Author: Timothy Tin
Translator: Mandy Kwan
After the world was shrouded in the threat of the Coronavirus pandemic, most people are tired of hearing news of the virus’ mutation; in fact, many long to hear of the virus’ extinction instead! However, living things’ heredity, mutation, and extinction follow a specific order and progression. Looking back at the discoveries of Gregor Johann Mendel, the father of modern genetics, he shared his results of genetic experiments of cross-breeding pea plants at a natural sciences conference in Austria in February of 1865. The following year he published “Experiments in Plant Hybridization” which explained two principles in Mendelian inheritance: the Law of Equal Segregation and the Principle of Independent Assortment. Mendel’s findings state that the phenotypic traits of living things are inherited through genes. (Wikipedia) This dedicated monk who had poured his life into studying pea plants made significant contributions to genetics!
In reality, the idea of inheritance was already stated in the first book of the Bible. In Genesis 1:11, “Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” It is evident that the seeds of plants carry the genetic code that allowed them to flourish for thousands of years from generation to generation. This is the omnipotence of God. His creation continues to thrive and multiply through the complex and inexplicable genetic code created since the beginning of time. During Father’s Day, when we thank our earthly fathers, we not only ought to appreciate the traits our parents and their ancestors have passed onto us but also to our Father, the creator whose infinite wisdom created us. However, a flipside of this is that illnesses, diseases, and our sinful human nature were also passed from one generation to the next. How do we explain the inability of our advanced technology and innovation to address these incurable diseases, suffering, or even death? It is the notion of original sin, which transmits from generation to generation. We can only rely on God to overcome such fate.
The Bible in James 1:17-18 says: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” God is our ‘Father of Lights,” and every good and perfect gift comes from Him. Even though sin had ruined the order of God’s creation, He has prepared a plan of redemption through His son Jesus Christ, by his death on the cross took the punishment of the sin of all humankind! The sin we inherited from our forefathers will no longer hold us in bondage, but we receive salvation from the “Father of Lights,” who gives us the gospel! If you are willing, please say the following prayer: “Father God, I believe that Jesus died for my sins and was resurrected. He is the only Savior who can grant me eternal life. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.”
Author: Pastor of Christian Alliance Bible Church in Los Angeles, CA