August 17th 2014
“In The Beginning” He Was, Before He Created All Things, He Was!
John 1:1-4 (NIV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
“In the beginning” He was, before He created all things, He was! Some people ask who or what created God? We become confused by trying to have God as being part of the creation, but He was always in existence. We cannot comprehend anything even God as an eternal being. Therefore, we have difficulty believing that a part of us is also eternal. Our soul is immortal, it will never die. Yes, our human body will eventually die, but our soul lives on for eternity. We have an opportunity in this lifetime to select where our immortal soul will reside when we die. Our soul will either go to heaven, and be with God, or it will go to hell, and be with Satan. Only by choosing Jesus as our Lord and Savior will allow our soul to spend eternity with God.
Paul wrote about this in his letter to the church of the Colossians. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:13-17)
Evolution (uniformitarianism) teaches that death has been around for millions, or even billions of years, and it has no connection to sin. This undermines the Gospel, because if death has no connection to sin, then how could Christ’s death pay for our sins? Note, also what Paul wrote about Jesus, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” If there was a “big bang” that caused everything that exists in all of creation, then what causes all of creation to continue to hold together? Atheists came up with evolution, as they do not believe there is a god or gods, therefore, the ‘big bang” had to create itself, as there was nothing before it occurred.
Many Christians believe in evolution, and they believe God used it to create everything. I wonder why God allows some of us to believe He created everything from nothing. Maybe it is because that is what His Word the Bible reports? At least that is how I understand it! Is it possible that God has allowed His followers to be so confused by studying His Word? Judas Iscariot remained unsaved even though he spent three years living with the greatest teacher who ever lived as a man on this earth! If Jesus could be the teacher to all those Christians who believe that He used evolution to create everything, would they then believe He also could have revealed to Moses what to write about special creation in Genesis?
Jesus did believe in special creation, there is evidence of this found in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, here Jesus is explaining why divorce is not right. "Haven’t you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’, and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Matthew 19:4-6) This description is of course, explaining marriage first, so that it lays the foundation for why divorce is wrong.
See how Mark wrote this account too. "It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. "But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female’. ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. ’ So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Mark 10:5-9) This is just one example of Jesus profession and teaching that mankind was a special creation, as He says, "Haven’t you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female.” Jesus is asking here, Haven’t you read in Genesis about how God created Adam and Eve as human beings, not some animal waiting to be evolved into mankind!
The writer of the book of Acts wrote about Paul’s attempts to persuade the Jews about Jesus being the long awaited Messiah, and he had some success, see the following.
They replied, "We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of the brothers who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect." They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.
Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: "The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet: "‘Go to this people and say, "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving." For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
"Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!" (Acts 28:21-28)
Most of the people reading the above encounter of Paul with the Jewish leaders of his time, may wonder why some were convinced, but others did not believe that Jesus was their Messiah. Most of those reading this also would be considered as Gentiles, based on the criteria used at that time to call someone a Gentile. As I read this, it made me wonder, are the Gentiles, or those also now known as Christians still listening? Paul talked here about how God was opening up His salvation to this new sect, because as he states, “they will listen!" It makes me wonder if times have changed much as the Christians still seem to fit this description of how many people feel about this, then new sect! In today’s world we are called Christians, and it still persists, “for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect."
Let’s close this commentary with a positive comment from Peter about being a Christian “forever!” However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. (1Peter 4:16)
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
John 1:1-4 (NIV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
“In the beginning” He was, before He created all things, He was! Some people ask who or what created God? We become confused by trying to have God as being part of the creation, but He was always in existence. We cannot comprehend anything even God as an eternal being. Therefore, we have difficulty believing that a part of us is also eternal. Our soul is immortal, it will never die. Yes, our human body will eventually die, but our soul lives on for eternity. We have an opportunity in this lifetime to select where our immortal soul will reside when we die. Our soul will either go to heaven, and be with God, or it will go to hell, and be with Satan. Only by choosing Jesus as our Lord and Savior will allow our soul to spend eternity with God.
Paul wrote about this in his letter to the church of the Colossians. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:13-17)
Evolution (uniformitarianism) teaches that death has been around for millions, or even billions of years, and it has no connection to sin. This undermines the Gospel, because if death has no connection to sin, then how could Christ’s death pay for our sins? Note, also what Paul wrote about Jesus, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” If there was a “big bang” that caused everything that exists in all of creation, then what causes all of creation to continue to hold together? Atheists came up with evolution, as they do not believe there is a god or gods, therefore, the ‘big bang” had to create itself, as there was nothing before it occurred.
Many Christians believe in evolution, and they believe God used it to create everything. I wonder why God allows some of us to believe He created everything from nothing. Maybe it is because that is what His Word the Bible reports? At least that is how I understand it! Is it possible that God has allowed His followers to be so confused by studying His Word? Judas Iscariot remained unsaved even though he spent three years living with the greatest teacher who ever lived as a man on this earth! If Jesus could be the teacher to all those Christians who believe that He used evolution to create everything, would they then believe He also could have revealed to Moses what to write about special creation in Genesis?
Jesus did believe in special creation, there is evidence of this found in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, here Jesus is explaining why divorce is not right. "Haven’t you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’, and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Matthew 19:4-6) This description is of course, explaining marriage first, so that it lays the foundation for why divorce is wrong.
See how Mark wrote this account too. "It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. "But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female’. ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. ’ So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Mark 10:5-9) This is just one example of Jesus profession and teaching that mankind was a special creation, as He says, "Haven’t you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female.” Jesus is asking here, Haven’t you read in Genesis about how God created Adam and Eve as human beings, not some animal waiting to be evolved into mankind!
The writer of the book of Acts wrote about Paul’s attempts to persuade the Jews about Jesus being the long awaited Messiah, and he had some success, see the following.
They replied, "We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of the brothers who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect." They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.
Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: "The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet: "‘Go to this people and say, "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving." For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
"Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!" (Acts 28:21-28)
Most of the people reading the above encounter of Paul with the Jewish leaders of his time, may wonder why some were convinced, but others did not believe that Jesus was their Messiah. Most of those reading this also would be considered as Gentiles, based on the criteria used at that time to call someone a Gentile. As I read this, it made me wonder, are the Gentiles, or those also now known as Christians still listening? Paul talked here about how God was opening up His salvation to this new sect, because as he states, “they will listen!" It makes me wonder if times have changed much as the Christians still seem to fit this description of how many people feel about this, then new sect! In today’s world we are called Christians, and it still persists, “for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect."
Let’s close this commentary with a positive comment from Peter about being a Christian “forever!” However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. (1Peter 4:16)
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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