Elias Ayala

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) It is true that God knows all things (1 John 3:20), and as such, nothing is a surprise to him. Nevertheless, if God knew from all eternity that Bob would commit some sin in the future, it is not at all inconsistent for God to reveal his displeasure the moment Bob performs the sin within space, time, and history. God can know something will occur in the future, and then reveal his attitude towards it in the present. Christian theism teaches that God is … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) This question is an important one given that it highlights our problem as sinful human beings. The Bible says that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). As sinners before a holy and righteous God, we have accrued a debt before him due to our rebellion. Sin is often equated with debt, especially when one reflects upon the Lord’s Prayer. In some translations, the prayer reads “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). Or … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) No! Let me explain what I mean. Fossils are what we might call “data”. Data are the facts we observe (i.e. fossil remains). The raw data merely provides us with that which we observe, in this case, the fossil record. However, the data must be distinguished from the concept of “evidence”. Data becomes evidence when it is employed within an argument to support certain premises. When we utilize data to support an argument, then the data becomes evidence if it is used correctly and … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) We do not reconcile that which is not in conflict. It is important to remember that science is a “methodology” of investigating the natural world. As a method of investigation there is nothing that is in conflict with any biblical proposition. The conflict does not lie in a methodology of investigation and the bible; rather the conflict is located between the various conclusions of scientists and the Bible. We need to remember that science as a methodology “says” nothing, scientists say things. Furthermore, what … Read More »

God always hears the prayers of his people. But hearing their prayers is different than answering their prayers. I suppose the question can also be posed: Does God always answer our prayers? If we were to take the first question in a generic sense, then yes, God always hears our prayers, in fact, the Bible teaches that God knows what we will pray before we actually pray (Matthew 6:8). This is true given God’s omniscience. God knows all things past, present, and future. Scripture however, does point to the fact … Read More »

As a Christian who affirms the bible, the world clearly had a beginning since God created the world. If God created the world then it follows that the world did not always exist. The problem is that not everyone affirms the idea that God created the world. Without going into literally every theory out there as to how the world came to be, there are those who hold to the view that the world “never came to be.” These folks would suggest that perhaps the world always was, and hence … Read More »

In and of itself, sharing one’s faith can be an intimidating task. Often times this intimidation comes from the fear of someone asking a question that you do not know how to answer. Other times the intimidation comes from the fact because your neighbor or friend rejects the Bible outright, you don’t even know where to start. How do you start a conversation about the Bible with someone who rejects the Bible? There is no perfect answer to this question because the reality is that people are different. People’s reasons … Read More »

The task of apologetics has several aspects to it. I want to explore these aspects and discuss why each are vital and important to doing apologetics. Answering Objections to the Faith The believer engaged in apologetics will no doubt confront a vast array of objections against his position. The apologist must be well rounded enough to address them as they come. This may require the apologist to be familiar with a number of areas such as exegesis, Christian doctrine, church history, philosophy, science, and logic. The believer need not be … Read More »

There are those who see the question of God’s existence to be the most important question that one can ask, and hence seek to answer it in the affirmative. On the other hand, there are those who also agree that the question of God’s existence is the most important question that one can ask, but answers the question of God’s existence in the negative; these are our atheists and skeptics. However, there are also those who seem to be uninterested in the very question itself. Indeed, they think the question … Read More »

Apologetics and abortion seem at first glance to be two completely unrelated topics. However, they are quite related upon deeper reflection. Jude 1:3 tells us that we are to earnestly contend for the faith once for all delivered. The content of our faith is found in the scriptures and includes our responsibility to protect the innocent and stand for righteousness and justice. Indeed, if we know what is right and fail to do what is right, for him it is sin (James 4:17). Again, if apologetics includes a defense of … Read More »