THE LAWS OF NATURE
MOVING BEYOND DEISM
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 1:16-17
In light of the scientific method, few question today that the universe operates according to natural laws. In fact, the fundamental laws of physics are so well established that scientists yet hope to harmonize this handful of relationships and constants together into a single “Theory of Everything,” or TOE.
In and of itself, this explanatory power of science need not threaten belief in a Creator. In fact some might contend the opposite: Knowing the harmony of the natural order, we might ascribe this to a powerful Creator who set the whole universal machine into motion. Yet what type of God do we arrive at when we see his purpose mechanistically, more so as a watchmaker than as the inventor of time, 
or participant in it? By ascribing to God primarily the role of past lawmaker, one may erroneously view Him as distant, uninvolved, and dispassionate about the present universe and Earth. Like our Declaration of Independence, we might subtly regard as separate the laws “of Nature” and “of Nature’s God.” He can easily become the one who created and wound up the clock—but who now sits back and simply watches everything unfold. I would like to explain why this is an unbiblical and deficient understanding.
First, let us look at the atheistic perspective regarding the “natural” and the “supernatural.” The atheist leaves God out of the picture altogether. Thus “natural” is all that is, and technically, “supernatural” does not exist because nothing is super, or beyond natural. And many atheists are materialists as well, believing that all is material. Yet materialists may have a hard time explaining immaterial realities such as love, hope, or human consciousness. And even if they do not regard God or angels, or reduce the mind to mere brain chemistry, they must still deal with the mystery of immaterial forces such as electromagnetism or gravitation. Thus, the term “supernatural” might occasionally be employed to describe mysterious immaterial phenomenon, though not initiated by God or any deity.
Next, let us look at the deistic perspective. This, held by many of our founding fathers, by the great scientist Isaac Newton, and unknowingly by many today, essentially sees the “natural” as does an atheist. The difference is only in the source of the natural laws. The deist recognizes that nature cannot self-originate, and neither can it construct its own laws. They must come from something greater than nature itself. And yet the deist places great emphasis on knowing through human reason, rather than revelation. The deist claims that his is a “natural religion, not a revealed religion.” To the deist, God is respected and admired, but not necessarily known, cherished, or loved. They may worship the intelligence and magnificence of the creator God, yet not worship God himself, discarding His personal characteristics, including love, generosity, anger, correction, and His ability and desire to communicate with mankind.
In battling against atheism, or specifically, evolutionism, many Christians have aligned with or heralded the “Intelligent Design” movement, thinking that it presents scientists at last “proving” God. But God does not need to be proved, and most in the Intelligent Design movement do little more than reduce God to the one that makes the impossibilities of evolution possible. It becomes an excuse to embrace an impersonal evolution rather than a personal Creator. In fact, this movement is merely a minor homage to the Creator or some type of Creative Force, and an intellectualist reaction to the stuffy dogmatism of atheists. (It is not an “outgrowth of the Creationism Movement” as many have said, although creationists, by trying to ally with non-Christian Intelligent Design proponents in order to influence school curriculum, have indeed made it seem that way.)
So, simply put, the deist regards the “natural” as what occurs as the result of what God did, yet without God’s present involvement. And for the deist, “supernatural” is primarily the act of creation, or perhaps those rare times when God intervenes.
This leads us to the biblical theistic perspective. Christ Himself, and His Word in scripture reveal to us that God is intimately and continually involved in all things. Although His initial act of creation is complete, He has participated and intervened in the unfolding of history ever since. And his participation is more “natural” than “supernatural.” Consider how God’s action in the commonplace is described in the present tense in this sampling of biblical passages concerning astronomy, weather, and life itself:
| Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing. – Isaiah 40:26
That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things. – Isaiah 45:6-7 …for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. – Matthew 5:45 Ask the LORD for rain In the time of the latter rain. The LORD will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, Grass in the field for everyone. – Zechariah 10:1 Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who prepares rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains. – Psalm 147:8 …but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year. – Deuteronomy 11:11-12 The young lions roar after their prey, And seek their food from God. [What] You give them they gather in; You open Your hand, they are filled with good. You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the earth. – Psalm 104:21,27-30 |
In fact, the Colossians passage at the front of this essay suggests that the very existence of matter is continually dependent on Christ’s sustaining power. This is further supported by the simple description of the annihilation of matter in 2 Peter 3:10-12 (and Isaiah 34:4)—descriptions consistent with what would happen if the strong nuclear force, known to bind together sub-atomic particles, were “let go.” So, unlike in the atheistic and deistic perspectives, the natural is not void of God. Properly, “natural” is merely a scientific description of how God typically operates.
Additionally, God also intervenes specially. This ranges from the materially supernatural (turning water into wine, multiplying fishes and bread, transporting Enoch and Elijah) to the supernatural in terms of the timing and unfolding of what may otherwise be natural (ravens bringing food to Elijah, a wind blowing quail into the camp, an eclipse darkening the sky at Christ’s death). So regardless of the degree to which matter is involved, “supernatural” simply describes God’s atypical action. God does not “show up” only to perform supernatural acts; He is always purposefully present. We must not hold it against God that most of the time He chooses to operate predictably, particularly in the material realm. He is a God of order; without this, there would be no science to practice! So, unlike in the deistic perspective, the supernatural is of importance throughout history (not merely at the Creation), and is not limited to the immaterial. It is little for God to be involved supernaturally even among the “laws of nature,” as He is already so engaged continuously.
We might summarize in this way:
| “Natural” | “Supernatural” | |
| Incorrect Concepts | ~All that is ~Material ~God uninvolved |
~Imagined ~Immaterial ~God’s only involvement |
| Correct, Biblical Concept | How God typically operates, both materially and immaterially |
God’s atypical action, both materially and immaterially |
What is the practical application of this doctrine for the believer? First, that God is present, and this presence removes the uncertainty and fear of an existence with an absent or distant God:
God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains b
e carried into the midst of the sea;Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. – Psalm 46:1-3
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?””– Hebrews 13:5-6
Second, we are reminded that God’s involvement in our lives, as in history, is at times unpredictable, and uniquely personal. He has special purposes to carry out, and will act in ways that touch upon both the material and immaterial. These actions are no more powerful than what it takes to emerge a flower, or cycle Earth’s winds, but they are much more meaningful. Though we pray, we need not “pray God down” to find it in Himself to override some laws that govern His world. He’s already doing it all; we can fellowship with Him and enjoy utter dependence on Him for bread, as well as its multiplication—for life, and also its sanctification.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. – Jeremiah 29:11-12
© 2010 Chard Berndt.
All Scriptures NKJV.
March Essay Coming
Does God really send rain, or does he merely watch droplets form according to his predetermined physics? Or maybe He doesn’t care about the rainstorm at all. The coming essay “The Laws of Nature” looks at the matter of God’s involvement in His world. I’ll be picking apart “deism,” an unbiblical perspective that infects the thinking even of believers, and may cause us to underestimate or undervalue God’s involvement in our lives.