Creation
“Everything as far as eye can see was made by Jesus, and without Jesus nothin’ was made that has been made” —John 1:3 (“The Gospel of John Cowboy Style”).
William Paley, a theologian who lived in the 19th century developed what has become known as the “Paley Argument” for the existence of God. Back in the day, it was a much-discussed topic by theologians and scientists alike. It even lends credibility to the affirmation of God’s existence by some in today’s theological world.
A paraphrase of “Paley’s Argument” goes something like this . . .
“A man walking along the beach kicks up a rock out of the sand. ‘I supposedly could be asked,’ the man thinks, ‘how the stone came to be there. And I might answer that as far as I knew it may have lain there forever.’
But suppose it had been a watch laying upon the ground. And again, the inquiry as to how the watch happened to be in that place. And the answer once more that as far as the man knew, the watch may have lain there forever.
But upon closer examination the man observes the intricate working order of the watch; its gears, springs and wheels all working together in an orderly fashion; seconds, minutes and hours following each other in a predetermined manner. Upon asking himself how this came to be, he concludes that somewhere there must be an intelligent being who formed the watch, i.e., a watchmaker.
Taking note then of his surroundings, the world about him, all things working together in an orderly fashion: The tide ebbing and rising on schedule, the setting and rising of the sun, and seasons following each other in a predetermined order. He concludes that there must be an intelligent and omnipotent being who formed the world; i.e., a world maker.”
And, indeed there is a world maker. His name is Jesus, the Son of God . . .
“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” John 1:3 (KJV)
You see, there are a lot of folks who think the world and everything in it, including our existence, came about by pure accident. Gail Burton in “1-Minute Bible Love Notes” says it this way . . .
“They say our world just happened . . . from a random explosion or some other accident . . . and then life haphazardly evolved from mutations . . . with stronger organisms clobbering the weaker ones.”
According to Paley’s Argument, that kind of thinking would be as absurd as to think that springs, gears and jewels randomly, by accident or coincidence could all come together to form, mold and create an intricately detailed working watch.
No! The answer is, God created the world and all that is in it. It is faith, not evolution that answers the mystery of creation.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).