Contributed
ADAM AND EVE WERE CREATED ADULTS John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”
There are several accounts in the Bible of happenings in which there is no current day explanation rather than supernatural. While many prefer not to believe or recognize supernatural events, those in the Bible are told as actual occurrences.
Considering The Holy Bible is believed by many to be the divine word of our Creator, the existence of a spiritual world is a given, and taken by many as a certainty.
Several supernatural events in the form of the dead being brought back to life are contained in the scriptures. Many in today’s world claim they were not fully dead but that debate between the non-believers and believers is yet to be settled. The widow of Zarephath’s son (1 Kings 17:17–24; the Shunammite woman’s son (2 Kings 4:18–37); the man raised out of Elisha’s grave (2 Kings 13:20–21); the widow of Nain’s son (Luke 7:11–17); Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:40–56); Tabitha (Acts 9:36–43); Eutychus (Acts 20:7–12); Lazarus of Bethany (John 11), and others as mentioned in Matthew 27:50–53 are examples those being brought back to life.
The basic principle of Christianity hinges on belief. While we humans do not place validity or value on what another believes, God most certainly does. When I hear one of the talking heads on the TV news programs say, “I believe” or “I think,” their credibility is lost.
God, however, places tremendous importance on what we believe. John 3: 16 “Whosoever believes in Him” makes a statement to us we cannot and do not want to ignore.
Is faith an excuse or a legitimate belief system? Each individual has to make that determination for him/her self. Keep in mind, every step we take is based on faith. When we buy products, enter into contractual agreements, even shake another’s hand, faith in involved.
Don’t even bother to say you fly commercial or drive on an interstate highway without having faith!
To believe or disbelieve the Biblical examples of supernatural occurrences is within the individual mind and must be a matter of thought and prayer. Did Jesus literally walk on water (Matthew 14: 22-33)? Did Paul literally raise Eutychus (Acts 20: 7-12) from dead to alive?
Acts 17: 22 “Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars Hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.” Paul said “ye are too superstitious” indicating by his use of the word “too” (meaning also) that he regarded his belief as a superstition.
Superstition is a belief in the supernatural and we must recognize that any spiritual belief is beyond the natural world. This being said, are the supernatural acts in the Bible real or fantasy? Many of us choose to believe they actually happened and could not have happened outside the will and power of God.
1 Kings 2: 11 “And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”
Are we to believe Elijah was taken up into Heaven without having to die? Imagine if you will, standing there watching as Elijah and Elisha (Elijah’s protégé) were having this conversation and suddenly the circumstance in verse eleven happened right before your eyes.
Bewilderment and amazement would flood our hearts and minds by witnessing the power of the Almighty God. Once again, is this believable as an actual happening?
King Saul asked for a medium to bring up the prophet Samuel. The story of the Witch of Endor in 1 Samuel 28 leaves some in a state of skepticism.
1 Samuel 28: 15 “And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answers me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore, I have called thee, that thou may make known unto me what I shall do.”
While Christians do not normally believe in haunted houses, ghouls and goblins, the story of the witch of Endor is stated as an action by the witch and Saul. Can we draw a line on what we can believe or is this an open-ended question to the individual?
Discernment certainly takes on a new meaning and limits of tolerance. How far can we allow the parameters of faith? Is faith to be infinite? Ephesians 2: 8 “By grace are you saved through faith.” This is not a fractional statement. It is conclusive and final.
By the title of this article, can we imagine Adam and Eve being created as adults? Genesis 1: 27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Once again, we enter the arena of the supernatural.
We know that mankind had to begin somewhere with someone. If anyone has a better explanation from where we came, please let me know. To imagine we evolved from a lower form of life is directly countered by the second law of thermodynamics. Order cannot evolve from chaos.
And to get any scientist to agree on the possibilities of spontaneous generation might not be impossible, but difficult. Being only a theory or hypothesis, the actual event has not yet happened.
And then the greatest supernatural event in the history of the world certainly commands our attention. That would be the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. John 3: 16 “Whosoever believes in Him,” is speaking to all of us.
Can we have eternity based on belief? God says we can. It’s your choice! If you choose not to believe and this is all a lie, you’ll die and rot and in a hundred years no one will know who you were or care.
But what if it is all true?
Van Yandell is a retired Industrial Arts teacher, an ordained gospel evangelist and commissioned missionary.
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