The Athiests Riddle

I ran across this article whilst stumbling: http://www.cosmicfingerprints.com/iidb.htm

The riddle is formed in a post on the IIDB discussion board;

Gentlemen:

The starting point of this discussion is my central thesis, which is:

1) DNA is not merely a molecule with a pattern; it is a code, a language, and an information storage mechanism.
2) All codes are created by a conscious mind; there is no natural process known to science that creates coded information.
3) Therefore DNA was designed by a mind.

If you can provide an empirical example of a code or language that occurs naturally, you've toppled my proof. All you need is one.

Perry Marshall

Here is the original article, with mp3 downloads (for people like me who like mp3 downloads): http://www.cosmicfingerprints.com/atheists_riddle.htm

Read the article and listen to the mp3's. It is provocative. And I challenge any athiests to consider it. And, if possible, come up with the empirical example requested. If you can, then you have silenced a strong argument for design. But if you cannot, then consider those implications. Because "If DNA is a code, then we have every reason to believe that it is designed."

Is accurate soteriology "too deep"?

Is this thought "too deep" as our football throwing friend would have us believe? Or is this a question us Christians should consider? See, I'm a Calvinist who believes in the freewill of men. The freewill of men PROPERLY DEFINED, that is.

As Jonathan Edwards states, "the Will (without any metaphysical refining) is, that by which the mind chooses any thing."[a] I can't say it any better. So, our will is free to choose things. We can choose whether we will brush our teeth or not. We can choose to politely let that person in front of us on the highway or crowd them off. These choices are ours to make. There is not someone else making these choices for us.

The question of "freewill" as spoken of in Christian circles, comes when we are faced with the choice to receive Christ as our Lord and Savior, as we are commanded and exhorted to do in Scripture.

For brevity's sake, let me say that men ARE free to choose to believe Christ as Lord and Savior. The problem, however, does not lie in our ABILITY as much as it does in our DESIRE. Jesus states that men love darkness and run from the light (John 3:19-20). We must be spiritually reborn (John 3:3) in order to even SEE the kingdom of God. We are spiritually dead, being alienated and separated from God because of our sin. This intrinsic separation, this death to spiritual matters is what prevents us from willingly choosing to follow Christ. It is not that we CAN NOT do it ... it is simply that the unregenerated sinner does not WANT to. Therefore, he does not.

The Westminster Confession says this:

Chapter IX
Of Free Will
III. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, has wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation: [4] so as, a natural man, being altogether averse from that good,[5] and dead in sin, [6] is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto. [7]
IV. When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, He frees him from his natural bondage under sin;[8] and, by His grace alone, enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good;[9] yet so, as that by reason of his remaining corruption, he does not perfectly, or only, will that which is good, but does also will that which is evil.[10]

Where the comic above comes into play is that, for many people, this poses a problem when presented with the concept of election/predestination. If God elects us (which Scripture repeats numerous times, and in the context of salvation), and if we freely choose Christ (which every Calvinist confirms) then how can we reconcile it? Should we just cry "too deep" as this comic strip does? I'm afraid that too many people will do just that.

But what I believe the bible to teach is that, while all men are naturally unwilling to come to Christ, including the elect, God has hand-picked some on whom He will show mercy (Rom 9:18) and will grant them (and them alone) the grace sufficient to change their unwilling, hardened heart of stone into a willing, soft heart of flesh. The rest, He leaves to die in their sins. Read these verses from Ezekiel:

36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

Do you see how God says that it is Him who will do all of these things? He is the one who will give us a new heart. He will put a new spirit within us. And verse 27 tells us exactly why. This process will move us to follow His decrees and keep His laws. In other words, this act of regeneration done to us by the giving us of a new spirit and heart will CAUSE us to obey God. And the foremost command in mind here is the command given to repent and believe the gospel. Once more, the Westminster Confession:

Chapter X
Of Effectual Calling
I. All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, He is pleased, in His appointed time, effectually to call,[1] by His Word and Spirit,[2] out of that state of sin and death, in which they are by nature to grace and salvation, by Jesus Christ;[3] enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God,[4] taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them an heart of flesh;[5] renewing their wills, and, by His almighty power, determining them to that which is good,[6] and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ:[7] yet so, as they come most freely, being made willing by His grace.[8]

My advice is this: Believe it. The bible tells us exactly why some are chosen and not others. "In Christ we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." (Eph 1:11). Just because we are unable to "reason out" why God chooses some and not others according to our limited understanding does not make it untrue. God says it is according to HIS will. And this should be good enough reason for any humble Christian. Who are we to question God's purposes? Who are we to say that God doesn't have a right to be merciful to some and just to others? Do not rely on a human idea of "fairness", because if God were fair, NONE would be saved. We are saved by merciful grace, not merit. Praise God for His merciful grace!

[a] Jonathan Edwards; Freedom of the Will; Part I; Section I
For WCF Scripture proofs for Chapter IX
http://www.the-highway.com/WCFChIX.html
For WCF Scripture proofs for Chapter X
http://www.the-highway.com/WCFChX.html