The Power and Authority of God in Science

This article was originally published in the August 2010 of the Family Heritage Developer

The Most Exciting Subject

Did you know that the most exiting subject in the world is science? Why? Because it affects every child and every parent in everything we do. Science ties the academic program to the spiritual reality of what God is doing in the heavenly realm.

In Romans 1:19-21 the Scripture declares “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

This passage is a sufficient foundation on which to build instruction to your children from birth until you hand them over to their own obedience to the Lord.

A Different Reason for Education

Our society says that an academic education is important for getting a good job. This motive to learn centers around the child’s temporal well-being and success. The American education system is built around this motive; however, God wants children educated for a different reason.

During my experience in Christian education, I have found that science is the most complained about subject. “This is boring material.” “Why do we have to do this anyway? “It doesn’t make any difference to me.” “I’m not going to be a scientist!” Bad attitudes come from looking at things the wrong way; we need to look at science a different way. The purpose of science is to transfer, by God’s grace, the revelation of the invisible God through the visible creation.

Two Revelations

Science is one of the two revelations that we will look at today, that God has given in order to call man to Himself. There is a difference between revelation and instruction. Instruction is the process of transferring information from one to another. Revelation is imparting the knowledge of God into the heart by which other knowledge is compared for accuracy. The Bible tells us that no man can come to the knowledge of God by his own intellect. We cannot reason ourselves into the understanding of God.

The knowledge of God comes by revelation. Let’s look at two revelations in Romans that God has given to man. The first is the revelation of creation. This is a universal revelation. The goal of scientific study is not simply understanding how the creation works; it is allowing the creation to glorify the God that it reveals. The creation shows God’s authority and power.

A proper approach to science will continually focus on the glory revealed by the things that were made. Science studied from this perspective will nurture a right relationship with God. Such a student will thank God and give Him glory. The proper study of science will develop the spiritual nature of the student and prepare him for further revelation.

“But it is written ‘Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love Him’” (I Corinthians 2:9) God is saying that there is an impassible barrier from instruction to revelation. There is no possible way for man to bridge that gap by himself. How does revelation take place? In the last line of verse 9 scriptures says: “the things that God has prepared for those that love Him.” Love is a quality of relationship, and the essence of relationship is sharing one’s self. We submit ourselves to God because of love. When the connection between man’s heart and God’s heart is fixed, a channel of sharing is opened up and God

reveals Himself to the human heart and soul by His Spirit.

Job’s Science Lesson with God

God’s revelation is restricted to the purpose and will of God. God is going to reveal Himself only to people who are willing to hear and obey. Job is an example of science being used by God to give adequate revelation so that man can obey and trust God in the most difficult of circumstances. Satan challenged God to test Job’s love and faith. It is important to realize that Job knew nothing of the heavenly court. God didn’t warn Job of the danger. God expected Job to respond properly because of his previous understanding of who God was, not because of Job’s present understanding of why these things were happening to him.

Job’s previous understanding of God centered upon God’s character revealed through the creation. When the trials came, Job wanted to know, “Why is God doing this to me?” At the end of the trial of Job’s faith, God speaks. He doesn’t answer the question “why?” but rather He challenges Job to remember who God is by the revelation Job already has. “Who am I as you know me in the creation? Have you considered the storehouses of heaven? Where did I lay the foundation of the earth? Consider if you have knowledge....” God hearkens back to what Job knows through the revelation of the creation: the things which were made speak of the Invisible One who made them. Thus, the creation shows the character of God.

Through the revelation of science, God expects a definite commitment of faith from us: “Because of Who you have revealed yourself to be in the creation, I will trust in you in all things.” Science instructs us to deal with God on the basis of His sovereignty. As a home school parent, if you do not make every effort to use science in your home as the tool for understanding who God is, then you are failing science. Do not keep from you children the revelation of science. Science has the capacity to bring the grace of salvation to all who study it properly. Rejoice in science and give glory to God! Your child’s spiritual well-being depends on it!

The Wrath of God

The second revelation of Romans is the revelation of the wrath of God. It is important to understand the revelation of the wrath of God in its connection to the revelation of the creation. The revelation of the creation is sufficient for God to send someone to hell if he rejects God. Romans 1:20 says, “Therefore they are without excuse.” It is true that whoever has not called upon the name of the Lord will not be saved.

The revelation that has been universally spoken in every language, in every age and in every corner of the earth (the creation) is sufficient for every human to reckon with Almighty God. Hebrews 11:6 says, “He that comes to God must believe that He is, (He is sovereign God, He sits on the Throne) and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him (He is powerful and has capacity to respond by rewarding those who diligently seek Him).” God’s sovereignty and power are revealed through the creation; therefore, man is without excuse.

The revelation of the wrath of God is the most significant revelation that a parent needs when a child cannot hear the revelation of creation. The revelation is not the wrath of God, but it reveals the wrath of Almighty God. The revelation of the wrath of God is a fearful thing. This revelation warns a soul that God has the position of authority. He has the power to send men to hell, if he does

not respond to God properly. God in His mercy has subjected the world to what we call the curse. The products of what comes out of the curse is discipline and this is the revelation of God.

When you correct your children, you are not supposed to correct them merely so they obey you. You are to give them a taste of the wrath of God and warn them. If they refuse to see God’s authority in you, they will be destroyed by God. Your discipline is not from you, for you, to them. It is from God through you, for their redemption in Him. You are just a vessel by which He brings clearly the revelation of His wrath.

This is a marvelous wonderful, revelation, but it is easy to be the kind of parent that thinks only in terms of coddling, caring, being gentle and helping your children. The revelation of wrath is an essential revelation. Remember, if one fails to receive revelation he cannot receive instruction. Teaching your children without revelation taking place in your home is a waste of your time. All you are going to do is create confusion as they process information without the knowledge of God and try to make sense of life.

When Your Child Doesn’t Understand Science

Be careful when your child tells you he doesn’t believe or understand, or doesn’t think something is important (like science!), maybe he is telling you that he has not yielded himself to the revelation of Almighty God.

The parent’s job is not to convince the child that the parent is smarter than the child and therefore, the child has to do what you say. The parent’s job is to stop and reveal truth to them; God is almighty, He is on the throne and the had better yield to Him because He has the power to send them to hell. Matthew 10:28 says, “And do not fear those who kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

So, in summary, the creation reveals the authority and power of God in creation, and the revelation of wrath reveals the power and the authority of God through the fear of God. Our response is to yield with grateful spirit that glorifies God because He is God.

For a wonderful example of a scientist who glorified God because of what he learned from creation, read George Washington Carver: The Man Who Overcame by Lawrence Elliot.