As a young father, I am challenged by an ever-increasing wave of ideas in our culture today that run counter to my Christian faith—the faith I hope to see bestowed upon my newborn daughter. The Bible tells us that God created all things and they were created for His glory. A popular alternative is to believe that all things just slowly and randomly “evolved” without the help of the Creator (because God doesn’t exist).
The evolutionary ideas of millions and billions of years, the Big Bang, that we are all descended from primates, etc., are bombarding the institutions of science, education, and even religion in our world. As Christians we must have a defense—we must develop an uncompromising worldview in order to combat untruth and exalt the glory of God, our Creator and Redeemer.
We must teach our children as early as possible how to stand straight in a crooked world. It’s a lesson I had to learn the hard way.
Street Gang
My mother introduced me to the concept of God, but as a child I did not understand anything about salvation. My father had left us early on and was never a part of our family. I was left starving for attention and, at age 13, joined a street gang in California. Only later would I realize that it was one of the worst decisions of my life.
But God is infinitely patient, not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). During this time I met Kevin, a local law enforcement officer who worked among the gangs in the city. From our first encounter I sensed something different about this police officer. He cared about those in his community and often spent much of his off-duty time mentoring the troubled youth in the area. As I would find out later, Kevin was a Christian.
As I continued an evil and dangerous lifestyle, Kevin eventually had to arrest me twice and put me in juvenile hall. But what made this experience different was that he took time to visit me and write me letters, urging me toward Christ. “God has a plan for your life,” I remember hearing over and over. But my rebellious heart refused to see it. The consequences of my decisions now held my mind and heart captive; I began to consider if there was any such thing as absolute truth.
Taking a New Turn
When I turned 17, my life took a whole new turn. I had an encounter with the Creator who revealed His truth to me and saved me from my sin. All things became new as the Scriptures promise—He set me on a path to understand this new life. The change was profound and I would spend hours reading the Bible and praying for understanding.
Quickly I realized that the way I looked at life and truth (my worldview) growing up was in complete contrast to a genuine Christian worldview. Every day I found new insights in the Bible about who I am and how God wanted me to think, speak, and act. God began to equip me with biblical answers that I could use to challenge those around me who ridiculed the Christian faith. As soon as I began college, I felt the attacks on my faith in every class. These challenges came from my science classes, history classes, English classes and, yes, even my math classes.
And all these attacks were very similar. Most professors would tell me that the evidence points to the reality of evolution and the earth being millions of years old. However, the Bible teaches clearly that God created all things in six 24-hour days. Which worldview was correct—the biblical perspective or the academic perspective?
Were You There?
God told the patriarch Job, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” (Job.38:4). What a superbly logical argument. When I would hear “millions of years” and other evolutionary ideas, I would immediately think, “Professor, were you there?” Clearly no one was there but our Creator Himself, and He left us an infallible written record of the past. The very foundation of all history is documented for us in one of the most important books ever written—the book of Genesis.
The main issue for Christians in dealing with the origins debate is actually the infallible written record of the Bible. Either this record is perfect, flawless, and pure, or it is mixed with error. The evidence of error in any way would negate the whole of Scripture as a reliable revelation from God. And it’s simply not there. The Bible is absolutely trustworthy. Real facts are clearly communicated by our Creator to us. He tells of our origin, our purpose, and even the details of our destiny. This should move our hearts to praise Him and cause our hearts to yearn for a greater understanding of His will.
And this one fundamental truth—that the Bible is completely true and authoritative—should be an unshakeable pillar each and every student takes to college.
The Apostle Paul tells us that “the invisible things of the world are clearly seen” (Romans 1:20). All of us are without excuse; no shred of ignorance can excuse our denying His creation. Many today would suppress the truth in their unrighteousness in order to somehow escape His judgment. However, the reality is that one day, willingly or not, everyone will bow to the Creator of the entire universe—the Lord Jesus Christ.
Wake to the Reality
Not every young person must take an arduous path like I did. God (through His people) confronted me with His Word and with a “tough love” that forced me to wake up to my sinful life and accept His grace and plan for my life. And yet every Christian young person must still wake up to the reality that this world system will fight against them at every turn. The battle is becoming more intense.
How prepared are our students to hold firm to their faith and even defend the Word of God? It’s time that we respond with solid teaching and bold apologetics that rest on the unshakeable words and power of God.
If I profess with [the] loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battlefield besides is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point. Martin Luther
Copyright 2010 Lalo Gunther. Reprinted with permission of the author. Before becoming a Christian in 1995, Lalo Gunther was a member of a gang in southern California. He graduated from San Diego Christian College and went to work in ICR’s distribution warehouse in 2000. He currently serves as ICR’s Special Events Coordinator and represents ICR at numerous conferences and seminars around the country each year.