God and creation according to Bible teaching

This Bible teaching about God and creation displays compelling evidence that the universe was created by God. That’s terrific news! It answers the haunting questions, “How did I get here?” and, “Where do I fit in the grand scheme of things?” That’s exciting! Don’t you think? You don’t? Then consider this.

The alternative is that we are just hapless victims of a purposeless accident that occurred from countless random interactions within something called matter from which no one knows the source. Not much hope, and really very dreary. I’ll take God’s explanation. Let me show you why.

A General Statement

Though complicated, I will try to reduce this teaching about God and creation to the essentials. The simplest statement is that of Moses, “In the beginning God created the heavens and earth (Genesis 1:1). Packed into this statement is at least the following.

God created the universe for His own Glory, without the use of pre-existing materials or secondary causes. He brought into being, immediately and instantaneously, the whole visible and invisible universe. 

God has given the universe an existence distinct from, yet, always dependent on His own being. In relation to His universe, God is both transcendent (outside) and immanent (within). His crowning achievement is the creation of humanity. Several things can be noted.

•The universe had a definite beginning, which included everything visible and invisible (cf. Genesis 1:1ff; John 1:1; Colossians 1:15-17).

•God freely designed and created the universe out of nothing (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 33:6, 9; Romans 4:17; Hebrews 11:3).

•Creation has a purpose: the glory of God (Isaiah 43:7: Revelation 4:11; Psalm 19:1, 2).

•Creation was fully grown and finished, having the appearance of age (cf. Genesis 1:10; 2:1). For example, Adam appeared as a grown man when he was one day old.

•God’s crowning achievement was the creation of humanity, which He directly created (Psalm 8: Genesis 2:7, 21, 22).

The Trinity Involvement

We are told that God the Father originated creation, but He accomplished it through Christ, “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him” (1 Corinthians 8:6; cf. Colossians 1:15-17).

Finally, the Bible teaching on God and creation also emphasizes that the Holy Spirit completes creation, “Thou dost send forth Thy Spirit, they are created” (Psalm 104:30; cf. Genesis 1:2). 

How Creation Happened

The simple answer is that God spoke everything into existence. But, did He create it through evolutionary mechanisms? Did it take Him millions or billions of years? Some Christian scholars say the earth is very old, much like the evolutionary theories claim, but others say the earth is very young. 

Since this web site is committed to what the Bible teaches, I will confine my views to the Bible – as best as I can understand it,as we consider God and creation. The Genesis record claims that God made the whole thing happen in six days. But, some view “day” as a long period of time. Others view it as a literal 24 hour solar day. The Hebrew word for day is “Yom,” and the meaning in this context is hotly debated.

How Do We Know

The 24 hour day is the plain interpretation - for at least five reasons. First, Moses keeps saying, “And there was evening and there was morning, one day” (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31).

Second, in the context of 24 hour days, Moses again defines what he means by yom, “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy” (Exodus 20:11; cf. 31:17). 

Third, the Hebrew word for day (yom) is used 1480 times in the Old Testament, and is translated by some different 50 words. It can mean an indefinite time, but it is not used as an age of millions or billions of years. When yom is used with a numerical adjective, it refers to a 24 hour day.

Fourth, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, the Septuagint, uses hemera, which normally means a 24 hour day such as, “And He was in the wilderness forty days” (Mark 1:13). Furthermore, if Moses meant a period of long eons or ages, then the translators should have used the Greek word, aion. 

What Did Jesus Say?

Reason five of the Bible teaching about God and creation involves Jesus. He was there when creation happened. In fact, He did it. What was His opinion? Well, He said creation happened pretty much the way Moses said. 

One day the Pharisees confronted Jesus regarding marriage. I submit the critical record. They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away. But Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and the two shall become one flesh” (Mark 10:4-8).

What can we glean from this interaction?

•Jesus believed in God and creation, and rejected Darwinian evolutionary concepts.

•Jesus believed creation had a beginning.

•Jesus believed Moses wrote the creation story, and even quoted Moses as an authoritative source to prove His point.

•Jesus believed creation happened like Moses said it did.

Shall We Believe in Jesus

The whole issue of God and creation boils down to this: shall we believe Jesus? Fundamentally, we have two sides: those who believe Jesus, and those who adopt some sort of evolutionary view. I’ll be frank with you. I lay my neck on the block and go with Jesus.

This I know: Jesus rose from the dead. Nobody can duplicate that feat. Nobody can honestly dispute this most provable fact of history. 

I take the word of a man who returned from the dead. Whatever evolutionary theories claim, they cannot beat that kind of evidence. I don’t think Jesus lied. Do you? After all, He was an eye witness to creation.

What can you take from this study on God and creation? Plenty. But, for starters, you can know you have not evolved from something. God loves you, designed you, has a purpose for you, and you have a future full of hope. You are the crown of His creation. You are not an advanced brute animal, but a carefully crafted and beautiful work of art created by the Master Creator of the universe.

You have a special and personal relationship and responsibility to the God who spoke the universe into existence, and runs it with such precision that we set our watches by the stars He flung into space. 

With this Esmie and I pray for your increased insight into your value, your identity, and your niche in this wonderful, awesome creation of God. 

Dr. Willis and Esmie Newman

BIBLE STUDY QUESTIONS

1. How do you think the universe came into existence? What is your evidence?

2. What role did Jesus Christ have in creation (John 1:1; Colossians 1:16, 17)?

3. What is the source of all the fundamental forces that hold the universe together (Colossians 1:17).

4. Carefully consider Genesis 1:5-31; Exodus 20:8-11; 31:12-17). Based on these verses taken in context, 

what do you think Moses meant by a “day”?

5. Do you think Jesus is an authoritative source of information regarding creation? Explain.

6. What difference does it make whether or not God created the universe? Explain.

7. What place does humanity have in God and creation (Psalm 8)?

8. Study Psalm 19:1 and Romans 1:18-20. What do these verses tell us about God and creation?

9. Why did God create the universe (Isaiah 43:7; Revelation 4:11)?

10. What stands out to you the most in this study about God and creation?