Dear Friends,
The word apologetics is taken from a Greek word that denotes a defense of the faith. It is the religious discipline that gives clear, truthful answers to questions about the Christian faith.
The Apostle Peter was speaking of apologetics when he wrote, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” 1 Peter 3:15-16 (NIV)
You may not have thought about it, but you are an apologist. C.S. Lewis said, “It is not a question of whether we engage in apologetics or not, but what kind of apologetic we are giving when the opportunity comes by.”
It’s a sad truth; many students who have been raised in Christian homes arrive at college poorly equipped to face an inevitable onslaught of cynicism. Since one’s beliefs about the origins of life are at the very core of a Christian worldview, secular humanists do everything they can to erode faith in the authority of the Bible.
Faced with immense peer pressure and “authorities” that regurgitate scientific theories and anecdotal evidence as if they are gospel, how can impressionable youth hope to defend the Gospel? As parents and grandparents, we have the opportunity to better equip our loved ones for the challenges they will face in school.
A few years ago I volunteered with Reasons to Believe — a ministry devoted to integrating science and faith and to demonstrating how the latest science affirms our faith in the God of the Bible. Rather than being intimidated by the arguments of the “intelligentsia,” Dr. Hugh Ross and his associates develop responses that ultimately lead to the conclusion, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
I must confess; I feel grossly inadequate when I try to understand, let alone discuss, some of the concepts I was exposed to at RTB. However, since our beliefs about the origins of life form the foundation of our Christian worldview, I want to share a few thoughts about the “anthropic principle.”
The anthropic principle states: Rather than being a product of random chance, the universe appears “designed” for the sake of human life. The prophet Isaiah put it this way, “It is I who made the earth and created mankind on it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts.” Isaiah 45:12
If there is proof that the universe was designed, it follows there must be a designer. We read about that designer in Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
So where’s the proof? What follows on the next page is a summary of some of the evidence for design I found on the Reasons to Believe website. If you don’t want to read the entire article, I suggest you focus on one incontrovertible fact — based on the scientific evidence, “the odds that any given planet in the universe would possess the necessary conditions to support intelligent physical life are less than one in a number so large it might as well be infinity (10173)”
“If he is able to place the stars in their sockets and spread the sky like a curtain, do you think it is remotely possible that God is able to guide your life?”—Max Lucado
A century of research confirms what the Psalmist knew in his heart, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalm 19:1
Verse for the week:
A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. 2 Timothy 2:24-25(NLT)
Blessings,
Your Friends in Christ
Meet the Designer
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” John 1:1-3
In 1961, astronomers acknowledged just two characteristics of the universe as “fine-tuned” to make physical life possible. The more obvious one was the ratio of the gravitational force constant to the electromagnetic force constant. It cannot differ from its value by any more than one part in 1040 (one part in ten thousand trillion trillion trillion) without eliminating the possibility for life. Today, the number of known cosmic characteristics recognized as fine-tuned for life—any conceivable kind of physical life—stands at thirty-eight. Of these, the most sensitive is the space energy density (the self-stretching property of the universe). Its value cannot vary by more than one part in 10120 and still allow for the kinds of stars and planets physical life requires.
Evidence of specific preparation for human existence shows up in the characteristics of the solar system, as well. In the early 1960s astronomers could identify just a few solar system characteristics that required fine-tuning for human life to be possible. By the end of 2001, astronomers had identified more than 150 finely-tuned characteristics. In the 1960s the odds that any given planet in the universe would possess the necessary conditions to support intelligent physical life were shown to be less than one in ten thousand. In 2001 those odds shrank to less than one in a number so large it might as well be infinity (10173).
An account of scientific evidence in support of the anthropic principle fills several books. The authors’ religious beliefs run the gamut from agnosticism to deism to theism, but virtually every research astronomer alive today agrees that the universe manifests exquisite fine-tuning for life.
This devotional was inspired by a message Christian apologist
Ravi Zacharias presented at Saddleback Church.
Because He Loves Us Press 