Last but certainly not least at the Answers for Women Conference was Steve Ham, Senior Director of Outreach for Answers in Genesis and younger brother of AIG founder, Ken Ham . His topic was Unity in Christ, something many have long accused Creationists of destroying.
Mr. Ham began his presentation a little differently than the other speakers. He began by asking for prayer for the AIG staff. Specifically that they would approach debates and individual pastors with grace, love AND boldness when debating this issue of Biblical truth vs. worldly "wisdom". He mentioned that many AIG staff members, including Dr. Georgia Purdom, come under many vile and hateful attacks from without and within the church. In these times it can be difficult to reconcile grace with boldness/bluntness. Mr. Ham mentioned that it means a lot to him that his wife supports him in the times when he must be blunt. He encouraged us as wives to help our husbands be firm and strong and not to undermine their ability to be as firm and bold as they need to be. We all must stand firm in grace and love.
He then shared with us the legacy of his parents. His father was big on standing on Biblical truth and particularly on the fact that if you can't believe Genesis then you can't trust the rest of the Bible. He studied the Bible daily so he could defend the Christian faith. More oft than not he had his Bible with him and whenever he heard someone misquote the Bible or state something contraindicated to the Bible, he had no reservations about confronting that person with his Bible in hand (and family in tow). The Ham children learned early in life that the whole Bible could be trusted for every area of life and learning--especially Genesis 1-11 where the foundation of every Biblical doctrine can be found.
His mother consistently loved and supported his dad and helped his dad to infuse more grace into his approach over the years, though she never criticized or corrected him in front of others, including the children. I can see now that it was this legacy of boldly defending Biblical truth that eventually gave us the Creation Museum.
With that introduction, Mr. Ham dived right into the subject of unity, starting with John17:11. With that scripture we see that Jesus desired for us to have unity just as the Trinity has unity. So when it comes to Creationism vs. Evolution within the church, why can't we all just get along?
Mr. Ham asked us this question: Is any Biblical truth divisive?
His answer was "no". So why, then, is there division among Christians on this subject? The division, he concluded, is coming from evolution.
"Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple" Romans 16:17-18
The unity of Christians should be in Christ and the gospel but we must define Him, remembering that Jesus is also the center of doctrine, creation, truth, and revelation. He IS the revealer of all truth! Mr Ham then took us through three important facts about unity:
1. If Christ is the center of our unity, it must be His definition of unity. Jesus wants unity for those who are called out of the world--not those who are in common with the world (John 17:16-17). Jesus prayed that we would be kept and set apart in His truth (John 17:11, 12, 15, 17, and 19).
2. Unity is not obtained through the establishment of an academic consensus. In Ephesians 4:3-6 Paul talks about keeping unity, not establishing unity--there is a difference. Any deviation from God's truth (such as evolution) is a division and disunity, not unity. We cannot reconcile evolution and the Bible because to have the consequence of sin occur before the cause of sin itself destroys the gospel.
Many mistakenly think that Answers in Genesis is all about winning people over to the Creationist point of view. Mr Ham explained that AIG doesn't want to make people agree with their way of thinking, they want to defend what God has already said and encourage others to conform to HIS truth. They aim to promote conformity to God's Word, not uniformity with their opinions. Any truth that contradicts the One Truth, is not truth (Colossians 2:8). Many times what we believe comes down to a matter of humility--remembering that we are not God and that the philosophies of men are not wiser than God's Word.
3. Apologists need to start defending the perspicuity (clarity) of Scripture. God's Word is clear. We don't need men's opinions apart from Scripture to bring clarity which is what people are doing when they try to reconcile evolution and the Bible. The book of Genesis is needed for Biblical coherence and clarity so when it is questioned, it brings confusion, questions and lack of clarity to the Scriptures as a whole.
Mr. Ham brought to our remembrance that attacks on the clarity of scripture were at the base of the attacks from the Roman Catholic Church in Martin Luther's day. (Even prior to that, wasn't it the serpent in the garden who suggested to Eve that perhaps God didn't say what she thought had been clear; "Did God really say...?")
Mr. Ham took us to 2 Timothy 3:15-17 to show us that ALL Christians without distinction are to study the Scriptures for themselves--not just the educated. Scripture is to be understood and obeyed, not questioned. Mr. Ham closed by reminding us that our minds are transformed and conformed to God's Word right now, not just in heaven (Romans 12:2). We are saved out of this present world and its vain philosophies and entrapments of sin.
After the final session, I approached Mr. Ham to thank him for being on the front lines of this battle to defend God's Word from the beginning. His response?
"Actually, we're all on the front lines of this battle."
Ahem, that's right! He then urged me to remember that when we are mocked by those without and within the church, not to be discouraged. He quoted 2 Peter 3:3-14 as the reason we should be hopeful when we are mocked and scorned:
"Knowing this first: that scoffers shall come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts and saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming? For since the Fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.' For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the Word of God, and that by means of these, the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.
But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord, one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
But the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."
Pray for the staff of AIG.
Defend God's Word boldly.
Look forward to His return!
Defend God's Word boldly.
Look forward to His return!
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