TRUSTING GOD WITH
THE UNKNOWN
Naomi Brehm
CiS Student Conference 2015
Science
Faith
scire, to know
fidere, to trust
How can a believing scientist
trust without knowledge?
UNCERTAINTY - PROOF - WISDOM
Finances
Reason to investigate
Chaos Theory
The future
Decision
making
Predictions
Philosophy
Big questions
Error margins
UNCERTAINTY
Accuracy
Career
Quantum Mechanics
(Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle)
Unanswered Prayer
“…If they are consistent with their science, I
think that they say something like this to
themselves: ‘I am almost certain there is a
God. The doubt is very small.’ That is quite
different from saying, ‘I know that there is a
God.’…”
- R. Feynman, ‘The
Relation of Science and
Religion’, 1956
PROOF
Observation
Hypothesis
Prediction
Experimentation
Conclusion
MATTHEW 14:25-33
“…he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples
saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said ‘It is a
ghost!’ and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to
them, saying, ‘Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.’
“And Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to
come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come’. So Peter got out of
the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus…”
“…and those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are
the Son of God.’”
FAITH
SCIENCE
What does it
mean?
How does it
work?
JOB 28
(v12) “But where shall wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
Man does not know its worth, and it is not found in the land of the living…
(v23) God understands the way to it,
And he knows its place.
For he looks to the ends of the earth
and sees everything under the heavens…
(v28) And he said to man,
‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
And to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
WISDOM – THE FORMULAE
Wisdom =
understanding
nature + trusting its
Creator
Knowledge ≠
Wisdom
Wisdom › Knowledge
How can a believing scientist
trust without knowledge?
• Live an uncertain life with certainty in Christ.
• See testimonies and experiences like experimental
proof.
• Accept the limitations of human understanding,
trusting that God will reveal all we need to know.
• Seek godly wisdom over earthly knowledge.
Thank you for listening!
TRUSTING GOD WITH THE UNKNOWN
CiS Student Conference 2015
@naomi_brehm