Life

The Bible gives us the history of God and His creation. As a community called by God, we are asked to respond.

If we believe we are created in the image of God, the obvious question is what does that mean? How we answer the question has to do with what we believe God has revealed to us.

I have conversed with those who define themselves as agnostics, atheists, and those who say, “I believe in God, but not the Bible.” Whether these individuals recognize it or not, they have all made statements of faith. Many of these remarks have to do with what the human mind is able to understand. The difficulty with that perspective is that we obviously are not capable of explaining the universe we live in. When I say that I believe we are image-bearers of God, I turn to a source I believe came through the inspiration of the one who made us and defined us.

If we simply point to humanity and say it is self evident that we are uniquely different than the animal world, we must ask how it happened, why it happened, and when did that distinction take place? If it was through the process of evolution, at what stage did we become so different from the animal world that we have a pattern of living which makes us different? If we are simply an extension of the animal world, than why can someone artificially impose a standard on me whereby, unlike the animal world, I cannot exist by the natural order of things? The natural order for me is survival of the fittest. The animal world feeds on itself; the larger animal feeds on the smaller.

Humans have no complete answers. Even as I review the biblical teachings from the perspective of who are we, why do we do what we do, what should we do, and how this all ends, my examination does not present a crystal-clear picture with definite answers to difficult questions.

In fact, the reason we have many different denominations in the Christian church is because everything is not crystal clear. Theologians converse every day about the fundamental questions of life as they relate to God.

But as I see the full picture of the Bible rooted in history with the God who created and the God who promises to make all things new, I celebrate life. I enjoy life; my heart, soul, and mind have found a resting place that I not only believe is secure, lest someone accuse me of using my faith as a crutch, but is trustworthy.

We make choices every day, and choices have consequences. We teach children not to touch a hot stove for good reason. The hot stove will cause irreversible injury if a burn sustained from it is severe. Some of our eating habits, drinking habits, and smoking habits will cause consequences as well, some of which may take years to develop, but they do occur. When someone has a heart attack or develops cancer, we make statements that trace the cause to a poor diet or a lifetime of smoking.

What we choose to do has consequences. Too frequently we are willing to concede cause and effect with physical ailments, but fail to realize that all our decisions have consequences. Some are subtler than others, but all of our thoughts, words, and actions have repercussions. Some will have good results; others’ results will be poor. The Bible gives us a definition of who we are and what we should do for results that lead to everlasting life. The Bible is not about a short-term vision or short-term solutions; it is about life, today and forever. By answering the questions, “Who am I, why do I do what I do, what should I do” from a biblical perspective gives us the assurance that we have life not for a moment, but in God’s hands for all of eternity.