From the Archives: A Wonderful Creationist Heritage

It is so important that we focus on God’s perspective concerning ultimate origins. Human theories, hypotheses, speculations and opinions come and go. But the God “who cannot lie” (NKJV, Tit. 1:2), who was there when the world began, has written a perfect book—the Bible—which He requires that we read and believe (Rom. 10:17).

Let us think, then, about the vital and blessed heritage that Christians enjoy as we understand the truths of creationism.

The Bible, God’s unique, inerrant, inspired, infallible written revelation, informs us that the world was not the product of some vague designer (to say nothing of time through chance by mindless evolution), but was the creative work of the Second Person of the triune God, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Through Christ, the eternal Son of God,

all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers [different ranks of angelic beings]. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist [hold together]. (Col. 1:16-17)

Thus, the Father is infinitely concerned “that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father” (John 5:23). The reason for this is that Jesus Christ is the only light of the world (John 8:12). In fact, He is “the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world” (John 1:9). Instead of walking in the light of Christ, who told us that the human race was created and existed “from the beginning of the creation ” (Mark 10:6), many Christians have been deeply influenced by evolutionary or uniformitarian theories (such as theistic evolution, the day-age view, the framework hypothesis, the gap theory or progressive creationism) that put Adam and Eve billions of years after the creation of the earth. In this way, the vital truth of creation is compromised, and biblical foundations are seriously weakened.

To the glory of God the Father, all things in the universe (angels, galaxies, planets and people) were actually created through the Word of God’s Son. “All things were made through Him [i.e., the Word, that is Jesus Christ], and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3; cf. 1:14). In fact, “He was in the world [2,000 years ago], and the world was made through Him, and the world [with tragically few exceptions] did not know Him” (John 1:10).

How can anyone in this age of naturalistic evolutionism really understand the creation record in Genesis 1 and 2? It is not by rationalistic arguments and evidences, because “the natural [unregenerate] man [however brilliant] does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14).

We thank God for the enormous avalanche of recently-discovered evidences of supernatural design in the universe above us and the living world around and within us. Even more amazing are discoveries of the recent origin of our oceans and fossil-filled rock strata—and even radioactive elements—by creation scientists.

But to truly understand the timing, the order and the manner—and thus the significance—of Genesis 1 and 2, we must first know who the Creator Himself really is.

Consider first, then, the timing of creation. Could Christ our Creator have completed His creation work in less than one week? Watch Him performing sign-miracles in the Holy Land at His first coming. Every sick and crippled person He healed was healed instantly! Every dead person He brought back to life was raised immediately! Lazarus was not dragged out of the tomb half-dead, needing months of recuperation (John 11:44). Likewise, it took no time at all for the Son of God to create our first parents, Adam and Eve.

Secondly, the order of creation events is profoundly significant. Why were the sun and moon created after the earth (Gen. 1:14-19), and even after plant life? It was to demonstrate once and for all that the sun is not the source of life (as in evolutionism) or a god to be worshipped (as in most of the ancient world). Job understood this, saying:

If I have observed the sun when it shines, Or the moon moving in brightness, So that my heart has been secretly enticed, And my mouth has kissed my hand; This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment, For I would have denied God who is above. (Job 31:26-28)

No, the sun was not here first. The Son of God was here first, and He alone is to be worshipped by men and angels.

I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things. (Isa. 45:7)

Thirdly, what about the manner in which things were created? This, too, can only be understood by observing how Christ confirmed His true deity during His public ministry. He created highly complex, organic substances with a superficial appearance of age. At a wedding feast He created the juice of grapes without the use of grapes. As a result, “His disciples believed in Him” (John 2:11).

To feed 5,000 hungry men and their families, He created thousands of full-grown, dried fishes. These fishes had never hatched from eggs, never grew and never dried, because they were never wet. They were created with an appearance of history which they never had. As a result, the people said: “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world” (John 6:14).

So, we should not be surprised to find Him creating the full-grown “fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself” (Gen. 1:11). Likewise, the first human beings were not created as babies or even teenagers, but as full-grown adults ready to be married before they were one day old (Gen. 2:22-25; cf. 1:26-28).

How can a person become convinced of such vital truths of creation events apart from knowing who the Creator really is? As the chief of the apostles expressed it, before you “give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you,” you must first “sanctify [that is set apart, honor, respect] the Lord God in your hearts.” Then, and then only, are you truly “ready to give a defense…with meekness and fear” (1 Pet. 3:15).

In sharing these truths, it is my prayer that Christ our Creator, Lord and Savior will be truly honored throughout the world, until He comes again.

“Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20).