Five Little Words

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

On its website, entitled “Understanding Science,” the University of California at Berkeley defines science as: “A collective institution which aims to produce more and more accurate natural explanations of how the natural world works, what its components are, and how the world got to be the way it is now.” The website goes on to say, “The knowledge that is built by science is always open to question and revision. No scientific idea is ever once-and-for-all ‘proved.’ Why not? Well, science is constantly seeking new evidence, which could reveal problems with our current understandings. Ideas that we fully accept today may be rejected or modified in light of new evidence discovered tomorrow.” So, while scientific evidence can be reliable if it has been properly tested, it is always subject to error or revision.

The first five words of the Bible, “In the beginning God created,” are not widely accepted as scientifically reliable. Most mainstream scientists attribute the origin of the universe to something other than its Creator. Many Christians who believe the Bible think that science opposes this truth. However, the opposite is actually true. There are several reasons why these first five words align both scientifically and philosophically with what we now know about the Universe.

Science and cosmology now admit that matter is not eternal. The Universe has not always existed, but rather began at a finite period of time. According to Jastrow, the founding Director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, five independent lines of evidence – the motions of the galaxies, the discovery of the Primordial Fireball, the Laws of Thermodynamics, the abundance of helium in the Universe, and the life-story of the stars – point to one conclusion: All indicate that the Universe had a beginning. Many scientists believe this beginning was a Big Bang.

Scientists now also understand that the fine-tuning necessary for life to exist on any planet is incredible. Today, there are more than 200 known parameters necessary for a planet to support life…every single one of which must be perfectly met or everything falls apart. The odds against there being a universe, much less a planet, much less a planet with life, are astronomical. I love the way noted scientist, Francis Collins, put it. He said, “When you look from the perspective of a scientist at the Universe, it looks as if it knew we were coming.”

There is One who knew we were coming. God Himself intricately designed and spoke into existence the Universe and everything and everyone within it. Nothing has given more force to science’s argument of intelligent design than the discovery of DNA. Scientifically there is no evidence of spontaneous generation. Only life produces life.

Why, you might be wondering, does all of this matter? Why would I spend this time explaining the science of creation? It is because our belief about creation is vital to our faith. If we cannot believe the first five words of the Bible, how can we believe the rest? God’s Word is either true or it isn’t. Either a dead god is the creation of humanity or a living God is the Creator of humanity. The truth of the matter is that all scientific roads lead back to God.

Dear Lord, what an amazing thing it is that you created everything! I can't even begin to fathom the entirety of that truth. Help me not to take lightly how magnificent you and your creation are. In Jesus' name, amen.