Samantha wrote:
Thanks
for the replies. I can understand and accept all the information about
evolution. Bottom line is I want someone to tell me that I am forgiven,
and saved. That I will have peace in this life and rest in the next. And
that there is the hope of justice for everyone who's ever suffered at the
hands of other people in this life. I've spent some time today looking on
Google for articles to help me but there is virtually nothing - the
combination "Evolution Redeemer" eventually turned up one
article by George here on the ASA site. Everyone is busy defending the
science of evolution, which is valid and valuable, but I think it would
be helpful if someone could spend more time defending the gospel (not
just theism) in the light of your scientific understanding. No wonder the
Creationists are so influential.
Actually, I don't see much of that in their rhetoric either. YECs
mostly piggyback their young-earth trickery on the wide-eyed innocents
who already have come to believe some other way.
As for us in ASA, we are all believers in various stripes ranging from
Catholic to Protestant, and arch conservative to flaming liberal (or do I
have that backwards?). I think we simply take being saved for
granted on this list. It is so basic and foundational that we don't
dwell on what we should already know in our heart. The gospel
message is implied in all we think, say, or do. And we don't debate
what it takes to be saved very much since it is fairly straightforward in
the New Testament.
An evolving creation simply makes sense to many of us in ASA in light of
God's book of works that we are all free to examine in depth.
Nature gives up her mysteries and reveals God in the process. How
we all accommodate Bible and nature is the issue here, and that is
primarily what involves us.
That said, I would recommend that you focus on what Jesus said, and not
what we say. Pray a prayer of salvation asking Jesus in your heart
if you haven't done it before, and take Him at His word. Then learn
to focus outwardly on bringing the good news to others and not inwardly
on things like, "Am I really saved? I don't feel any
different." And stuff like that. There are plenty of
good books on that subject. Some of us on this list have read those
too.
We just don't debate them a lot.
Dick Fischer -
Genesis Proclaimed Association
Finding Harmony in Bible, Science, and History
www.genesisproclaimed.org
Received on Sat Mar 20 10:42:05 2004