Those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation have been given new hearts and minds. They have been brought out of the darkness of sin and into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). The salvation wrought by God in the sinner is amazing. The purpose of this short post is to discuss how salvation should affect how a Christian views science. This post is meant to discuss some of the more practical consequences; for a more in depth look at the foundations of science, please see my article, “Bible and Science.”
Out of thankfulness for what God has done, the saved individual seeks to honor, glorify, and obey the Lord (1 Corinthians 10:31; 1 John 2:3). They seek to do this in every area of their life, including science. Indeed, Colossians 2:3 tells us that in Christ “are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Greg Bahnsen states concerning this verse, “Note he says all wisdom and knowledge is deposited in the person of Christ – whether it be about the War of 1812, water’s chemical composition, the literature of Shakespeare, or the laws of logic! Every academic pursuit and every thought must be related to Jesus Christ, for Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).” [1] The wisdom and knowledge of science is hidden in Christ! This is exactly what we should expect to be the case, since Christ is the 2nd Person in the Trinity and was active in creating the universe. So Christians who have been saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone are called to live a life in which they submit to the Lordship of Christ in every aspect of life and conduct.
This brings us to the area of science. How should a redeemed individual view science? What is the purpose of science? Let’s briefly look at answers to these questions. The redeemed person sees science as a means to glorify God, just as they do all other areas of life (1 Corinthians 10:31). Pursuing science for the glory of God is one way we love Him with all our mind (Luke 10:27). The redeemed person also sees that God in His great love and mercy has made mankind to pursue scientific endeavors that he might learn more about the creation and seek to have dominion over it (Genesis 1:26-28). Part of this entails pursuing technology to make God-honoring work more efficient and productive. In all pursuits of science and technology, Christians should never compromise the truth of the Bible, for it is the supreme authority by which all science must be judged. Christians should not seek to advance unbiblical theories of science such as evolution and big bang cosmology. They should however learn about these things in order to better point out their errors and defend the truth of the Scriptures.
Also, the proper response to scientific discovery is humility and worship (Psalm 104:24). We can gain understanding about the greatness and majesty of God through learning about what He has made. We can praise God for His infinite wisdom. In Revelation 4:11, we find the 24 elders praising God, saying, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” This should be the praise of every Christian, especially those who are involved in pursuing, learning, and teaching science.
1. Bahnsen, Greg, Always Ready: Directions for Defending the Faith, Nacogdoches: Covenant Media Foundation, p. 4-5.
