The Complexity of Life: God and His Creation
BIBLE
Life is something very complex. Many processes must occur just for the act of existing, which shows the certainty of creation.
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
Genesis 1:26-27
God created all things and gave life to human beings, making us perfect and in His own image. Initially, humanity was meant to rule over this world and live according to the plan of existence that God designed, but after sin entered the world, we lost direct contact with our Creator. But what is life?
Life can be defined as a set of processes that occur within an organism, allowing an individual to think, speak, eat, act, and perform all functions that each part of the body enables. Delving deeper into the concept, life is essentially the ability to take action. When God created man, He formed him from the dust of the earth. At that point, man had no life, but when God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, man became a living soul. Thus, the human being consists of both body and spirit—the body being composed of organs, muscles, nerves, blood, and bones, while the spirit represents consciousness and the ability to utilize these components.
Why is life important? How will you live?
No one chooses to exist; you are simply born through the natural process of human reproduction. However, from the moment of conception in the mother's womb, your life is already important because Jesus left us a mission on this earth. Many bad things happen in this world—this is a fact—but all of them occur because of sin. Sin was never meant to exist, but unfortunately, due to human failure, we are paying the price of disobedience.
“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
Genesis 2:16-17
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil did not have the power to grant knowledge on its own. The power came from God. When Satan was cast out of heaven, he found a place on earth. His temptation should not have been significant if the couple had followed God's commands. The first mistake was approaching the tree, and then disobedience followed. When Adam and Eve, the first couple, sinned by disobeying God’s commands, they handed over this world to Satan. What was originally meant for mankind became controlled by a rebellious angel who brought suffering into the world. This is why God is fighting to redeem humanity from sin and put an end to all this. Our mission here is to preach that Jesus will return because, when He does, suffering will finally cease.
How complex is life?
The biblical account does not delve deeply into the complexity of life, but today, thanks to science, we understand that numerous processes must take place daily for life to be sustained. To give you an idea of how difficult it is for life to exist, I will describe some of the incredible precision in God's creation that allows us to live today.
The Universe
The universe operates based on several fundamental physical constants, whose values are extraordinarily precise. Even slight changes in these numbers could make the universe incapable of supporting life. For example, gravity: if this constant were slightly stronger, massive stars would collapse quickly into black holes. If it were weaker, gravity would fail to keep planets in orbit around stars, preventing planetary systems from forming. Similarly, the electromagnetic force governs interactions between charged particles. If it were stronger, atoms would be unstable due to excessive attraction between protons and electrons. If it were weaker, atoms would not form properly.
The cosmological constant, associated with dark energy, controls the rate of the universe’s expansion. If its value were too high, the universe would expand so rapidly that galaxies, stars, and planets would not form. If too low, the universe would collapse in on itself.
The ratio between the mass of the proton and the neutron influences nuclear stability. Tiny variations in this ratio would prevent the formation of essential chemical elements, such as carbon and oxygen, which are indispensable for life. These constants are not necessarily connected in their values, yet they appear to be finely tuned to ensure a stable universe capable of supporting life.
Planet Earth
Focusing specifically on the planet we inhabit, Earth possesses extraordinarily precise conditions for supporting life, many of which depend on its location and composition. Earth is situated in a specific region of the Solar System called the habitable zone or "Goldilocks Zone," where temperatures allow for liquid water. If it were closer to the Sun, like Venus, water would evaporate. If it were farther away, like Mars, water would freeze. This narrow habitable zone is essential for life's chemistry.
The Earth's axial tilt of approximately 23.5° provides seasonal variations, allowing for climatic and ecological diversity. Additionally, Earth's rotation regulates the day-night cycle, distributing solar energy more evenly. If the rotation were significantly slower, extreme temperatures would make the environment hostile to life. If much faster, intense winds and atmospheric instability would be catastrophic.
Earth’s magnetic field, generated by its metallic core, deflects harmful solar radiation and charged particles, such as solar winds, which could strip away the atmosphere and render the surface uninhabitable.
The Earth's atmosphere is a precise mixture of gases: approximately 78% nitrogen, which acts as a stabilizing gas; about 21% oxygen, essential for the respiration of complex organisms; and about 0.04% carbon dioxide, which plays a crucial role in the greenhouse effect, maintaining Earth’s temperature at livable levels. Unfortunately, the greenhouse effect has intensified, leading to rising global temperatures and various environmental problems.
The Moon stabilizes Earth’s axial tilt, preventing extreme fluctuations that could cause drastic climate changes. It also influences ocean tides, which are vital for coastal ecosystems and global ocean circulation.
A Perfect Design
Do you see how everything is incredibly regulated to allow life on Earth? Chance alone could not have orchestrated this, not even in millions and millions of years, because each process depends on another to occur. The precision of these factors is so remarkable that many scientists and philosophers debate whether this is a result of chance or deliberate design. The odds of all these conditions occurring simultaneously in the same place are astronomical, leading to the argument that the universe may have been intentionally designed to support life—especially in the case of Earth.
The Human Body
Now, let’s take a look at the human body. The complexity of the human body and its immune system is often used as evidence of intentional design. These systems exhibit intricate characteristics that seem to rely on multiple components working in perfect harmony. Any alteration or absence of one of these parts could compromise its function.
The human body is composed of trillions of cells organized into interdependent systems. This integration is so precise that any deviation can lead to severe imbalances. Human DNA contains about 3 billion base pairs that encode all the necessary information to build and maintain the body. Any significant error in the genetic code can result in diseases or biological inviability.
The body’s systems also rely on interconnected processes, each with its own function. The nervous system processes information at high speed, connecting billions of neurons. A single neuron can have up to 10,000 synaptic connections. The cardiovascular system's main organ is the heart, a muscular pump that beats approximately 100,000 times a day, moving about 7,500 liters of blood through 96,000 kilometers of blood vessels. Any disruption in this system can be fatal. The digestive and metabolic systems convert food into usable energy and distribute nutrients to the cells. Synchronization with the endocrine system regulates metabolism and hormone production. Additionally, the human body has the ability to regenerate, as seen in wound healing and the replacement of dead cells. It is estimated that the body replaces 330 billion cells daily, which is about 1% of all cells in the body.
Homeostasis allows the body to automatically adjust to changes in the external environment (such as temperature or pressure) and internal conditions (such as pH and blood glucose levels), ensuring survival.
The immune system is one of the most sophisticated mechanisms in the body, with multiple layers of defense against pathogens (such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites). Its operation depends on a complex network of cells, organs, and proteins.
The skin acts as a physical barrier, preventing pathogen entry. Mucus and enzymes in areas like the respiratory and digestive tracts trap and neutralize microorganisms. The innate immune response provides a rapid reaction against invaders. Phagocytes, such as macrophages and neutrophils, engulf and destroy microorganisms. Complement proteins mark pathogens for destruction and amplify the inflammatory response. The adaptive immune response is a crucial component of the immune system, involving T and B lymphocytes. T lymphocytes identify and destroy infected cells. B lymphocytes produce highly specific antibodies that neutralize pathogens.
After an infection, the immune system “remembers” the pathogen, allowing for a faster and more effective response in future encounters. This is the principle behind vaccines, known as immune memory.
The immune system is highly regulated to prevent damage to the body itself (as seen in autoimmune diseases). This self-regulation requires the interaction of multiple chemical and cellular signals.
During an infection, immune cells can "evolve" rapidly, producing more effective antibodies. This process, called affinity maturation, is a highly efficient form of biological adaptation. The complexity of the human body and immune system raises fundamental questions:
Many vital functions depend on systems that only work fully when all parts are present and functional. This challenges purely gradual explanations of their origin, such as traditional Darwinian evolution.
The repair, regulation, and response mechanisms point to such intricate coordination that even minimal alterations would compromise the entire system.
These factors are often interpreted as signs of intentional design, prompting reflections on the origin of life and the possibility of a Creator behind its complexity.
Final Considerations
Live your life with wisdom! Eternal life is worth far more than 80 or 100 years in this world. Although there are pleasures that may attract your attention here, living in this world is difficult. These pleasures only serve to deceive you because, once they are gone, you realize that this world is filled with suffering, disease, and death. Human nature tends to be deceived by illusions and pleasures, but unfortunately, most people only see evil when they are suffering. Do not be deceived! You only have one life!
Contrary to the widely held belief in life after death, when you die, you do not go directly to heaven, hell, or any other place. Your body is simply buried (according to custom), decays, and turns to dust. When Jesus returns, He will grant eternal life to all the righteous—those who obeyed Him and remained faithful to His commandments. The rest of humanity, who remain attached to sin, will be destroyed along with the enemy who brought suffering to planet Earth.
Do not forget our duty—preach and use the life of Jesus as an example to follow. Jesus will return, so do not lose your life for so little!
"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”
Revelation 22:12