“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
Romans 11:33-36 ESV
The secular humanist is fond of saying that might doesn’t make right. This shows that every one knows in their heart that God is God and that no man, nor institution, or group of men, are God. But the deep truth, ultimately, is that – and it must be – that might is right and right is might. If it’s not, if right isn’t all-powerful, then we’re doomed and the aforementioned aphorism is nonsense of the highest order.
Think of it this way: if a little old lady is home alone baking cookies and a gang of marauders break in, intent on murder and theft, she’s clearly in the right but powerless to enforce it. Even the most ardent atheist understands that such a scenario is evil. The marauders are not morally higher than the old lady by virtue of their physical power over her. This is understood because the law of the Lord is indeed written into the fabric of our lives (Romans 2:14-15). How else do we understand that might doesn’t mean right except through the moral lens of Christ? To say that all people know this merely begs the question of how they know it. It proves our point.
The problem of atheism rears its head with a vengeance here. The metaphysic (theory of ultimacy and origins, that is) of the modern atheist is Darwinism. Huxley once remarked that Darwin provided unbelievers the origin story in which to ignore God and go their own way. Until Darwin, western civilization was philosophically dominated by the Biblical creation account – which is to say, God’s power and authority as Creator. Since Darwin, however, as Huxley said, the west has used macro-evolution as intellectual cover to reject God. It’s a simple equation. Whoever or whatever created everything – especially and including us – is in charge and gets to set the rules of life. This is life’s hard and inescapable logic.
This fact is where the real men and women of Christ should and must put their flag down. Not only that, but we must insist that Darwinists stand upon their own ground as well. As of now, sadly enough, the Christian intellectual fortress (2 Corinthians 10:5) is guarded like a children’s playground and everyone is welcome to come and frolic. The myth of neutrality (the irrational belief that God’s divine nature and eternal power aren’t clearly perceived by everyone, so unbelief is logical) is so dominant that Christians have given away their most powerful tool for evangelism and apologetics. We’ve handed our biggest guns to our enemies – weapons they surely don’t have in their own philosophical arsenal.
We give them our cannons. We fire back with squirt-guns. And make sure the water is lukewarm.
It’s like a boxer agreeing to a match with a fella who can bring a bat and a friend while he fights with one hand.
But again, Darwinism’s logic is clear. Survival is the moral center of all action in an evolutionary world. The unfit – like our little old lady baking in her kitchen surrounded by photos of grandchildren and family – deserve to perish at the hands of the strong. The law of the jungle is the law or else Darwinism can’t be true. An exception to survival of the fittest isn’t an exception but an evisceration of the philosophy itself.
We turn again to the reality that there’s no such thing as a brute fact in this world. All facts are interrelated and must be logically integrated into the correct systematic philosophy/theology. All facts must be actionable via their correct categorical classification. Darwinism attempts to provide a creation story via observable science but must contend, just as all other disciplines, with epistemological and ethical implications too. Simply put, if everything came from nothing (which is logically impossible because ex nihilo nihil fit…out of nothing, nothing comes), and there is no Creator and personal God who is uncreated (a mystery, but not a contradiction), and evolution is a person-less force wherein survival is the highest goal, there is and can be no moral law. In the Darwinist worldview, evolution is both the metaphysic (theory of origin and ultimacy) and the ethic (value theory). This is tragically illogical. Everyone knows deep down that evolution is a blood-red and depersonalizing ethic, which explains the deafening silence on the subject of philosophical integration.
As soon as young students are taught about the systemic connection of origin, knowledge and ethics they can see that the emperor is not merely scantily clad but sauntering around in his pot-bellied, skinny legged birthday suit, they’ll naturally reject the insanity of philosophical materialism (Darwinism). Again, this is the sinister package-deal of secular humanism. Public schools and universities, media, politics and corporate culture make sure we can’t talk about the massive black hole at the center that gobbles up all truth, meaning, and beauty. As a matter of self-preservation the humanist must avoid all discussion about systematics and philosophical integration. The only struggle for survival in our Darwinist-dominated world today is, therefore, the struggle to keep the balderdash of Darwinism alive. To do this we must commit intellectual suicide by destroying each generation’s ability to think in philosophical categories.
To tell the young that there is no ultimate truth but that they have to find their own truth is the grandest form of torture available. It posits a nihilistic universe and tells them to find meaning in it. This is, of course, like tasking a crew to find a good burger place on the moon, except it isn’t a joke. These are human lives – living breathing, dreaming, wondering, striving, and loving image-bearers of God – being told they exist in a merciless universe that’s indifferent to them. And then telling them they must find their own happiness.
Is it any wonder why the teenagers of America struggle so mightily with anxiety, depression and worse? And maybe you do too because the infection is out there…it’s everywhere in culture. It’s the logic of philosophical nihilism required to keep the creation-con of Darwinism afloat. Secular humanism/atheism must get rid of God and to do this they must attack Him as Creator because, as we’ve said, whoever or whatever created everything is alone authorized to set the rules. Atheism hates God because it hates moral law and responsibility. It desires to live in God’s world as if they are the ones who get to determine right and wrong (Genesis 3:5).
So, like Cain who killed his brother, Abel, and then was convicted by God for the murder, secular man flees responsibility. He builds his cities and structures to protect himself from God’s moral judgment. Seeking absolute freedom he makes himself a political slave. To eradicate the royal commandments to love God and neighbor, he votes himself into ten thousand humanistic laws and regulations. He decries the power of others over him and yet rails that might doesn’t make right. If he can, if the circumstances permit, he overpowers his neighbor. If not, he joins those who can do it for him. All social-political systems of man and for man end up enslaving and murdering. The terrible logic of humanism and false religion always starts on a highway full of blissful promises. But the road that begins near the beach with splendid blue scenery soon turns and winds its way into abject darkness. Man can’t be free without God because force must be applied according to a standard. And when men decide what that standard is they are playing God. This is why political parties without God’s law are well-dressed gangs. This is why there are so many lawyers in America; we trade lawsuits rather than gunfire.
For now anyway. By the grace of God we don’t tear each other apart.
It is Jesus Christ who is Lord, which means inexorably that He has the power to morally judge all men in righteousness and punish rebels. This is, therefore, the time of salvation and day of grace. To those who repent of their sin and rebellion, we read:
“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.” Revelation 1:17-18 NLT
But to those who insist upon whistling through this great blue sepulcher and ignoring His warnings, refusing to give thanks for the countless blessings, and putting death out of their minds, this life is the closest they’ll ever get to heaven. For believers, it’s as close to hell. This is the great antithesis because He who is right (righteous) is also Almighty. He was born in weakness as a vulnerable child – the great King in a lowly manger. He slept with animals. He who is all glory and power came into the human play as the lowest of all – a defenseless infant – and in the most impoverished way of all. A crazy king was seeking to murder Him. Sin is the struggle to overcome God. It’s a contest of strength and we lie to ourselves about the reality. We mistake His patience and kindness for feebleness. We see that babe in the manger and confuse meekness for weakness. And then, years later, He who is all strength allowed Himself to be crucified, the most horrible murder of all, so that our sins would be forgiven. Why would we neglect so great an offer except in the madness of sin’s irrationality?
All of us know God through the things that have been made (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:18-21) but we have gone our own way, thereby picking a fight with the great King. We convince ourselves that His patience and kindness means that He’s a weakling and that we’re special, we’re strong, and that there will never be judgment. But it’s a lie we tell ourselves.
“They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.” Romans 1:32 NLT
God alone is both might and right. When we say here in this present age that power doesn’t equal truth we admit that God’s law, His eternal power, and His divine nature are clearly known.
“Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will judge everyone according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.” Romans 2:4-8 NLT
This Christmas we celebrate the birth of our King and revel in the meekness and humility He displayed so that we might have deliverance from sin. We celebrate Him today as our Savior and our Lord. The alternative will be to set an appointment, a dreadful one, in which we face Him, mano-a-mano, creature versus the Creator, and dare Him to do His worst. That appointment is at our earthly expiration (Hebrews 9:27) and it’s a mismatch so insane and tragic that we literally beg our neighbors to be reconciled to Him.
In all, when we say “Merry Christmas” we’re saying that the Lord of all Power and Glory shows His love for us by having been the weakest of all – a lowly baby in an impoverished manger. Oh, how inscrutable is He and how amazing (Romans 11:33-36)! Praise be to God on this Christmas Day.
The world is aware that “might doesn’t make right.” To this we say that this means we know that truth is real and that man can’t force it. But we also say that we know this because Jesus Christ is the lamb of God and will come again to rule the world. And that means that “might IS right.”
God is all-powerful.
For this reason, we don’t lose hope.
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