Welcome to Science, Scripture, and Salvation, a radio ministry of the Institute for Creation Research. In this program, we want to encourage you in your Christian faith by showing how scientific evidence supports the Bible, particularly the Genesis account. The book of Genesis lays the foundation for all matters addressed in the rest of the Bible. The nature of God, His sovereignty in creation, man's purpose, sin, marriage, family, and why we need a Savior are all introduced and explained in Genesis. When we see that the first and most foundational book of the Bible can be trusted in all matters, including science, it builds confidence in the rest of the inspired word all the way to Revelation.
On today's show, we'll hear from Dr. Henry Morris III, CEO of the Institute for Creation Research. Here's Dr. Morris. We've been talking about the Bible versus science, or maybe the apparent conflict between what we call science and what the Bible teaches us.
It's been pretty clear that the scientific world tries really hard to exclude God from their thinking. And it's also pretty clear that the Lord Jesus and the words of Scripture are pretty insistent on the accuracy of those words.
So we have something of a conflict. Probably even more significant to that is the statement from the writer to the book of Hebrews that without faith it's impossible to please God. That's an interesting conundrum. We need facts, we need information. In fact, our whole ideas and thought processes and ability to fulfill what God asked us to do from the very first week of creation when He said to Adam and Eve, you're now responsible for taking care of the planet.
You've got to subdue it and control it and have authority over it. Those issues require science to fulfil it. But then God says you can't please me without faith, so there must be some distinction here that we need to understand. Obviously, The Bible carefully defines faith. Hebrews chapter 11 is known by almost anybody who's in religious circles for any length of time.
That passage in Hebrews chapter 11 contains the most clear-cut, precise definition of faith recorded anywhere in Scripture. It is imperative that those who would claim to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who is the author and the finisher of our faith, We must be able to understand this simple and statement of what faith really is. Quoting from Hebrews now, Faith is the substance of things hoped for. the evidence of things not seen.
Now every student of Scripture knows that the word translated substance in the King James Version of the Bible is a Greek word that simply means standing under. faith stand under the things we hope for. The word translated evidence is is the translator's choice for a Greek word that is also an uncomplicated term that just means proof. Faith is the proof of things that we don't see. Faith looks forward based on a present evaluation of.
things that we do not yet have and cannot now see. Faith is not science. Faith is not subject to the scientific method. Faith is not subject to man's test. Faith doesn't base its hope in present conditions.
Faith is not dependent on human explanations or understanding. Faith is, however, both reasonable and defendable. When Peter was talking about that kind of faith, he said, you need to sanctify or set apart the Lord God in your heart and be ready always to give an answer. We get our word apologetic from that word. Give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear, or with gentleness and reverence.
whenever and however faith is expressed, It demonstrates these two basic characteristics. It believes in things not yet received. but assuredly expected. And it believes in things that cannot be seen by human intelligence or experience. Faith really is critical to our relationship with God.
Some very interesting events took place when Jesus was on the way to the house of a nobleman named Jarius, Both Matthew and Mark record the circumstances and may help us get a handle on the importance of God's words in the matter of our faith. Jarius had begged Jesus to heal his little daughter, who was terribly sick and at the point of death, and he said, 'If you'll just come and lay your hands on her, she will be healed' he had said.
So Jesus, who always responded to the needs of the hurting, started to walk toward Jarius' home, followed by a crowd of the curious. In the crowd was a woman who had been badly sick for twelve years. She had spent a lot of money on treatments and advice from various physicians, and was not getting any better. In fact, she was getting worse. She had no doubt heard about this healer from Nazareth, and was so confident that he had more power than the physicians, she thought to herself, If I can just touch his clothes, I can be cured.
We're not giving much background on this lady. We don't know if she'd seen any other miracles performed or anything that Jesus had done before. All we know is she. really believed that Jesus could do something beyond science from her. Maybe all she had was a little faithful Sunday school teacher who had shared with her about the promises of the coming Messiah.
We do know, however, that her faith was so important to the success of her healing that Jesus said, Your faith has saved you. Be made whole. I don't know if you can see it. Her faith? Faith in what?
Certainly not in doctors, obviously not in herself. Clearly the object of her faith was the person of Jesus, or, more precisely, in his reputation. The lady believed what she had been told about this Jesus, this healer of the sick, this one who had the power to cure when no doctor could. Faith focused on who Jesus was. Let's take a short break.
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How do jellyfish live without a brain? And what happened to the dinosaurs and other extinct animals? Guide to Animals shows how everything that can slither, crawl, soar, or swim displays the handiwork of God. Order your copy of Guide to Animals from the Institute for Creation Research by calling 800-628-7640 or visiting icr.org. That's 800-628-7640 or visiting icr.org.
Welcome back to Science, Scripture, and Salvation, a radio ministry of the Institute for Creation Research. Here's Dr. Morris. This dear lady had a faith. expecting Jesus to do something based on what she'd heard about this wonderful man of God.
Just about the reputation. What is there about that reputation that's so powerful?
Now, hang on to that thought just a minute while we continue to walk with Jesus to the nobleman's house. Jerius had. got to be excited and encouraged, he was really in terrible pain because his little daughter was so sick He heard that her disease was incurable, and he also heard that the Lord could heal her, and had acted on that faith. Jesus could do what he said. His daughter was going to be healed.
But while Jesus was still speaking, one of the servants from Jarius' house pushed his way into the inner circle of the crowd and blurted out to everyone in earshot that Jarius was not to trouble the master any more, the girl was dead. Talk about throwing cold water on a growing flame. You can hear the hiss and crackle of the sputtering faith as Jarius tries to absorb the attack on his confidence in Jesus. Just as his faith had received a wonderful lift from seeing the power of God in action, Jerry's trust was challenged with the scientific fact that his daughter had died. died dead in every sense of the modern science of the day could tell dead.
Everybody at Jerry's house and most of the crowd as well gave up on the daughter. She's dead, they all told Jesus. Don't trouble yourself any more. She's dead. God can't bring the dead back to life.
God has to be limited by his own physical laws. The girl is dead for crying out loud. Words that bring doubt have terrible power. The Bible says that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. The good news of salvation is the power of God, we're told in Romans.
Words that undermine the words of God throw a counter force against the faith that seeks to crush belief with doubt. No matter how it comes, whether from a servant of the house, a professor with a list of degrees as long as your arm, or a Bible thumping preacher from the pulpit. No matter. If the words are counter to the word of God, they will damage faith in God. Here's where faith pleases God, When science has no answer Faith.
believes even when experience is contrary to God's word. The people in the house only saw the dead body of the little twelve year old. They knew nothing about what could be done. Their faith was in what they saw. Their belief was in the science.
and what science had proven. They didn't believe in miracles. Even when Jesus, the Creator of life, told them, spoke to them directly, they still did not believe. They laughed and mocked and made fun of this preacher who had told them that death could be overcome by the authority of God. It is certain that the majority of those participating in this moment in history.
based their belief on the evidence of the dead body. Jesus must have known what a terrible blow the news of his daughter's death was to Jarius. But this was the moment when God was going to display something of his supernatural power. Do not be afraid, Jesus said to Jarius. Only believe.
Only believe? Believe what? The crowd would have Jarius believe that the daughter was beyond the help of God because the laws of science had worked their power. The servant would have him believe his tender, carefully planned, empathetic announcement of her death. Was Jarius to believe the obvious evidence that everybody else believed?
Should he believe that God could not do what Jarius had just seen Jesus do to the incurably sick? Must he rethink, re-evaluate, reconstruct what had happened to fit the evidence of the moment? Fortunately, Jaraeus did not insist that the God of the supernatural be bound by the laws of nature. He believed God's word over man's word. even though the news of the death of his daughter must have hurt him deeply.
His faith was in the Creator. the God of heaven and earth. The one who had created life. Jarius still believed that all Jesus had to do was lay his hand on his daughter. Dead or alive.
and she would be made whole. According to their faith, and just the way you believe. Let it happen. Is that the measure by which God judges or performs in our life? Does the level, the amount, quality, depth, firmness of our faith affect the way God reveals Himself to us?
Both of these people needed healing. One of them responded to the ridicule of the crowd. One of them responded to The words of Jesus. Thank you for joining us on Science, Scripture, and Salvation, a radio ministry of the Institute for Creation Research. That's all the time we have for our program today, but we would love to connect with you through our website at icr.org.
For over 45 years, ICR has equipped believers with evidence of the Bible's accuracy and authority by showing how science supports the Genesis creation account. Our scientists research the evidence for creation and communicate their findings through books, articles, DVD series, and conferences. Please visit our website at icr.org for more information about the latest scientific discoveries, to subscribe to our free magazine and devotional, and to locate our next creation conference at a venue near you. All of this and more at icr.org. If you've enjoyed this podcast, subscribe to Science, Scripture, and Salvation on iTunes.
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