Genesis 1 commences with “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” John’s Gospel begins: “In the beginning was the Word … All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:1-2). Again, in Psalm 33:6-9 we read, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host . . . For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm” (ESV). Clearly, there is no room for evolution in the teachings of the Bible. There is no ambiguity. There is no uncertainty. There is no equivocation. Creation is an act of God.
The Definition of Creation
Creation is that free act of God, whereby for His own glory, and “ex nihilo,” He immediately and instantaneously, brought into existence, out of nothing, the entire visible and invisible universe. By this is meant the immediate creation of God. There is an aspect of creation in which God has made things out of existing materials. For example, in Genesis 2:19 we read, “And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every fowl of the air.” Additionally, we read that “the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul” (2:7). The physical part of man and of the animal creation came from what God had previously and instantaneously created as recorded in Genesis 1:1. This does not mean that these last two came gradually into being, or by process of evolution, but that their physical part came out of existing, previously created material.
The Doctrine of Creation
The Scriptures are clear. Creation of the universe was “ex nihilo,” or out of nothing. Following this original statement in Genesis 1:1, we have the record of creation in more detail. Creation was the result of the Word of God. He spoke and it was so. God did not use evolution, theistic or otherwise, to fulfill His decrees. There were six days of creation. It would seem clear to the reader who approaches the Word with an open mind, and without pre-existing conclusions, that the days were twenty-four hour days. They were marked by a recurring interchange of light and darkness.
The Denials of Creation
There are many denials of the doctrine of creation. Three of these are:
Atheism: Atheism denies the existence of God. David wrote, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’ ” (Psalm 14:1). In order to prove that there is no God to Whom we are accountable, atheistic philosophy has propounded a number of theories to explain the origins of the universe and of life.
Dualism: Dualism states “ex nihilo nuhil fit,” which means that out of nothing, nothing is made. God and matter are therefore seen as both being eternal. The Bible, by contrast, teaches that God preexisted (being the eternally preexistent One) His creation; that He has brought all of the universe and its components into being; and that He is Sovereign over all.
Eternal Creation Theory: This theory teaches that there is a personal, sovereign God, but that His omnipotent character demands that creation was an act of God from eternity. The Bible teaches instead that the universe had a beginning, as also did time.
The Decrees of God in Creation
God’s purposes in creation were with a view to His own glory, that He might display His glory, and that He might receive glory from His creatures. David wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). God’s purpose in the saints is that “we should be to the praise of the glory of His grace” (Ephesians 1:6). The doxology of the twenty-four elders is an expression of God’s purpose in creation. “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:10-11).
The Demands of the Teaching of Christ
The Christian must accept the doctrine of creation for it is the doctrine of Christ. For example, the teaching of the Lord Jesus on the purposes and preservation of marriage was based on the record of Genesis 1-2. If I accept Him in His omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence, as taught in the Scriptures, I must accept His teaching. Jesus taught that man’s beginning was in the Garden of God. The genealogy of the Lord Jesus as recorded by Luke takes Him back to Adam (Luke 3:38). Many other examples of the teaching of Jesus Christ affirm His acceptance of the Old Testament Scriptures as being factual.
The Demands of the Theology of Paul
The great doctrines of the New Testament are based upon the veracity of the Old Testament teaching concerning the origin of man. Colossians 1:12-20 tells us that He “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn (Head, Psalm 89:27) of all creation; For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth.” He is the Christ of Creation. The Doctrine of Soteriology (Salvation) is based on the doctrine of man’s fall in the Garden of God: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world.” If there was no Adam, then there was no fall. If there was no fall, then there was no need of a Savior. The doctrine of salvation would be no more! Thirdly, the doctrine of headship in the church and in creation is based upon the veracity of the Genesis record. Again, regarding order in the church, Paul based his teaching on Genesis 1-3. “For Adam was first formed; then Eve.” The doctrine of the Resurrection is based on the teaching of Genesis: “But now is Christ risen from the dead; For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1Cor 15:20-21). A failure to accept the Genesis record literally, makes it impossible to accept the Words of Christ and the great doctrines of the Bible.
