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Decades ago, as a new believer, I read Josh McDowell’s Evidence That Demands a Verdict. That book was a good book; please do not get me wrong. But anything good can be misused by fools; I tried to use it as a substitute for faith. It seemed to me that, for nearly every assertion the book made, I thought, “Yes, but.” Used to the rigors of mathematical formulas and computer algorithms, I failed to find rigorous, iron-clad proof for Christianity. Later, I learned that mathematics itself proves you always have to take something on faith, that is, some unproven and unprovable assumptions must be made.48 God created a universe that gives abundant evidence about Himself, but He still requires of us faith, that is, trust and total commitment to Him without reservation in all areas of life. Please learn from my mistake. The material that follows is not a substitute for faith. Scripture infallibly tells us what to believe and how to live. What follows is designed to expose Satan’s lies and remove some of the temptations and stumbling blocks those lies cause. I have tried to learn from my betters, and like Josh McDowell, I present evidence, not proof. The Holy Bible is our proof. In keeping with a theme of this book: “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” (Mark 10:15).
We have seen why a belief in six twenty-four hour day creation is important. We have seen that Genesis 1 and 2 do teach that God made the universe in six twenty-four hour days. When read as the simple narrative that it is, the main points are clear and unambiguous, even if our curiosity is not satisfied concerning every detail. God said it. That settles it. By faith in Him, we receive it. But in our weakness, we are often tempted to unbelief. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). May God use the following chapters to provide us ways of escape.
48I refer primarily to Kurt Gödel’s Incompleteness theorems.
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