Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
People who love Bible truth have been disturbed by a gigantic earthquake of their faith: the scientific evidence seems irrefutable that the earth is far older than what the Bible says. They have only one life to live; they cannot pursue another life calling of paleontology or geology or any scientific study that would give them expertise in evaluating evolution.
Long before their faith in Christology or the Sabbath truth is ridiculed by the public, they are pained that their belief in the Genesis account of creation is embarrassing. They’ll never be able to “prove” Creation scientifically. But don’t forget: no one will “prove” it false, either.
Simplistic as it may sound, the answer is ... Jesus. Is He real?
He is ever so sweet, and loving, and gentle (as the stories for children say); but He is direct and demanding--you can’t “believe in Him” unless you take up your cross on which self is crucified, and follow “whithersoever He goeth” (Rev. 14:4, KJV).
You will shy away from that unless you have “seen” Him bear His cross and you understand what it cost Him to save you from darkest hell. The days when fear was the prevalent motivation for following Him are gone; a new motivation is now possessing human hearts worldwide--an intimate view of Jesus Christ in which you become as “married” to Him as is any loving bride to her husband; your concern is for Him that He receive His reward. You’re living in a new world: it’s no less real than the old one of self was, but what happened at Pentecost now grips you--something real but intangible. The love (agape) of Christ is now “constraining” you, motivating, possessing you. Your heart is like a woman who has fallen deeply in love. The cross of the Son of God has spoken to you.
In usual social culture, a bride takes her new husband’s name; she has found a new identity, and if she truly loves and honors him, she is delighted with it. She is still her old self, yes; but no, she is not. From henceforth she is now “Mrs. ________.”
The most stupendous Reality of the history of the universe has taken place--the Son of God has died the second death of the vast population of earth (Heb. 2:9). He has chosen to go to hell (cf. Acts 2:27; Psalm 22 passim). He has said, “greater love [agape] has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). You can jump in to rescue a drowning person and thus lay down your physical, temporal life while all the time hanging on to your eternal life in Christ (yes, that’s also a great sacrifice!). But since the world began, no person has ever gone to an eternal hell to save someone else, except the incarnate Son of God.
That’s love (agape). The Creation embarrassment is gone; Christ is the greater truth that swallows up all others.
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: January 12, 2007.
Copyright © 2013 by "Dial Daily Bread."
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