Results Attained: Preliminary Issues & Justification by Faith

Let’s pause for a moment and take stock of what we’ve established so far.

Looking at the visible universe, we saw strong evidence pointing beyond it to an unseen, intelligent Creator and Ruler. And within human moral awareness, we found an expectation that all people will ultimately be repaid according to their actions. The uneven justice we observe in this life makes it clear that a final and complete reckoning must lie beyond death.

The Moral Teaching of Christ

Before turning to what most clearly sets New Testament teaching apart, it is important to look at several elements it shares with the Old Testament — and, to some extent, with other ancient religious writings. These shared ideas matter because they directly shape the conclusions reached in the earlier posts in this series.

Throughout the Four Gospels, Christ repeatedly and emphatically speaks of a Father in heaven: the unseen Creator and Ruler of humanity and of the universe. This idea is not incidental; it shapes and colors everything Christ teaches. 

God is presented as deeply interested in human life, drawing near to save and bless, inviting trust and affection, and offering hope and joy. These same ideas run through the entire New Testament and are strongly present in the Old Testament as well — especially when compared with other religious writings of the same era. What we ourselves infer from the natural world and from the authority of our moral sense is therefore strongly confirmed and powerfully applied to human life by the explicit teaching of the One who launched a religious movement that has profoundly shaped the course of history.

The Visible Reveals the Invisible Beyond and Above It

The first thing that naturally draws human attention is the visible world around us. It is filled with an endless variety of things — lifeless and living, irrational and rational. Many of these things are beautiful in a way that delights us; others show such clear usefulness and purpose that they stir deep admiration. The more closely we observe this world, the more our sense of wonder grows. Everywhere we look, we find objects that reward careful and thoughtful study.

This complexity, combined with the constant change we see in the universe, strongly suggests — indeed, almost forces us to conclude — that the universe is not self-existent, but derived. And so we naturally ask: Where did this astonishing panorama come from — this world that often fills us with such delight?

Among the natural objects that no human hand has made, we also notice the works of human beings. And when we look at these works, we see a clear pattern: the best of them are always the result of deliberate design. Before a great work exists outwardly, it exists first as an idea in the mind. Often that idea develops gradually before it is ever brought into reality. We see this in the many sketches that lead up to a great painting, or in the slowly refined plan behind a major literary work. Humanity’s finest achievements are always the result of careful thought combined with patient effort. And in every case, the creator is far greater than the creation. When we admire a painting, what we are really admiring is the painter.