What Would Life on Mars Change?
June 29, 2008
by Harry Osborne

Since the Phoenix lander's arrival on Mars a few weeks ago, we have seen ecstatic reports in the media full of speculation. They have shown us a white substance that evaporated and is thought to be ice. That water freezes and evaporates on Mars, just like it does on Earth seemingly astonishes them. An Associated Press wire report said last Friday that samples near Mars' north pole revealed soil "similar to what can be found in backyards on Earth" (AP, 6/27/08).  These same guys were likewise astonished a generation ago when Moon rocks turned out to be amazingly like Earth rocks. Once again, we are being subjected to incessant conjecture about how much will "change” if the lander finds evidence that exists or once existed on Mars. Excuse me for raining on this speculative parade, but I fail to see the logic that causes one to conclude we are on the edge of a new world if water or a simple life form is found on Mars. I seem to recall this same kind of supposition from supposedly astonishing finds in the past.

In 2002, a report came from NASA claiming discovery of what was thought to be a fossilized life form in a meteorite from Mars. At that time, one Houston paper’s headline caught my eye, saying, "Was There Life On Mars?  Answer Could Change Everything." Later on, the original report was debunked, but let us not allow the facts to stand in the way of some fertile speculation. The “life” said to have been fossilized in the supposed Martian meteor was supposed to have been a one-celled organism of tubular structure, classified as one of the lowest forms of life. Yet, the banner headlines from our press proclaimed it was "life" and touted it as being of "monumental" significance. The same press writers, however, are unable to determine whether the far more complex life form of a child within the womb is truly "life" and minimize the unborn child’s significance. Amazing!

Let us suppose moment that everything speculated about life on Mars turns out to be absolutely true and that microscope organisms once lived on Mars beside massive reservoirs of water. In fact, let us assume one-celled organisms still live on Mars. How would "everything" be "changed" by that? What would change about the fundamental nature of man and his responsibility? When we understand the Bible’s teaching, microscopic organisms and water on Mars do not change it.

No Change in Our Purpose

The wise man, Solomon, summed up our purpose for our existence in these words: "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil" (Eccl. 12:13-14).

Single-celled life on Mars does not "change" the fact that we must fear God. But what does it mean to “fear” God? This Bible word involves two different, but related, facets — terror and reverence. The terror of God causes one to tremble at His presence because of His mighty power (Jer. 5:22). The wicked should be in terror and dread of that power (Heb. 10:26-31).

However, the power of God should not only terrify, but cause one to respect and reverence God. We “fear” God when we “stand in awe of Him” (Psa. 33:8). We respect Him for His attributes and, consequently, submit to Him (1 Pet. 1:15-17).

Neither would Martian life "change" the fact that we are to keep the commandments of God. The Bible is replete with the claims and evidence that it is the divine instruction commanding us to live in accordance with God's will (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Regardless of what a one-celled organism on Mars does, we must obey the commands of our God (1 Jn. 5:3; Jn. 14:15).

No Change in Our Destiny
The fact that God will judge all of us based on our actions is not "changed" by a fossilized or even live protozoa found on Martian soil next week. It is still "appointed unto men once to die, and after this comes the judgment" (Heb. 9:27). Whatever may have happened to the life cycle of any unicellular organism on Mars, we must still answer to God and be judged for the things we have done in our bodies, whether good or bad (2 Cor. 5:10).

No, even if the wildest speculation regarding life on Mars is completely factual, it will not change the most fundamental things about our needs and our hopes. We will still be faced with the problem of sin and the need for a Savior (Rom. 3:23; 6:23). We will still need to listen to God's instruction for us as found within the Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16-17). We will still need to abstain from sin and become servants of God through obedience (Rom. 6:15-18). Our hope of heaven following the Judgment will still depend upon God’s provisions in Christ and our response to Him in obedient faith (Matt. 7:21-23; 25:31-46; Col. 1:3-6; 1 Pet. 1:3-9).

No Change in Creator

Furthermore, it would not change one thing about how the universe and life within that universe came into being. The Bible says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). The inspired writer further clarifies that “in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the seas, and all that is in them” (Ex. 20:11). While it may be interesting to hear the speculation about possible water and life existing on Mars, nothing is changed about the identity of the One who created all that is in the heavens and the earth. God created all of it, whatever that “all” includes.

It boggles the mind of the Bible believer to see multi-billion dollar programs proposed to “find the origin of life” on this planet or any other when one can open to the first page of a twenty dollar Bible and find the answer — God is the origin! When our evolutionary friends thought moon rocks would answer their questions about the origins of the earth, they instead found that Moon rocks are remarkably like Earth rocks! Now they hope to find support for their theories on Mars, but the pictures show us sand and red rocks amazingly similar to the sand and red rocks I saw as a boy in the Texas panhandle.

Our multi-billion-dollar programs seeking to find the origins of our world are a colossal waste of money and effort! The question of origin is beyond the scope of science. It can neither be reproduced nor tested by the scientific method. To answer the question of origin, we must accept by faith the historically reliable testimony of the divine witness recorded in the Bible. When it comes to “the beginning,” only God can tell us what happened and how it happened. He did so in saying of Christ, “All things were made through Him; and without Him was not anything made that hath been made” (Jn. 1:1). Nothing found today or in the future on Mars or any other planet can change the fact that God created all that is in the heavens and the earth in the beginning.

Conclusion

While we should expect faithless speculation from worldly people who profess no respect for God’s word, it is shocking to see those professing faith in God and His word, yet rejecting the plain teaching of Scripture due to the faithless pronouncements of “science falsely so called” (1 Tim. 6:20). The recent teachings of Hill Roberts and Shane Scott, which they have never openly repudiated or corrected, exemplify the problem. They have denied the historical fact stated literally by Scripture that “in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the seas, and all that is in them” (Ex. 20:11). In fact, Hill Roberts said the rocks tell us more about how the world came into existence than does God’s word. He even claimed the “Big Bang” theory is “the Bible believer’s friend.” Though our brother’s views about the creation may be further changed by Martian soil, the faith of those who trust in God’s word will remain unchanged from His divine testimony. Though it will no doubt be denied by those who accommodate the concepts and timetables of the evolutionary theories into the hybrid theory of their choice, their basic problem is obvious — they do not really believe the inspired Scripture. Yes, they will undoubtedly protest, but their fruits are manifest in their teaching.

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