Intelligent Design 4

[HKHaugan]

Intelligent design can be seen in the stable working of the physical universe. It has order built into it. So what about the invisible order? What governs it? It seems that the problem of human existence is not in what can be seen but in what can’t be seen. There is tremendous disparity between the two. While the universe seems to function according to a set system it is the invisible forces in people that create suffering in everything from personal relationships to all-out war between nations. So it’s not the physical universe but the internal activity of the human mind and heart that is out of order. Something has infected the internal order that is not in the original design.

Now to you who are disciples of Jesus all this is old hat. We know the source is the devil and sin, a spiritual being bringing a spiritual infection into the minds and hearts of people. That’s what the story of Adam and Eve is all about. They had a perfect physical environment to begin with but it was their internal mind and heart response to the devil’s prompting that threw them out of balance. They were led to think, reason, decide and act apart from their Creator which they did. From that belief in the mind, that decision in the heart and that action by their spirit they found themselves each alone, afraid, blaming each other, God and the devil, aware of their nakedness and God somewhere outside them.

Then they found themselves outside their perfect relational and physical environment depressed, alienated, isolated and living each day in desperation. If you have ever seen a black and white movie then you will know what it was like when you wondered what the real people and background looked like. Then too, have you ever been standing next to a person who was looking in the mirror and then compared their mirror image to what they really looked like? It’s not startlingly different but clearly different. This ‘out of kilter’ look helps us see the effect sin had on the invisible dimension in which we are motivated within by what we can’t see.

It’s the subtle difference that counts because in the invisible dimension subtlety is the ‘Grand Canyon’ of rationalization when it comes to morality. That is, we may think a minor shift in decision making, called compromise, means little. However it could lead to a deep crevice in relationships, in social situations and cause catastrophic consequences as in the case of gossip, false assumptions and character assassination. If you follow the progression of activity from Adam and Eve to the present what we have is individual sin collectivized, weaponized and utilized into international conflict.

From what we can see of the human condition we have to assume that the devil is a spiritual terrorist who has successfully deceived the human heart to partner with his independence through our separation from God. He chooses to remains in hiding behind our ego, our pride and our self-assumed authority which prove his existence except, of course, for the practitioner of those evils who wants to appear like he is in charge and ‘has it all together.’

His program is intelligent, but intelligence warped by spiritual rebellion in which he specializes. He is a master of self-deception. He knows exactly how to get us to come up with theories about existence, morality and relational manipulation that have nothing to do with God and subtly infuse our sense of superiority in having devised them. He operates in our darkness. He knows exactly what buttons to push in us to be in charge and where to place blame for any failure we may have. Again, the devils’ techniques of persuasion are calculatedly aimed to get us to think we are in control and that he doesn’t exist. He wants us absorbed in temporary perceived needs as opposed to long term values. This way he shifts our concentration from God to self. He knows and plays on the self-centered weaknesses within the mind and heart. His plan is to use them in such a way as to make his victims convinced they are thinking and acting wisely all by themselves. His goal? Challenge God and take over Creation. Separate all people from God, rule them in eternal fear and keep them separate and alone forever.

However, intelligent design has a spiritual counter terrorism program. It is a program of aggressive faith and love empowered by the Spirit of God through a relationship with Jesus. Having exposed the devil and his strategies, as recorded in the Word, He proceeded to live a life of grace and love teaching by word and example how to live for God above self. To live for God, as He has designed us, is to find ourselves, who we really are, our meaning and purpose. Let’s look at the program.
1. He created us to be an image of Him
2. He sent His Son to show what we were intended to be like
3. He sent Him to die for us
4. He sent Him to rise from the dead to secure us in Him
5. He gave us a relationship with Him to replace our aloneness
6. He gave us eternal life through faith in Him
7. He gave His Scripture to be our correction and direction manual
8. He sent His Holy Spirit to enable His Scripture to come alive through us
9. He gave us a spiritual family, the Body of Christ
10. He gave us spiritual gifts to build the Body of Christ
11. He gave us the fruit of the Spirit in which the gifts operate
12. He gave us the way of the Cross for our daily walk with Him
13. He gave us worship to connect with Him
14. He gave us discipleship to grow in Him
15. He gave ministry to serve Him
16. He gave us mission to reconcile the world to Him
17. He has prepared a special place for us when we come home to Him.
Now is our time to experience this program and take our place in the long line of blessed brothers and sisters, the great cloud of witnesses who surround us.