First Things First

First Things FirstFirst-Things-First-2

 

“If you don’t know where your starting point is, then how do you know where you are or where you are going?” A similar statement was made by the Alabama Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Judge Roy Moore, who famously took on the ACLU when he prominently displayed a two-and-a-half ton granite monument of the Ten Commandments in the public courthouse building. Judge Moore believed in the paramount importance of starting with God from whom all morality originates. The Creator is the Lawgiver, and if we do away with the Creator, there is no law. Moreover, without law, there is chaos.

The Creation message is essential for every man and woman, because it establishes an absolute Lawgiver as exemplified by Judge Moore’s efforts in displaying the Ten Commandments. Without the Creator, man is subject to his own depravity leading to his own destruction. It also is essential for the church to recognize that, in this corrupt and decayed world, atheistic evolution has been deceptively substituted for the Creator and Savior, Jesus Christ. Evolution creates a vain, self-serving, no God philosophy disguised as science.

Church leaders must take up the cause of defending the Genesis account by faithfully preaching and teaching these four essential truths to God’s people.

1. Everyone needs to know their origins.
There are basic questions that need to be answered intelligently by our spiritual leaders: where did we come from, how did we get here, who are we and why we are here? Genesis chapter 1 gives us the answer to all of these questions. It gives a starting point, “In the beginning God created.” This includes everything, visible and invisible. In Genesis chapter 1, we also understand who we are and that we are distinct in all of God’s creation because we were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26 -27).

2. God’s Word is constant, powerful, everlasting and it should never be compromised.
The Word of God is eternal and will never pass away (Matthew 24:35). In Genesis 1, we observe that all of creation came into existence through the spoken Word of God. This is confirmed by the expression “And God said” that is repeated 10 times in this first chapter of the book of Genesis. He spoke everything into existence in a chronological order of six days with a seventh day of rest.

We also observe that the creation came into existence with the appearance of age. This included the earth and the rest of the universe. A good example can be seen in Adam and Eve who were created as mature adults. The final point is that God’s Word should never be compromised over so-called scientific findings. Science is carried out by finite human beings who make mistakes. That is why, by its very nature, science is always subject to change.

3. The gospel is based on the correct understanding of Genesis.
Genesis 1 gives the account that, in the beginning, all of God’s creation was “good,” using this expression 6 times. There is no explanation for the curse of sin and death unless it is the result of man’s willful disobedience. This is something that effects the entire creation, as Paul notes in Romans 8:18-23. The Genesis account gives us the reason for our need of the Savior. The apostle Paul wrote, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). The foundation of the gospel is connected to the historically accurate account in Genesis, a redemption that is freely given through Christ, the second Adam and the One who defeated death.

4. There are horrific consequences for not acknowledging the Creator.
Without acknowledging God, and giving thanks to him, humanity will be turned over to their own sinful desires resulting in God’s wrath (Romans 1:18 -31). Men and women need to recognize this and receive God’s provision in the gospel or they will destroy themselves. We see evolution disguising itself as science but, in reality, it is a man made deception intended to prevent the spread of the gospel. This is not an intellectual battle, but a spiritual war (Ephesians 6:12-13), and the consequences of compromising the Word of God with regard to the creation message will be disastrous.

Tom DeRosa is the Executive Director and Founder of Creation Studies Institute, He is an author, teacher, and sought out speaker with a passion to equip other believers with the tools needed to refute the lies of evolution. Tom can be reached at [email protected].

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