Question Week 2

Creation

How old is the Earth biblically vs Scientifically?

First of all lets go through the biblical narrative in Genesis.

Genesis 1:1–5 ESV

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

God created the world. The world was created perfect in all ways.

There are many different theories on the age of the earth. All of the theories have pros and cons but the major thing to understand is that God is God and can create the world however he wants and whichever creation theory you believe means that the earth was originally created perfectly.

We are going to look at a couple of the theories that most people believe about the age of the earth or most people will combine some of the theories together.

Scientifically the age of the earth has been defined as 4.5 billions years old. This value came about through the studying the rock cycle. This has been a stumbling block for many christians because when we read scripture we see Adam and Eve and then we see Abraham were around an estimated 6000 years ago due to the genealogies in the bible.

This is also up for debate since people only recorded significant people in the list of genealogies.

So this brings about the question how old is the earth?

The different theories are this:

1. The Gap Theory

The Gap Theory is a theory in which there is a large gap in the time frame from Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. This theory states that God created the universe in verse one and then there was an extremely long billion year gap before he recreated it 6000 years ago.

2. Flood Theory

The flood theory states that the earth was created in a literal 6 day period and through the flood the earth aged from the excessive pressure from the water.

3. Ideal age Theory

The ideal age theory states that God created the world in a literal 6 day period around 6000 years ago but created everything to look old.

God created Adam not as a baby but as a full functioning adult. God created trees not from seeds but rather full grown trees with rings already formed.

4. Age day theory

The word for day in genesis did not actually mean day but rather a period of time. This theory states that the creation recount happened over many many years instead of a literal 6 day period.

Which ever theory you hold onto though really does not make or break a persons faith in Christ. It does not matter to me if the earth is actually 4.5 billions years old or if the earth is only 6000 years old. What matters to me is that God is the creator and sustainer of the world. The scripture states that so i have faith in what the Bible says is true.

God created everything for a reason and everything was originally made perfect.

HOMOSEXUALITY

Since all sin is equal, do people who are apart of the LGBTQ go to heaven if they have accepted God into their live at some point?

This is a question that dictates if we can tell if someone is saved or lost and the answer is not. This is not a place in which we are able to cast judgment at all!

The question is this:

Is homosexuality a sin?

Yes there are many different cases that the bibles explicitly calls homosexuality a sin!

Is there any where in the bible that condemns those who are homosexual to hell?

No there is not a single place where homosexuals are explicitly condemned to hell.

There is only one sin that condemns someone to hell without a second chance and that is

Matthew 12:22–32 LEB

22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to him. And he healed him so that the man who was mute could speak and see. 23 And all the crowds were amazed and began saying, “Perhaps this one is the Son of David!” 24 But the Pharisees, when they heard it, said, “This man does not expel demons except by Beelzebul the ruler of demons!” 25 But knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 And if Satan expels Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I expel demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons expel them? For this reason they will be your judges! 28 But if I expel demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you! 29 Or how can someone enter into the house of a strong man and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? And then he can thoroughly plunder his house. 30 The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters. 31 For this reason I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven! 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him either in this age or in the coming one!

Ok the next question is:

Is it a sin to cast judgement based on someones appearance/ orientation?

James 2:1 ESV

1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

Whenever we look at gay people we so often get freaked out by them or worried about what people will think if we talk to them but in reality Jesus talked to the least of these.

Jesus talked to the outcast but did not condone their sin but lovingly called out their sin.

What makes them anymore condemned than we are as a person?

John 7:53 ESV

53 They went each to his own house,

John 8:1–11 ESV

1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

The only difference spiritually between us and a homosexual is the fact that we are saved and believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Ephesians 2:8–9 LEB

8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast.

1 John 5:1–5 ESV

1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Our only command in scripture is for us to share the gospel with all people because we are all messed up people saved by our faith in God.