Did we evolve from the animal kingdom, or were we uniquely and divinely created to be stewards over the earth?
“Then God said, ‘Let Us make main in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” - Genesis 1:26
Is it true that the earth is billions of years old and that humans have only been around a fraction of the time? Are people just intelligent animals, or are we more special than that? What makes us human, and what is our purpose?
Cracking the Genetic Code
The key to what we are biologically—whether we’re a person or an amoeba or a chimpanzee or a gnat—is written in the DNA. It’s the blueprint of our bodies.
DNA is a macromolecule found in the nucleus of nearly every cell of every living thing. The DNA tells the cell what function to do.
The DNA is packed tightly together to make a gene; each chromosome carries information in the form of many genes.
Inside the chromosome is the heredity information that is passed from generation to generation.
This information helps determine physical attributes like your hair color, how tall you might grow, facial characteristics, and even whether and when you will lose your hair.
And on the most basic level, your DNA carries the information that determines what kind of organism you are. All organisms get their DNA information from their parent or parents, whether it’s one-cell mold spore, a bear, or a human.
In humans, you get 23 chromosomes from your mother and 23 from your father. The smallest of those pairs of chromosomes—the X and Y chromosomes—determines your gender, among other things. The other 22 pairs of chromosomes carry your other genetic makeup and even your predisposition to certain diseases.
And, of course, each your parents received their attributes from their parents. And your grandparents got theirs from your great-grandparents. And they, in turn, got their attributes from their parents, your great-great-grandparents.
A DNA molecule has a double-helix structure that looks like a twisted ladder. The ladder’s rungs are made from four unique chemicals called nucleotides, known by their initials G, A, T, and C. They pair up—A with T and G with C—all along the DNA strand.
The DNA strand is made of these four chemical letters. Those letters make genetic words. Those words form genetic sentences, and those sentences make paragraphs. In this analogy, genes are the sentences and chromosomes are the paragraphs.
A creature’s particular DNA sequence of chemical letters is what determines what the organism is—whether it’s a jellyfish or a human, a butterfly or a zebra.
Think Tank
Charles Darwin and Thomas Huxley helped form the idea of evolution. Their books divided science and theology (which actually agree) by suggesting that life had a natural cause not a divine cause.
Evolution’s basic assumptions are (1) that all of life evolved over long spans of time, (2) that any differences among life forms are the result of natural selection and some adaptations and mutations along the way, (3) that similar design means that we must have a common ancestor.
It is commonly taught that the chimp and human genomes are 98-99 percent similar, but they are really only about 70 percent similar. Things like physical differences, dexterity, morality, and intellect also separate humans from chimps.
The three main problems with the theory of Evolution: (1) None of the major steps of evolution have ever been repeated in a lab. (2) Evolution would happen too slowly for us to observe, and changes on the scale Darwin was suggesting have not been observed. (3) Evolution fails the test Darwin gave. It can be shown that many living organisms cannot be built by “numerous, successive, slight modifications” and so could not have evolved.
Calling a life system “irreducibly complex” means that to remove one part would destroy the function of the entire system. Irreducibly complex systems could not have been built by numerous, successive, slight modifications—or, in other words, evolution.
Our view on origins matters because it affects what we believe about our meaning and purpose, our relationship with God, and our life after death.
How would you explain the value of human life to someone who believes we are no more than sophisticated animals? The Bible says that we are created in God’s own image. This gives us value and meaning apart from animals.
Extraordinary Evidence
For life to exist, an information system—DNA—is needed to produce and regulate life functions. But DNA can be destroyed by a variety of agents, including ultraviolet (UV) light, reactive oxygen species, alkylating agents, and water. Yes, even water can damage DNA. So, water and many chemical agents dissolved in it, along with UV light, would destroy DNA much faster than any possible natural process could produce it.
Thankfully, we have human DNA repair genes. There are over 100 of them, and without them DNA couldn’t survive even in a cell’s protective environment. DNA is necessary for the survival of DNA. Therefore, it would have been impossible for DNA repair genes to evolve before ordinary DNA evolved, and it would have been impossible for ordinary DNA to evolve before DNA repair genes had evolved. This is another example of irreducible complexity and an impossible problem for evolution to overcome or explain.
Back to the Bible
Read Genesis 1:27; Romans 5:8; Philippians 2:13.
What did God do differently in His creation of humans compared to animals? God created man in His image. God works in us to make us more like Him and even died so that we could be forgiven and go to heaven. Animals do not receive this kind of attention from God or have fellowship with God.
How does God show His love for us? He sent His Son to die for our sins.
How is our relationship with God different from His relationship with animals? God provides us with forgiveness and salvation and desires companionship with us. He created us in His image. Animals do not have this special and unique relationship with God.
Describe what it means for God to be working in us. God is spirit and He has given each of us a spirit and through the spirit He can work in us. As we choose to draw near God by gaining knowledge and understanding of His word and striving to live and act accordingly, He helps change our minds and hearts so that we become more like Him. This can be seen in our selflessness, forgiving of others, helping and serving others, etc.
What ultimate thing gives humans meaning and purpose? We were specially created by God in His image, and He sent Jesus to die for our sins so that our relationship with God could be restored.
What happens when people don’t understand their humanity as God tells us He created it in the Bible? People reject God and His word and try to lead lives without meaning or purpose.
Takeaways
Humans are created in God’s image with the unique ability to have a spiritual life and genuine, intelligent, compassionate fellowship with God forever.
God put Adam and Eve on Earth as stewards of His creation.
Humans have ultimate meaning and purpose because we are created in God’s image to have fellowship with Him forever, and that relationship has been redeemed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is how important we are to God, and that should give us joy, hope, and purpose for every day we are given upon this Earth.