CHAPLAIN’S PAGE – The Heavens Declare
WE live in an era of “information explosion”. It pours in on us from the Press, radio, and the Internet. Unfortunately, the bulk of this information is of a worldly nature, and has little or no spiritual value. Some will say that there are a number of interesting TV series dealing with the wonders of nature. Indeed, there are, but without exception they are based upon the false premise of Evolution. The name of the Creator is never mentioned.
The presenters will inform us that all the wonders began with a “Big Bang”, or whatever theory happens to be in vogue at the time.
Despite the fact that the present generation has no instruction in Christianity at school, or in the majority of homes, it does not imply that God has no means of communicating Himself to mankind today. If that were so, then this generation does indeed have an excuse for spiritual ignorance.
Even before man was formed on the earth, the Creator looked down the ages of history and saw that Satan would do his work so well that mans attention would be taken up with secular distractions. However, our wonderful Lord has left a witness, and there is no excuse for ignorance. It is a witness so vast, so obvious, that it would be impossible to miss:
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.” – (Psalm 19:1)
When we view the universe at night, and struggle to comprehend the majesty and the vastness of it all, what conclusion can we reach, except that it is the work of the Great Architect, Who, by His very Word, brought it all into existence. The Psalmist continues:
“Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.” – (Psalm 19:2)
In so few words, we are told that the creation is its own witness. Through the eternities of time it positively shouts at us –” I, the mighty God of time and eternity, have created all this – can you still not believe?” The creation cuts us down to size and our spirit must surely acknowledge that we are no more than the grass that withers and dies.
Despite the witness of Creation, man, in his arrogance, believes that it all came together by chance! Someone once said, “Imagine a large junkyard, and along comes a mighty wind that blows through it, leaving what behind? A gleaming Jumbo Jet, ready for takeoff.” Silly? Of course it is, but this is what the scientists expect us to believe.
Again, the Psalmist wrote:
“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” – (Psalm 14:1)
Paul was moved to write:
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;” – (Romans 1:28)
This is the way that it has always been, man fooling himself that there is no God. It is an interesting exercise to think of some of the reasons that man has invented as to why there is no God. Chief among them I believe, is that man in his arrogance prefers to believe that he is master of his own destiny. In any event, this relieves him of the responsibility of havng to bother to worship a higher source of power.
Those proud presenters of nature programmes on TV who inform us that everything “just happened” on its own, by chance, if we were to ask them “Who supplied the materials for the ‘Big Bang’?” you may be sure that they would not be forthcoming in their reply.
Paul, in his first Epistle to the Romans, chapter 1, refers to the great witness of the Creation, for he writes in verse 20:
“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”
What does Paul mean by “the invisible things of him”? Paul’s phraseology is not aIways easy to understand. If the verse is rephrased, it becomes clearer:
“For, from creating a universe, His unseen attributes, that is, His power and Divine nature, might have been clearly understood by means of the created facts, so that they are without excuse.”
This incredible verse gives us a double witness to the greatness of the Creator. Firstly in order to create, the requisite is Divinity, without which it is not possible to create. Divinity itself encapsulates the attributes of omniscience and omnipresence. Without these there would be no Divinity. The double witness is the created universe, which, as we have just seen, presupposes a Divine Creator with properties which are not visible. One cannot see Divine Nature for example, but we know that it is present. Thus says Paul, “they are without excuse.”
It is understandable today that the majority do not bother to study the Scriptures, especially as they are under constant attack, both from scientists and the Church itself. However, no one can have an excuse for not being able to comprehend the wonders of the created universe. Some will say “What about those who are born blind? They cannot see”. Our wonderful Lord is so concerned that no one should be left out, so He has provided us with witness after witness of His greatness and power. For example, Paul, speaking to the people at Lystra, says:
“Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons; filling our hearts with food and gladness.” – (Acts 14:17)
The continuance of fruitful seasons is surely a witness that we can all appreciate. If we return to the 19th Psalm, we find a further witness:
“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” – (Psalm 19:7)
Some will say that this was fine during the Old Testament era, but as the Law was done away with in Christ, that witness no longer applies. How little they understand that only the ordinances were abolished in Christ; this great truth is made clear in both Ephesians 2:15 and Romans 3:31:
“Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;”
“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”
The witness of the Law being able to convert the soul is, even today, one of God’s witnesses. Sadly, it is the Church that is the main offender in destroying this witness. Every generation has had the opportunity to come to the knowledge of the truth, thus they are without excuse.
However hard men may try to erase God from their consciousness, there is no way that when they come before Christ at the great Judgement Throne, as they surely will, they can plead ignorance. In that day when they deny Him, He will say unto them:
“And then will I profess unto them ,I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” – (Matthew 7:23)
It is for this reason that each of us must be a further witness to the Power and might of the Creator God, Who sent His beloved Son to die for us.
