In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
In the Beginning: Genesis 1:1
The Galatians 3:28 Ministry
Rob Martorana
January 20, 2017
Today we will look at what the Bible says about creation. We will also
look at what science says about creation. Sometimes the Bible says one thing
and science says another. When the Bible and science disagree, I believe the
Bible. You should, too, and I’ll explain why. But first let me explain why God
wants me to preach on this topic.
I have spent a great deal of my adult life pondering the issue of
creation. Creation fascinates me. But I do not want to preach based on what is
interesting to me. That’s silly!
God led me to this scripture because the first verse of Genesis is vital to
your faith. If you doubt this verse, it’s like putting a little bit of sand in your car’s
gas tank. If you doubt this verse it’s like putting a little bit of cyanide on your
English Muffin. If you doubt this verse it’s like getting a little bit of cancer in
your lungs.
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” It’s critical
that you believe this verse with your whole heart. If you doubt it, your faith will
wind up in critical condition, your faith will wind up in intensive care, and your
faith may even wind up in the morgue.
In some ways, this humble verse is the hinge on which your entire faith
turns. If you doubt Genesis 1:1 you will doubt the book of Genesis. And if you
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doubt the book of Genesis, you’ll doubt the Bible. The book of Genesis is the
door to faith and Genesis 1:1 is the hinge on that door.
I hear what you’re thinking: “Who cares? This has nothing to do with
salvation.” Or maybe you’re thinking: “I am sick, broke, alone, and addicted. All
this talk is a waste of time. Just give me Jesus!”
Well, you’re dead wrong.
You are dead wrong because Genesis 1:1 is vital to your faith. This
verse is vital because doubt has weakened the faith of many disciples.
You need rock solid faith in the entire Bible. When the darkness of the
midnight hour sweeps over your timid soul you need to know your Bible is
absolutely, positively, 100% true, in all that it affirms. The Bible is without error,
and certainly without error about the most basic things it describes!
Doubt is a weed that can choke off the fruit of your faith. Do not let the
Devil sow seeds of doubt about what the Bible says, and certainly not doubt
about a foundational Scripture such as Genesis 1:1.
And don’t be selfish! Preaching is not always about you and your
needs. Many souls are lost each and every day because of the doubts that the
Devil is sowing about Genesis 1:1. The Devil is spreading the seed of doubt,
and these weeds have sprouted among every race, class, and nation.
A Side Note About Doubt
By the way, do you know what you’re supposed to do with your doubts?
You’re supposed to doubt them. And do you know what you’re supposed to do
with your beliefs? You’re supposed to believe them. We’re supposed to
believe our beliefs and doubt our doubts.
But we get it all mixed up. We wind up believing our doubts and
doubting our beliefs. Don’t do it! Put your doubts in the trash where they
belong.
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After you put out the trash you need to grab hold of the righteousness
that God has commanded! Grab hold of God’s precious promises! Grab hold
of the abundant life, the power of prayer, and the joy of your salvation. Drop
your doubts and grab hold of your beliefs!
What the Bible Says
Let’s turn to what the Bible says about creation. The first book of the
Bible says there was a beginning to everything we see, and that God created
“the heaven and the earth.”
Have you ever meditated on what this means? Or do you just say to
yourself: “Well, I believe it. I guess. I’ll just pray for faith to believe.”
Wow—that sounds like a lazy Christian to me. God gave you a mind,
didn’t He? Jesus said in Matthew 22:37:
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy mind.”
You shall love the Lord with all thy mind. Did you stop reading the verse
before you got to the end? It’s not that long.
Isaiah 1:18 says:
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your
sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be
red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
And Romans 12:2 says:
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Renew your mind! Jesus commanded us to love God with all our mind.
We need to think sometimes!
I’m tired of lazy Christians who don’t want to use their minds. You know
you can tell? They talk like a parrot, repeating words without understanding
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what they’re saying. Or they memorize scattered portions of God’s word but
they don’t meditate on it. And as soon as you ask them a question about a
Bible verse, they get upset. “Don’t make me think! That hurts!”
And it gets worse when a lost soul asks a question. A lazy Christian
can’t answer in plain English. They can’t answer because they don’t really
know what they believe. So they get mad when a question reveals their
ignorance of the Bible and of God’s will.
Laziness is one way to misuse your mind. Here’s another: You always
like to have your own spin on the Bible. You use your mind, but you use it to
follow men and not Christ. Paul warned us about intellectual vanity in
Colossians 2:8:
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,
after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not
after Christ.
And Peter warned us about the vanity of hidden mysteries in Second
Peter:
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private
interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of
man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy
Ghost.
2 Peter 1:20-21
The Bible is a public book that is subject to public interpretation. We
don’t get to privately choose how to interpret it. We come together to reason,
to learn, and to meditate on God’s laws and His promises. So let’s use our
mind when we read the Bible, starting with the first five verses of Genesis.
Biblical Creation
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
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2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness
was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved
upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided
the light from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called
Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
God created the heaven and the Earth on the first day. And the Bible
says that God completed all of creation in six days.
“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it
was very good. And the evening and the morning were the
sixth day.”
Genesis 1:31
God created everything in six days of 24 hours each, and God rested
on the seventh day. That is why we rest on the Sabbath. (Genesis 2:3 and
Exodus 20:8-10)
Some people might debate the word “day” in Genesis. Some people
say this word could mean “ages of time.” Some say the word day is being
used metaphorically rather than literally.
I believe that God created the universe in six days of 24 hours each
because that is how the word “day” is used throughout Genesis. Six days also
makes sense because God commands us to rest on the Sabbath day just has
He rested on the seventh day.
The Sabbath rest is a single day of 24 hours. God doesn’t not
command us to rest for a Sabbath “age” or some metaphorical time. God
commands us to rest for the same period of time that He rested. So six-day
creation makes sense.
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That’s what the Bible says about creation. Now what does science say
about creation?
Science and Creation
The consensus among scientists today is that the universe evolved
over billions of years. There was an explosion called the Big Bang, followed by
stellar development, planetary formation, and biological evolution through
genetic variation and natural selection. God is not in the picture.
I believe that this scientific picture has serious mistakes. It starts with
the right idea: Creation of everything out of nothing. But then it has the wrong
time frame: billions of years instead of days.
Here is my main point: The Bible is right and conventional science is
wrong. Established science has been wrong before and it is wrong again here.
Some people like to believe that we live at the apex of history and knowledge,
and that modern science cannot change. But the history of science shows that
established theories often change.
Science Changes and the Bible Does Not
Why would I doubt the scientific explanation of creation? Why would I
doubt the current scientific consensus? Here are four reasons:
1. Established science changes over time.
1. Science changes in the short run: Is green tea
healthy or unhealthy? It depends on whom you ask.
The science of nutrition is new, and it has constant
revisions. The jury is still out on green tea.
2. Science changes in the long run: Is the universe
eternal or was it created? It depends on when you
ask. The scientific consensus in the 17th century was
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that the universe was changeless and eternal. This
theory dominated science for more than 200 years,
until Einstein’s ideas replaced Newton’s ideas.
2. Science cannot explain origins: Science cannot explain the
origins of the most important things that exist: The universe, life,
consciousness, or free will. Scientific theories abound, but an honest scientist
will admit that the theories are mere speculation. The science of origins must
change because it is so fragile, flimsy, and foolish.
3. Scientific funding supports a materialistic worldview: Science
that confirms materialism is richly funded, while science that confirms religious
beliefs is poorly funded. This is what you’d expect in a world dominated by
money and practicality, rather than truth and spirituality. It is also what you
would expect when the scientific consensus is biased against any type of
supernatural explanation. The disdain for religion has altered the direction of
basic scientific research, and any science that implies God is neglected.
4. Scientists are afraid of ridicule: Universities and governments
tend to strictly separate religion and science. In the current atmosphere,
individuals who believe in God are considered inferior scientists, and theories
that imply the existence of God are openly ridiculed. Scientists are afraid of
losing their jobs, their academic status, and the intellectual respect of their
peers.
I believe that these reasons help explain why science is wrong about Biblical
creation: Theories change, science cannot explain origins, scientific funding is
biased, and scientists are often afraid. If history shows anything it shows that
science changes but the Bible does not.
The Bible and Science Disagree
The Bible is our final authority. Therefore, in order for us to be
intellectually honest, we must admit the Bible offers a view of creation that is at
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odds with the majority of scientists and scientific theories in 2017. That is the
current state of affairs.
We can try to reconcile faith and science by twisting Scripture or by
ignoring science. But we can’t wiggle out of this dilemma like a weasel.
Instead, God calls us to have faith and courage: We need faith to accept
Biblical creation and courage to disagree with science that contradicts Biblical
creation.
Moving on, let’s assume that we have both faith and courage. There is
yet another danger lurking for Bible believers.
Christian Pride and Arrogance
Sometimes Christians say: “The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles
it.”
The first two parts are true: “The Bible says it and I believe it.” But when
we say “that settles it,” is a sign of pride and arrogance.
First of all, we Christians sometimes disagree among ourselves about
exactly what the Bible says and how to interpret it. There is room for honest
disagreement among saved Christians. When we say “That settles it” we are
saying that we fully understand the Word of God. That’s not just proud, it’s
ridiculously proud.
The Bible tells us is to avoid some disagreements. “But avoid foolish
questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for
they are unprofitable and vain.” (Titus 3:9) There is a time and place to
contend for the faith, and we trust God to show us how and when.
A Proud Spirit Is a Feeble Witness
Our spiritual pride leads to sin. Our pride can make us say stupid things
about issues that we don’t really understand. Our pride leads us to start talking
out of our hat, and we tell lies out of arrogance, ignorance, or both. Our pride
spreads a virus of vain conceit that hurts our Christian witness. The Gospel is
spread by declaring God’s truth, and not by spouting off our own opinions
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about things we don’t understand. Allow me to offer a few examples of pride
and envy.
You’ve probably noticed that some people can sing better than others.
Some people have God-given gifts that make their voices more melodious and
pleasing to the ear. I cannot sing well, but I admire people who do.
You’ve probably noticed that God has also given some people natural
talents with mechanical things. Some people have a real knack for fixing cars
and I admire them. I may not understand everything they do, but they
understand an engine and a transmission better than I do.
Now most Christians would admire a great singer or a great auto
mechanic. But if you mention a scientist, many Christians start to get envious.
God has given some people natural gifts when it comes to science.
Scientists may understand things that I do not, and I admire their gifts and
their knowledge. I hope you do, too.
Unfortunately, I have found that while Christians admire singers and
mechanics, many of us like to make fun of both science and scientists. This is
envy, plain and simple. And it hurts our Christian witness when we are proud,
arrogant, or envious.
Envy Hurts Our Christian Witness
Unfortunately, many of us Christians are happy to lecture scientists
about things that we don’t understand.
If you are talking to a singer, you would not lecture her about harmony
and melody. If you are talking to an auto mechanic, you would not lecture him
about brakes and transmissions. But when we talk to scientists, we can’t keep
our mouths shut. If you talk to an expert in digital telecommunications, you
should not lecture him about cell phones. We should stick to what we know.
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So don’t lecture a biologist about evolution. The word evolution is not in
the Bible. Stick to what you know and you’ll avoid obvious mistakes.
When Christians make mistakes about visible things, we lose credibility about invisible things. If we make mistakes about things that we
can see, why should people trust us about things that we cannot see? If we
make stupid mistakes about science, why should people trust our witness for
Jesus Christ?
We need to be humble in our witness. We need to be honest in our
witness. And we need to have courage in our witness. These are Biblical
standards. Let me talk for a minute about standards.
Standards
When I am leading a discussion, I take personal responsibility for
fostering a spirit of honesty, humility, and courage. Here are the three
standards I use as a moderator:
1. Biblical truth
2. Intellectual humility: We must recognize our limits.
3. Intellectual courage: We must be willing to confront false beliefs.
Truth, humility, and courage: These are our standards for discussion
and we hold them high. When we witness to people we will not always agree
with them, so we must hold our tongues. We speak the truth in love. We do
not puff ourselves up or mock other people. These sins hurt our Christian
witness. So let’s lift our standards and hold our tongues.
Back to the Main Point
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The first chapter of Genesis describes the creation of the heaven and
the Earth. Genesis describes creation in six days. God created everything in
six days and He rested on the seventh day. That is why we rest on the
Sabbath.
I believe that God created the universe in six days because that is how
the word “day” is used throughout Genesis. I respectfully disagree with
Christians who believe in a different time period for creation.
I realize that six-day creation implies a young Earth, and this disagrees
with established science. Many fields of science offer evidence that the
universe is billions of years old. These fields include astronomy, cosmology,
geology, and genetics. So in order to be intellectually honest, I must openly confess that my beliefs in Biblical creation directly conflict with mainstream science. My beliefs about creation are considered pseudo-
science, junk science, or an outright lie.
As Christians, the Bible is our final authority. So we must accept the
scorn and ridicule that comes with a sincere belief in simple truth.
Personally, I believe that science will change. I have already seen
science change its views about evolution, which is under heavy attack by
secular scientists. Evolution would already be a dead theory if it didn’t have
religious implications. Scientific materialists hold on tight to evolution since it
lets them off the hook when it comes to God. Scientists will eventually change
their view on the theory of evolution, the universities will reluctantly follow
along, and public opinion will follow after that. In the meantime, let’s pray for
patience.
Scientists have also changed their views about the origin of the
universe, and they have changed in favor of Biblical creation. 200 years ago
the scientific consensus was that the universe was static and eternal; only
fools said that the universe was created out of nothing. Today most scientists
believe in the Big Bang. This theory has a different time scale than Biblical
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creation, but some elements of the Big Bang look an awful lot like the Bible: “In
the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
Was It Chance or Choice?
Conventional science says that random processes formed the universe.
Scientific materialism says that the universe was formed by chance, and not
by choice.
But the fundamental laws of physics provide direct evidence of God, not
blind chance or impersonal forces. God is the ultimate law giver, and He wrote
the laws of physics. These laws are precisely tailored for human life and show
that the universe was designed by God. The mathematics of probability offer
overwhelming evidence that the laws of physics were written by choice, and
not by chance.
What are the odds against human life? What are the odds that the fine-
tuning of the universe happened by chance? The odds are like hitting a
bullseye with an arrow from 20 billion light-years away. And then doing it five
times in a row. The odds are like picking a single grain of sand out of all the
sand on Earth. And picking the right grain twenty five times in a row. The
universe has clear evidence of design for those with eyes to see.
Free Will
Conventional science also has no explanation of free will, so many
scientists deny that it exists. (They deny free will until they are the victim of a
crime—then they cry for justice).
Is free will an illusion? 200 years ago it looked like it was impossible.
Classical Newtonian physics suggested that we had a clockwork universe. The
universe worked on a set of fixed laws that predicted everything. It was hard
for science to show how man could have free will.
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But in the last 100 years scientists have developed a theory called
quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanics offers scientific explanations for
human consciousness and choices. Quantum mechanics is a fully functional
science that makes lasers and computers possible. So quantum mechanics is
more than just speculation.
If quantum mechanics is true, then people really do have choices. This
makes many scientists uncomfortable, so they stick to the technology and they
ignore the theology. I guess it’s easier for some people to design a computer
than it is to believe in God.
Conclusion
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” There is
more scientific evidence for this than ever before. As the years pass, more
scientific theories are being developed that align with Biblical creation. Today,
mainstream scientists can fully embrace the first verse of Genesis. Someday,
mainstream scientists will embrace the first chapter of Genesis.
What about you and me? Our job as a Christian witness is to get out of
the way. Preach Jesus and let scientists be scientists.
Believe your beliefs and doubt your doubts. There is no need to mock
science. Just be patient: God will reveal everything in His own time.
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