Without
Excuse
by
Kelly L. Segraves
The
first in a series of three allegorical books which present the will of God in
three distinct views. This is the story of a man who dies and debates with God
over his soul and loses. A frightening tale of truth and the end that awaits
those who choose to reject God even as they stand before Him in judgment and
find that they too, are Without
Excuse.
When
you're dead you're dead. That's what I had always heard. After all, who really
believes in life after death? Yet, there I was. I can still remember the twinge
in my left arm and the throbbing ache in my chest that seemed to paralyze my
entire body. As the last breath of life oozed out of me, the pain vanished and
suddenly for the first time in my life I felt really alone. I was dead.
My
whole being seemed to float away. Whatever death embraces, I was aware of it,
for all of my faculties still functioned keenly. I had been transported from
the state of life into a new existence. My past life seemed like the twinkling
of an eye as I entered an eternal void. I was suddenly horrified at the
possibility that death was the ultimate reality, not the final end I had
dreaded, but an open door to eternity.
Upward,
ever upward, spiraling through an endless tunnel to oblivion, I had no idea
what to expect, nor could I know my destination. For some reason I sensed that
my present state was part of a master plan, that somewhere, someone was drawing
me to my ultimate end. Suddenly an awesome thought passed through my
consciousness. Could this someone be God? I dismissed the thought immediately.
There is no God. Why, everyone knows that! Well, almost everyone. Certain radicals,
I remembered, still prayed and retained their absurd claims that God would
judge the world. I recollected an old preacher standing on a street corner who
proclaimed doom to everyone that passed him. What was it he said? It's
appointed unto man ... once to die ... and then the judgment. That's it, once
to die and then the judgment.
Judgment,
there's that word again. Could I... no, there's no such thing as judgment. Be
calm. Stop worrying. You didn't expect anything after death anyway, so what's
the difference? These few moments after life are like a bonus. Right?
It
didn't help. The more I conferred with myself, the more distraught I became. If
this was my final hour, that day of reckoning with an Almighty Being, I knew I
was totally unprepared. Not only had I rejected God, but I had cursed Him and
mocked Him throughout my life. If God actually existed and I was hastening
toward judgment ... I was in big trouble.
These
were terrible thoughts for one lonely soul surrounded by darkness. Up ahead of
me at the end of the tunnel, in the darkest part of the heavens, appeared a
giant closed door. I couldn't help wondering what was on the other side, but I
wasn't sure that I really wanted to know. Somehow I felt much safer out in the
darkness. Traveling so fast, I didn't see how the door could ever open in time.
It didn't. I passed right through it!
Suddenly
I stood in the midst of heavenly creatures called angels. Escorted through a
large passage and then through a giant arch, I was suddenly ushered before the throne
of the Almighty. I was petrified. If I had come in a physical body my bones
would have rattled in fear. It is a horrifying thought for one who never
believed in God to stand before His throne. Not really knowing what to say or
do, I fell on my face and wept.
As
I lay prostrate before the throne of God trembling in fear, my whole life
passed agonizingly before me. Every facet of my life burst into sight and every
mortal deed or word was clearly revealed for all of heaven to see. Obviously,
my life fell far short of the standards established by this heavenly order, and
the weight of my deeds laid bare before God was more than a mortal could
endure. Even the smallest lie, seemingly harmless or innocent on earth, struck
like a giant sledge hammer, crushing me with every blow. My life continued to
play like a giant recording, bringing even my innermost thoughts to light. How
I wished the ordeal would end. The pain and remorse of a life reviewed by the
Almighty God was unbearable. I longed for total annihilation.
The
games we played as children, when we thought no one was looking, were openly
replayed before this sacred audience. Private incidents had all been recorded
by God Himself. I cringed at the sudden realization that I must account for
every idea that had passed through my brain. Even as a child I had developed
speech habits which were unpleasing to God. How could I have said such things?
How could I have been so wicked when throughout life I considered myself good?
I
continued to face my mortal life as viewed through God's eyes. Even my teenage
years had been appalling. Cutting classes so I could smoke or get drunk,
experimenting with sex after school to test what we had learned in class,
joining the gang to smoke pot... at the time these things didn't seem so bad,
but now as God re-examined them, even I was horrified at the acts of a teenage
boy who thought he owned the world. Developing no respect for authority,
arguing with my parents, lying and cheating and stealing because I lusted for
things, I tried to fill an inward void that gnawed at my existence.
My
rash experiment with life continued into college. With sports and sex as
primary pursuits, my exploits seemed like a giant X-rated movie. Academic
success was founded upon cheating and cribbing, never on diligence and honesty.
All heaven continued to watch calmly and deliberately as the tawdry scenes
unfolded. I had wanted to live my own life, to prove that I was a man, without
realizing that every act was self-motivated. I had only served myself, ignoring
everyone else including God. Such a waste of youthful energy!
Even
as an adult I didn't change. I was quick to anger and constantly exploding in
fury. I was even fired from my first job for arguing vehemently, which only
heaped coals upon my bitterness. I continued to gratify self, intent on
squeezing all I could out of life. Soon the glow of wine and women dimmed. My
angry rush at life seemed futile. My goals faded and my desires were never
consummated. Seeking happiness in the pleasures of the world only brought
sorrow and pain. I gained no peace, no happiness and no joy. Life became a
total bore. By the age of twenty-three I was a failure... no job, no security,
not even a purpose for living.
Then
I met Natalie. The one sweet remembrance I have always cherished was a
preacher's kid, though she never let that bother her. Oh, the times we had
together. You wouldn't believe the time we ... oh no! Not that, oh please don't
show that. Oh, Lord, please have mercy! Natalie had been so sweet, so innocent,
but I had seduced her with candlelight and champagne. For months we savored the
freshness of life together, tasting its sugar-coated pleasures and sipping its
sensuous thrills. Then it happened. Natalie changed. Some new twinge of
conscience ruined everything, and our good times slowly dissolved. Finally she
left me and ran off to Africa. There was nothing I could do. After that, life
lost a large share of its glow.
At
the age of thirty I was married. A few kids came along and things looked pretty
bright for awhile. With a fine job, new car and great house, I thought I had it
made as I approached my middle years. Determined to relax and forsaking the
frenzy of youth for the repose of manhood, I thought I would live to be a
hundred.
One
day as I came home from work, my little girl, Janie, was waiting for me. After
greeting me with a pixie smile and a peck on the cheek, she climbed up on my
lap and asked, "Daddy, where is God?" I cringed at the question. Who
had been worrying her with useless questions? I managed to reply rather
sternly,
"Janie,
there is no God. He simply doesn't exist. Now, don't get all concerned about
old myths and fables. No intelligent person believes in God." She gave me
a puzzled look, hopped down from my lap, and went outside. Oh, the tragedy of
speaking authoritatively concerning things I knew nothing about.
To
this day I don't know whom Janie believed, her father or her friends who told
her of God. Janie died just a few months later in a car accident. Extremely
bitter and resentful, I never overcame the loss. Janie's death changed
everything for me. I could never blot out the memory of those beautiful brown
eyes, that haunting smile. I tried to drown her loss in liquor, but drinking
only made matters worse. My home life became empty and destitute. Soon my wife
and family no longer mattered to me. We experienced separation, then a painful
divorce. Once again life had dealt harshly with me.
This
time I was left only with work and the pursuit of money. Driven by greed, I
labored night and day, thinking only of myself. When business ventures began to
fail, I started to worry. Tension built. Those awful headaches were with me
constantly, and doctors failed to provide relief. My psychiatrist could not
even solve my dilemma. Furious with the world and outraged at the cruelty of
life, I was ready when death came. Since mortality had dealt brutally with me,
I rejected the treasure of life.
If
only I had known then what I know now! Surely God could have changed the course
of my life. Oh, God! Why didn't I know? Why didn't you tell me? Surely I would
have believed.
After
heaven had reviewed my entire life, the innermost recess of my thoughts, the
Lord of Hosts spoke. "Is there nothing in his life to indicate that he
ever believed?"
The
voice of one holding the Book of Life answered, "Nothing, Lord. This man
did not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ."
I
was sharply aware that on earth I had never believed. Why, I had not once
seriously contemplated the existence of God or Jesus Christ. As I stood before
the throne of God, I begged His forgiveness. Even though I had never believed
on earth, I pleaded for his mercy. Surely God would not deny me this one last
chance.
His
voice echoed the phrase that the old street preacher had proclaimed. "It
is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment."
All
of my life I could have accepted, but now it was too late. Too late! Just
before my sentence was pronounced, I cried out in my defense, "Wait, I
never knew! How can You hold me accountable for something I never knew?"
Even
as the words passed my lips, my thoughts returned to my earthly life. This time
a different picture came to light. I saw my mother, reading her Bible and
praying. Oh, how she prayed for me that I might believe in God and go to
heaven. I didn't want to go anywhere; I was happy living on earth. "Don't
you want eternal life?" she asked. I honestly didn't know. "Surely
you want to live forever," she said, pleading with me.
"What
do you mean?" I asked.
She
told me about the Son of God who came to pay the price for my sin that I might
gain eternal life. She read from her Bible, "'But as many as received him,
to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on
his name.'" All I had to do was believe. I thought about it, but somehow
heaven was a long way off and I had my life to live.
"Maybe
when I'm older, Mama, I'll believe, but not now." When Mama died, father
blamed God and cursed Him for taking away his wife. My father's reaction became
my reaction, and I too, charged God with the tragedies of life.
As I grew older, there were other encounters with God's Word. One day a teenage
friend invited me to Sunday school. I only went because I had nothing else to
do. I found that I gained attention by poking fun and causing the others to
laugh. Sunday after Sunday I sat, never seriously listening to the lesson,
never reflecting upon the truths of the Word.
I
specifically remember the story of Jonah and the whale and how it didn't really
make sense. How could the story of a man inside a whale's belly relate to me
personally? The teacher referred to a parallel event in the New Testament...
something about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but I didn't care.
It all seemed meaningless. Finally, when I was asked to leave, I vowed never to
return. The message was clearly presented, but I didn't listen. I had the
chance, why didn't I take advantage of it?
In
high school I fell head over heels for a gorgeous cheerleader. She was really
something! Every time I tried to date her, she said no, explaining that she
wouldn't go out with me because I wasn't a Christian. She was always talking
about Jesus and what He meant in her life, and I was even tempted to accept
Jesus just to get a date with her. Somehow it never worked out. Though I could
see how different she was from all the others, possessing something I clearly
lacked, I was positive that Jesus wasn't the answer. She tried to tell me about
God's Word, but I wouldn't listen. All I could think about was the Sunday
School class and my angry reaction when I was asked to leave because I was
disturbing the lessons. I didn't know what I wanted from life, but I was quite
sure that it didn't come from the Bible. I developed a deep respect for her
sincerity, but her genuine concern made me feel inferior. Since I wouldn't give
in and she refused to change, further attempts to win her affections seemed
futile. Finally I just gave up.
In
college I encountered a campus club. Fanatics, I called their members, forever
holding meetings and praying, always trying to win someone to the Lord. I
ridiculed those who wanted to help me and made fun of those who prayed for my
salvation. Just a bunch of Jesus freaks, I thought, intent on ruining
everyone's good time and allowing religion to slice all the real fun out of
life. Watching events unfold in heaven, I began to realize that although
opportunities to learn about God repeatedly presented themselves, I just never
took advantage of them.
My
thoughts suddenly returned to Natalie, and I watched our final moments together
the day she left me. She was crying. For the first time since she spoke those
parting words, I actually considered what she said. With genuine drops of
sorrow and shame trickling down her cheeks, she explained that over the weekend
she had found Jesus. Can you imagine that? The preacher's kid had found the
Lord! At a retreat a Christian friend had shared with her the sinful state of
man, the immensity of God's love, and the completeness of Christ's work at
Calvary. For the first time Natalie personalized her relationship to Christ and
accepted Him as her Saviour and Lord. Actually conscious of the deplorable
condition of her recent life, she apologized to me for past actions and begged
me to accept Jesus. I was in shock. I couldn't believe my ears. Rejecting her
words of invitation and scorning her tears as she pleaded forgiveness for our
mutual sins, I responded coldly, deriding her new-found faith in Christ. As
with a hunter's arrow, I pierced her delicate heart with my poisoned tongue.
After an hour, unable to cope with my bitter spirit, she left and I would never
see her again. Several weeks later, when she departed to join her parents in
Africa, I blocked her out of my mind. My anger had destroyed the only meaning
my life had known. I resented the fact that God had taken Natalie from me, and
again I refused to believe. If only I had realized what spiritual riches were
mine had I heeded Natalie's words.
Years
passed. I found myself alone in a crowd of people. The preacher spoke of Jesus
and heaven, but I wasn't listening. All I could think of was Janie, lying there
in the ground, cold and lifeless. For some reason the singular warmth of my
life, a loving and happy little girl, was no more. What was the preacher saying
about parting on earth but joining hands in heaven? Why is it that ministers
get so bold at funerals? You ask them to say a few kind words for a loved one
and they preach a sermon. By the end of the service my wife was under
conviction and shortly after the funeral she received Christ as her Saviour. I
didn't take it that way. My bitterness of spirit increased, and I repeatedly
cursed God.
After
rejecting this opportunity, I turned to drinking. Over the next few months my
wife's incredible patience with me and her fervent prayers on my behalf made me
furious, so I started carousing with other women. Finally I left my wife and
two boys. She raised them in church and taught them to love the Lord. All I
could think of was Janie, and I still blamed God for her death. My heart was
hardened, and once again I cursed God. To this day my wife has remained
faithful to me and to God. If only I had heeded her prayers, I could look
forward to eternal life with her and my boys in heaven. How I longed to be with
them and to hold them. Love of self mixed with rancor and hatred had kept me
from God.
That
old preacher standing in the street was right. Only one life is available to
us. If we don't accept then, judgment follows. I didn't know what was in store
for me, but whatever it was, it couldn't be much worse than the personal hell I
had put myself through on earth. Why did I personally resist and reject God?
Why? That question will gnaw at my insides for all eternity. I will forever
ponder the foolishness of my decision.
Now
that I was assured of God's existence, I wanted to stay where He was. Whatever
kept me from believing before was gone. Bitterness and hate had turned to awe.
As I stood there, facing the final seat of judgment, the question,
"Why?" flashed on and off like a neon sign in the dark night.
Suddenly I had the answer. It wasn't my fault. It was God's. Yes, opportunity
to accept Christ had come repeatedly, but God had failed to make His message
real in my life. How was I to believe when almost everyone on earth mocked God?
After all, it takes faith to believe. How can a man be expected to believe in
God when that unknown quantity is so great? How could I have exercised enough
faith to be certain that the Bible was God's Word? As I stood there, confident
that my new-found logic would surely help my cause, His still, calm voice
pierced the silence.
"You
say that you are not accountable because of the tremendous faith involved, and
yet you feel certain that, because I demand faith in that which you cannot see,
you are absolved of all responsibility to My Word. In light of the evidence of
My dealings with man in the past, does it not take greater faith to believe
that there is no God?"
I
had never thought of it that way. My inflated confidence suddenly burst like a
giant balloon. I simply never realized that I had exhibited faith in rejecting
God. Why were all those people willing to gamble eternity on the chance that
God did not exist? Was their claim based on strong evidence? Has man seriously
evaluated his position? When God presents His claims to the soul of man, why
does man reject them? The world seems to speak of God whenever it is
convenient. Obviously the God before whose throne I stood was not a commodity
to be used by man whenever he felt the need. This God was God. I remember the
movie I once saw on the Ten Commandments. Even in that Hollywood production the
power of God was vigorously demonstrated. I never allowed God to enter and
change my life. To be sure, I possessed an awareness of God, and like most
people I acknowledged Him, if not with my praise, certainly with my anger, for
bitterness and cursing at the name of God must argue that I knew deep down He
was there.
For
the first time I understood the real problem. God has given us His Word as a
warning. He has revealed Himself on earth, but man has placed himself above
God. Instead of believing what God says, we accept and reject what we want. By
doing this we establish our own authority above the Word of God. He was telling
me, in essence, that I thought more of myself and my own opinion than I did of
Him. My service to self had become more important than my service to Him. As
one of His creatures I should have obeyed and worshipped the Almighty Creator.
Instead I rejected His revelation and refused to recognize God as God, but why?
Why?
Once
again that three letter word pierced my being. Like the needle on a sewing
machine, it repeatedly pricked my conscience as I searched endlessly for the
answer. What caused me to react as I did? Was it my father? My friends?
It
suddenly occurred to me that the majority of people shared my view. Almost everybody
maintained an in-between position, predicating the existence of God but never
recognizing Him as God.
On
earth it was comfortable to be in the majority, but now I realized that truth
cannot be maintained by a majority vote. Truth is truth. God's Word is the true
standard. Even if all the people in the world rejected His message, His Word
would remain truth. The majority were wrong. They too had failed to uphold
God's standard and believe His Holy Word. We had missed the mark and in so
doing had condemned ourselves to destruction.
How
I longed for a second chance. I wanted to tell the whole world of my new-found
knowledge. I knew it was the same message that those few believers on earth
were proclaiming, but the fervor with which I would declare it would renovate
men's patterns and change the world. I burned within to do something for God. I
ached inside for the privilege of proclaiming His truth, but it was too late.
Too late!
I
was already dead.
As
a creature of God, I longed to serve my Creator. Wait a minute! That's it! Men
refuse to serve God because they haven't recognized who He is. What was it they
taught us in school? Something about evolution and the development of the
earth, life and man by natural law without the need of a God. Maybe that's why
I didn't accept God's Word on earth. If I remember correctly all of the
scientific evidence was against God. It had been proved that all things had
evolved. Science had outgrown the need for God.
As
I mulled these things over in my mind, my courage to speak out against God
returned. The fire of service had cooled, and once again I was ready to defend
my case before God. Drawing upon every ounce of courage in my being, I pleaded
my cause. "How could I be expected to believe, in light of the modern
scientific discoveries that deny the existence of God? If indeed You created
the heaven and the earth should there not be evidence to support that
conclusion?"
Once
again God thundered His answer to my objections. "These scientists,"
He began, "are simply men, but you continually place their authority over
My authority. You accept their word over My Word and man's knowledge over God's
knowledge. In light of what you now know, is that a reasonable
conclusion?"
"No
Lord," I replied. "But I didn't know all about your Word then. How
was I to accept Your Word when all of the evidence was against it? Surely these
men were only seeking the truth."
"By
faith," He said, "they rejected Me. Having made up their minds, they
set out to prove to the world that I did not exist. In their wisdom they became
fools. They did not prove the Bible wrong, but attempted to demonstrate to the
world the possibility that all things came into existence by themselves.
However, is it reasonable to assume that the majesty of the universe came about
by chance, or that the laws of science are nothing more than accidents? Can you
really believe that order came from chaos and life came from non-living
material?" As I pondered His words, God continued to ask questions.
"Can man's intelligence have come from a one-celled ameba? Can sight have
developed from those things that cannot see? These men have not proved Me
wrong; they have simply denied my existence. Had they sought Me, they would
have found the truth. Because they have not believed, they have condemned
themselves, and the blood of those who have been deceived by their claims will
be on their hands forever. One day each of these men who have denied My Word
will face the judgment.
Thus
I discovered that my final defense was a failure. Still I pleaded with God that
He might show me the evidence that left man without excuse. "All
things," He said, "were created and made by My beloved Son, the Lord
Jesus Christ. Nothing was fashioned without Him. He was before all things, and
by Him all things exist, for He created the heaven and the earth. The earth was
hung in a vacuum called space and covered by darkness. On the first day the
earth was empty and void, for there were no inhabitants and no atmosphere. The
earth was unfinished and covered with water. Then My Son called light into
existence, making it to shine on the earth and thus creating a system of light
and darkness. By the end of the first day of creation, He had established
space, matter, and time.
"Does
man have an explanation for the origin of space? Can he explain the existence
of matter? Does he understand the establishment of time? Does man, who was not
present and could not observe these things come into being, really think that
he can explain their origin? Tell me, if you can answer, where was man when the
foundations of the earth were laid?"
I
didn't know. I couldn't answer. Certainly these things had to have an origin.
They couldn't have existed forever. I knew that man had failed to explain their
beginnings or prove God wrong. Man may not have chosen to believe the
revelation God gave in Genesis, but he could not disprove it. Only a first-hand
observer, a reliable witness, could do that. God was telling me that He alone
was there.
As
I pondered these things, God continued to speak. "Where were you," He
said, "when the firmament was made? By placing an expanse between the
waters remaining above and below on the earth, the atmosphere was formed. Now
preparations were completed for setting life upon the earth. Dry land appeared out
of the waters, and out of dry land came plant life, fruit trees yielding fruit,
grass bearing grass and the herb yielding seed. All of these things were called
into existence by the powerful Word of God, created by and for My Son, Jesus
Christ."
As
I listened to the description presented by God, I could almost see His creation
in action. In my mind I could picture the heavens being spread out as God
diffused that light source and created the sun, the moon, and stars. All of
these things, His handiwork, were for signs and for seasons, for days and for
years, in order that man could tell time. He established a system which
consisted of days, months, and years. It was an amazing and beautiful sight to
picture the stars that spun off as He spread out the heavens with His fingers.
The light from the distant stars became visible on the earth, for He had not
only created the stars, but controlled their light so that it was now visible
upon the earth. I had never thought of the origin of the universe in that way,
and yet how else does one explain the magnificent universe... all of the
galaxies, so different, so vast? Or the total movement of the universe, so
exact! I could see now that it was foolish to believe that these things came
about by chance. For the first time I realized that the heavens were
established to declare His handiwork, to show His glory and to demonstrate His
power.
God
continued, "What of the origin of the solar system? Can you explain the
earth and all of the planets revolving around the sun, or the moons revolving
around their planets? How did the solar system come into being without any
help?" I could not answer. I guess I really never accepted the idea that
all of these things evolved. It was difficult to believe that the universe, the
solar system, and the beautiful movements of the planets around the sun were
just accidents of nature. I found myself asking the same question. How could
all of these things come about by themselves? I stood there amazed as God
demanded, "Could it have evolved, condensed from a dust cloud?
"Could
a swirling mass of particles form the mighty solar system? How could the earth
capture a moon? How can eleven of the thirty-two moons in the solar system
revolve backwards in their orbits? How does one explain the fact that two of the
planets orbit the sun differently from the others?"
For
the first time I began to realize that man lacked the answers to these
questions. The evidence was there, revealed in His Word. How else could one
explain the magnificent solar system and the grandeur of the universe? It must
have been planned. It must have had a Creator.
Then
God turned His attention to the origin of animal life upon the earth.
"Were you there," He said, "when I spoke and the waters brought
forth life? Not simple microscopic life, but life of sea creatures, the great
whales and the mighty fish of the sea. Did you see My Son as He called the
birds into existence? How does man explain the origin of flight?"
I
guess I had never thought about flight. Truly God had planned it. Setting things
in motion by His mighty power, He designed the birds to fly. Why, every bird
that flies in the heavens is simply a tribute to the power of the Creator. It
would have been difficult to explain flight having developed all by itself, for
a bird is designed to fly. As man walks on the earth and gazes on the peaceful
sea gull, the great eagle, or the giant condor, how can he reject these
majestic tributes to the Creator? I was sure that I could not answer. Drawing
my attention to the sea, God spoke of the mighty mammals that fill the seas,
creatures quite unrelated to the other sea creatures.
"Look
at the whale, the dolphin, and the seal," He said. "These are My
warm-blooded, air breathing mammals. If evolution were true, they would have
had to come from land animals, which would have evolved in turn from sea
creatures. Is such a conclusion reasonable? Where is the evidence of this
evolutionary process? Produce it if you can?" I could not. I realized that
transitional forms were not available.
Then
God reminded me of that great law of biology, the law of biogenesis, which
states that life produces life, that life reproduces after its kind. There are
no observed exceptions to that law: all life reproduces after its kind. Why
didn't I see that when I was alive on earth? God had created life in the
beginning, formed to reproduce after its own kind. It was magnificent to
picture in my mind all the varieties God had made. His imagination generated
the mighty elephant, the kangaroo, the giraffe, the roaring lion, the
hippopotamus, the rhinoceros with his horn, the horse with his power, the speed
of the cheetah and the giant whale. Even the mighty reptiles were made by God
in the beginning, formed to live in a perfect environment that He had prepared.
As I pondered these things, God spoke of man.
"I
created man," He said, "from the dust of the earth. I formed him and
made him, breathing into his nostrils the breath of life. That first man, Adam,
became a living soul. He was perfect in the day that he was created. Man has
ridiculed this account of his origin, yet that is how I chose to do it. Can you
deny it? Does man have any evidence to the contrary?"
As
I stood before God and heard Him declare these things, the scientific arguments
of man lost all meaning. I remember how man used to poke fun at the idea of Eve
being created from Adam's rib, taken from his side. My professor used to say
that if that were true, man would have one less rib than woman, and everybody
knows that isn't the case. "Obviously," he scoffed, "the Bible
is incorrect." Yet as God spoke of Eve's being made from Adam's rib, I
realized that Adam did have one less rib than Eve, but their children possessed
the proper number of ribs. When a father who has lost two fingers on his hand
begets children, are they not born with the proper number of fingers? Why does
man in his fallacious reasoning continue in his struggle to deny God? The great
Creator, from the rib of Adam fashioning the perfect female, established His
creatures in a garden of beauty and perfection, there to remain forever and
ever.
For
a moment God was silent. As I looked up, He spoke again of His created world.
"As I gazed upon My world," He said, "I beheld everything I had
made and I saw that it was very good. There was no sin, no evil, a perfect man,
a perfect woman, and an unblemished world.
As
Adam first beheld Eve and knew she was his for a lifetime, one man and one
woman together, marriage was established. In Adam's own words, `She is bone of
my bone, flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken out
of man.'"
As
God spoke, I caught a glimpse of that perfect pair, the parents of all the
earth. It's hard to imagine the love they must have had for each other and for
the One who made them.
"But
what happened to that perfect world?" I asked. "Why did it change?
Why is the world so different now? Why doesn't man believe God?"
With
a serene stillness in His voice, as a father speaks of a loved one who is gone
forever, God spoke of Satan, the powerful but fallen angel He had made prefect.
Satan, the anointed cherub that covered, the prince of the power of the air,
fell after the sixth day of creation, bringing evil into the ideal world that
God had made. "He denied that he was a created being; thinking himself
equal to Me, he failed. Seeing Eve alone in the garden he told her to eat of
the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, that she and Adam might become as
gods. Eve looked at that tree, desired the fruit, and took it. In doing so, she
died. For I had spoken that in the day they ate of that tree, they would surely
die. Eve took the fruit and gave it to Adam, who also ate of it and died.
Though not perishing instantaneously, the two perfect beings, created to live
forever in perfect harmony and fellowship with Me, began to die physically. On
the day they ate of that fruit they separated themselves from Me because of
disobedience."
How
tragic! The world that God had made was created as an eternal world. Nothing
new would ever be added, for it was perfect and entire, lacking nothing. When
God rested the seventh day of creation, He had finished His work of creating
and making. The total amount of mass and energy would always remain the same.
There was a balance, an equilibrium. Now that Adam and Eve had partaken of the
fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, a change had appeared in
the world that God had made. All of creation was affected. The universe, the
earth, even life on the earth was now different. It was not a sudden
difference, but still a change. For now the universe, like a giant clock, was
running in a downward direction. Ultimately the light from the stars would no
longer shine and the sun would burn out. Things would have a tendency to die
out, to degenerate. Adam and Eve, likewise created to live forever, began to
die. I could hardly keep from crying as I realized the defeat of our first
parents. All of Adam and Eve's children were born into a world cursed by
disobedience. The animals also began to produce offspring that were less
perfect. Animals were different because of a random change in their genetic
structure, mutations. I had always wondered why mutations seemed to go in the
wrong direction for evolution, why all the changes were for the worse. It was
hard to understand how scientists who believed in the natural process of
evolution could explain new forms of life coming upon the earth by a series of
mutations. Especially when the mutations or changes, overwhelmingly harmful or
lethal, totally failed to produce anything new. I had accepted the word of
evolutionists because, after all, they were the authorities. Since I had never
really studied the matter, I simply took their word for it, even though I
didn't understand. I thought they must be correct.
Now
I could see that I had believed man over God. In this new world, a world cursed
by sin, animals produced unfit offspring. Survival of the fittest came into
affect. Those animals that were fit survived. Those that were unfit died out.
The sons of Adam and Eve, along with their daughters, married, multiplied and
filled the earth. The first son, Cain, killed his brother. What a drastic
change from the beauty and perfection of the Garden of Eden.
As
God revealed these things, I could sense His love for the world that He had
made. For the first time I realized that He alone had the right to control the
world. In the moments that followed, His words only reinforced my new-found
conviction. "I gave Eve a promise that one day I would send My Son to
atone for the sins of mankind. One day He would die as a substitute for the
sins of man."
As
God continued to describe the beginning, a beginning already recorded in the
book of Genesis, I realized again the foolishness of my decision on earth. I
had chosen to follow man, rejecting the Word of God. Somehow on earth the Bible
lacked authority, and I listened to those people who denied it. Here, as God
presented what took place in the beginning, I knew it was true. If only I had
realized it earlier, I would never have had to face the judgment. The evidence
was conclusive.
Then
God spoke of His servant Noah, who built an ark to escape the great judgment of
the Flood. "Evil was rampant throughout the world I had created. When you
consider that the first son of Adam and Eve was a murderer, what do you think
the rest of them were like?" I could picture them cursing God, pursuing
violence, violating the moral code, and in every possible sense defying the One
who had made them. This grieved God, and He was sorry He had ever created man.
Looking down upon the millions of inhabitants that filled the earth, He said,
"I found only one righteous man. That man was Noah. I told Noah to build a
boat and to take into that boat the animals necessary to preserve life upon the
earth, male and female. As My servant Noah built the ark, people ridiculed him,
yet he faithfully built it as I had instructed him." I could picture Noah
taking his stand for God. Why couldn't I have been like that? Why had I
followed in the footsteps of those who mocked and cursed God?
God
told me that when Noah finished the ark, he took all of the animals inside.
What a tremendous structure, much like a giant railroad boxcar over 450 feet
long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. There was plenty of room for all the
animals, with an entire deck available for Noah and his family. There was even
space left for other people, but they refused to take sanctuary in the ark.
"Then after years of warning, I caused the Great Flood to cover the whole
world with water in order to wipe man off the face of the earth. As the
fountains of the deep were opened, many of the animals living in the sea were
carried on to the land and buried in sediments. As the water continued to rise
out of the oceans, covering the land mass, the amphibious animals were buried next
and then those that lived farther inland. Finally as the water reached the
plains, it inundated all of the great plains animals. Man and the more mobile
animals, which sought higher ground, were buried last. The ark floated on top
of the waters which destroyed animals and plants on the face of the earth.
"When
Noah stepped off the ark, the world was different. It was a desert, barren
land. In sedimentary rocks the remains of animals and plants could be found as
evidence of the destruction that had just taken place and a constant reminder
that sin, evil and the violence of the corrupt world had been judged. This
should have been a reminder to everyone of that great cataclysm in the past,
yet man mistook these for evidences of evolution. Is that a reasonable
conclusion?"
Only
now I realized that the Flood was real. As God described it, I knew that the
gaps in the fossil record existed because there were no transitional forms, no
in-between stages to support the idea of evolution. Fossils were not to be used
as evidence that life had evolved, but that they were buried rapidly in
water-deposited strata, clearly indicating the judgment of the world by water
in the days of Noah. Again, God's power and His Word were displayed all around
the world in which I had lived.
I
had been misled.
For
the God I stood before is a God who clearly planned the beginning and knows
what the end will be. "I established a covenant with Noah," He said.
"and placed My rainbow in the sky." I can remember looking at
rainbows, amazed at the beauty and splendor of the great sight, but I failed to
recognize it as a sign of judgment in the past, placed there by God to remind
man that He would never again destroy the earth by water. I guess I had never
really thought about the reason it was there and had never really asked the
question, why. How foolish I was to accept the concept of evolution without
evaluating the evidence of the Great Flood. This judgment in the past should
have warned of the greater judgment to come. I just didn't heed the warning.
I
could feel my knees getting weak, for the mounting evidence clearly
demonstrated God's full control at all times. Although man had chosen to reject
Him, His offer of eternal life was still available to those who would believe.
Again
God spoke to me. "I gave Moses the Ten Commandments that man might have
laws, and I established the system of human government whereby man might govern
himself with My law." In reality I knew that God was responsible for all
things, but man chose to worship the things rather than the God who gave them
to him. Man had chosen to follow his own will and reject the will of God, thus
violating His laws. I could see in His dealings with the nation Israel,
especially with Pharaoh in Egypt when He brought the plagues on the people, the
power of God was displayed for all the world to see. The events in that film
The Ten Commandments which I remembered so vividly, actually did take place.
God was still in full control of all the world.
God
did not forget his promise to Eve, for when the time was right, God sent His
Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He told me again about the One who created the
heavens and the earth but laid aside His Godly power. Born as a man and
fashioned as a man, He was still God. He lived a sinless life, proclaiming the
power and message of God in order to fulfill His purpose, which was to die on
the cross as a substitute for man's sin. Five hundred people witnessed the fact
that He rose from the dead. After His resurrection He was seen by His
disciples, men on the road and multitudes who recognized and knew that He was
the Lord Jesus Christ. The Roman soldiers, in their day, the best in all the
land, could not explain where Jesus had gone, for the tomb in which He had been
buried was empty. They could not provide His body to clear themselves of the
disgrace of an empty, guarded tomb. The official seal of Caesar upon the great
stone had been broken. The body they had been guarding was missing. Jesus had
risen from the grave. This same Jesus, seen by His disciples ascending into
heaven, promised to prepare a place for those who believed.
It
was all recorded. I can remember hearing it time and time again every Easter,
and I can recall every Christmas celebrating the birth of the Son of God.
Somehow I never really associated the true meaning of those events with the
reality of the need in my life. These were just stories, good religious
festivals, times to go to church. Then at church they always talked of sin and
judgment, things I didn't want to hear about. Had I listened carefully, I would
have heard the truth I needed to change my life. Had I accepted Jesus Christ as
my personal Saviour, I could have escaped the awful judgment. Clearly the Word
of God presented the message. All I needed was to accept that the Lord Jesus
Christ died for me and ask God to forgive me. Think of it! The Son of God,
Creator of the universe, died in my behalf that I might have eternal life. It
was there for me... free, and I turned it down! The message was present in my
own house from my earliest days, for as long as I can remember I have owned a
Bible, that best selling book that everyone buys but hardly anyone reads. God
had clearly revealed the plan of salvation in the Bible that I might believe.
I
knew that God had dealt fairly with me, both in my life and now in death. My
entire defense was futile, for God had shown me the folly of my ways. In
following the world's wisdom I demonstrated my foolishness, for I could not
explain the existence of God, and I could never dispute the manifold evidences
of His existence and power. I had denied His Word. He had sought me, invited me
to come and placed the matter before me, but I had stubbornly rejected God.
Because of my rejection, I was without excuse. Whatever my fate, God was just,
for I had chosen to live without Him all my life, and that decision determined
my destiny. My loving Creator had now become my forbidding Judge.
God's
evidence was overwhelming. I had never realized that God had indelibly stamped
His signature on all things. Truly, the man who rejects God is without excuse.
I realized that my defense was broken; His truth would prevail.
Prepared
for the final Judgment, I was not surprised by the sentence, for I had
condemned myself already. The angel read the painful truth that prepared the
way for my eternal doom. "Those whose names are not recorded in the Book
of Life shall be cast into the lake of fire forever."
Physical
torment and pain were to be my fate forever. The physical suffering I could
stand, but the mental anguish would torture me unbearably. On earth I chose to
ignore God, pretending that He didn't exist. I didn't want God to interfere in
my life. Now God was giving me exactly what I had desired, an eternity without
God. His name would not be mentioned, His salvation would not again be offered,
and throughout eternity He would not seek to have fellowship with me. I was cut
off forever!
Too
late, I realized I could never be happy without Him. My Maker and Friend,
potential Saviour and Lord would now be separated from me throughout eternity.
It
was no comfort to know that billions of people had made the same tragic mistake
and were condemned to a dismal eternity in everlasting fire.
If
only others could be warned before death comes. Perhaps they could escape by
accepting God and believing on His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shed His
precious blood for their sins that they may gain eternal life in heaven with
their heavenly Father.
I
wouldn't want anyone to face the judgment unprepared. Man wasn't made to meet
the Almighty unprepared, for puny man is no match for God. Truly, God is in
complete control of all things, and His Word is binding on all men. His Word is
truth.
As
I left the throne of God, I felt a deep sense of loss. Even in the judgment
there was security in His presence. As I entered the dark corridor that led to
my final home, I began to feel the reality of my fate. Burdened again with
guilt, my soul was filled with despair. The farther away from God I walked, the
greater my despondency. I began to realize the full impact of being separated
from God, and feel the weight of this burden press upon my shoulders. My head
pounded with that ever-present question. Why had I rejected God? Why?
There
on the threshold of the bottomless pit, the horrid entrance to the depths of
hell, I understood the totality of my demise. All my life I had served myself.
Now, only that was left... myself. I was truly alone.
How
I longed to look into God's face one last time, but I knew that would never
again be possible. My life and my death were over.
Now
I faced eternity alone.
That,
was the final judgment and I was without excuse.
"For the
invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so
that they are without excuse."
Romans 1:20
