Articles
Biology Theology
More and more, science is excelling at explaining why we are the way we are. Topics concerning our health, aging, social behavior, sexuality, and personal temperament are very popular in the news. Some subjects we read about and the conclusions offered are well substantiated and insightful. But others news lines are clearly designed to shape our thinking.
We are presented with ‘science’ which explains why people participate in various sins. In effect, the message says: it’s not your fault. Alcoholism and drug abuse are now diseases. Our genetic inheritance determines our sexual orientation. Social background and early environment determines what our moral standards are or ultimately will be. The habitual viewing of pornography is also now characterized as an addiction along with sexual promiscuity, overeating and gambling. So, our moral failings are taught as being scientific inevitabilities. Science is successfully persuading many that we are not just prone to certain behavior, but we are practically predestined to it.
Of course the inspired Word shreds this worldly doctrine. Despite this biblical clarity though, some religious groups have embraced at least portions of this biology-based theology for decades. And some of our churches are beginning to do the same. We have special meetings organized by churches and preachers which inform young men (and women) concerning the addictive nature of and biological reasons behind participation in the pornographic plague the internet has introduced into the world. The intentions behind such church efforts are no doubt good. But are we to give biological reasoning to explain away sin? We read of many individuals in the Bible who were offered no such comforting diagnosis.
Classic science takes into account things which are measurable. Science is not concerned with spiritual things because spiritual things are not things measurable things through the use of scientific methods. Similarly, the Bible may state physical truths but does not attempt to explain things scientifically. But our present neo-scientific world combines some science with a lot of social engineering to change how society views such subjects. There is an obvious effort afoot to quantify our ills in terms of biology, psychology, physiology and popular social science.
However the spiritual person recognizes that the sum total of man is much more than our social, chemical, genetic and physiological components. In fact, the most important attribute of man is not his physical makeup but his spiritual construction. We are created in the image of an all-powerful and eternal God (Gen 1:26). We possess an immortal, God-breathed spirit which transcends any of our physical attributes (Gen 2:7). The fear of God and the keeping of His commandments is the “whole”of man (Eccl 12:13).
Having the understanding that we are created a little lower than the angels and crowned with glory and honor (Heb 2:7) should cause our self-perception to be greatly elevated above what science can measure or postulate about us. We are not simply biological structures, pre-programmed toward sin, lasciviousness, and debauchery.
Our eternal spirit and the Holy Spirit of God which dwells within us are sufficient to defeat any weaknesses we may have – even if we do in fact have physical, social and genetic weaknesses.
The Bible does not explain man’s failings with scientific arguments. Why should we? In the sight of God, man’s failings were simply the result of sin and spiritual void. This is the simple, true diagnosis from the One who created us.
King David, a man after God’s own heart, committed sins which in our day could easily have put the king in prison or on death row. Did David’s background, genetic makeup or job stress compel him to commit the sins of voyeurism, adultery and murder?
The prophet of God delivered God’s own assessment: “Thou art the man”.
David responded: “ I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Sam 12:1-13).
No excuses were offered and no further explanation was necessary.
Sin is our primary problem. Sin is a spiritual problem, not something to be explained away in scientific terms. In the Church, let us reject secular wisdom and continue to teach the way the Bible teaches.
Our spirits will exist throughout eternity, when science has nothing more to measure or write about.
But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Rom 8:9
