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In higher education all across the country, schools
are not distinguishing between scientific theory and
scientific fact. And when science disagrees with the
Bible in any way, institutions of higher education
everywhere will place science over Scripture. Here
at Cedarville University, we will not place science in
authority over Scripture; we will place Scripture in
authority over science.
Science is ever-changing. I am a devout lover of salt.
I salt everything but ice cream. Watermelon, apples
— you name it, I’ll salt it. Pizza. I love salt on pizza. So
people constantly tell me, “That’s bad for your health.”
Well, there was a time when people said, “It’s actually
good for you.” So I saved those articles that said it was
good for you, so that every time they send me an article
saying, “No, it’s bad,” I can send them back an article
that says, “This scientist says it’s good.”
I am firmly convinced that in the academy, you
have people who will say on one hand, “Things are
bad,” and then a new generation rises up and needs to
make a name for itself, that needs to publish articles and
journals so they can get tenure. What are they going to
do? They look back at what was said, they disprove it,
they put a new theory forward, and they prove their
theory. Then along comes the next generation.
We have general revelation, but we look at general
revelation through a sinful, flawed thinking process.
We need Scripture as the ultimate authority and the lens
of faith that allows us to see clearly what is in general
revelation, and to that end, we must have the authority
of Scripture.
The authority of Scripture is clear. We have a historic
Adam and Eve. The real question is, “Has God really
said?” The answer is a resounding “Yes, He has.” There
is a spiritual war with the devil, that cunning serpent,
who undermines biblical worldview and authority. We
must stand and say, “Not in our lifetime.”We must stand
for Scripture.
ARE WE ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD AS
OUR CREATOR?
If evolution is true, then why am I accountable to
God? If God didn’t create me, if God didn’t give me life,
then I have no accountability; I can do whatever I please.
I can live life the way I want, and that is what we see
happening in society. If you have a secular, humanistic
view where you are your own authority, you can do
whatever you please. And there are a lot of people who
really want to do whatever they please. But if there’s a
Creator who gave us life for a purpose, and we’re going
to stand in judgment for how we stewarded the life He
gave us, then that is an entirely different worldview and
an entirely different understanding.
DOES GOD HAVE AUTHORITY TO TELL
US HOW TO LIVE?
If He didn’t create us, why does His Word have
authority over how I live? If I’m a cosmic accident of
evolution, who can tell me what I’m supposed to do
in this life? And here you see our world saying, “How
can you tell someone else how they should live if we’re
cosmic accidents?” That worldview clashes with the
biblical worldview, which says for me to truly love my
neighbor is to tell my neighbor, “You’re headed for
disaster.” And if I truly love my neighbor, if I’m going
to love them as I love myself, I would want somebody
to tell me, “You’re running off a cliff. You’re headed for
disaster. Here’s the truth. Here’s what we have to believe.”
And true love means you will confront them with the
truth of the Bible. Not loving somebody is knowing
this book is true and letting our neighbor run off the
cliff without saying, “Wait brother. Wait sister. Don’t go
there. That is utter disaster.”
What you believe about a historic Adam, a historic
Eve, and about creation affects your view of God. It
affects the way you live life. Will there be a judgment or
will there not be a judgment? If there is no judgment, if
there is no resurrection, Paul says, “Eat and drink, for
tomorrow we die” (1 Cor. 15:32).
HOW DOES IT AFFECT THE DOCTRINE
OF MAN?
Sanctity of Life.
If we are created in God’s image,
then every life is precious to God. If Psalm 139 is true,
that God knew all of our days before any of themexisted,
then life is sacred from conception to its natural end. If
that’s not true, then it’s okay for the sake of convenience
to eliminate a human life, whether that’s on the front
end or the back end of life.
Racism.
We all trace our lineage back to Noah, back
to Adam, and we understand that we are all one race.
About the Illustration
Look closely at the illustration
on the opening page. What
do you see? Yes, it’s the
guardian cherub blocking
re-entry to Eden. But why
is Jesus there? Look more
closely at Jesus’ eye. Notice
that it’s also a man’s head
of hair. The moustache? A
covering for the man’s waist
and legs. And Jesus’ cheek?
A woman covering her face
with cupped hands. Gary
Varvel’s cartoon is a brilliant
portrayal of the truth Thomas
White conveys in his article:
There must be a real Adam
and Eve, not metaphors as
some claim, for Christ to face
the cross. The fall of man is
the reason for the death and
resurrection of Jesus.
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Cedarville Magazine
The following is an excerpt from Thomas White’s September 16, 2016, presentation during the “In the Beginning: Creation and
Your Biblical Worldview” conference September 15–16. During the first half of White’s presentation, he laid the biblical foundation
for the theological necessity of Adam and Eve, highlighting texts throughout the Old and New Testaments in order to display the
comprehensive witness of Scripture to a historic Adam and Eve. The excerpt that follows provides the implications of this biblical
foundation. Listen to his full remarks at
cedarville.edu/creation.