Michael Tolosa

I had a conversation with a friend last night about whether or not she believed a close friend was saved. She said he claimed to be saved, but wanted nothing to do with God — that he was already saved, so he didn’t need to change his life to follow Jesus or subject himself to God’s law or Jesus’ lordship. While I certainly can’t see into a person’s heart, the Bible for sure provides guidance in evaluating the state of your own heart and those of others. Far be it from me to judge another’s heart. I’ll let the Bible do that for me…

For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. – Luke 6:43-44a

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. – Galatians 5:19-23a

So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. – James 2:17

Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. … As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. – Matthew 13:5-6, 20-21

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. – 1 John 1:19

If you love Me, you will keep my commandments. – John 14:15

Genesis 1

Did God create the universe in 6 days? Or is a “day” a metaphor for a much longer time period. I don’t doubt that God did, indeed, create the universe. But I’m not totally convinced that He did it in literally six 24-hour days. Not that I doubt He has the power to. It’s just that science (which is the analysis of God-created nature) suggests that the Earth’s age is millions of years old, and that there were much larger time-frames between when certain things existed on the Earth. So, if the analysis of God’s creation shows that the Earth’s origin happened over long periods of time, why not believe that was so? No one’s saying God is any less powerful. Just that He chose to create the Earth in that manner. But He still created it.

I don’t believe science and God are mutually exclusive. If God created the universe, then he also created the laws of nature, and therefore the laws of science. There is a way Creationism and carbon dating can be explained without contradiction. So, with our limited knowledge of science, why not assume that the language of the Bible is metaphoric, when talking about creation? Does it hurt to allow science to educate our interpretation of the Scriptures?

To me, the time in which creation took place is much less important than the fact that God was in fact the Creator.

On another note, God clearly gives man the authority to have dominion over all the animals, plants, and living things on the Earth. This chapter makes no mention of abusing this authority — just that man does have authority. Animals do not have the same “rights” as humans.

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

- Isaiah 40:29-31

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

- 1 Corinthians 9:24-25