The question of origin: “What is ultimately real? How come we exist in this universe?

Why is there something rather than nothing?”

• Naturalism says: The universe is a closed system and there’s nothing else. No

angels, no demons, no miracles. All that is ultimately real is this world. We are

just highly evolved biological machines. There’s no ultimate purpose or freedom

of choice. We just exist to survive and pass on our genes. In the long run,

everything in the universe will be dead. “The cosmos is all there is or ever was or

ever will be”.

• Christian theism says: The universe is an open system created by a rational and

relational God. Therefore, the created world is governed by rational and uniform

laws of nature. It is God who sustains everything. All that we are depends on Him

for existence. But God Himself is self-existent. He was, He is and He is to come.

He does not need anything else for His own existence. As a result, the Christian

worldview provided a key foundation for the scientific movement in Western

civilization.

Suppose that in the beginning there was nothing. If there was absolutely nothing at the

start, there won’t be anything now. Because out of nothing, nothing comes. No cause, no

effect. There must be something or someone that has always existed from the very

beginning. In ancient times, the Greeks called this eternal force that holds the universe

together – the Logos. But the Logos is a person. The Logos took on a human body and

dwell among us.

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The Christian view of the infinite-incarnated God contrasted with other religious

worldviews which emphasize the transcendence of God or the immanence of God.

What is a human being? What is our true identity?

If human beings are just a bunch of carbon-based materials; then we are just a random

product of blind accident. There is no eternal purpose or meaning or value to the human

life. We are only valuable because we can contribute to the society or because we are

functional (able to think and do stuffs). But we have no intrinsic worth. If someone is

incapable of contributing to society or loses his ability to function, then his life is not

worth living.

In the Christian worldview, however, human beings have infinite dignity and worth

because they were made in the image of God, in His own likeness. We are fearfully and

wonderfully made for relationship with God and with each other. That is why for

Christians, we should care for people even when they are weak, sick and incapable of

contributing to society. The implication is that no part of creation is bad in itself.

Therefore we are called to care for creation and create culture and develop society as part

of God’s creation mandate.

But we have also rebelled against the Creator when we have turned away and decided to

run our lives apart from God and become self centered. We try to find happiness, self

fulfilment and meaning in life in chasing after idols that do not satisfy. But there is no

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happiness apart from God. As a result of our rebellion and idols, there is sorrow, pain,

suffering and broken relationship with God and with each other. Even the natural world

has been affected by human sin, resulting in natural disasters, pollution, extinction of

animal species, destruction of rainforests, death and diseases. And Sin has twisted what is

created good to express our rebellion against God.

But the good news is Christ has come to redeem every area of life from sin. On the cross,

He reconciled the world to God by providing the atonement for sin. He has come not only

to save our souls but also to save our bodies and the entire creation. Our weak and

corruptible bodies will one day be resurrected and raised in a glorified and incorruptible

physical body. There is no ‘sacred versus secular’ division. Every part of creation will be

rescued and transformed in the new heaven and new earth.