Believing Creation From Nothing: Essential to Christian Faith Foundations

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

This topic is one that has been churning a while in my heart. I can remember sitting on the beach a few years ago with my pad of paper, and my Bible. Feet buried in the sand, as the surf reached my chair, I was staring out into the ocean pondering the works of creation, and the Creator. This post will serve as an introduction and overview to the new series outlining how believing Creation from nothing is the very foundation of understanding the Bible, and God. If you get creation wrong, you will get everything else wrong in scripture. Every single truth we read in the Bible points all the way back to the beginning and Creation. In order to correctly understand Jesus and His crucifixion we have to look at Creation. Creation points to Salvation, the Resurrection, and the Second Coming. It confirms everything Jesus said about Himself, and Jesus' miracles confirmed Him as Creator. He has power over our bodies, nature, and the elements. Why do we believe the Bible? Because, "Thus Saith the LORD!" God said. From the very beginning we read, "and God said, and it was." God, through His Word (John 1:1) brought the universe from nothing, and keeps it from returning to nothing. He preserves the entire World, and Universe, it's His! That truth points to the fact that God our Creator is alive and active.

A few of the Faith Foundations that I see Creation pointing to is:
Worship and glorifying God -- Knowing and worshiping Him as God of the Ages, the Ancient of Days. Knowing why He created, and the work OF creation. Only God knows what is good. He labels.
Knowing you can't change yourself -- We cannot correctly bear His image without Him. Yesh ma'ayin. The operation of His work IN creation.
Evangelism & Salvation -- ktisis, New Testament. Creator became our Redeemer. Offended by sin, He made a way becoming sin-bearing Savior.
Eternal life in Heaven & New Heavens and New Earth -- Knowing God created Heaven, a perfect place, a real place, where we are reunited into the relationship and everlasting life our first parents had before the fall. God created life, and is life giver. God will destroy this current Earth and Heaven and He will recreate.

The Christian's life is rooted in faith and belief, but it's knowing why we believe it too. We live in a time where Christians are under attack, the Word of God is under attack, and we have to have a firm foundation of why we stand on these truths. It gives us hope, and further confidence in knowing God is who He said He is. We don't have to worry, or get tossed around and confused in our ever changing culture.

In conclusion to this short introduction, I want to give you the tools to decide for yourself. I did this theological workbook years ago and still reference it, linked here. The below is an excerpt from that workbook in leading you to draw your own conclusions based on scripture. Anything outside of the truth of God's Word is speculation, and that leads to sinking sand, your foundation lessens the more you wiggle. I understand that these are "old school" values, and aren't really held in high regard these days and make me closed minded. As for me, I'm thankful to have a rock solid something I can stand on forever. No need to jump around and change my mind every time the wind blows. I am secure in Christ.  As always, my blessing to you is that He will bless you as you seek Him.  Enjoy the below tunes as well as you think through the questions and scripture references.  Housefires has become a favorite band, they are local to Atlanta.




A. Did the Universe, including matter, have a beginning?
Gen. 1:1, Ps. 90:2, Jn. 1:1-3

B. Did the stuff (raw material) of the universe arise spontaneously out of nothing, or did it come from God?
Gen. 1:1-2, Rom. 11:36, 2 Cor. 5:18, Heb. 11:3, 1 Cor. 11:12

C. Are all things "out of" God by a process of emanation or by a free act of God's will expressed in His word?
Ps. 33:6,9; 148:5, Jn. 1:1-3, Heb. 11:3

D. In addition to the initial creative act (Gen. 1:1-2, the immediate creation ex nihilo), what other creative acts are mentioned? List the things said to be created or made on each day (Gen. 1:3-2:3, mediate creation.)

E. Did God employ any existing materials in creating the various things of Gen. 1:3-2:3? (See Gen. 2:7 and consider why the term "make" is employed synonymously with "create" in these passages.)

F. How many times does "after it's own kind" occur in Gen. 1 and 2? How would you define "kind"? With which if any, of the following scientific classifications would you identify kinds of Genesis?
Kingdom Order Genus
Phylum Family Species
Class

G. How much time elapsed between the mediate creative acts? How long were the days? How long were days before the 4th day and after the 4th day?
Ex. 20:11, Gen. 2:4, Josh. 24:7, 2 Chron. 15:3, Lev. 25:8, 2 Pet. 3:8, Jer. 6:1-6, Ezek. 7:7-10, Ps. 90:5-6

In conclusion to all of this, can we believe that God is in complete control of the forces of our universe now, if he was not at its origin? Is matter evil in itself? Is the physical body evil in itself? (1 Tim. 4:4-5 and 1 Cor. 3:21-2). Should you regard any person, animal, or thing as your highest object of concern? On the other hand, should you despise any person, animal or thing God created?