The Necessity of Evolution and Resurrection

[mitchellmckain (Scientist and Christian)]

@MrsOzera

I’m relatively new to learning about theistic evolution. One compelling argument I have heard to support the intersection of theistic evolution and theology is the idea that evolution was how God was able to create biological free-willed persons with the capacity for love.

I believe that free will is reason God created the whole physical material plane, because the first step to free will is some basis of action independent of God’s will and that is what natural law accomplishes. The next step is freedom from natural law which is accomplished by self-organizing phenomenon and quantum physics.

@MrsOzera

If I’m understanding correctly, the evolutionary struggles homindis went through allowed for modern humans to evolve to have the capacity to bear God’s image and be able to love Him freely. I find that quite beautiful.

To put it another way… evolution is test and proof that cooperation is the most successful survival strategy. It is when God saw this that He said “it is good.” In mankind this strategy opened up to limitless potential, going from the chemical learning process of evolution to the millions of times faster learning process of the human mind, so God could communicate with us and adopt us as His children… “very good.”

@MrsOzera

This kind of opens up a discussion on resurrection for me though. If evolution was needed to create people with free-will in God’s image with the capacity to love, how does the resurrection work? The resurrection is God using a miracle to (re)create bodies for us and make us whole again. It’s up for debate whether this includes God (1) reusing atoms and molecules to resurrect us or (2) making something from scratch whether physical or spiritual. However, it does posit the question, if we believe that God is able to (re)create human beings in His image, making their bodies and their minds (as He does in the resurrection), why was evolution necessary? Why was evolution the tool that God used to make humans in His image, if (as I believe) He is also capable of using a miracle to make human beings?

The ultimate objective is children of a God who is infinite spirit with no end to what He has to give and no end to what we can learn and receive from Him – the makings for an eternal parent-child relationship – the essence of eternal life. The physical world is but a womb for our spirit to grow from the free will choices we make. By participating in our own creation we are more than just what God has made us to be – beings other than Him who can return His love.

The need for resurrection comes from our enslavement to the self-destructive habits of sin which is destructive of our free will and our ability to receive anything from God. But according to Paul in 1 Cor 15 it is a bodily resurrection to a spiritual body not a physical/natural body.