As a blanket, catch-all statement, it is only partially true. God cares that you recognize Him as the creator. What I’m referring to is the “how” of creation.
As Christians, we all have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides us, convicting us of sin. If our thoughts about the length of creation are not correct, then why hasn't the Holy Spirit convicted us of this sin? Why is it, when I pray for wisdom to understand young earth arguments, God grants me that wisdom? Of course, the flip side of this is equally puzzling. If the length of days of creation are not 24-hours, when why doesn’t the Holy Spirit convict the young earth believers that they are wrong?
Could it be that this is not a matter of sin? Could it be that what we think about the "how" of creation is not important to God? It would appear to be the case. God lets us argue these points back and forth, without convicting either side, through the Holy Spirit, that we are wrong. What is important is that we both have Jesus Christ. That really is the only important point from God's perspective.
The words of Leroy Eims, former president of the Navigators, sums it up best. He said;
Can you imagine everything Jesus could have talked to people about? After all, He was the eternal Son of God who knew everything about everything. He could have explained all the scientific wonders of the universe or warned against the various manmade philosophies that would arise over the years--how each of them would lead down a blind alley and leave the followers of those teachings confused and frustrated. But Jesus didn't deal with any of those things. Instead, He focused on what people need most--the good news of salvation. Why? Because unless people hear and respond to the gospel, they are lost and going to a Christless grave (Footnote 1).
I think he is right on target. If it did matter what we thought about creation, God's Spirit would convict us, and steer us to the truth. The only thing that really matters is whether we have Jesus.
All too often, young earth creationists compare old earth creationism to sin, and claim that our path is incorrect, and amounts to cooperation with the devil. Such a claim can be seen in the young earth book, After Eden, by Henry Morris III. On page 174-175, he makes a distinction (one of many throughout the book) that young earth creationists represent "truth," "light," and "wisdom," with the implication that all others are evil deceivers (2 Cor. 11:13-15). Such slanderous words have no basis in fact, and they are not what one would expect from a professing Christian. None of the verses employed by Mr. Morris in this section have anything to do with creation.
As a Progressive Creationist, I fully believe in the inerrant, infallible Word of God, and a literal interpretation of Genesis. Yes, some old earth proponents do not believe in inerrancy, and they need a warning, but Morris makes no distinction.
If God does not care which form of creation you believe in, then Morris claims are empty rhetoric. There is no need for young earth creationists to resort to such tactics. Jesus is what matters...not the "how" of creation. We should busy ourselves in proclaiming Christ...not condemning fellow believers.
Footnote 1: From the Navpress Book, Daily Discipleship, which features devotionals taken from radio broadcasts by long-time Navigator LeRoy Eims. To subscribe to a daily devotional email from the Navigators, visit http://www.navlists.org/dailydiscipleship/index.php?go=subscribe.
