Creation Science Commentary

Attaching Extras to the Gospel

Published 18 Dec 2012

This morning I enjoyed the reading of Acts 15 in my devotional. In this passage, some of the early Christian converts, who were formerly Pharisees, tried to insist that the Gentile converts to the faith accept circumcision, and to observe the Law of Moses. After the apostles and elders came together to consider the matter, it was rightly dismissed. They decided there was no need to insist that new believers follow the Law. Peter states in Acts 15:10-11, “Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”

This reminded me of today’s situation with young earth creationism. The majority of young earth believers that I have met insist you have to believe in a young earth. Countless times I have received emails from YECs insisting that I am going to hell for my beliefs. They are attaching a requirement to the Gospel, in the same way the Pharisees did in Peter’s day. But the Bible does not say “Believe in a young earth and be saved.” We are saved by our belief in Jesus Christ alone, just as Peter states.

Although the major young earth ministries will state that you can be a Christian and believe in an old earth, they do little to correct their followers on this error. Why do they do so little to correctly teach their followers? The answer is simple. If you can be a Christian and believe in an old earth, then we have no need for young earth ministries. If they fully pushed the message that you can believe in an old earth, they would be pushing themselves out of a job (Answers in Genesis alone employs about 250 people). So they continue to allow their followers to “attach” the extra of young earth belief to the Gospel, and turn a blind eye to this practice.

I believe Peter would say something very similar today about young earth ministries.

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If you are not a Christian, and you have been holding out on making a decision for Christ because the Church always preached a message that was contrary to what you saw in the scientific world, then rest assured that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, and you can believe in Christ and receive salvation, while still believing in an old earth. Click here for more.

Are you a Christian who believes in young earth creationism? Now that we have shown the many difficulties of the young earth creation science model in this and many other articles, how does this impact your Christian life? If you are a young earth creationism believer, click here.

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To learn more about old earth creationism, see Old Earth Belief, or check out the article Can You Be A Christian and Believe in an Old Earth?

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