Doctrine of Creation

Doctrine of Creation

from notes by Gary Fisher

Introduction

A. Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

B. Popular belief is that the earth and its creation actually evolved over 4 billion years.

1. Christians are intimidated into accepted day-age interpretation of creation.

2. Out of embarrassment toward the "mythological" aspects of the Genesis account, some wish to speak only of Jesus, his death and resurrection.

3. Problem is that the Bible cannot so easily be cut up and portions rejected. It is a whole that stands together or falls together.

C. Point of this study is to affirm that it is essential that we accept the Bible account of creation. This is exactly what the apostles did when beginning their messages to the idolators of their times. Acts 14 and Acts 17 Paul affirmed the creation account as a foundation of the Gospel.

1. Let us examine the implications of Special Creation as recorded in Genesis

I. Creation demonstrates the position of man.

A. Image of God, a little lower than the angels.

1. Gen. 1:26, 27

2. Psalm 8:3-5; Hebrews 2:6-7

3. If we do not appreciate this point, we will mistreat our fellowman. Cannot love our neighbor as ourself.

-- Gen. 9:5, 6 Murder is forbidden because man is made in image of God. thus abortion is also an issue because an unborn child is not a piece of animal flesh but rather made in the image of God.

-- James 3:9, 10 Cursing man is also wrong, because man is made in image of God.

-- Matt. 25:31-46 Thus Jesus said that the way we treat men is how we treat Him, the Son of God.

4. Evolutionary concept is "survival of the fittest" and "might makes right." If you are stronger than others, you have a right to overpower them, use them, etc. Modern manifestations of that belief is the Nazi Holocaust and the Communist massacres to subjugate the minorities or eliminate the opposition as unfit.

5. Creation doctrine teaches us that we don't have the right to mistreat others because they do not belong to us but rather to their Creator who made them and us. (Malachi 2:10; Job 31:13-15; Prov. 14:31; 17:5; 22:2)

B. Man was created to have authority over the Animals and over the Earth.

1. Gen. 2:7 Man was not made from the animals.We are fundamentally different. We were made directly from the earth in the image of God.

2. Gen. 1:26, 28 Man was created to have dominion over all living things and to subdue the earth.

3. Psalm 8:6-8 Dominion over all other living things.

4. Psalm 115:14-16 God gave the earth to man. Earth is for our purposes. God made both us and the earth.

5. If we do not understand this, we devalue people and overvalue animals and the earth.

a. Evolutionists, animal rights groups, New Age (Idolatry) Movement fail to see.

b. Some view the earth as a goddess (Gaia) whom we must please and worship.

c. Others view the killing of animals as MORALLY similar to killing people

6. Genesis 9:2-6 animals for food and not made in the image of God

7. 1 Timothy 4:3,4 Some people forbid eating meats, but God created them to be received with thanksgiving.

8. Killing and eating animals is not murder or cannibalism because of the doctrine of creation!

II. Creation proves the power of God's Word

A. Creation was SPOKEN into existence.

1. Gen. 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26... "And God said" ... and it was so

2. Psalm 33:6-9

3. Psalm 148:3-5 God commanded and the heavenly hosts were created

4. Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God.

a. God did other miracles by speaking. Thus God proves the power and authority of His word.

b. Matthew 8:5-13; 2 Peter 3:5-7; Psalm 105: 31, 34; 106:9; John 11:39:44; 5:28, 29

5. Creation is a marvelous proof of the power of God's Word.

B. Likewise, Salvation is revealed in the Gospel by the Power of God's Word.

1. 1 Cor. 1:18-25 Word is foolishness to the world, but is the power of God to us

2. Hebrews 4:12 Word is a sword

3. Romans 1:16 Gospel is power of God unto salvation to those who believe.

4. Purpose of all miracles is to confirm and validate God's message. The same Word that saves us also created the world and us. (Mark 16:20; Acts 2:22; 14:3; 2 Cor. 12:11, 12; Hebrews 2:3,4)

C. Any view that belittles orundermines the doctrine of creation likewise belittles or undermines faith in the power of the Bible, including faith in the power of the Gospel to save us from our sins! (2 Cor. 4:6; Isaiah 55:6-11; Rev. 1:16; 1 Peter 1:22-25)

III. Creation proves God is the Living Source of all life.

A. God gave life to all living creatures.

1. Gen. 1.11, 12, 20, 21, 24-27; 2:7, 21-23

2. Isaiah 42:5

3. 1 Tim. 6:13 God gives life to all things.

4. Without God, there would be no life. The doctrine of creation affirms that all life comes from God. (Job 33:4; Psalm 100:3; 139:13-16; Prov. 22:2; Isaiah 64:8; Jer. 27:5; Heb. 12:9; 1 Cor. 8:6)

B. Therefore God is the Living God

1. Acts 14:15 turn from useless idols to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them.

2. Acts 17:24-29 He gives to all life, breath, and all things. In Him we live and move and have our being.

3. Revelation 10:6 God wholives forever and ever created the heaven and the earth...

4. How could life be from a non-living source? Sun? mountains? earth? cannot be God!

5. Creation proves that God must be alive. (Job 33:4; Matt. 16:16; 1 Thess. 1:9; 2 Cor. 6:16)

C. God likewise is the source of Spiritual and Eternal Life.

1. Sin began with the first couple, Adam and Eve and resulted in death both spiritual death in the separation from communion with God and physical death as man began to die driven from the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life. Gen. 2:16, 17; 3:1-19; Rom. 5:14-21; Eph. 2:1-19.

2. God had given man life, but man brought death upon himself. Now only God could give man life again.

3. Jesus is the Way to spiritual life, that is, communion with God.

a. John 1:1-4 All things were made by Him, in Him was life

b. John 14:6 I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life

c. Rom. 6:4 After baptism, we walk in Newness of Life. This is called being born again. It it new life. (2 Cor. 5:17; John 1.12, 13; 3:1-7; 1 Peter 1:22-25; Gal. 3:26, 27)

4. Jesus is the Giver of Eternal Life

a. Rom. 6:23 gift of God is eternal life

b. John 6:63, 68 Jesus' words are spirit and life

c. Matthew 25:46 at judgment, the wicked will receive eternal punishment but the righteous will receive eternal life

d. If God did not create us, why should we view Him as the source of life? Why should we trust Him to give us life? Every view that undermines the Bible doctrine of creation thereby undermines our faith the He is the source of spiritual life. (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10; 1 Tim. 4:10; John 11:25; 1 John 5:11, 12, 20; John 3:16)

IV. Creation proves God's eternal existence

A. God existed in eternity before the Creation

1. John 1:1-3

2. Col. 1:16, 17

3. Isaiah 40:28

4. If God is not eternal, who made God?

B. God will live eternally after the Creation is destroyed.

1. Psalm 102:25-27 (Heb. 1:10-12)

2. Psalm 90:2 before the mountains were brought forth,... even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

3. Rev. 10:6 He who lives forever and ever is the One who created the heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.

4. Doctrine of Creation is inherently bound to our faith that God is eternal. (Jer. 10:11, 12)

V. Creation proves God's unlimited wisdom.

A. Creation shows the wisdom of God.

1. Psalm 136:5-9 by wisdom God made the heavens and the heavenly bodies.

2. Jeremiah 51:15 He established the world by His wisdom. (10:12)

3. Prov. 8:22-31 Wisdom speaks, saying she was with God before the world was made and was there when God made the universe. (Prov. 3:19; Psalm 104:24)

B. This wisdom is beyond man's ability to comprehend.

1. Eccl. 11:5 as you do not know the way of the wind or how the bones grow in the mother's womb, do not know works of God whomakes everything.

2. Isaiah 40:28 Creator's understanding is unsearchable.

3. Rom. 11:33-36 Ways and judgments are unsearchable and past finding out. Who can know His mind or give Him counsel?

4. By studying the creation, we can conclude that the Maker's wisdom is infinitely greater than ours. (Job 38)

C. As creatures of God, we must turn to Him for guidance.

1. Psalm 119:73 He made us and knows best how to solve our problems.

2. Proverbs 3:19-26 Same wisdom that created the universe can help us to walk safely and live without fear of going astray.

3. Proverbs 8:30-36 When we realize that God founded the earth with wisdom, we should appreciate it. Such wisdom leads to life and favor with God and the only altenative is death.

4. This wisdom is found in the written Word of God: Psalm 19:7; 2 Tim. 3:15-17.

D. Any view that undermines the doctrine of creation, undermines our reasons for following the Bible and God's wisdom for guiding our lives here on God's created earth.

VI. Creation proves God's unlimited power

A. Creation demonstrates God's great power

1. Psalm 89:11-13 founded the world, mighty arm, strong hand

2. Jeremiah 10:12; made the earth by His power (51:15)

3. Jeremiah 27:5

4. Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world, His invisible attibutes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse..

-- reasonable men can understand just from observing the power in the universe that God, the creator must have unlimited power. No excuses!

B. Such power is vastly superior to human strength

1. Job 9:8-10

2. Jeremiah 32:17 There is nothing too hard for you

3. Job 26:7-14

4. Man recognizes that we could never make such a universe. Cannot make even a single thing and make it come alive! We cannot comprehend such power nor duplicate it.(Ps. 33:6-9)

C. As God's creatures, we should trust His strength to care for us and save us.

1. Psalm 121:2 My help comes from the Lord, who made the heaven and earth. (124:8; 145:5,6)

2. Isaiah 40:28-31 God the Creator. Never faints or is weary. Gives power to the weak.

-- to the degree that we appreciate God's power that He makes available to us, we will seek His help in prayer to help our weaknesses.

3. 1 Cor. 1:18-25 God's weakness is greater than man's power. John 1:1-3; Acts 4:12; Rom. 1:16; Heb. 7:25

4. If God of the Bible did not make us, then why should we trust in His power to care for usand save us

VII. Creation proves God's right to control the universe

A. Universe belongs to God, because He made it.

1. Psalm 24:1,2 Earth and all who dwell on it belong to God, because He founded and established it.

2. Psalm 89:11, 12 (same as above)

3. It follows that His power should control it. (Psalm 95:5; 74:16,17; 100:3)

B. Since He made it, He rules as Lord over it.

1. Isaiah 29:16 Clay has no right tocriticize how the potter made it.

2. Acts 17:24 God, who made the world and everything init, is Lord of heaven and earth. He rules because He created it.

3. Colossians 1:15-17 Just as Jesus made the church and ia preeminent over (v. 18), so He is preeminent over His creation. It was made by Him and for Him. (Heb. 2:10)

4. 1 Peter 4:19 We commit our souls to Him in doing good, because He is the Creator.

5. Rom. 1:25 It is a fundamental error to "serve" the creature rather than the Creator

6. Why should we fear God and keep His commandments? (Eccl. 12:13) Because He made us for that purpose. As our Maker, He has every right to expect our service.

(Deut. 32:5, 6; Rom. 11:36; 1 Chron. 16:26, 36; Psalm 96:2-10; 100:2, 3; 5:22; Ex. 4:11; 20:9-11; 31:16, 17; Num. 16:22; Isaiah 51:12, 13)

C. He has the power to punish or reward us, depending on whether or not we please Him.

1. Gen. 6:6, 7; 7:4 Since God made man, when man failed to serve His purpose, the purpose for which he was made, God had the right to destroy what He had made.

2. Isaiah 27:11 God who make them decided He would not have mercy on them.

3. Many people deny God has the right to punish or destroy mankind for sin. "I can't believe in a God who would do that." Frankly, if you do or don't believe it, will that change the reality of it? If God really did make us, He has the power to do with us what He wills, regardless of what we want or what we believe. If He was a tyrant, there would not be a thing in the world we could do about it. We ought to glorify Him every day that He isnotjust our Maker, but He is a God of mercy and patience!

VIII. Creation proves God's right to be worshipped.

A. God deserves man's worship because he made us.

1. Deut. 32:15-18 People rebuked because they forsook the God who made them.

2. Psalm 86:8-10 All nations should worship and glorify God, because He made them

3. Psalm 149:1, 2 People should praise the Lord and rejoice in their Maker.

4. The thing which has been made ought to give glory to the Maker. No one else made us; therefore no one else shouldbe worshipped. (Psalm 139:13, 14; 8:3-9)

B. God deserves our worship because of the greatness of all that He has made.

1. Psalm 95:1-7

2. Psalm 148:1-6

3. Rom. 1:25, 20 This truth is absolutely fundamental to all Christians: anything which was created does not deserve to be worshipped. Only the Creator should b worshipped, for only He has ultimate power.

4. Rom. 11:36 Why does the glory belong to God?

5. Rev.4:11 Why is God to receive glory andhonor and power?

6. Rev. 14:6, 7 The everlasting gospel says tht people of every nation, tribe, and tongue should worship Him who made heavenandearth.

7. Any view that undermines the Bible doctrine of creation, thereby also undermines our very reasons for worshipping God. It undermines our faith in the right of God to be worshipped.

(Neh. 9:6; 1 Chron. 16:25-29; Psalm 96:2-9; 33:6-9; 19:1; 103:22; Ecc. 12:1; Isa. 43:7, 21; 1 Cor. 8:5,6)

IX. Creation proves that God is God

A. Old Testament

1. 2 Kings 19:15

2. Psalm 86:8-10

3. Psalm 95:1-7

4. Isaiah 45:18

5. Jer. 10:11, 12

6. 1 Chron. 16:25-35

7. Psalm 96:2-10

B. New Testament

-- Acts 4:24; 2. Acts 14:15; 17:24-29; Rom. 1:20