Thursday: Creation in Scripture
Creation in Scripture
Read the following scriptural passages and write down how each of these writers referenced Genesis chapters 1-11:
Rev. 2:7; Rev. 3:14; Rev. 22:2-3
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Jesus and all of the New Testament writers refer to Genesis chapters 1-11 as reliable history. Jesus refers to the writings of Moses and the creation of male and female (Matt. 19:4). Paul repeatedly uses the creation account to substantiate the theological points that he makes in his epistles. He declared to the learned men of Athens, “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands” (Acts 17:24, NASB). In these ways, the New Testament writers built on the foundational nature of Genesis to show the modern reader the significance of this literal event.
Read, for instance, Romans chapter 5. More than half a dozen times, Paul makes a direct link from Adam to Jesus (See Romans 5:12, Romans 5:14-19). That is, he assumes the literal existence of an historical Adam, a position that becomes fatally compromised when an evolutionary model of origins replaces a literal reading of the texts.
| If the New Testament writers, inspired by the Holy Spirit and Jesus Himself, viewed the creation account as reliable history, why would it be foolish for us — based on the claims of fallen, fallible human beings — not to do the same? |
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Every single text relates to the all permeating, spiritual relationship we have with our Creator God. How can we attempt to explain this spiritual relationship to someone who does not believe in the Creator God?
To establish that non-believers and believers assign a different 'purpose' to Creation/Matter could be the beginning of a dialog.
Believer's purpose of Creation:
All things/matter and life is a reflection of their Creator, leading 'it' to worship and praise their Creator God through perfect 'obedience' - reflecting back His expressed Love for His Creation - because it's source is perfect.
Non-believer's purpose of existence:
Can not be established because it is based in 'chance'; it does not 'exist'.
Even though the Scripture texts point out the Creator and the purpose for His relationship with mankind - the who, how and why - it can still not, by itself, establish the bridge of faith across the chasm of doubt that overshadows the non-believer's heart. Reading the Word of God could, for the non-believer, establish a connection to the heart, though.
Rom.5:12-21 - we shall be redeemed and attain righteousness by the Faith of Jesus Christ. This, our righteousness through faith, is the gift of Grace by a loving Heavenly Father that wishes that non should perish.
This is the only way to again attain fellowship with our Heavenly Father - through Jesus' Righteousness and accepted by the believer. How do you explain this to the one that still rejects a Creator God?
Prayer and worshiping the God of our Salvation and do the works prompted by the redeemed heart; this is what the world would see and 'explain' our Creator God to them.
The seeker for Truth needs to see our light shine as from the Lighthouse set on high, to help navigate the ships seeking to reach the safe harbor.
Non-believer = rejecting a Creator God as the source of Life because he can not be proven satisfactorily by using empirical sciences.
God is Spirit - man's form is matter taken from this world. A part of our Creator God's Spirit is still residing in man's 'heart'.
God 'knocks' at the door of our heart, if we respond and even so slightly entertain the notion that there is a God, we will be guided to establish Truth and our faith and, just as we are 'known', we will 'know' that there is a Creator God who is in Heaven. There is no other way!
Only the Spirit of God's Love as manifested in His Creation - His Holy Spirit through a willing heart - can prompt the unbeliever to look through opened eyes and see His Creator.
His Love, as expressed through the works that were ordained before the foundation of the Earth are required of us to communicate His Love to others so they will experience their Creator.
Eph.3:8,9 - Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.
Paul speaks of the 'fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God'. Ponder these words! Is not this still a mystery, even to the believer?!
We are first and foremost spiritual beings. God's Creation and subsequent plan of Salvation reaches the core of our spiritual being in order to reconnect us to Him on a spiritual level.
Who can 'explain' this 'mystery that was hid in God from the beginning of the world' to a non-believer if we can not satisfactorily explain it to ourselves?
It was by faith that we believed and now come to a better understanding by and by. We have the sure Word of God to guide us by its Light.
The day thou eatest thou shall surely die.
1 Tim 2:12-15
But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence....The man was not deceived but the woman. What does these verses means? Does a woman has no say in church? should a woman remain silent in church? Eve was used by Satan to do his work. Sin started with her but her husband also was as guilty as her.
Eve had been the first in transgression.....it was by her solicitation that Adam sinned, and she was now placed in subjection to her husband. Had the principles enjoined in the law of God been cherished by the fallen race, this sentence, though growing out of the results of sin, would have proved a blessing to them; but man’s abuse of the supremacy thus given him has too often rendered the lot of woman very bitter and made her life a burden. {PP 58.3}
No, you will notice that Paul is saying that a wife must not instruct her husband and not that women are subject to men in general
Paul also wrote about how both men and women should dress in order to lead out in prayer and prophecy in church.
Eve was deceived, Adam sinned deliberately.
It is written that in these last days God will pour out His Spirit on both men and women. What for then on women, if they are to be mute? No, women are called to service just as men are, as in the instance of Deborah, Jael, The four virgin daughters of Philip, Mary Magdalene, Miriam, Anna, Esther, Ruth and so many more.
Let us unite and be willing to go out into the field and work for the Father for the workers are few as it is, why allow the opinions of men to limit the Holy Spirit from working through women?
Blessings 🙂
The New Testament is full of the Creation's references, about the presence of the Word/God/Jesus in the begining of all, about the first man an woman, about the first death right after man's fall, about Noah's Flood. Creation is on the basis of all christianity. The death of Christ Himself is founded on the fact that "God so loved 'His creation' so much, that He gave His only Son for it!" - if it wasn't for this, why would a figure such as a God exist? Did all appear by chance in a caotic Universe? Then perhaps the most important question could be, if we do not know exactly where we come from how can we know where we are going now?