BiblicalInsights.net

In a recent article by Jeff Miller, titled, “Should Christians Accept Evolution and an Old Earth To Win Converts?” Part 2, Reason and Revelation, May, 2022, Miller stated, “We would not suggest that every person must necessarily passionately believe in a young Earth and a literal Creation to be saved.”  This statement was made in the context of reason #6, “Teaching Error is sinful.”  Miller was affirming that if a person held a wrong view of literal creation, it would be okay, but if he taught that personal belief to others, it would be a sin.  The complete article can be accessed from Apologetics Press at www.apologeticspress.org. The statement by Miller brings up the question, “can a person believe a lie and not be damned?” Another question that might be asked is, “can a person sin in his/her mind or heart?”
Let’s consider some passages of scripture that will help answer these questions.
First, in II Thess. 2:10-12, the Holy Spirit through Paul declares, “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish: because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”  Paul states that it is possible to believe a lie and be damned.  Notice that he does not say that the person must teach the lie that he believes personally.  The sin is unbelief of the truth!  Unbelief leads to disobedience.  What is the lie that is held personally by the person who rejects a literal creation?  The lie is organic evolution or perhaps theistic evolution.  If I do not believe in a literal creation, I would have to believe in some form of evolution.  Organic or macroevolution denies the very existence of God!  It denies the spiritual aspect (the soul) of every human being.  It denies that there is any difference between animals and humans.  The implications of the lie of evolution are enormous.  Theistic evolutionists have varying views among themselves.  Many, such  as C. S. Lewis, believe in “common ancestry” or “common descent.”  This concept affirms that man evolved from some lower life form and then changed into the form of a monkey, and continued to evolve into a Neanderthal, and eventually several thousand Neanderthals were infused with a soul and became human beings about 120,000 years ago.  Such a concept denies the creation account given by God through Moses in Genesis 1 and 2.  This results in tampering with the lexical and grammatical aspects of Genesis 1 and 2 to make these passages figurative and mythological instead of literal and historical.  Such tampering with the sacred text is itself a sin.  Many theistic evolutionists also hold to an old Earth view and accept the evolutionary estimates that the universe is 14 billion years old and the Earth is 4-5 billion years old (John Lennox, Seven Days That Divide the World is an example and, so is Nobie Stone’s book: Genesis 1 and Lessons in Space).  The age of the Earth can be determined through the chronology given to us in Scripture.  An old Earth view denies Scriptural chronology.  The chronology of the Bible is interwoven with the genealogy of the Bible.  If you attempt to destroy the chronology, you will destroy the genealogy and the genealogy is Christological.  You cannot believe a lie and believe the truth at the same time!  If you believe a lie, you reject the truth and if you believe the truth, you reject lies.  Believing lies will not save a person’s soul.  “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God” (Heb. 3:12).
Second, Eph. 2:2-3, Sins of the Heart/Mind
The apostle Paul writes by the Holy Spirit, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” The phrase lusts of the flesh is a reference to sinful desires–the desires of the flesh and of the mind.  Jesus was very clear about the fact that we can sin with our heart/mind.  “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery.  But I say unto you, That whosoever lookest on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”  Jesus also said, “…That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.  For from within out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, and evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man” (Mark 7:20-23).  What are “evil thoughts?”  Are they not sinful thoughts and demisings?  Deceit (dolos) is a reference to lies.  Lies originate in the heart and then, they are spoken or acted upon.  All unbelief is deceit.  Unbelief is the rejection of the truth. Rejection of the truth is not innocent or innocuous.  Lust precedes adultery and fornication.  The sin is in the heart. Consider a New Testament example.  In Acts 8, Philip the evangelist goes down to Samaria and preached Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God.  A man by the name of Simon who was a sorcerer was converted.  Later, Simon coveted the power of Peter and John that enabled them to convey miraculous gifts through the laying on of their hands.  Simon thought that he could purchase this power.  Peter rebuked him saying, “…Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee” (Acts 8:20-22).  Peter’s rebuke of the sin in the heart of Simon would be the appropriate response to the person who rejected the truth about the doctrine of creation revealed in Genesis 1 and 2.
The Doctrine of Creation
The doctrine of creation is part of the doctrine of Christ (II John 9-11).  If we do not abide in the doctrine of Christ, we do not have fellowship with God.  The doctrine of creation has a direct bearing on who Jesus is.  Jesus is the Creator of all things (John 1:1-3; Col. 1:16-18).  This fact is an important aspect of Jesus’ deity.  To deny the account of creation as given in God’s Word is to deny the deity of Jesus Christ.  Jesus is not only the Creator, He has told us exactly when He created all things (Genesis 1, 2; Exodus 20:11) and what He created and how He created it.  To reject this truth is to call God a liar and believe a lie.  Those who believe a lie will be damned.

Baptism is an immersion in water (mode) for the remission of sins (purpose) of a penitent believer (subject).  Baptism is commanded by Jesus in the Great Commission as a means of making disciples.  “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matt. 28:28-20).  The only passage where Jesus connects baptism with salvation is Mark 16:16.  “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”  With these passages in mind, let’s consider the blessings of baptism.
Salvation
In Mark 16:16, Jesus taught that faith and baptism were essential to salvation.  The salvation gained is deliverance from sin and its consequences.  Unbelief condemns the human soul and, if not corrected by repentance, will bring one to damnation (eternal punishment).  Faith in Jesus involves complete trust in Him and His word.  But, notice, faith is not standing alone nor acting alone.  Faith must be accompanied by baptism.  Faith and baptism are aorist participles and the action described by them must be completed before the action of the main verb (shall be saved).  Most believe faith is essential to salvation, but deny that baptism plays any role in our salvation.  This belief is a contradiction of what Jesus taught.  We must not call Jesus Lord and, then, disobey His commands (Luke 6:46).
Discipleship
In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus teaches that we make disciples by teaching individuals the Word of God and baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  You cannot be a disciple of Jesus without knowing His truth and being baptized.  Disciples of Jesus were called Christians first in Antioch (Acts 11:26).  You cannot be a New Testament Christian without baptism.  A disciple is a learner or a follower of a significant leader.  A disciple becomes like the leader by obedience to the teachings of the leader as well as following the example of the leader.  Christians follow Jesus Christ in both respects.  This is transformational and is the result of self-denial (Matt. 16:24) whereby we take up our cross and follow Him.
Forgiveness
The apostle Peter answers the question posed by the multitudes on the Day of Pentecost, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37).  “Then, Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).  Peter gave two commands:  repent and be baptized.  Both commands are necessary in order to obtain the remission of sins.  Forgiveness is a promise/blessing that is realized when we obey the commands given.  Forgiveness is the result of the redemptive work of Jesus when He died upon the cross and shed His blood for the atonement of sins (Eph. 1:7).  We come into contact with the blood of Jesus when we are baptized into His death (Rom. 6:3-4).  The unforgiven will die in their sins.  “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24).
A New Name–Christian
Peter taught the household of Cornelius the gospel of Christ and baptized them into Christ (Acts 10:47-48).  Once the Gentiles were granted repentance unto life (Acts 11:18), a new name was called upon those who were disciples of Jesus.  That new name was the name Christian (Acts 11:26).  In this name, Christians glorify Jesus Christ who is the Messiah and the Son of God.  Both Jews and Gentiles who obeyed the gospel wore this name and so it unified them and gave them a new identity.  Baptism results in spiritual union with Christ and gives us a new identity.
Membership in the Kingdom of God
Baptism is the means of entrance into the spiritual kingdom of God or the church of Christ.  In John 3:3-5, John records these words of Jesus, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”  “Born of water and of the Spirit” is one birth with two elements–water, and the Spirit.  The water is a reference to baptism and at the time of one’s baptism, the believer is regenerated (given new life) by the Spirit.  Before baptism, one is spiritually dead in trespasses and sins.  At the time of baptism, a new life is begotten (I Pet. 1:21; Eph. 2:1; Rom. 6:4).  The church of Christ is the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 16:18-19).  Jesus built the church and bought it with His own blood (Matt. 16:18; Acts 20:28).  Paul declares, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (I Cor. 12:13).
Name Written in the Book of Life
Those who belong to God are known by name to Him!  “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.  And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (II Tim. 2:19).  “To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect” (Heb. 12:23).  “And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life” (Phil. 4:3).
Heir of God and Joint-Heir With Christ
When we are baptized into Christ, we put on Christ (Gal. 3:26-27).  This is how we become a child of God and stop being a child of the devil.  If we are a son, then, we are an heir of God.  “Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ (Gal. 4:7).  “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Rom. 8:16-17).  Baptism puts us into the spiritual sphere where all spiritual blessings are located (Eph. 1:3).  This makes every Christian spiritually rich.
Loved By God and Jesus
“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him” (John 14:21).  Those who obey the commandments of Jesus enter into fellowship with Him and with God.  The bond that holds this relationship together is love.  We show our love for God and Christ when we obey them (John 14:15).  In turn, they will love us with a divine love that brings their presence and power into our lives.  God will never fail nor forsake those whom He loves (Heb. 13:5).  Our love for God and His love for us makes us inseparable (Rom. 8:35-39).
The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
In Acts 2:38, Peter gives two commands and two promises.  When we obey the commands to repent and baptized, then, we receive the promises of forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The “gift of the Holy Spirit” is the spiritual, non-mirculous, indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives as Christians.  “And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him” (Acts 5:32).  “Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit” (I John 4:13).
If we eliminate these blessings of baptism, then, we are spiritually impoverished, beleaguered, and dead.  We are still living in our sins and fulfilling the lusts of flesh.  We are living without God which is the very definition of doom, despair, and hopelessness (Eph. 2:12).