Cedarville Magazine, Fall 2016

Chapel Notes This University takes a stand on six literal days of Creation. One of the things I’ve found as I’ve traveled across America and around the world the past 40 years –most Christians either don’t take a stand on six literal days, or they say it doesn’t matter, or they say we can’t know. So the question is, “Does it really matter? Is it really important for a place of higher learning like Cedarville University to take a stand on the six literal days of Creation?” Actually, in many ways, I believe it’s almost a litmus test, in a sense, on one’s stand on biblical authority. What we’re really talking about is “Does it matter what God’s Word says?” It’s an authority issue. God has warned us about this authority problem. In 2 Corinthians 11:3, God has a warning for us through Paul: Beware lest somehow as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness that your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Let me paraphrase it for you: God’s telling us, “I want to warn you that the devil is going to use the same method on you as he did on Eve to get you into a position of not believing the things of God.” So let’s go back to Genesis and find out the method he used on Eve. The serpent came to Eve and said, “Did God really say?” Most churches that preach the Gospel, if I was to say to them, “Where do you get the idea that Jesus rose from the dead or the virgin birth and so on?” they’d say, “The Bible.” Yet, when I go to most churches and most Christian colleges, and say, “Now in Genesis the Bible teaches that God created in six days; in Genesis, the Bible teaches there was male and female when God created man; the Bible teaches that man was made from dust and woman was made from his side; the Bible teaches that marriage is to be the male and female, Adam and Eve, the first marriage — a man and a woman; the Bible teaches that death came after sin; the Bible teaches that there was a global flood that covered the highest hills under the whole heaven,” you know what I hear? “Oh no, we can’t believe that!” There’s been a battle ever since the beginning between God’s Word and man’s word. It started in Genesis 3, trust God or you become like God. It’s a battle between two worldviews: one’s based on the absolutes of God’s Word, the other’s based on man’s word, moral relativism. We see the collapse of Christian morality and increasing mo r a l r e l a t i v i sm. Why? Becaus e we have generations that no longer build their thinking on God’s Word. We need to raise up generations of people like you who will be able to go out into this culture, stand on the authority of the Word of God, emboldened to proclaim the truth of God’s Word, and equipped to defend the Christian faith against the secular attacks of our day. Then, in an uncompromising way, [you can] stand on the authority of theWord, proclaim the authority of the Word, preach the Gospel, see people saved, and won to the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s what we need to be doing. Ken Ham is President and CEO of Answers in Genesis. Creation Beliefs Reveal a Deeper Problem The following is an excerpt from a September 15, 2016, chapel presentation by Ken Ham, keynote speaker for the “In the Beginning: Creation and Your Biblical Worldview” conference on September 15–16. Listen to his full remarks at cedarville.edu/chapel and look for more about the creation conference in the winter issue of Cedarville Magazine . God’s telling us, “I want to warn you that the devil is going to use the same method on you as he did on Eve to get you into a position of not believing the things of God.” Jan. 10 Missions Conference Don Callan Former Coach and Athletic Director at Cedarville University Cedarville,Ohio Jan. 12 Missions Conference Kris Stout Vice President of International Ministries Word of Life Bible Institute Schroon Lake,NewYork Jan. 17 Matt Carter Pastor of Preaching and Vision TheAustin Stone Community Church Austin,Texas Jan. 20 CU LEADership Conference Jay Strack President and Founder of Student Leadership University Orlando,Florida Cedarville Magazine | 21