. Some modern-day views of God are:
   a. The god of my health and wealth.
   b. The god of my emotional needs.
   c. The god of my gender.
   d. The god of my sexual preference.
   e. The god of my religious preference.
2. God should never be made to conform to our ways and ideas.
   a. He is changeless. Heb. 13:8
   b. He is beyond our comprehension. Job. 11:7-9
   c. His power is infinite. Rev. 19:6
   d. His revelation reveals His will. Eph. 3:1-5
   e. All men are accountable to Him. Heb. 4:13; Rom. 14:11-12