Names of God

The Bible uses many names of God. What are these names, and what are their meanings? They teach us important lessons about the character and power of God.

Is there significance to God’s many names?

Yes, throughout the Bible God refers to Himself by different names and titles. Each name reveals an aspect of His nature, character and power. For example, the name Elohim, used in Genesis 1, is a plural noun that normally takes a singular verb. This and other scriptures indicate that God is composed of more than one being. The Bible doesn’t teach that there is a “sacred name” for God.  

What is God’s name? When we study the Bible in English, it can seem like God has two basic names: God and LORD.

But when we dig deeper, we discover that in the original languages He has many more names—some of which include multiple variants. These names are often simply translated as God and LORD in modern English translations.

Names of God in the Bible

When we study the meanings of these names, we learn that they teach us many truths about our Creator. They each reveal something important about God’s power, nature, character or acts. We can learn a lot about our Creator by studying the meanings of His many names.

What is the significance of names in the Bible?

In the Bible, names are not just used to identify someone, but often describe certain qualities and characteristics of the person who bears the name.

For instance, the Hebrew name Jacob (Genesis 25:26; Genesis 27:36) means “taking hold of the heel, supplanter, layer of snares.” When we read Jacob’s story, we find that this name perfectly describes his character throughout much of his life (Genesis 25-32).

However, after Jacob wrestled with God all night, God changed his name to Israel (which means “struggle with God” or “he prevails with God”) (Genesis 32:28).

Therefore, in the Bible names reveal important information about the person or being.

But what about the names of God in the Bible? What are their meanings? What do they reveal about Him?

God refers to Himself by many different names in the Bible, and with each name we learn more about Him. Often the first time one of His names is used in the Scriptures gives us insight into the quality or characteristic of God that He is revealing by that name.

Let’s explore some of the names God uses for Himself in the Bible.

Elohim

The first word translated as God in the Bible is found in Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” God here is from the Hebrew word Elohim. It is the most-often-used Hebrew word translated as God in the Old Testament. It is translated as God well over 2,300 times.

Elohim is revealed here as the Creator of the heavens and the earth.

However, that is not all that the word reveals. Elohim is a plural word. It is the plural of Eloah—a name that is only used 52 times in reference to the true God in Scripture (41 of those in the book of Job).

In Hebrew, when the “-im” suffix is added at the end of a word, it makes the word plural (much like the “-s” suffix in English and Spanish).

The context shows that Elohim can be used of the true God or of false gods. In fact, Elohim is translated as gods—in reference to false gods—over 240 times (for example, Exodus 20:23).

The fact that Elohim is a plural word also reveals a vital truth about the true God. It shows us that there is more than one member of the Godhead. We see this understanding of the plural nature of Elohim in Genesis 1:26:

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’”

Throughout the years, many theologians have grappled with the question of how God can be both singular and plural. The use of the plural noun Elohim in Genesis 1 introduces us to a truth that becomes clearer throughout the rest of the Bible: that God isn’t alone. He, along with the Word, dwelt together from eternity and are God. See John 1:1-3, 14. For further explanation about Elohim read our booklet Getting to Know the God of the Bible.

The Bible also reveals that human beings were created with the potential to enter the God family as sons and daughters (2 Corinthians 6:18).

You can learn more about this amazing truth about God’s nature in our articles “God Is One,” “Children of God” and “What Did the Apostles Believe About God?”

El

El is a shortened form of Eloah and Elohim. El emphasizes God’s might and power. It is translated as God many times in the Old Testament.

El is sometimes used in conjunction with other words to describe various aspects of God’s nature and character. Here are some examples:

• El Shaddai: The word shaddai means “most powerful” or “Almighty.” So, when put together with El, the name means “God Almighty” or “God the Most Powerful.” It emphasizes God’s unmatchable power and strength. According to The Complete Word Study Old Testament, this name is used to describe God 48 times in the Old Testament (p. 2371). (Examples include Genesis 17:1; 28:3; Exodus 6:3.)

• El Elyon: The adjective elyon means “elevated, high, exalted” (The Complete Word Study Old Testament, p. 2349). So, when put together with El, the name means “God the Most High” or “the Most High God.” This emphasizes God’s preeminence and ultimate power and authority over everything. (Examples include Genesis 14:18-20; Psalms 78:35; 47:2; 97:9.) It is interesting that in Isaiah’s account of Lucifer’s attempted rebellion, Lucifer (who became Satan) used this name as he was attempting to overthrow God’s throne and become “the most high” himself (Isaiah 14:14). This was an attempt that, of course, failed miserably.

• El Olam: The noun olam means “eternity, the distant future, duration, perpetual, without end, always, everlasting time” (ibid., pp. 2347-2348). So, when put together with El, the name means “the Everlasting God” or “the Eternal God.” (This name is found in Genesis 21:33.)

• El Mosha’ah: The noun mosha’ah means a “saving act, deliverance” or “salvations.” When put together with El, the name means “God of Salvation” or “God the Deliverer.” This emphasizes God’s character of love and His power over all things. He is the God who loves and cares about His people so much that He saves and delivers them. (This name is found in only one place in the Bible, Psalm 68:20.)

El is often found embedded in the names of individuals in the Bible. When you see a name that has el within it, it is often a name proclaiming an element of God’s power and character.

Some examples include Israel (“one who prevails with God”), Samuel (“His name is El” and “heard of God”), Eleazar (“God has helped”), Immanuel (“God with us”), Michael (“who is like God”), Elimelech (“my God is king”) and Elijah (“my God is Yah”).

Adonai

The word Adonai is an emphatic form of the noun Adon. Its basic meaning is “‘lord’ in the sense of a superior, master, or owner” (Zondervan Expository Dictionary of Bible Words, p. 416).

The word emphasizes the authority of the one it describes. But, unlike other names of God (such as YHWH or “I AM”), its usage in the Bible isn’t limited to describing only God. It is sometimes used to identify human beings with authority (Genesis 40:1).

When used for God, Bible translators usually translate Adonai as “Lord” (with one capital letter). The name is often used along with YHWH or Elohim to give a double emphasis to God’s ultimate power and authority. Here are some examples:

• “O LORD [YHWH], our Lord [Adonai], how excellent is Your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:9).

• “For I know that the LORD [YHWH] is great, and our Lord [Adonai] is above all gods” (Psalm 135:5).

“I AM”

In Exodus 3 we read the account of God talking to Moses from a burning bush and revealing that Moses would be used to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. Moses asked God what name he should use to identify Him when he spoke to the children of Israel (Exodus 3:13).

God answered, “I AM WHO I AM. … Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (verse 14). It may sound odd that God called Himself “I AM.” Why would He call Himself “I AM”?

The Hebrew word for “I AM” is hayah. In this context, it essentially means “to be, to exist.”

What God was saying is that He is the God who simply is. He has no source of origin, no progenitor, no beginning. He came from no physical place. He simply exists and always has existed.

Read more about God and His purpose for you.

In ancient times, people were often identified by who their parents were or where they came from. For instance, Joshua is identified as “Joshua the son of Nun” (Numbers 11:28) and Ishmael is called “the son of Hagar the Egyptian” (Genesis 21:9). The infamous giant slain by David was known as “Goliath, from Gath” (1 Samuel 17:4). The apostle Paul was originally known as “Saul of Tarsus” (Acts 9:11).

So, when God identified Himself as “I AM,” He was making the statement that He has no father or mother who created Him. He has no genealogy and no physical source of origin.

He simply is and always has been.

To learn about how and why the One who later came to earth as Jesus Christ called Himself “I AM,” read “Was Jesus Created?” and “Jesus Christ Was the God of the Old Testament.”

LORD (YHWH)

The most often used name for God is translated as LORD in the Old Testament. The first time it occurs is in Genesis 2:4. It occurs over 6,500 times.

It consists of four Hebrew consonants, which have been represented in English in various transliterations: YHVH, JHVH, IHVH, JHWH and YHWH. These four consonants have been given a name—the tetragrammaton (a Greek word that simply means “four letters”). Anytime you read the all-capitalized word “LORD” in the Bible, it is translated from the tetragrammaton. (When you read “Lord” without all capital letters, it is usually translated from Adonai.)

The Jews considered the word YHWH too sacred to be spoken, so they intentionally did not preserve the pronunciation. Today no one knows exactly how it was to be pronounced.

The Hebrew language consists of 22 consonants (most Bibles list these consonants in Psalm 119 as subheads over every eight verses). Vowel sounds are indicated by placing various dots or small lines around these consonants.

The Jewish scribes who preserved the Hebrew Scriptures by hand intentionally left off the vowel points for this word from their manuscripts—leaving only the four consonants (YHWH).

Therefore, there is no definitive pronunciation of this word. Commonly used pronunciations like Jehovah or Yahweh are just guesses. Most scholars believe “Yahweh” is probably a more likely pronunciation, since the hard j sound isn’t used in the Hebrew language.

But what’s important isn’t the pronunciation. What’s important is the meaning of the name.

The meaning of YHWH is similar to the meaning of “I AM.” Its basic meaning is “the self-existing One” or “the Eternal.” It emphasizes that God has lived for eternity—He had no beginning and will have no end. He was not brought into existence at any point in history by any other being—He is self-existent.

Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words provides this helpful explanation of these two names: “The connection between ‘I AM’ and ‘Yahweh’ is one of verbal person. ‘I AM’ is the first person form of the verb ‘to be’ … while ‘Yahweh’ represents the third person from of the same verb, perhaps ‘HE IS’ or ‘HE WILL BE’” (p. 422).

Many other scriptures elaborate on the essential truth behind the meaning of the name YHWH:

• “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting!” (Psalm 41:13).

• “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (Psalm 90:2).

• “For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones’” (Isaiah 57:15).

• “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).

Like the name El, YHWH is also used in conjunction with other attributes of God to form other derivatives of the name YHWH.

Here are a few examples of this:

• YHWH Rapha: The verb rapha means “to heal,” “cure” or “make healthful.” So when put together with El, the name means “God Who Heals” or “God Our Healer.” We find this name for God in Exodus 15:26: “For I am the LORD who heals you.” Many Bible verses show God’s power to heal sicknesses and to raise the dead back to life (Psalms 41:3; 107:20; 146:8; 147:3; Isaiah 53:5).

• YHWH Jirah: Most English Bibles translate the meaning of this name clearly in the text of the one place it’s used: “The-LORD-Will-Provide” (Genesis 22:14). Many Bible passages elaborate on this aspect of God’s character—that He loves to bless us and provide for our needs (Psalms 65:9-13; 107:9; 145:16; Matthew 6:26; Philippians 4:19; James 1:17).

• YHWH Nissi: Most English Bibles also make this name clear in their translation: “The-LORD-Is-My-Banner” (Exodus 17:15). A banner was a flag or standard that would go before an army or a group to identify, from afar off, who and where they were. This name shows that we should always look to God as our protector when we face life’s battles. We look to Him to help us achieve spiritual victories (1 Corinthians 15:57).

• YHWH Tsidkenu: The Hebrew word tsidkenu (or tsedeq) means “righteousness, straightness, or what is right and just.” We find this name in two places in the Bible, both in the book of Jeremiah: “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jeremiah 23:6, see also Jeremiah 33:16). This name emphasizes that God’s character and ways are perfect, right and just. There is no fault in God; His acts, ways and judgments are always righteous (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalms 7:11; 145:17; 1 John 1:5). God gave His 10 Commandments to help us learn how to be righteous like He is (Psalm 119:172).

• YWHW Tsaba’: The Hebrew word tsaba’ is a noun describing an army—a mass of soldiers ready for war. English Bibles usually translate this word as host, an old English word for an army or a large throng of soldiers organized for war. So this name is translated in most translations as: “The LORD of hosts” (Psalm 24:10). It is used 235 times in the Old Testament. This name emphasizes God’s supreme power and leadership over the angelic armies of heaven. The Bible describes God’s angelic armies as “innumerable” (Hebrews 12:22; see also Revelation 5:11). The name “LORD of hosts” describes the prophetic image of Jesus Christ’s return to earth—followed by hosts of angels who will be joined by the resurrected saints (Matthew 25:31; Mark 8:38; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; Jude 1:14). It emphasizes God’s absolute and unrivaled power and authority.

• YHWH Shalom: The word shalom simply means “peace.” But used in conjunction with God’s name, it specifically describes a peace that comes only from God. This name is used only once in the Bible, in Judges 6:24: “The-LORD-Is-Peace.” This name teaches us that true peace (peace of mind, peace in life and peace for our world) comes only through God and His ways. The Bible has a lot to say about how God brings peace (Psalms 23:1-6; 119:165; Isaiah 26:3, 9:6; John 14:27; Philippians 4:6-7; 2 Thessalonians 3:16).

There is one Bible passage that is unique because it contains the tetragrammaton as well as the other major names of God—all packed into one single verse:

• “For the LORD [YHWH] your God [Elohim] is God [Elohim] of gods and Lord [Adon] of lords, the great God [El], mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe” (Deuteronomy 10:17).

Learning from God’s different names in the Bible

We hope this article has helped you gain a deeper understanding of the many names your Creator has used to reveal Himself. The names of God are not empty phonetic sounds, but are deeply meaningful proclamations of His power, His character and the many things He does for His people.

By learning about the many names of God in the Bible, we can come to know Him better.

List of the Names of God

Hebrew or Greek Name, Basic Meaning, First Scriptural Use

Elohim, Mighty Ones, Genesis 1:1

El, Strong, Mighty, Mighty One, Genesis 14:18

El Shaddai, Almighty God, Most Powerful, Genesis 17:1

El Elyon, The Most High God, Genesis 14:18

El Olam, The Everlasting, Eternal God, Genesis 21:33

El Mosha’ah, God of Salvation, God the Deliverer, Psalm 68:20

Adonai, Master, Superior, the Highest Authority, Exodus 23:17

“I AM”, The God who has existed for eternity and has no beginning or creator, Exodus 3:14

YHWH, The Eternal, the Self-Existing God, Genesis 2:4

YHWH Rapha, The Eternal Who Heals, Exodus 15:26

YHWH Jirah, The Eternal Will Provide, Genesis 22:14

YHWH Nissi, The Eternal Is My Banner, Exodus 17:15

YHWH Tsidkenu, The Eternal Our Righteousness, Jeremiah 23:6

YHWH Tsaba’, The Eternal of Hosts/Armies, 1 Samuel 1:3

YHWH Shalom, The Eternal of Peace, Judges 6:24

Theos, God, One who is divine (Greek equivalent to Elohim), Matthew 1:23

Kyrios, Master, supreme in authority (Greek equivalent to Adonai), Matthew 1:20

Despotes, Master, Lord, Luke 2:29

Iesous, “Jesus”, Greek version of Yahshua (or Joshua), meaning “The Eternal is salvation”, Matthew 1:1

Authors: Steve Moody and Erik Jones

Shared with Permission: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/who-is-god/names-of-god/

How Do I Fit In?

What does Christianity have to do with me?

In a world saturated with messages, it becomes challenging to find one’s place. Read this book. Eat these foods. Meditate this much. Pray to this god. The demons of anxiety and confusion slip into one’s mind leaving the abyss of loneliness and failure ever present. The beauty of the Gospel lies in the fact that the endless requirements fall away amidst the gift of Jesus.

The world preaches a judgmental, task-oriented God of Christianity. Many think one must give up pleasures and fun to follow this so-called Savior. However, the truth lies in His Word. “The thief comes to steal kill and destroy, I come that you may have life and life abundant” (John 10:10). Abundant Life. The God of the Bible does not demand sacrifices to enter His grace. Rather, this God offers freedom and hope paid for by His own Son, Jesus. Upon entering the presence of the Lord, one will discover a life of Joy and Peace that cannot exist outside His reach. 

The question of purpose and meaning disappears when one steps into this loving presence of Jesus. No longer is it about “how do I fit into this equation?” rather it becomes “how great is He?” Each person was thoughtfully crafted with a unique purpose and value. Every soul has gifts and talents that provide life and joy to those around them. The very details of each soul’s wiring draws one nearer to the Creator. Rather than seeking significance in personal achievement or behavior, one finds value in their personhood. Every person was created in the Image of God. 

Therefore, the God of the universe provides solace, direction and comfort to all who approach His throne. He does not expect anything of His followers. Instead, as one gets to know this King, one will long to live in a way that reflects His character. One will discover that illuminating the greatness of God is how one fits in to this world. Thus, as the world speaks action and achievement into one’s value, remember that those are lies. Seek to learn about God and praise Him for who He made you to be. Glorify His name above all others. This how you fit in to Christianity. The intrinsic value given to you upon creation is all you need to find peace in this world. Christ died for you, He rose for you, and He promises life to you.  

Author: Elizabeth Keith

You Can Count on God

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17 NIV).

When everything’s changing around you, it’s important to remember that God is a consistent Father. He will never let you down. He can be counted on. He is reliable. He is worthy of trust.

James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (NIV). God is an unchanging, consistent Father.

Human fathers are often unpredictable. I’ve talked to people who said, “Growing up, I never knew how my dad was going to treat me. I never knew if he was going to be silent or violent. I never knew whether he was going to hug me or slug me. I never knew if he was going to take me in or reject me.” Inconsistent fathers produce insecure children.

But God is not moody. Your heavenly Father is consistent. One of the things you can count on is that God always acts the same toward you.

The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:13, “If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself” (NIV).

We know that the world is changing faster than ever before. Alvin Toffler wrote a book called “Future Shock,” in which he said that in times of rapid change, people need what he calls islands of stability. When everything else is up in the air, you need something in your life that never changes; an anchor for your soul. You need an island of stability in order to handle the stress.

There’s only one problem: On this planet, nothing lasts. There’s only one thing you can count on that is not ever going to change: the consistent, caring love of your heavenly Father.

“My God is changeless in his love for me” (Psalm 59:10a TLB).

You can count on that.

Author: Rick Warren

Date: June 4, 2016

Published with Permission from: crosswalk.com

Grace

I pointed to my friend’s arm and asked where her scratches had come from. Her response: “Grace.”  Grace is her new puppy who doesn’t always teethe on a chew toy. Believe it or not, that prompted this blog post!

I love the puppy’s name because at this point it seems wildly incorrect. That is what makes her name, and personality, a modern-day parable. I imagine the puppy will grow into her name just like most of us had to grow into our knowledge of grace.

A quick Google search of “the best Bible verses about grace” will result in a long list, most of which are written by the Apostle Paul. Paul, better known as Saul of Tarsus in his pre-grace years, had abundant experience with God’s grace.

The Bible speaks about the early church caring for the widows and orphans. I wonder how many of those existed because of Saul of Tarsus. He watched Stephen’s illegal stoning with the rock-throwers’ cloaks around his feet. After that experience, he madly tore through Jerusalem and other cities pulling husbands, fathers, brothers, wives, mothers, and sisters out of their homes. These early Christians were thrown in jail and many, if not most, were eventually killed.

When the Apostle Paul speaks of grace, he knows more fully than most what that word means. Paul said, “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). Paul had received great grace for the horrible sins of his past, and grace remained a theme of his life as he fulfilled his calling.

Paul knew that every human being was a sinner in need of grace. We all make mistakes; we all have personal weaknesses and character flaws. Every Christian is born again because of God’s grace. Unfortunately, we don’t always allow God’s grace to govern our own. Paul told Timothy:

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:24–26

If God’s people do not love with grace, speak words of grace, and act with grace we will not be able to offer God’s truth about grace. But that “knowledge of the truth” is key. Paul taught lessons about grace that I think our culture is too often avoiding these days. Paul also taught about the dangers of offering grace, apart from truth. Paul also told Timothy (and us):

If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 1 Timothy 6:3–5

American churches and ministries are facing huge doctrinal decisions these days. Grace is crucial for anyone’s salvation. Churches are full of “saved sinners,” not perfect people. Why should we condemn one sin, but not another? At the same time, many churches and ministries are avoiding preaching God’s messages that are filled with “knowledge of the truth” because someone might find that message offensive. Could some of that friction be caused because a certain “brand of godliness” is “gain?”

It has never been easy to balance grace and truth, but Paul did. He was the greatest evangelist that ever lived. He had murdered good people, yet God still adopted him as his child. Apparently, Paul had a hot temper, and God used his weaknesses to teach dependence on him. Paul understood the meaning of grace but remained devoted to telling the truth about God. That is why the people Paul preached to came to know God and receive his salvation and sanctification.

I would like to explain Paul’s doctrine of grace carefully, this way: tolerance is not grace if it offers a person permission to remain in their sin. Our counsel, our words, our actions, and our character need to be grounded in God’s amazing grace for all sinners and his firm teaching about the need to live holy lives apart from sin. Our calling is the same as Paul’s and Timothy’s. We need to guard our lives, attitudes, character, and our Christian doctrine so that when we witness to others, “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.”

 Beg God for his grace and truth, so you have both to share with others.

Author: Janet Denison

Published: June 30, 2017

Shared with Permission from: JanetDenison.Org

5 Things Christians Need to Know about Creation

I wasn't raised in a Christian home, and, by nature, I'm a skeptic. When I became a Christian in college, I made a commitment that I would not throw my brains in the trash to follow after God. This led me on a journey to research "why" I believe, and how my beliefs hold up under intellectual, philosophical, and historical scrutiny.

One of the core issues of my faith is my belief in creation. Let's explore some of the research together. The theory of creation is simply the belief that God created all things out of nothing- all of life in its rich complexity happened as the result of the all-powerful, all-knowing, sovereign God of the universe who is maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible by the Word of His power.

Creation is described in Genesis 1:1-5

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness he called ‘night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.”

As Christians, it is our duty to educate ourselves and understand 5 key things about creation:

Christians needs to be informed about the Creation V. Evolution Debate

What I want to you to understand is that the Creation vs. Evolution debate has taken some major turns in the last few decades. Some scientists who don’t necessarily believe in God are major critics of classic Darwinian Evolution. Nearly as surprising are Christians who do not see a contradiction between Evolution and Christian teaching on Creation from the Bible.

Perhaps the following options will help you visualize the current state of the debate.

The Origin and Development of Life

Option 1   
Classic Creationism 
(The literal biblical account)                          

Option 2
Theistic Evolution
(God supervised Evolution)                      

Option 3   
Intelligent Design 
(A designer of some kind)              

Option 4
Classic Evolution
(Random chance and natural selection)

Historically, there are two main options—Classic Creationism and Classic Darwinian Evolution. Although it is important to know the distinctions within these two broad views, the man on the street and/or the student in the classroom is taught evolution as a fact and creationism as an anti-intellectual, non-scientific, religious crutch.

What is the fundamental question in the middle of the debate?

At the core of the debate between creationism and evolution is one question: Is it intellectually feasible to believe that the God of the Bible created the world, the universe, and all living things? Or is classic atheistic evolution as taught in our schools a scientific fact that has empirically and logically been proven by means of the scientific method? Is life the product of a purely material universe that came into being by random chance or accident? The implications of this question are huge.

Understand the Creationist position on the Complexity of Life

The crux of the argument for both evolution and creation seems to rest on the idea of complexity of life. Evolution views the complexity of life as a result of billions of years of adaption and that living things have moved from simple to complex in order to survive. Creation views the complexity of life as evidence of an all-knowing Creator.

Scientists are looking at the facts and allowing what they find to change their worldview. Many are beginning to see a theory that’s been biased for years. The more scientists learned about DNA and the amazing intricacy inside a human cell, questions challenging evolution began to surface. Biochemist and agnostic, Michael Denton said in his book, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, that Evolution’s intellectual foundations have been steadily eroding. Biology’s new findings are bringing us very near to a formal, logical disproval of Darwinian claims. Denton believes Darwin’s claim that all life evolved from one cell can’t be supported by evidence found in fossils, embryology, taxonomy, and molecular biology.

How and why did life begin?

Question 1: How did life begin?

Creation’s answer is that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1).

You have two options when you look at all of life’s order, design, and beauty. One, that everything we see was the result of random chance and random material over billions of years. There was no design, no purpose and no intelligence that caused that single cell to burst forth into life. It takes faith to believe that all of life’s order was birthed out of a random moment, and faith to assume how the raw material came to be.

It also takes faith to believe in the second option, that in the beginning God spoke and He created. It takes faith to believe what we read in scripture, namely that the harmony, beauty, and the complexity of the universe is a reflection of the character of an all-knowing, all-powerful Creator God.

Question 2: Why did life begin?

In the Christian view, by contrast, you are the special creation of a good and all-powerful God. You are the climax of His creation. Not only is your kind unique but you are unique among your kind. Your creator loves you so much and so intensely that He desires your companionship and affection, that He gave the life of His only Son that you might spend eternity with Him.”

Scripture teaches that God made man in his own image to share fellowship with him, to glorify him, and to steward the earth. “So God created man in His own image. In the image of God, he created him, male and female, he created them. Then God blessed them and he said, be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. He told them to rule over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1:27-28).

God wants you to examine both sides fully and decide for yourself what you believe

As a Christian, you can be told what you should believe and why. But, we need to decide for ourselves what we truly believe and that begins with educating ourselves on both sides

We need to be thinking Christians. The Bible commands us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our MIND (Luke 10:27). We need to learn how to think and follow God with our minds. Darwinian evolution is a faith construct, not a scientific fact.

People like to think they are objective, but no one is purely objective. We all have presuppositions. As followers of Christ, we have presuppositions that lead us to believe certain truths by faith and look at evidence through a particular lens. Others may have a presupposition that came from a lack of faith, or out of woundedness or bad experiences with God, church, and Christians. All of us view scientific data through our presuppositional lenses.

So, how about you? What do you really believe and why? Who are you afraid of disappointing? How fearless are you willing to be to examine all sides of this critical issue and decide for yourself?

God does not want you to throw your brains in the trash to follow Him. In fact, why not grab a cup of coffee or tea and take a moment, right now, to really ponder where you stand.

Excerpted from Why I Believe by Chip Ingram, Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, ©2017. Used by permission.

Author: Chip Ingram

Image courtesy: ©Thinkstock/m-gucci

Publication date: October 2, 2017