Also, the laws of thermodynamics (basically the study of energy and its relationship to matter), which science has been able to prove time and time again in the laboratory, clearly show the universe must have had a beginning. For the laws of thermodynamics -- again which science can and has proven time and again -- tell us that the universe is running down, decaying, suffering from an irreversible heat-loss. Anyone who has lived into the "middle-ages" can see this effect when visiting their childhood home. For this effect to be demonstrable over and over again establishes it as a "law." For it to show degradation over time means that the universe could not have continued forever in "eternity past", so to speak. It had to have a beginning.

The wonder of God's creative power is that He spoke and it happened. There was a time when there was nothing. No people on the earth. No earth. No Sun. No Moon. No stars in the sky. No sky. No space at all. Nothingness. At some point, God decided to create a universe with the earth in it. He exercised His awesome power, spoke, and the universe was created. Actually, the Bible says He spent six days doing this. Rather than belittle the creation happening in "only" six days we should marvel that God took so LONG in doing it!

Because God created the universe, He is the owner of it. God created it from His own internal, self-existant power. Therefore it is His. The Psalmist writes, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters" (Psa. 24:1-2, NIV). What part of the universe He created belongs to Him and Him alone. Whatever He did not create is not His. Since He created all things, then all is His. God is the owner.

As the owner of the universe, God alone has the right to direct its use. Imagine you go to the local auto dealer, pick out a brand new truck (would that be a Ford?/Chevy?/Isuzu? or a real truck--a Dodge Ram Pickup), and of course pay cash for it. At this point the salesman hands you the keys and smiles. "You may not get this truck dirty in the mud -- only drive it on paved roads and when it is not raining. Never crank the car up when it is below 40 degrees or above 80 degrees. You may not put more than 5,000 miles a year on it. Also, you must bring the truck to this dealership for every maintenance item in your owner's manual." Now I'm not going to ask exactly what you would tell the salesman at this point but I will point out how absurd this is. Why? Because you are the owner of the truck. You paid for it in cash. It is yours to direct and control. It is just as much yours as if you manufactured it yourself. Similarly, God owns the universe and thus has the exclusive right to direct and control its use. It is His to drive in the mud, drive in the rain, crank up when it's freezing, and take it in for service wherever He chooses. Or not take it in. God alone directs its use.

Life had an origin -- science says hydrogen, the Bible says God!

The story of the origin of the universe -- scientifically of course! In order to create itself, the divine hydrogen atom had to decide it wanted a better position in life. Whoops, there is no life yet! After all, it's just an atom. Well anyway, it decided to arrange itself into different groups of molecules. Whoops, where did this intelligence come from? After all, it's just an atom. Anyway, it used some sort of mechanism to have children and then arrange the siblings into various types of molecules -- brother helium was probably first, cousin carbon came much later. Whoops, where did this mechanism to reproduce itself come from? After all, it's just an atom. And what of the mechanism to arrange itself into different chemical elements? After all, it's just an atom. And who wrote the laws of motion, gravity, thermodynamics? After all, it's just an atom. You get the picture. We are still a long way (about four and a half billion years) from coming up with an explanation for life from non-life. And yet this is the "definitive" and "convincing" proof of the origin of life, scientifically speaking of course.

The Bible has a much more definitive and convincing proof. The One with the power to create the universe and all that is in it spoke once again and created life. The One with infinite wisdom used His intelligence to establish laws in His universe and arrange the molecules as He chose. Fortunately for us, He chose to arrange some of them into human beings!

Evidence clearly points to the sudden creation of life.

I used to think people demanded to see the evidence. Compelling evidence used to convince people of the truth. After seeing some of the recent jury verdicts in this country, I am not so sure people care about evidence anymore. Nevertheless, evidence remains a vital part of exploring the truth of origins. So what evidence is there for the origin of life? Science tells us it was evolution -- life from non-life -- and points us to the fossil record as the evidence of how life originated. As their story goes, fossils of small, single-cell organisms are found deep in the ground. At higher layers, multi-cell creatures are found, followed by ever increasingly bigger creatures the higher up you go. As you near the top of the ground, fossils show ape-like creatures becoming erect and walking. Then you find human remains. Obviously, from this account, life originated from some primordial concoction of brother helium and cousin carbon.

While this makes a convincing case to unsuspecting students, especially when accompanied by an artist's imaginary renderings of small apes gradually turning into humans over time, the actual evidence paints an altogether different picture. Consider the following:

• The evolutionary theory demands that many transitional life forms must have been formed along the multi-billion year timeframe. Where are the fossils of these fish-lizards, frog-eagles, dog-men or monkey-women? There aren't any. Not one. Even staunch evolutionists, such as Steven Jay Gould and Sir Solly Zuckerman admit this.
• When Darwin popularized this theory some 100 years ago, only two percent of the fossils had been found. Darwin himself admitted the lack of any transitional forms in the fossil record to be the biggest hole in his theory. He was convinced when more fossils were found, the transitional forms would be there. Darwin was wrong. We have located millions of fossils with not one undisputed transitional form among them.
• Fossils of all types have been found at varying "levels" in the earth strata. Evolutionists, supposed scientists who observe, test, and validate all phenomena to arrive at a conclusion, choose to follow the hollow philosophy: "Don't ask, Don't tell." Just ignore the facts that contradict your conclusion. This is not science but deception at its worst.
• Good science weighs all the facts and derives the conclusion from the preponderance of evidence and that which is testable. The fossil record reveals the sudden appearance of a multiplicity of creatures at some point in the past. The overwhelming amount of evidence in the fossil record points not to a gradual evolution of life but to the sudden creation of many life forms.

"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female ..." (Matt. 19:4, NIV)

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness..." (Gen. 1:26a, NIV)

God is personally involved in the Creation by establishing its order. Some would argue that God may have done the creating in the beginning but then He left us alone to our own devices. He established the laws, started the systems and processes, but then stepped out of the way. But in this one verse we see how He is actively involved in His creation. In this instance, He establishes marriage and family as a holy institution. Note that the Bible says, "...at the beginning the Creator said" (Matt. 19:4, NIV). He intervened in time and space and He established the institution on which society would be built.

God created a permanent family structure by directing, "One man, one woman, for life." Note that the Bible says marriage is for a man and a woman -- not two men, not two women, not many men and women, but one man for one woman for life. The gay agenda may be to dismiss the "cultural oddity" of traditional marriage but God established it for us. This is His creation and He directs its rules. The institution of marriage and family were created as a blessing for us -- to establish an organization for society, to provide a secure place where children can be raised in an environment of love and discipline, so that all would have a place to call home.

"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator... said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Matt. 19:4-6, NIV)

Because God created the family, only He has the right to do with it what He wants -- the Owner directs its form and order. Today we face a cultural crisis where people are rejecting all things "traditional." People are encouraged and exhorted to "Just do it!" People are enticed to do and be anything they desire to be. No one has to look too hard in this country, let alone the world, to see that people desire things that are not good for themselves, their neighbor, their community, or their world. Certainly many things can and should change. But we cannot dismiss the foundational institutions that were explicitly ordained by God. Marriage and family were both established from the beginning by God Himself. Culture may change. Fashions may change. But God never changes. He is the Owner and He says to organize into families, led by one man and one woman for life!

Reflect on YOUR life: When you look at the wonder of creation, you may also wonder -- what can man create? God created from nothingness. Man creates from the skills, experiences, health, and opportunities given to him by his Creator God. There is only one thing man is truly capable of creating from nothingness -- evil. God creates life. Man creates evil. God creates what is good. The evil of man brings death. But God, because He loves us anyway, brought us a Savior. Through His death of the cross for our sins, He purchased a pardon for everyone who would believe in Him and receive His precious gift of forgiveness and eternal life. This, too, is part of God's order. This is His way of saving us. His name is Jesus Christ.

© 1999, Randy Lariscy.