IN May, the media reported that a team of scientists led by Dr Craig Ventor had created a synthetic life-form. “Scientists create life in the laboratory” read the headline in The Times. Critics accused them of “playing God”, whilst others pointed out that Dr Ventor had used bits of pre-existing DNA fragments to create this “new” bacterium. Atheist Dr Steve Jones commented: “The idea that this is ‘playing God’ is just daft. What he has done in genetic terms would be analogous to taking an Apple Mac programme and making it work on a PC — and then saying you have created a computer. It’s not trivial, but it is utterly absurd the claims that are being made about it.” What Dr Ventor and his team did was clever, and involved much thought and planning, in other words, intelligence. Therefore it is entirely logical and scientific to believe that an intelligent Creator was responsible for the origin of life on earth!
   The Bible tells us that there are two kinds of life — physical and spiritual — and that both kinds of life come from God. In the beginning, God’s Spirit moved, bringing life and light. The Bible also tells us that we are spiritually dead until we respond to God’s love revealed in Jesus Christ, His Son. The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus, (who were former pagans): “You were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world.” (Ephesians 2: 1-2). He then told them they had been ”made alive” through faith in Jesus.
   Most people feel there is something more to life than our physical existence, and many are seeking spiritual experiences in all kinds of ways — eastern religions, “new age” philosophies, occult experiences. But true, fulfilling spirituality is found in Jesus alone. In the words of an old hymn, “None but Christ can satisfy.” This is because our most basic spiritual need is to be set free from sin, and only Jesus, through His death and resurrection, can do this. He said that those who believe in him have “crossed over from death to life.” (John 5: 24). Both kinds of life, physical and spiritual, have their origin in God. Without Him, life simply would not exist!
                                                           — Geoff Chapman

[Jesus said] “I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest. (John 10: 10, CEV)