Reasons for Consideration

1. – To prevent God's people from being deceived into believing something that is foolish, thus affecting our credibility and testimony. Ep 4:14
2. – To prevent God's people from getting caught on rabbit-trails. Ep 5:15,16
3. – Often it is difficult for people to sort out science fiction from spiritual truth. Outer space seems to be associated with the supernatural spiritual realm by the media and science fiction writers.
4. – To focus on extra-terrestrial life or the supernatural is often to become deluded into false religions and error (i.e. Mormonism, reincarnation, etc.). 2 Thes 2:11, Rev 13:13,14 If a person can be convinced into believing such, the door opens for much vain speculation.
5. – Satan's motive is to promote evolution– thus deny God's authority over our lives. The quest for intelligent life in outer space is a quest to demonstrate that spontaneous evolution of life is possible in many places– not just on earth.

I am convinced that there is no intelligent physical life outside the earth. This discussion concerns the kind of life that could come to earth in space ships, UFO's, destroy civilizations, communicate with man, build pyramids, runways, stack up stones, etc. Such a civilization would of necessity be far more technically advanced than our own to accomplish the feats they are purported to have done.

• 1 Creation Argument -- Creation as reported in scripture is spiritually geocentric (the earth is the primary focus of creation.)
  • Before Ge 1:1 there was nothing physical– God created ex nihilo (from nothing). 
    • 1. This means that there was no outer space before the creation, no light, no heat, no food, etc. Thus it was impossible for intelligent life to exist outside of earth before the creation of Ge 1 : 1
    • 2. Thus the beginning of any outer space life would have to be coincident with the creation of the earth.
  • If such an advanced civilization exists, it is strange that its beginning would be coincident with that of the earth?
• 2 Termination Argument -- God's program for an outer space civilization will terminate precisely when God's program for earth will terminate. This seems a rather amazing coincidence– to begin and end exactly coincident with the earth.
  • 2 Peter 3: 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
  • 2 Peter 3: 12-3 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
  • Rev 20: 11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
• 3 Single Program Argument -- God's program for the ages according to the Bible focuses on the earth.
  • Creation, sin, redemption, judgment, and the destruction of heaven and earth as we know it.
  • If there are other places where there is intelligent life--
    • Does God have two programs of redemption going on at the same time?
    • Did that civilization sin? Why not, if they were so advanced. Wasn't Satan interested in tempting them?
    • Did Christ go there and become the God-Martian as He became the God-man?
    • Did Christ die for the Martian's sins as He did for ours?
  • Logic and the silence of scripture would indicate that if there were such an amazing and advanced society that could come to earth and take people captive in space ships, etc. that God's program for their civilization would be more important than His program for earth .
    • Yet God's program for earth is the supreme focus of the end time events.
    • Rev 4 & 5 reveal heaven just after the rapture, and 6-19 reveal earth and heaven during the tribulation period. The focus is totally on earth and on heaven. No other realm is mentioned.
    • When heaven is revealed in Rev 21, it is described as new heavens and a new earth. The heaven of the future is described in terms of the current earth– why? Why not the dwelling place of the more advanced civilization that must be far better?

Answer: Because that outer space civilization does not exist.

• 4 Satan's Focus Argument -- Satan's focus is strictly earth centered and God's heaven centered– Why?
  • Answer: Human beings on earth are the focus of God's supreme interest. John 3:16, Ge 3, Job 1. There are no higher or similarly intelligent physical beings in the universe.  
    • Satan desires to overthrow God and to obtain His glory. He does not want stars, planets, unthinking rocks. He desires the worship of God's highest creation with free will. Man can choose to love and worship God– or Satan. If there were a higher creation- would not Satan focus on that creation?
    • Satan was the first of God's creation in power, privilege, wisdom, understanding before the fall. Surely he of all beings in the universe would know of other intelligent beings. Why does he focus on man? Ge 3, Job 1
    • Satan's great desire was to be like God. To gain the glory that only God deserves.

     

• 5 God's Image Argument Man was created in God's image and likeness indicating a unique and special creation. Ge 1:26,27; 5:1; 9:6; 1 Co 11:7; James 3:9 
  Did God create another physical being with less dignity but greater abilities?
  • God's image involves:
    • A Mental Likeness
      • Ability to reason
      • Free will
    • A Moral Likeness
      • Self-objectivity (Conscience and the ability to compare ourselves and our behavior with God's objective standard.)
      • Ability to love others (Love is meeting the basic needs of others at our own expense.) It requires the ability to know the needs of others and it requires the ability to make a choice-- not an animal instinct.
    • A Spiritual Likeness
      • Ability to Know God
      • Ability to Worship God
      • Ability to Love God
  • God's image implies:
    • Personal accountability
    • The capacity for judgment and reward.

     

• 6 Reality Arguments
  • If such truly existed and they actually came to earth, etc., how do we explain that there is not even one trace of physical evidence for a space ship, a Martian, etc?
  • If they were created at the time of the earth, how do we explain their rapid expansion of knowledge, technology, etc?
  • If they are real, why do they not make more of an impact– especially if they are capable of actual physical interaction with man?

Answer: They do not exist.

From a paper distributed at Truth Baptist Church, South Windsor, CT Bim Rowley, Pastor