Creation

Genesis 1:1 KJV 1900

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Genesis 1:26–27 KJV 1900

26 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. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

I. The teaching of evolution has made significant inroads in the beliefs of common man

A. In 1999 Gallup found

1. 47% believed in a recent, special creation

2. 40% believed in a God-directed form of evolution

3. 9% believe a strictly natural-caused evolution

B. In 2024 Gallup found

1. 37% believe in a recent, special creation

2. 34% believe in a God-directed form of evolution

3. 24% believe in a strictly natural-caused evolution

C. Think about it, only a third the people in the United States believe that what the early chapters of Genesis state is literally true.

D. But does it matter whether we accept the accounts in Genesis as literally true?

1. After all, it is a part of the Old Testament, and we are under the New Law.

2. It concerns events thousands of years old. Does it matter if those events are tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands year old?

II. How we see the creation affects how we see Jesus

A. Jesus Christ was involved in the creation

1. John 1:1–3 “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” - Nothing was made without the Word

2. But where does Jesus appear in the Creation? - Genesis 1:26 “26 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.”

a. He is in the phrase “God said let us”

3. Colossians 1:13–18 “13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” -

The universe was created by Jesus and it was created for Jesus and it is sustained by Jesus. In other words, the world has a purpose and that purpose revolves around the Son of God.

4. Hebrews 1:1–3 “1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”

- Jesus inherits the world that was made through him.

B. So, would you expect Jesus to know when the creation took place and how it took place?

C. Matthew 19:4–6 “4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”

- Jesus said man was made male and female and that this took place at the beginning.

1. He did not say they became male and female or became human.

2. He did not say that it happened long after the world came into existence.

3. If you do not accept that there were human beings at the beginning of the world, then you are saying Jesus lied.

4. If you believe he was mistaken about this, then how can you be certain there are no other mistakes?

D. Hence, how we see the creation affects our view of Jesus

III. How we see the creation affects our view of the Bible

A. The Bible declares God to be just - Isaiah 45:21 “21 Tell ye, and bring them near; Yea, let them take counsel together: Who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? Have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; A just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.” ; Zephaniah 3:5 “5 The just Lord is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: Every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; But the unjust knoweth no shame.”

B. We are told that we will be judged by God

1. Must keep Christ’s word - John 14:23 “23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

2. Will not see death -

John 8:51 “51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.”

3. Will have eternal life - John 5:24 “24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

C. Does it not follow then that our future hangs on our ability to understand what is expected of us?

1. By reading we can understand - Ephesians 3:3–5 “3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;”

2. Ephesians 5:17 “17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” - Commanded to understand. A command that cannot be fulfilled if the Bible is hidden.

D. The Bible gives definite statements regarding the origin of the world, such as that it came about by God speaking it into existence - Hebrews 11:3 “3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

1. It tells us how long it took, not only in Genesis, but also in Exodus 20:8–11 “8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”

2. The genealogies even give us a close approximation to when these events occurred.

a. Read Genesis 5:1-11 as an example

b. Is there any room to put thousands of years between the generations?

c. No! Why? Because we are told at what age in the previous generation the next came and the list goes all the way to the sons of Noah in Genesis 5:32 “32 And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” and other lists continue this method.

d. You might argue plus or minus a year due to rounding, but not plus or minus 100,000 years or a million years.

3. The only way to get around this is to declare that God didn’t really mean exactly what He said. Just as Peter warned - 2 Peter 3:16 “16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.”

E. If man can arbitrarily declare Genesis Chapter 1 to be allegorical(metaphorical), then what about the verses that refer to Genesis 1? If man can play fast and loose with one part of the Bible because of his own understanding, then why not other areas? - Proverbs 3:5 “5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding.”

IV. How we see the Creation affects our view of truth

A. John 7:15-17 - Jesus teaching (doctrines) were of God

B. This teaching comes to us through the apostles - Acts 2:42 “42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

C. It was recorded for us - 1 Thessalonians 2:13 “13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

D.        The Bible lets us know right from wrong.

E.         We will know what is sin and sinful because of the truths in the Bible.

 F.         The teachings of Jesus provides us with the truths we need to live by.

G. The reason people are not persuaded the entire Bible is absolute truth! - John 17:17 “17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” not sanctified

H. Therefore, they believe that the teachings can evolve to adapt society’s views.

I. Yet doctrine is what saves us - Romans 6:17-18; 1 Timothy 4:16 “16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”

J. We are to guard against the variableness of false doctrine - Ephesians 4:14–15 “14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”

K. We must remain in its boundaries - 2 John 9–11 “9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

L. You see the Bible teaches that God created the world by His word - Psalm 33:6-9; Acts 17:24-26.

M. If you can change one doctrine, then any doctrine can be changed and they are being changed!

V. The Bible is clear as to how the world came into being. It is clear when it came into being. It is important that it is accepted just as it is presented.

A. Guard against false Teaching - 1 Timothy 6:20–21 “20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: 21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.”