A famous novelist, grandson of a well-known scientist, in one of his books confesses that he has given up his old opinion that the universe has no meaning. How any sensible man could ever have held such an opinion is past all understanding, save on the ground of strong bias. The universe has millions of proofs of wonderful design to which bias is as blind as the bat in the light of the noonday sun. Bias is not a matter of the head, but of the heart. “The fool has said in his heart, There is no God” (Ps. 14:1).
For instance, Charles Darwin, when confronted with the human eye, with its wonderful adaptation declared that it made him shiver, and no wonder, when he refused to believe the creation story as given by Moses. To such straits is the evolutionist driven that they tell us eyes originated in the following fashion. We give it in the words of William Jennings Bryan in his book, In His Image. “A piece of pigment, or, as some say, a freckle, appeared upon the skin of an animal that had no eyes. The piece of pigment or freckle converged the rays of the sun upon the spot, and when the little animal felt the heat, it turned the spot to the sun to get more heat. The increased heat irritated the skin… so the evolutionists guess, and a nerve came there, and out of the nerve came the eye. Can you beat it? But this only accounts for one eye; there must have been another piece of pigment or freckle, soon afterwards and just in the right place, in order to give the animal two eyes” (p. 98). And we may well ask, why two, and only two, and in right position to work in conjunction? The believer in the Scriptures has reasonable faith, the unbelieving scientist, who can believe such trash as we have just transcribed, is marked by colossal credulity. Fallen man wants to believe anything that will shut out God
It is extraordinary how the Scriptures touch the spot with unerring hand. The Epistle to the Romans tell us of those, who “did not like to retain God in their knowledge” (chap. 1:28). There we have the reason why otherwise sensible men can hold such debasing opinions. It is a question of what they like.
And why did this famous novelist give up his old opinion that the universe has no meaning? He writes, “It was the manifestly poisonous nature of the fruit that forced me to reconsider the philosophical tree on which they had grown.” He could not have subjected his belief to a truer or better test. It is indeed but the refrain of the Scripture written nineteen centuries ago, “By their fruits ye shall know them” (Matt. 7:20). By this test the only philosophy that emerges triumphant is that of the Bible. Evolution and modernism work in the same direction, for they undermine the authority of Holy Scripture, and in undermining Scripture they strike a blow against morality, and all that that implies.
The great Professor Huxley in his day cast about for something to stem the tide of iniquity. The only Book he could think of that possessed such an influence was the Bible. And though he himself refused to believe in its inspiration, he strongly advised its use in the Public Schools as the only power to stem lawlessness.
The famous novelist writes strongly. He speaks of “manifestly poisonous fruit.” He must have seen some evil things. He must have marked the sins of society, extra judges required to deal with the rush of divorce cases, the craze for nudism, business honesty at a big discount, men ready to break their word, if it does not suit them to keep it, home-ties weakened, children disobedient, men loving pleasure more than loving God, nations staggering under terrific taxes to provide munitions of war, poison gases, bombs, death-dealing inventions. With all that in view he came to the right conclusion that such poisonous fruit grew on a bad tree. The idea that the universe has no meaning works out in just this fashion: No God, no responsibility. No fall, no sin, no shame, men glorying in their shame.
The way the Bible was written is convincing. The poet Dryden wrote:
“Whence but from heaven could men unskilled in arts,
In several ages born, in several parts,
Weave such convincing truths? or how, or why.
Should all conspire to cheat us with a lie?
Unasked their pains, ungrateful their advice,
Starving their gains, and martyrdom their price.”
It is the only Book that prophesies, and its prophecies come true. Whilst there are many most convincing internal proofs of its divine inspiration—of one Mind controlling it from beginning to the end—there is one outstanding proof. When practised it bears nothing but good fruit. “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit” (Matt. 7:18). The truth ennobles the man who receives it, and elevates the nation that comes under its power.
Are the nations, which are manifestly backward, nations upon which Christianity has exerted its power? No, they are heathen nations, wrapped in dark superstition, worshipping hideous idols of cruelty and lust. The nations, which have come under the power of the Bible, have taken the lead as to matters of morality and righteousness. And just in proportion as the Bible loses its power over such nations, do they become decadent. This is the problem confronting men and women today. Sunday, the great day of pleasure with newspapers selling in their millions, streams of motor cars and cyclists pouring out of every town into the country; empty churches; all tell the tale of the nation turning its back upon God.
Shall not all this have a voice to each reader? Let each one of us seek to be governed by the Bible, and thus bear fruit in our lives, pleasing to God. And if we do, our first step must be to trust the Lord Jesus as our Saviour, and confess His Name, then we may seek to follow His steps. This will recommend the Gospel to others, and help forward the work of winning souls out of the world.