Creation as Foundational Truth, Week 1

I started a new 13-week study in Sunday school on March 6 entitled "Creation as Foundational Truth." The study of creation is extremely important to the understand of the rest of the Bible, and Bible doctrine only makes sense in light of the truth of creation as found in Genesis. Following are a few of the points from week 1.

Introduction

Creation vs. Evolution is NOT “Religion vs. Science,” as so many say today. Neither creation nor evolution can be proven scientifically, since the scientific method cannot be used to look at the past. The past can only be proven historically.

The same data is available to creationists and evolutionists. Data is interpreted according to the creation model or the evolution model. The real issue:  Which model best explains the evidence? Did a new car come into existence by an explosion in a junk yard or was it made in a car factory? The answer is obvious.

The evolution model is based on wishful thinking. “Evolution was invented in order to kill the God of the Bible” (John MacArthur). “Evolution is part of Satan’s plan to get rid of God, to erase God’s signature from the world He created and every person in it” (Dr. Ben Carson). The creation model is based on God’s Word and is backed up by good science and common sense.

Evolution demands design without a designer, order from chaos, life from non-life, information from no information, etc.  All of this is absurd, at best. Even without the Scriptures, common sense and intellectual honesty point to creation rather than evolution.

Creationists should avoid saying “evolution is just a theory.” It isn’t worthy of that title, now that the definition of “theory” has been reworked. Evolution is not really even a hypothesis by the new definition. It is at best only an idea, and not a very good one at that. Evolution is a story that was made up to explain the existence of everything while leaving God out of the picture.

Evolutionists claim the following to be true:  “Evolution is considered the single greatest unifying theory in biology, since it offers a comprehensive explanation for the pattern of similarities and differences that exist in all living things…” (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee biology professor Andrew J. Petto).

This is nonsense, in that it implies no one can understand biology without belief in evolution. The list of creationists with Ph.D. degrees in biology is very long. “Creation is God’s signature, that he created the world and that He created us” (Dr. Ben Carson). Could anyone even think that someone who was Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital doesn't understand science?

We are instructed to contend for the faith. "... contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3).

How do we do this? "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15).

What does this mean?

(1) Be knowledgeable of the Scriptures and be ready to use the Bible to defend what we believe and why we believe it.

(2) Be ready to answer the objections of unbelievers. In the context of creation, understand or be ready to learn about the common arguments evolutionists use.

Never let the other side set the rules.  Evolutionists are fond of saying, "We can debate, but you can't use the Bible." That's like saying, "We can play baseball, but you can’t use your bat or glove.” While we know unbelievers by nature do not accept the Scriptures, and we don't want to just beat them over the head with Bible verses, but we also know that “…the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). God's Word can do a mighty work in a sinner’s heart. Our debating skills will never accomplish that. We should never lay down our most powerful weapon.

Section 1:  The Importance of Genesis:  “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"  (Psalm 11:3).

Basic, obvious truth – God exists. All men know, down deep inside, that God exists. See Romans 1:18-20. Those who deny God are fools, no matter how “smart”  they are. See Psalm 14:1.

It is reasonable that this God who obviously exists would communicate with us. It is also reasonable that God would amplify the witness of the heavens with His written Word.

The Bible is God’s Word, and Genesis is the foundation of the Bible. This is the reason Genesis is always under attack. Genesis 1-11 is the foundation of the foundation. Genesis 1:1 is the foundation of the foundation of the foundation.

"If we can't trust God's word in Genesis, then why are we to trust His Word in the Gospels, particularly when Jesus affirmed Adam and Eve, Noah and the Flood?" (Ken Ham).

Paraphrased quote from John Meyer, PhD:  “I am very pleased that the scientific evidence points to creation, but I believe it because God's Word says He created it, because By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3).

The Bible is our most important and effective weapon in the war for truth. God’s Word is truth. Truth is not found in the alleged science of men that starts with an atheistic and/or evolutionary bias.

If we want to know what happened in the past, we should ask someone who was there. There can be no understanding of purpose and destiny if we don't understand origins. There are two options:  Believe Genesis or not. Either God created or He did not. There are no other options. “Believing in a supernatural creative God who made everything is the only possible rational explanation for the universe, for life, for purpose, and for destiny” (John MacArthur).

What is science? Science means “knowledge.” One cannot “know” that which is false. Much of what is called “science” or “scientific” is most certainly not.

Where does knowledge come from? “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). “Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge  — by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith” (1 Tim. 6:20-21).

Evolutionists believe two pre-conceived notions:  (1) Everything must have a naturalistic explanation, and (2) Evolution is true. Who says so? Certainly not God, and certainly not the evidence. Wishful thinking comes in because humans desperately want to get God out of the picture so there is no one to whom they must answer. (See Psalm 2:1-5.)

Continued next week…