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Things We Do Not See

              Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. 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 11:1-3)

 

                Let’s consider. According to Scripture, the universe was created about 6000 years ago and within a week was a fully functional, “mature” universe. According to Sciencism (the belief that whatever they call “science” automatically has the only answer), the universe is either eternal (steady state), oscillating, or came into existence 14 billion years ago, probably due to the Big Bang. I don’t care what other possibilities you might propose for how the universe was formed. The point really is that you weren’t there and neither does anyone else you know. You didn’t create it, and you don’t know who did. You may find some clues.  You may be told by others where all the evidence points, but the reality is that YOU haven’t done it or observed it so it is by faith that you understand that the universe was formed in whatever manner you say it was.

                I’m not being nasty here. The point is that using the word “faith” to demean someone else’s claims about something that happened in history is foolish, unless you witnessed the event in question or have historical documentation from someone who did, and even then, there can be an issue with understanding and interpretation of what was seen.

                What is interesting to me is that while people claim the Bible isn’t a scientific text (it’s not), once again, it states precisely what science generally claims about the beginning of the universe. What happened before the beginning can’t be seen. It can only be guessed at. All that is claimed about the beginning is not available for our examination. Therefore, it is accepted by faith by those who accept it.

                At the same time, those who claim to believe the Bible to be the Word of God don’t have the option to believe what is claimed by those who accept “science” as authoritative with regard to the beginning of the universe and the claim of billions of years. We can and should believe that if there is a God who is capable of sending His Son to die for our sins and be resurrected, that same God is capable of creating a universe in its “mature” form.

 

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