About creation, and re-creation

For many years, archeologists have been studying the great pyramids of Egypt.  They have been trying to figure out what they are made of.

Some believe the stone was cut out of quarries, and some believe they were some type of cement, mixed together and left to harden.

But one thing they all agree on……. is that, the pyramids were made out of something.

Would you agree with that?

Yes, in fact whenever man makes anything, a car, a house, or a meal….He makes it out of things that already exist.

So based on this reasoning, a wise man named Lucretious, about 2100 years ago wrote, “Nothing can be created by divine power out of nothing”

Guess what, it made sense to him.

He reasoned it out… We can do that too, but he was wrong, and we would be as well.

What God did by His divine power IS beyond all reason and logic. That God can create something out of nothing…….Can only be understood by Gods gift of faith.

By faith we understand that the world and everything in it was created by the Word of God, so as (Hebrews 11:3) say’s specifically:

³ By faith we understand that the universe was created by the Word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

God’s miraculous act of creation, of creating everything out of nothing is one of the most encouraging things for us to remember.

God has not only created you and I, but he has done much more than even that, even though we have all fallen away from God because of sin, he has made a way of re-creating us, to bring us back,

And to connect us to Himself through His gift of faith. I think we have all heard (Psalm 51:10)

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me”.

And (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“Therefore, if anyone is “in Christ”, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come”.

Again, Not ONLY with the universe,

but God’s ability to create something out of nothing is absolutely crucial to us. He doesn’t demand that you bring anything to make you into a new creation. He doesn’t even require your virtue, or the goodness that you think you already have in you.

Not even faith.

God makes things out of nothing. He even creates the “required” faith in you. Through His Word and Spirit, God creates faith in you………..

Out of nothing.

From the very beginning, your re-creation, your salvation, depends on God and God alone.

Remember (Ephesians 2:8-9).

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

This re-creation, even this faith, is a gift of God. Not something you already have or contribute.

It’s a good thing too. For the wages of sin is death.

You can do absolutely nothing to save yourself from the curse of your sin and failures. We should rejoice every day, that just like the initial creation was created out of nothing.

Our faith and salvation were created out of nothing by our heavenly Father.

(Romans 4:17) tells us even more, saying:

“As it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

When God created Adam and Eve,

He specifically commanded that they do not eat from the tree in the middle of the garden of Eden. But the Devil, knowing what God had said, cleverly came to Eve and said the deceiving words “Did God really say?” planting seeds of doubt.

Satan went even further by suggesting that if she would only eat of the tree her eyes would be open, and she would be like God, knowing good and evil from (Genesis 3:5).

The Devils deception appealed to Eve’s thinking…… to her reason, or logic. She disobeyed God’s Word, and ate the forbidden fruit,

Adam also ate.

And as a result of their doubting Gods Word, a terrible curse came upon Adam and Eve………… But Adam and Eve only?

NO, not Adam and Eve only,

This is really important in understanding the Message of the whole Bible. And we can be certain of that from (Romans 8:20)

²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 

The whole creation.

ALL of creation was corrupted, when Sin was brought into it. No one escapes original sin, no one.

What some call the so called “age of accountability”…………….. has nothing to do with accountability to sin.

David understood this when he wrote the beautiful Psalm 51. In vs 5 He wrote:

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
    and in sin did my mother conceive me.

We need all of God’s gifts, His means of grace, early and often.

Even now, just as the Devil tempted Eve to doubt God’s Word, he tempts us to doubt that God really created the world in six day’s

In His Word, (In Genesis 2:1) God tells us that in six days the Heavens and the Earth were competed, and all their hosts.

The devil tempts us, that if we would only doubt God’s Word, and believe the evolution theory that the world needed thousands, and even millions of years to come into existence, then like Eve, our eyes would be opened.

Each time the Devil tempts you to doubt God’s Word, you are at a dangerous spiritual crossroad.

So always remember that when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s Word, the most horrible consequences followed………….

And we struggle with them today.

And just like that, if you let the devil tempt you to doubt God’s own explanation of His creation, and believe man’s deceptive theories of evolution, serious consequences will also follow.

Every single part of God’s Word was given for a reason, and though every part of it is NOT meant to be taken literally, every Word says what God wants to say, for us. And whether it be written in the style of poetry, or parable, or as Genesis is written; to be seen from mans perspective on earth because we do not have the mind or ability of God

It is all saying exactly what God wants to say to us, and there is not an error in it.

If you make a decision to doubt some of God’s Word. Any of it. Then you cannot put true faith and trust in any of it. And that is the very goal of the devil.

Even as far back as the reformation era 500 years ago debates were being had about how long the “Days” were that are mentioned in Genesis. As some of the reformers did back then,

Let us confess our lack of understanding of how God created the entire universe out of nothing, rather than distort and alter the Word to make it fit our wise and bright minds,

Lets not forget the words of Paul to the Corinthians in (1 Corinthians 1:27) “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

Some will not believe the miracle of creation, but then they will claim to believe the miracle of Jesus being raised from the dead.

Some will believe both, but then not believe Christ makes Himself present in the holy supper.

Or that the Holy Spirit is not given in Baptism as we are clearly told. We must believe it all, or we will never know when the doubt will creep in.

Just as he came as a serpent, the devil is even today hiding and waiting to strike us with doubt, hoping to lure us away from God’s living, and life giving Word.

The devils temptation to doubt God’s Word regarding creation and His many other promises is great, and we know the struggle…… over what to believe and not believe is not an easy one.

But with the power of the Word, and your trust in it, rather than your own flawed wisdom, you can believe (Psalm 33:9) that says

“God spoke, and it was done”

Listen to (Romans 11:36) “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen”.

The satanic lie is this, man evolved, step by step, from a monkey.

A theory is defined as, “a supposition to suppose, or a system of ideas intended to explain something

Darwin’s theory of evolution could just as easily be called Darwin’s idea of evolution, or, what Darwin supposed or thought about evolution.

In fact in Darwin’s own words, He said “this is what I think”

And even though many in the scientific world acknowledge that evolution is a theory, when this theory is presented, it is presented as fact. Especially to Children.

If Children see a progression from monkey to man, they do not question it. We must trust God’s divine Word, and not Satan’s deception.

Reading His Word, the Holy Spirit tells us in (Genesis 1)

“Then God said”, let the Earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, Cattle and creeping things and beasts of the Earth after their kind,

And…. it….. was….. so.

God made the beasts of the Earth  and everything else and God saw that it was good. (yes even monkeys are beasts).

Through His Word the Holy Spirit specifically states that God created all the animals……including the monkeys……animals.

Then in Genesis 2, in a totally separate act of creation,

God created man. God formed man out of the dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.

When Christians speak about the creation of all the world, they must take ALL theories of evolution off the table.

Then we can trust the Word:

Abiding “In Christ” we can put it together. When we take evolution off the table, what do we replace it with?

Jesus Christ.

Why Jesus? Because it is all over the scriptures:

(Colossians 1:16) For by Him all things were created, in heaven andon earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him.

(John 1:3) All things were made through him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.

(John 1:10)  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. 

(1 Corinthians 8:6) yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we exist.

And (Hebrews 1:2) but in these last days He has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world.

He created it ALL through Jesus Christ.

Now, let’s make some more connections.  The same Word, God used to create the World in (Genesis 1:14, 9-11, and 20), and raise Lazarus from the dead in (John 11:43) is the same Word He uses in Baptism to create spiritual life

in (Matthew 28). As Galatians 3:27 reminds us,

For all of you who were Baptized “into Christ”, have put on Christ.

In His Word, God clearly explains how He created the world. He named something and it immediately came into existence. But for us, God’s explanation of how He did it is neither logical nor even reasonable.

(1 Corinthians 2:14) tells us why.

It says: The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

So we rely other scripture like (Hebrews 11:3) that instructs us that; “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the Word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible”.

We should also, by faith, believe that we were re-created by the Word of God. The story of the raising of Lazarus is incredible.

Lazarus was dead 4 day’s to dispel any speculation that he was not all the way dead. In fact the way He was described in the KJV makes it clear when Martha uttered the Words in (John 11:39) “by this time he stinketh”

Then Jesus spoke the life creating Word “Lazarus come forth from the tomb”. Just as with creation, God spoke and it was done. And in (Ephesians 2:1), and (1 Peter 1:23) And you were dead in the trespasses and sins, but you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding Word of God;

Now, there’s is a difference in God’s creation and His re-creation. When God created the Heavens and the earth, it could be seen by the naked eye. But when God re-creates in Baptism, as “New Creations”, we are hidden in Christ.

We see that in (Galatians 2:20)  I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. And in (Colossians 3:3) For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

And finally (Romans 6:4-6) brings it together.

⁴We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

Finally, this is how God again makes you into a new creation out of nothing. No one brings anything to his Baptism either.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved, it is the gift of God, Not as a result of works,

So rejoice!

By faith we know that every day, God is re-creating. Every day He is giving life to the dead even in their trespasses

Just as He did for you and I.

Have faith…… knowing that God is re-creating with His life giving Word. And sustaining us with His life giving Word.

He also offers this through His supper. I won’t go into this too deeply now, but make another connection.

In (Genesis 9:4) we see that Blood is a gift of life. It say’s

“But you shall not eat flesh (of animals) “with its life”, that is, its blood”. The life is in the blood.

Then in (1 John 1:7) we see “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. And finally (Matthew 26:27-28) And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, 

“Drink of it, all of you, ²⁸ for this is my blood of thecovenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

We do not have God calling the whole world in one way, and giving them one chance to do right and get to heaven. We have a loving God, who in many ways and with patience, love, compassion, provision and care, Pours out His grace in many, many ways, simply to be received,

Rejoice!

Dear Lord, each time we think of your wonderful creation, instead of listening to the world that is influenced and driven by Satan, and listening to all kinds of theories, ideas, thoughts, and  “I supposes”   about the idea of evolution. Let us pray like Solomon did,

“Lord, turn our hearts toward you”,

Let us listen to Your own explanation of Your own creation in and through Christ. And In Christ, let Your Holy Spirit strengthen our faith

And let us trust……… that in Him all things hold together.