Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20041114.htm

APPLYING OUR CHURCH'S STATEMENT OF BIBLICAL FAITH
Article III, Part VI Of The Nepaug Bible Church Bylaws: Salvation
A. Holding To Pure Creationism In Defense Of Christ's True Salvation
(Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22; Romans 8:19-23)
  1. Introduction
    1. Ken Ham of the Answers In Genesis ministry noted in his September 2000 newsletter, "Answers Update" that a major Evangelical radio personality promoted a book that taught "The days of Creation could be ordinary days or millions of years - we can't know for sure," Ibid., p. 2.
    2. This view is so widely accepted in Christendom that a secular web site using government money to urge secular teachers to promote evolution in the classroom cites a statement by the United Church of Christ in its defense: the World Net Daily reported on April 2, 2004 that this secular web site cited this UCC stand that reads: "'modern evolutionary theory . . . is in no way at odds with . . . belief in a Creator God.'"
    3. Our Statement of Faith begs to differ: Article III, Part VI in part reads: "We believe that salvation from all sin and death is only through faith in the atoning death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ as one's personal Saviour. We believe that God created the universe apart from using any evolutionary processes, that death thus did not exist before Adam's sin so that, as in Adam all men die, so by faith in Christ shall all who believe eternally be made spiritually and physically alive . . ." (emphases ours) This part of that statement on the doctrine of Salvation exposes the need to stand in favor of pure Creationism as follows:
  2. Holding To Pure Creationism In Defense Of Christ's True Salvation.
    1. Scripture reveals Christ's salvation from sin saves from physical death as physical death is the exclusive product of Adam's sin (as follows):
      1. Romans 5:12-14 reveals that "death" entered into the world by way of Adam's sin in Eden.
      2. Though one may argue that this passage teaches man died only spiritually by way of Adam's sin, 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 in its context reveals that he suffers physical death due to that sin as well:
        1. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul wrote to refute the claim by some at Corinth that there was no physical resurrection of the body from physical death, cf. 1 Corinthians 15:12.
        2. Paul noted that if Jesus did not physically rise from the death, their faith was vain, 1 Cor. 15:13-19.
        3. Thus, in refuting the error that denied Christ's physical resurrection, Paul declared Christ's bodily resurrection from physical death was the firstfruits of the bodily resurrection of believers to follow that OVERCOMES the death that all men have in Adam, 1 Corinthians 15:20-21, 22.
        4. Thus, 1 Cor. 15:20-22 shows Paul taught physical death also came as the product of Adam's sin!
      3. For this reason, Paul claimed that believers in Christ will enjoy the PHYSICAL resurrection from the dead since Christ overcame the PHYSICAL death introduced in Adam's fall, and that through His atonement on the cross for sin and physical (as well as spiritual, John 3:5-8) death, 1 Cor. 15:22-23.
      4. Romans 8:18-23 explains this bodily resurrection hope for believers in greater detail as follows:
        1. In Adam's fall, creation became bound to physical corruption and death, Rom. 8:20 & Gen. 3:17-19.
        2. This curse will be released for the believer in the redemption of his body at the rapture (Romans 8:23) and for creation in full form in eternity to come, Rom. 8:19-22 with Rev. 20:14 with 21:1-4.
    2. However, "theistic evolution" allows for evolution to have occurred ages before man arrived and sinned, and that through the process of the "survival of the fittest" where the not-so-fit physically die!
    3. Thus, "theistic evolution" counters the Bible's teaching that physical death is the exclusive product of Adam's SIN, so "theistic evolution" undermines the basis for Christ's atonement and redemption of man, "Theological Problems with Theistic Evolution," David H. Lane, Bib. Sac. 151 (April-June 1994):155-74!
    4. Accordingly, in support of Scripture's teaching on the validity and human need for Christ's atonement, we deny "theistic evolution" and "evolution" and hold to pure Creationism.
Lesson: We uphold pure Creationism and deny Theistic Evolutionism and Evolutionism, for physical death is the EXCLUSIVE product of man's SIN, NOT a NATURAL part of the creation, and Christ's atonement for sin was necessary to save man from the EFFECTS of sin, including physical death!

Application: May we not fall prey to the errors of our era that seek to wed evolution to the Christian faith, but contend for the true Christian faith that was once for all delivered to the saints, Jude 3!