Beautiful Savior, King of creation,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I love Thee; truly I’d serve Thee,
Light of my soul, my joy, my crown!
The Lord Jesus truly is the light of our soul, our joy, and our crown. If you’d like an early Christmas gift, one that is totally free, I’d encourage you to listen to the lovely rendition of the hymn “Beautiful Savior” sung by the Master’s Chorale and conducted by Tom Fettke.1
Christians are hungry—perhaps even starved—for the glory of Christ. Thus, ICR’s primary mission is to consistently exalt the Lord Jesus through everything we communicate. As a science-based ministry, ICR is privileged to render honor and glory in the most basic way Christians can—by regularly emphasizing the rightful credit due to Jesus as our Creator.
ICR also endeavors to honor Christ in our other assignments, continuing the goal of ICR founder Dr. Henry Morris to win science and scientists back to Christ. Last month’s feature article discussed ICR’s most pressing task today,2 which is to fundamentally change the way people understand biology by constructing a completely new theory of biological design that incorporates recent discoveries while respecting the biblical narrative. One of our goals is to ignite a second creationist revival. Our contribution to this hoped-for end will be to stir up a sense of certainty in Christian truth that leads to confident, mature, evangelistic believers.
The Christmas season is an especially fitting time to emphasize ICR’s overriding mission to glorify the Lord Jesus by specifically identifying Him as our Creator as well as our Lord and Savior. As we do that, we follow the lead of the angel who announced the birth of Jesus: “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).
ICR’s Mission: Doing Our Utmost to Revere Christ
We are the Institute for Creation Research. The glory of the Lord Jesus—in fact, His very deity—is directly linked to His being the Creator God of the Bible. Therefore, our communication must highlight the workmanship of Christ, which is unfailingly glorious.3 It’s our job to ensure that the “frame” we use to accentuate the picture of Jesus’ handiwork—i.e., our published material—is worthy of the subject matter.
Occasionally it’s good to simply ponder who God is before even meditating on what He’s like. The Creator is God. This reminds us of His awesome position (i.e., “rank”) and ours. We know that God just spoke and the universe came into existence. The ICR Discovery Center for Science & Earth History’s planetarium is showing a brand-new documentary, Exploring Deep Space, filled with stunning imagery depicting the size and beauty of our universe. This viewing experience defies imagination. A Christian’s understanding of God’s infinite power and omnipresence is expanded, leaving a deep impression of the awesomeness of God.
At Christmas we celebrate the mysterious truth that Jesus is Immanuel, which is translated “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). The Bible unambiguously declares that “the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5) is “the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). Therefore, Jesus Christ is both “Son of Man” (Acts 7:56) and undiminished deity. ICR’s main mission is to consistently exalt the Lord Jesus. As we read through the following passages, note that they not only speak to Christ’s deity as Creator but also accentuate His glory.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made….And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1, 3, 14)
[Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. (Colossians 1:15-17)
[God] has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high… (Hebrews 1:2-3)
The primary purpose of these verses is to establish the deity of Christ by identifying Him as Creator. Yet “the heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1) and not merely His existence. Romans 1:18-25 details that people can know there is a God from creation, and the wonder of His workmanship in creation reveals that God “is forever praised [by His handiwork in creation]” (v. 25, NIV).3
If ICR scientists do a proper job in their teaching, then our science should lead people to worship Jesus Christ. It’s shameful that evolutionary selectionists have long abused science to rob Christ of His glory. That’s why at ICR events some people ask me a bit doubtfully, “Are you really saying that science should lead people to worship?” Yes, indeed. The best way to do that is to ensure that Christ is very clearly given the credit for His surpassing workmanship, genius, and wisdom revealed in creation.
ICR’s Mission: Standing with Christ Against His Enemies
Sometimes believers face bitter opposition when they simply render worship to the Lord Jesus. Such hostile behavior isn’t new. At Christmas we recall that sometime after Jesus’ birth wise men from the east came to Jerusalem asking, “‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?’ For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.’” But “when Herod the king heard this, he was troubled” and subsequently planned to “seek the young Child to destroy Him” (Matthew 2:2-3, 13).
Though no one is able to “destroy” Christ physically today, the intention to hurt Him is still very active—but through different means. Opponents today target His deity and accompanying glory. They wield the authority of “science” to deny that God is the cause of both the origin of the universe and the diversity of life on Earth. Instead of a blunt denial of God’s existence, it’s important to understand how unbelieving scientists take a subtler route to arrive at the same conclusion.
Romans 1:20-25 teaches that despite the evidence of God’s workmanship being clearly seen—especially in living creatures—unbelievers won’t acknowledge or credit God’s agency as the cause of nature.4 Giving credit is the unmistakable first step to a sense of gratitude and from there to conferring glory, but modern science redirects those steps. We’re taught the Big Bang is a wholly sufficient cause—a credit unto itself—for the universe’s origin, and that Darwinism explains why creatures look so incredibly designed without crediting Christ as the Designer.
Darwin devised an entire externalistic worldview called selectionism, in which random geological and ecological changes drive the evolution of life’s diversity. How? Darwin envisioned a scenario of ceaseless deadly struggles over scarce resources where few individuals of a species survive but somehow the population doesn’t go extinct. Both atheistic and theistic selectionists embrace the view that environments somehow exercise agency to mold the diversity of life. Selectionism begins with the projection of God-like volitional “selective” capacity onto nature. Proponents visualize nature as an omnipotent adaptive agent “acting on” organisms through its perceived powers to “favor” some or “weed out” others—even though nature doesn’t have a mind.
Nature’s inherently mystical pseudo-agency animates all Darwinian explanations. Selectionism is how Darwin reintroduced veneration of nature back into science.5 Scientists should find this unsettling. Some religious practitioners ascribe volition to inanimate things, yet scientifically how can selective abilities ever legitimately be projected onto an immaterial concept like “natural selection” or to a mindless entity like “nature”?
Clearly, the most basic and effective way to rob Christ of His glory is to not give Him credit for creation. Jesus’ enemy seeks to further insult Him through the pseudo-scientific worldview of selectionism that misleads people into personifying nature in such a way that they don’t give credit for the creation to Christ but to creation itself.
ICR’s Mission: Specifically Crediting Jesus Christ as Creator
All of us at ICR feel privileged to use science to rightfully credit Jesus as our Creator. The following paragraphs synopsize truths that the ICR family holds dear and expresses why Jesus is worthy to be the center of our deepest love, affection, and devotion.
The Lord Jesus created, upholds, and rules the universe according to the counsel of His own will for His good pleasure. Never has a man spoken words like Jesus. Christ’s words are always faithful and true. All who saw Him marveled at His wisdom and were astounded by His unimaginable power. Wind and rain obeyed Jesus’ voice. He commanded Satan and called the dead back to life. He knows the secrets of your heart and can see you from afar. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Christ is faultless and holy, and thus He alone fully satisfies the righteousness of the Father through the redemption that is His blood. Therefore, unless you honor the Son, you can’t honor the Father. For anyone who has seen the Son has seen the Father because Jesus and the Father are one. Christ promised to send us the Holy Spirit, who also glorifies the Son. The Spirit honors Jesus by bringing His words to our remembrance. The host of heaven is at Christ’s immediate, obedient service. The highest of angelic beings adoringly prostrate themselves before Him. Jesus will judge all angels and people, and His decisions are perfect and final. Every knee will bow to Him and every tongue will confess that “Jesus Christ is Lord.” Throughout eternity, all heavenly inhabitants will ascribe to the Lamb blessing and honor and glory and power.
Who are we to be the objects of His boundless love? Jesus came to seek and to save us who were lost. He steadfastly set His face to go to the cross. Christ alone entered the Most Holy Place once for all to obtain eternal redemption. Jesus calls all people unto Himself and promises to forgive their sins, and salvation can be found in no other name under heaven. All who call on His name shall be saved. Thus, the Lord Jesus is forever the High Priest over the house of God. Christ’s faithful intercession never ceases. He will keep to the final day all who come to Him. Jesus is the one mediator between God and people. He sympathizes with our weaknesses and carries our burdens on His shoulders and our names on His heart. All who belong to Jesus await a marriage supper as His precious Bride, anticipating when they will forever bear on their forehead that precious name that is above every other name. Jesus cannot promise more—or do more—than what He has done. To His name alone be all honor and glory.
Have a joyous Christmas season!
References
- Beautiful Savior, recorded as 14 Master’s Chorale My Joy My Crown. Tom Fettke conducts the Master’s Chorale 1992. Posted on youtube.com September 23, 2016.
- Guliuzza, R. J. 2020. The Power of the Next Idea. Acts & Facts. 49 (11): 5-7.
- Guliuzza, R. J. 2017. Engineered Adaptability: Engineering Principles Point to God’s Workmanship. Acts & Facts. 46 (6): 16-19. See exposition of Romans 1:18-25.
- Vine, W. E. 1981. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company, 152-153. The noun “glory” in the New Testament is from a Greek root meaning to “credit,” which “primarily signifies an opinion, estimate, and hence, the honour resulting from a good opinion,” while the verb “primarily denotes ‘to suppose’ (from for opinion)…of glorifying God, i.e., ascribing honour to Him, [by] acknowledging Him as to His being, attributes, and acts.”
- Guliuzza, R. J. 2011. Darwin’s Sacred Imposter: Natural Selection’s Idolatrous Trap. Acts & Facts. 40 (11): 12-15.
* Dr. Guliuzza is President of the Institute for Creation Research. He earned his M.D. from the University of Minnesota, his Master of Public Health from Harvard University, and served in the U.S. Air Force as 28th Bomb Wing Flight Surgeon and Chief of Aerospace Medicine. Dr. Guliuzza is also a registered Professional Engineer and holds a B. A. in theology from Moody Bible Institute.
