Creation Testimony
A Creation Testimony: Bruce Ink
Bruce Ink has lived in Greenville for 25 years. He, along with his family, are members at Grace Baptist Church on Old Spartanburg Highway across from Eastside High School. He is a graphics artist and illustrator. He has painted several Biblical events such as creation and the flood which have been displayed at CSG seminars and meetings. Bruce's testimony is a remarkable example of grace.
Bruce, how would you describe your upbringing through high school? Did you grow up in a Chrisitan home? My parents claimed to be Christians, but rarely went to church, never read the Bible, and never taught us anything about Christianity or salvation. They thought that growing up in a church when they were children and leading moral lives made them Christians.
Where did you go to college and why? I went to the University of Georgia to major in art.
What was your spiritual condition while in college? God was never mentioned in school or home, so I naturally assumed he played no part in the universe. My school taught that primitive people created myths and gods to explain things that they could not explain through natural processes. All my environment taught that life came through evolution. Growing up this way, I was naturally an atheist. I thought God was made up and believed in by people who didn't want to face their mortality. I knew of nothing that God had actually done in the history of the universe.
What were the circumstances surrounding your first encounter with the gospel in college? Bob Jones University used to send students to nearby schools on weekends to witness. I encountered a group of them at Georgia. They explained what the Bible said about salvation, and I told them that I didn't believe in God or that the Bible was anything more than stories about God made up by men. I challenged them to prove that the Bible was true. They said they would get back to me with more information, and they did. As they attempted to prove the Bible true, I attempted to prove that the Bible was untrue. My first and most important argument was that the Bible was unscientific and did not match what scientists tell us about the prehistoric history of the universe. They said that the scientists were wrong. I couldn't believe any sane person really believed such a thing. We met on weekends for months and I studied on my own to settle this issue. I went to the local Bible bookstore and bought a Bible and some books on creation science. I also searched through the university's library for information about evolution and creation.
Were you receptive, nonchalant or antagonisitc to the gospel? I was not angry at the Christians as I felt they thought that they were trying to help me and I appreciated that they cared enough to make the effort. There was probably a little malice on my part in wanting to show these Christians how stupid they were.
When do you believe you were finally converted? Describe the circumstances surrounding that time, if you can nail it down. The more I studied evolution, the less it seemed like something that could really have taken place. I think that the final blow to evolution fell when I went to a talk that Joseph Henson, a Bob Jones science teacher, gave at the University of Georgia. He spoke on evolution and creation. I had two of my science teachers in the audience that night. I thought that if anybody could refute this man, the teachers should be able to. One tried, but Dr. Henson pointed out that his evidence didn't really prove his point, and he was right. I heard nothing from those teachers that restored the credibility of evolution. I shortly thereafter gave up on the theory. Not believing in evolution, however, does not make a person a Christian. I kept searching the Bible and Christian literature for something that would convince me that Christianity was true. Maybe neither was right. The Christians were out of answers for me, and thought I was just being stubborn, with no intention of trusting Jesus no matter what. They told me later that they continued to pray for me but didn't have much hope of a conversion. But the Holy Spirit was still convicting me that I needed to settle this question, and I kept searching. Finally, one Friday night, I was reading an old 19th century apologetics book in the University of Georgia library. It made several good points, but that night I read about the prophesy of Isaiah 53. In all the discussions I had had with Christians, nobody had ever mentioned that prophesy before. I was convinced! There was no way that men could have predicted the gospel so precisely without the power of God. I asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins that night and save me.
While in college, what were some hindrances or obstacles to the gospel in your particular case? Most people who claimed to be Christians believed very little of it. If I pointed out the Bible's errors to most Christians, they usually agreed with me. What kind of defenders of the faith were they? Now I know that most of them were not Christians themselves.
What were some specific books or tracts that God used to change your heart? The only book that I remember is that old library book defending the Bible. I'm sure I looked at some books from the Christian book store, but I can't remember what they were; and there weren't as many out in those days.
Do you believe the creation message is important? If so, why? Yes because it means that the Bible is telling the truth. I have since seen that many Christian doctrines depend on God originally creating Adam and Eve as perfect human beings and then their falling into sin.
Do you have anything else you would like our readers to know about you or your situation that might help them as they reach out to others? Don't be afraid to argue for creation, even with those from a science background. People in the sciences have rarely studied evolution and will usually be quick to admit that they don't know much about it and trust the "experts" work work out the details of the theory. Don't be afraid to concede if they make a good point. There are evidences for evolution. However, there is much more evidence against evolution. If we weigh the evidence impartially, we must conclude that evolution is an unworkable theory.
CSG is grateful to Bruce Ink for his willingness to explain how God worked in his life to bring him to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Chirst. If you have further questions about the gospel, the Bible, creation science, or, would like to communicate with Mr. Ink, please
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