One bright sunny morning I was sitting on my back deck and noticed a bumblebee hovering around one of our flowerpots. The bee was pollinating the flowers in the pot. More precisely, the bee was engaged in floral reproduction. I was amazed as I watched this tiny creature (no bigger than my thumbnail) go from one bud to another extracting nectar that would later be used to produce honey for the benefit of bees, other animals, and even humans. The bee’s activity would even contribute to nature’s beauty and, in some cases, provide a pleasant fragrance.
In addition to manufacturing honey, the bee was transferring pollen grains that fell on its wings from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of the flower. I was witnessing a very complex procedure for creating and sustaining life, which immediately reminded me of Romans 1:20: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”
Some will say this spectacularly coordinated effort is the result of evolutionary randomness. In other words, the proceedings I observed were nothing more than accidental outcomes that evolved over time, resulting in absolute productive and effective precision. It looked more like the symphony of a bumblebee to me. In verse 18, the Apostle Paul declares that such speculation is to “suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”
Symphony of a Bumblebee – Apostolic Teaching
Why would the advancement of such a theory be considered unrighteous? The answer is clearly stated in this verse: “Because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.” (Romans 1:19) Dismissing the obvious creative attributes of God for the feeble conjecture of man is an unrighteous act.
When we listen to a symphony performed by an orchestra consisting of as many as 120 musicians, playing a wide range of instruments, we know intuitively that someone composed the music, someone arranged it, and someone is needed to conduct its performance. The beauty and harmony of the outcome is evidence that such a masterpiece is anything but random or accidental. This is evident in the symphony of a bumblebee.
The Purpose of Fear
In Proverbs 9:10, we read: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” The word “fear” means to acknowledge God and revere Him. In contrast, the psalmist says, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’.” (Psalm 14:1)
There’s a Biblical principle found in verse 19. The design and creation of this world by an Eternal Power is evident in every person. The evident knowledge is not the result of man’s intelligent deduction, but it’s made evident to him by God. You could say man’s DNA is embedded with the knowledge of God’s existence in our natural surroundings. The order found in these surroundings is stunning and defies randomness.
The Greek word for “evident” is “phaneero”, which means manifested, revealed, made visible. In short, God has given us irrefutable evidence (proof) of His existence and power. To ignore such evidence is to suppress the truth. The suppression of truth is something that comes naturally to the mind of man. To suppress the truth is to try and escape reality, especially realities that interfere with the fulfillment of our carnal desires:
The Penalty of Sin
“And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful.” (Romans 1:28-31)
Depravity is a state of mind that reasonable people would avoid at any cost. Yet, there are countless people adopting the position that a personal and loving God does not exist. Science is quickly becoming the popular “deity” to adopt in shaping a world view. Consider the outcome in the above verses when someone, “Exchanges the truth of God for a lie.” (Romans 1:25)
Disillusioned young and old throughout the world are becoming enamored with the denial of God’s existence. Yet, we read in Romans 1:22, “Professing to be wise, they became fools.” This is not a new phenomenon. The prophet Isaiah declared 2,800 years ago, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20)
Understanding Repentance
Regarding light and darkness, Jesus said: “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” (John 3:19-21)
Later, the Lord Jesus would identify Himself as “the Light of the world” (John 8:12). If you refuse to come to the Light, you will remain in darkness. This darkness surrounds the mind, restricting clarity of thought regarding the realities of life, death, and life after death. Oftentimes, what it sees as good is evil and what it sees as evil is good.
Assurance of Heaven in the Symphony of a Bumblebee
When the Lord Jesus appointed the Apostle Paul to bring the gospel of salvation to the gentile world, He phrased it this way: “I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.” The “Light of the world” offers four things:
- Clear spiritual sight
- Escape from the dominion of Satan
- Forgiveness of sins
- Inheritance from God by faith
If the truth of God’s eternal power is seen in the symphony of a bumblebee, how much more will His eternal love be manifested to those who come to the Light for salvation?
Do not SUPPRESS that which God has so plainly EXPRESSED!
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This article wonderfully lays out the case for believing that there is a God and that He has a great desire to have a relationship with each person. Great job!