Picture Quotes – Page 7 Like Pontius Pilate, many trade justice and reverence for God for short-term power and become an eternal tragedy. What lives might have been spared the terror of racist Aryanism if people were rightly treated as endowed with dignity, as created in the image of God. What concentration camps would never have been built and what trains would never have carried their priceless cargo if people acknowledged dependence on God for purpose, meaning, and a moral compass. The highest love and reverence belong to a God of infinite excellence. As created by God, we bear the responsibility and obligation appropriate to His greatness. As the works of Rembrandt surpass the scribbling of a child and display the maker’s brilliance, so the works of God display His genius. The evidence appears so convincing that Scripture tells us unbelievers “know” God, though they deny that knowledge from a heart of hostility toward God. “If we are not governed by God, then we will be ruled by tyrants.” – William Penn Our debt to God puts our complaints into proper perspective. Given our rebellion against God, our every breath comes by His mercy not giving us what we deserve, and our every blessing comes by His grace giving us what we do not deserve. And while mysteries remain, we have a proper starting point to engage difficult questions: God owes us nothing while we owe God perfect love, honor, and obedience. The theory of evolution begins and endures by a denial of the obvious, contrary to the clear testimony of created reality. The madness of those who hold in contempt the One who holds their eternal destiny is magnified by the fact that, deep down, they know better. However people may deny it, the knowledge of God is written on every heart. “No One Lacks Evidence – Imagine seeing God’s power and genius displayed in all things. Imagine the help to our hope and joy when all things give us reason to be thankful. Imagine the consolation to our soul when we know we never lack the clear testimony to God’s goodness and presence.” People reject the authority of Scripture as they reject the testimony of creation, providence, and their conscience. Christ said, “If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority” (John 7:17). The heart unwilling to do God’s will not see His genius in creation or Scripture as the revelation of God’s will. The universe forms the stage for God’s ultimate purpose to display His excellence through the person and saving work of Jesus Christ. The heart blind to the beauty of God’s holiness will not see the ugliness of sin or the glory of God in Scripture. All things serve God’s purpose to display His infinite excellence in the person and saving work of Christ. “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen” Romans 11:36 People will believe the ludicrous if they despise the alternative. We interpret the world according to our desire to love and honor or avoid and reject God. Neutral and objective observers of the universe do not exist. God can never be constrained by the limitations of His creatures. Though He made and sustains everything from nothing, all created things remain distinct from God forever. Nothing we imagine about God affects His nature and existence. Atheists will meet their Maker and every knee will bow before Christ, regardless of what they believe. The existence and nature of God is not determined by our belief. The impossible task of atheistic philosophy to explain the universe and answer its deepest questions can be traced to a denial of God as the source and ground of reality. Questions remain unanswered when the only possible answer is denied or ignored. Science is done with great success and benefit to humanity as scientists assume a world of uniform and universal laws that can only exist because God created and sustains all things. The mind, thought, and language by which unbelievers deny God can only exist because God exists. Logic reflects the coherent mind of God and is essential for science, language, and a well-ordered mind. Yet, it has limitations as used by finite and fallible people. “We need not be tempted to deny our faith by the popularity of unbelief…God is not going to change or go away because people deny His existence.” Picture Quotes: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10