Ben Bailey from THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST as he discusses "The Thief on the Cross."

By T. PIERCE BROWN

On January 20th at the campus of TTU in Cookeville, TN. the Fellowship of Christian Athletes sponsored what they called a debate between Evolutionists and Creationists. I was surprised that I saw no preachers there, only one Christian, that I knew. Almost all the audience seemed to be composed of students. How many were actually Christian in the Bible sense of the term, I do not know, but have an idea there were very few.

However, the thought struck me: If the young people connected with the Lord's church who are attending secular schools throughout the nation had half as much interest in vital themes as those young people who call themselves the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, they could turn the world upside down -- or more strictly speaking, right side up.

The evolutionists made their usual ridiculous claims, many of which were not answered decisively by the panel of creationists. In my judgment, it would be far more effective to have someone like Bert Thompson, Wayne Jackson, Tom Warren or any number of other capable scholars to meet an evolutionist in debate with a clearly defined issue rather than have a panel discussion on the general subject.

In a debate, it would be simple enough to point out the kind of double talk and evasiveness that characterized the evolutionary panel. For example, they tried to equate the theory of evolution with the fact that things and people change. They even made the ridiculous statement that those who believe in creation think all animals and things in the world now are just like they were when they were created. They said that those who believe that God created all things, including mankind, have no evidence, but faith is merely accepting an idea without any supporting evidence.

This ridiculous and false statement was not even challenged by the other panel, although they might have if time had permitted. Even a little child should know that there is much evidence for the belief that an intelligent force had to be the moving cause behind such complex things as a watch, car, universe or man. No scientific evidence or even a smattering of logic can suggest that a computer, house, watch or dictionary evolved or accidentally got there by some explosion. The same is true concerning the world, including mankind.

My purpose in this articles is not so much to point out the silly assumptions and double talk of evolutionists as it is to urge all young people, and all parents and grandparents who have young people in various educational institutions to press for such discussions or debates on campus. A good debater will be able to point out such double talk as: Evolution does not really teach that man evolved from a monkey. It merely teaches that they have a common ancestry. The creations panel did not even touch that obvious attempt to evade the issue. The evolutionists did not even try to show that they had proof that the ancestry of a monkey was something besides a monkey. If the ancestry of a monkey was a more ancient monkey (and no one can properly deny it) and man has a common ancestry, then man's ancestry is a monkey.

By David Chadwell West-Ark Church of Christ, Fort Smith, AR

I hope every person who considers himself or herself a Christian quickly has a ready answer. I hope the answer is a shared answer: “The Lord owns me!”

I grew up in a rural congregation on the western edge of east Tennessee. Several songs frequently were part of our worship. They were sung at least once a month. One (written by Fanny J. Crosby) was, “I am Thine, O Lord.” In my mind, I still can hear us sing the chorus:

It is an affirmation, intent, and awareness. The singer affirms he/she wants the Lord to bring him/her closer. The singer wants to come closer and closer to the Lord. The singer is aware that the crucified, bleeding Jesus is the means of closeness to God.

That is a wonderful affirmation, intent, and awareness. If it is only an inner conviction, it is simple to voice. If it is an inner conviction expressed as the daily focus of one’s life, it is sobering and costly to voice this song.

Perhaps the greater our conviction, the more difficult is our challenge. Jesus draws us nearer through his sacrificial suffering and bleeding. By coming closer to Jesus, we come closer to God. Why does Jesus attract us? He bled for us! How do we come closer to God? The same way Jesus did! As he, we come closer through self-surrender by sacrifice and suffering. That is a hard, serious decision, not a simple, casual decision.

That decision involves many things! It involves different things for different people! For some, it involves rethinking “whom I allow to be my Lord.” For some, it involves a major commitment to repentance, a genuine redirecting of life. For some, it involves allowing “my theology to affect my daily behavior.” For some, it involves relationship issues. For some, it involves letting faith in God be bigger than fear of the past. For some, it involves the determination to endure pain for God.

For all it involves an enormously difficult challenge: the challenge to grow. To grow in what? Understanding, wisdom, purpose, faith, realization of what is eternal. Never will come the moment when we do not seek greater understanding, wisdom, purpose, faith, and realization of the eternal. The issue is not, “Am I comfortable where I am?” The issue is, “Is God pleased with where I am?” Are we constantly willing to grow, to be drawn nearer to the cross and the precious bleeding side?

Matthew 26:39, 42

And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” ... He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.”