Introduction:

In this week's SSL, we will considerably look at the Biblical worldview on the existence of a sovereign creator and sustainer of life in the universe. Inspiration declares, "What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles." Psalm 34:12-17. {CH 628.1}

Memory Verse:

The eyes of the LORD [are] in every place, beholding the evil and the good. {Proverbs 15:3}

Prayer Thought:

Isa. 49:5 -- "And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob again to Him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength."

For their encouragement they are told that even though Israel be not gathered (he will, however, be gathered), yet they shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and the Lord God shall be their strength. Since they are now (not at another time but in the day this prophecy is fulfilled) called to bring Jacob to the Lord again, it shows that Jacob (the people of God in their Jacobite state) must have departed from the Lord. Now they must be brought back to Him by a mighty revival and reformation. {1TG 46.5.1-3}

I. God's Existence

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” (Psalm 53:1)

A. Infidels, Atheists, and Spiritualists

1. God would have his people shun the society of infidels, atheists, and spiritualists. He has warned us of their character and their fate: "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination." "The transgressors shall be destroyed together; the end of the wicked shall be cut off." {ST, June 8, 1882 par. 21}

2. Atheists, infidels, and apostates oppose and denounce God's law; but the results of their influence prove that the well-being of man is bound up with his obedience of the divine statutes. Those who will not read the lesson from the book of God, are bidden to read it in the history of nations. {GC88 285.3}

3. When the foundations of the earth were laid, then was also laid the foundation of the Sabbath. I was shown that if the true Sabbath had been kept, there would never have been an infidel or an atheist. The observance of the Sabbath would have preserved the world from idolatry. {LS 96.1}

B. Theistic Worldview

1. Beholding the Beauties of Natural World

We are to behold the beauties of nature. And what then? fall down and worship them?--No, indeed; but as you behold these works of nature, let your mind be carried up higher to nature's God; let it be elevated to the Creator of the universe, and then adore the Creator who has made all these beautiful things for your benefit, for your happiness. {RH, May 25, 1886 par. 7}

2. Ascribing Praise and Glory to the Creator

Every true minister of Jesus Christ, every true worker in His cause, will banish from the mind, as impious, every thought of inherent merit. Even the heavenly angels take to themselves no praise. Through the heavenly courts, in one grand chorus, resounds their praise of the Creator: "All things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee." [1 Chronicles 21:14.] Those who live on this earth should join the heavenly host in ascribing praise and glory to the Creator.--Letter 10, 1884, pp. 1, 2, 7, 8. (To Brother Matteson, May 3, 1884.) {7MR 315.1}

Let's Consider these points:

• There are two main types of worldviews:

— ATHEISTIC WORLDVIEW: The Universe and everything in it just exists; there are no gods or other supernatural entities; life has no purpose or meaning, it’s only subsistence.

— THEISTIC WORLDVIEW: The Universe and everything in it were created by God; God exists and cares for His Creation; we were created with a purpose: to live with our God forever.

• God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. But He also cares for each one of us and longs for our company.

II. Creation

I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, [even] my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded. {Isa. 45:12}

A. The Sabbath Not New

The Sabbath institution originated in Eden, and is therefore as old as the world itself. In six days the great work of creation had been accomplished; and God "rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested." The Sabbath was observed by all the patriarchs, from creation down. During the bondage in Egypt, the Israelites were forced by their taskmasters to violate the Sabbath, and to a great extent they lost the knowledge of its sacredness. When the law was proclaimed from Sinai, the very first words of the fourth commandment were, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy," showing that the Sabbath was not then instituted; we are pointed back for its origin to creation. {ST, February 1, 1910 par. 8}

B. Work of Creation

The Bible record is in harmony with itself and with the teaching of nature. Of the first day employed in the work of creation is given the record, "The evening and the morning were the first day." Genesis 1:5. And the same in substance is said of each of the first six days of creation week. Each of these periods Inspiration declares to have been a day consisting of evening and morning, like every other day since that time. In regard to the work of creation itself the divine testimony is, "He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast." Psalm 33:9. With Him who could thus call into existence unnumbered worlds, how long a time would be required for the evolution of the earth from chaos? In order to account for His works, must we do violence to His word? {Ed 129.1}

• The Bible considers two facts settled since its very first verse: God exists, and He created the Universe (Genesis 1:1). The rest of the biblical truths are based on those two principles: The Law, redemption, the resurrection…

• The biblical doctrines make no sense if we deny that God created the world in six days. The Bible cannot be true only in some of its sections.

• If we accept the concept of an evolution that took place during millions of years–either conducted by God or not–, we are denying that God inspired the Bible.

III. The Biblical Doctrine

“that we should no longer be children, tossed to and for and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.” (Ephesians 4:14)

• The way we interpret our environment depends on our worldview.

• The biblical worldview includes a series of doctrines that teach us how to live, how to make moral decisions, how to treat our neighbor, how to interpret the world around us, what to expect from the future…

IV. The Plan of Redemption

“being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:24)

• God didn’t just discard His Creation when humans sinned. He had created a redeeming plan; the Creator would die to save His creatures (John 1:1-14; Mark 10:45).

• We are called to share this “everlasting Gospel” with others. The Gospel is closely related to the Creation (Revelation 14:6-7).

• God’s Plan of Redemption was conceived before Creation. It includes the death and resurrection of Jesus, and the blessed hope of His Second Coming (1 Peter 1:18-20; Titus 2:13).

V. The Law of God

“Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12)

• There is no absolute morality for the atheistic worldview. Therefore, moral decisions are relative.

• However, the Bible introduces an absolute, unchangeable, eternal, and obligatory moral law that applies to all human beings: The Law of God (Exodus 20:3-17; Psalm 119:142).

• This Law is based on loving and respecting God and our neighbor (Mark 12:29-31). It’s the moral code that shows us what is good before God’s eyes.

From the Pen of Inspiration:

“In God’s word alone we find an authentic account of creation […]

In the word of God the mind finds subject for the deepest thought, the loftiest aspiration […] Here we behold the Majesty of heaven as He humbled Himself to become our substitute and surety to cope singlehanded with the powers of darkness and to gain the victory in our behalf. A reverent contemplation of such themes as these cannot fail to soften, purify, and ennoble the heart, and, at the same time, to inspire the mind with new strength and vigor.” {5T 25}