Theology Thursday
Q. 9. What is the work of creation?
A. The work of creation is, God’s making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in the space of six days, and all very good.
Westminster Shorter Catechism
Before sexuality, gender and same sex marriage - the battleground was creation. For centuries it had been taken for granted that six days meant six days. That Genesis 1-3 was literal and so on. But from around 1500 with some serious snowballing in the following centuries, this consensus began to be challenged.
Since then, many Christians have wondered, how vital is it that we believe in a creation out of nothing, in six days and how can we continue to believe when the scientists and the scholars say that our belief has no foundation in fact?
I don’t think it is necessary to believe in a literal six day creation. I do believe it is necessary to believe in a creator God that made all things out of nothing by the word of His power.
This is not simply a Genesis position - it’s a whole Bible position. If God is not the creator then what right does He have to claim ownership over us, our world or our destiny?
This is the claim of the Bible. It’s our origin story that provides a basis for everything that comes after. It’s the beginning that gives context to our end. And so far, Science can certainly tell us many things about our universe. But as yet, nothing that suggests it couldn’t have all been by the power of Almighty God.
For Today:
Pray:
Passages: Genesis 1:1-31, Psalm 33:6, Hebrews 11:3
A. The work of creation is, God’s making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in the space of six days, and all very good.
Westminster Shorter Catechism
Before sexuality, gender and same sex marriage - the battleground was creation. For centuries it had been taken for granted that six days meant six days. That Genesis 1-3 was literal and so on. But from around 1500 with some serious snowballing in the following centuries, this consensus began to be challenged.
Since then, many Christians have wondered, how vital is it that we believe in a creation out of nothing, in six days and how can we continue to believe when the scientists and the scholars say that our belief has no foundation in fact?
I don’t think it is necessary to believe in a literal six day creation. I do believe it is necessary to believe in a creator God that made all things out of nothing by the word of His power.
This is not simply a Genesis position - it’s a whole Bible position. If God is not the creator then what right does He have to claim ownership over us, our world or our destiny?
This is the claim of the Bible. It’s our origin story that provides a basis for everything that comes after. It’s the beginning that gives context to our end. And so far, Science can certainly tell us many things about our universe. But as yet, nothing that suggests it couldn’t have all been by the power of Almighty God.
For Today:
- What do you believe about creation?
- Do you believe it matters what Christians believe and where they get that belief?
- What other areas of Christian belief/practice does science disagree with the Bible? What do you do when this happens?
Pray:
- Praise the Father God for the creation of the cosmos and for His awesome power, beauty and complexity.
- Give thanks for the sunsets, sunrises, the stars in the sky, for the sea and the sand, and for the wonders of our world.
- Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others to see His glory in creation.
Passages: Genesis 1:1-31, Psalm 33:6, Hebrews 11:3
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