Sara J. Mikkelson
Sometimes standing up for young earth creation can become a sticky mess. Maybe you’ve read books, watched videos, or been to some talks so that you know what information is out there supporting the ideas that Earth is about six thousand years old, the catastrophic global flood reshaped our planet, humans are specially made in the image of God, and that all things are created “after their kind” instead of evolving from a common ancestor. It all makes a lot of sense and strengthens your faith in God and His Word. Then you mention something about it to your pastor, youth pastor, teacher, or someone else you respect and come to realize that they don’t all agree with you on this issue. How do you handle it when some of the people you love and respect disagree with you on a Biblical issue – or any issue?
First of all, it’s important to note that there are a lot of really good, godly Christians who may be right on a lot of issues, but don’t take the young-earth view. But, can’t good people sometimes make mistakes and bad choices? Remember, no matter how good or smart the Christian, they are all still human and imperfect. Thankfully, we don’t have to rely on other Christians, whether pastors, mentors, or speakers, to feed us truth. Because of what Christ did on the cross, we don’t have to go through any other “middle-man” between the individual person and God. He is the Way, Truth, and Life – an open relationship with the Lord and an open Bible should be your primary tools in determining Truth. God is perfect; His Word never fails, lies, or has any kind of imperfections. You can trust Him and you can trust the Bible, plain and simple without other people to try and explain what it is saying.
Knowing the Truth is only part of the battle. Information is pointless unless you do something with it. With knowledge comes responsibility: both the responsibilities to act on it and share it. King Solomon knew what he was talking about when he wrote, “For in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow” (Ecclesiastes 1:18, NKJV). Of course, when you start wielding truth, you have to be very careful not to become destructive with it. Truth and grace – righteousness and peace – must not be separated. Jesus is both the truth-filled, righteous Lion of Judah and the gracious, innocent Lamb of God. I think there’s a reason why the Armor of God in Ephesians 6 tells us to be girded with truth and shod with peace. Instead of trampling with truth we should walk in peace, while truth keeps us from stumbling and allows us to fight better.
So the next time you find that a leader, teacher, or family member does not see eye-to-eye with you on the issue of young earth creation (or another Biblical issue), don’t become discouraged. Just remember that the Bible is more reliable than any human and that it’s your responsibility to gracefully use the information you’ve been given. People don’t usually respond well to truth that is spoken in an attitude of pride, but will often at least hear out a humble, gracious appeal.
“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” ~ Colossians 4:6
