Does It Matter?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton
Text: Genesis 1
I. The teaching of evolution has made significant inroads in the beliefs of common man
A. In 1999 Gallup found
1. 47% believed in a recent, special creation
2. 40% believed in a God-directed form of evolution
3. 9% believe a strictly natural-caused evolution
B. In 2019 Gallup found
1. 40% believe in a recent, special creation
2. 33% believe in a God-directed form of evolution
3. 22% believe in a strictly natual-caused evolution
C. Think about it, only a third the people in the United States believe that what the early chapters of Genesis state is literally true. It might be comforting until you find that the wealthier you are or the more educated you are, the less likely you are to believe what the Bible says - I Corinthians 1:19-24
D. But does it matter whether we accept the accounts in Genesis as literally true?
1. After all, it is a part of the Old Testament, and we are under the New Law.
2. It concerns events thousands of years old. Does it matter if those events are tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands year old?
II. How we see the creation affects how we see Jesus
A. Jesus Christ was involved in the creation
1. John 1:1-3 - Nothing was made without the Word
2. But where does Jesus appear in the Creation? - Genesis 1:1-3
a. He is subtly hidden in the phrase “God said.”
3. Colossians 1:13-18 - The universe was created by Jesus and it was created for Jesus and it is sustained by Jesus. In other words, the world has a purpose and that purpose revolves around the Son of God.
4. Hebrews 1:1-3 - Jesus inherits the world that was made through him.
B. So, would you expect Jesus to know when the creation took place and how it took place?
C. Matthew 19:4-6 - Jesus said man was made male and female and that this took place at the beginning.
1. He did not say they became male and female or became human.
2. He did not say that it happened long after the world came into existence.
3. If you do not accept that there were human beings at the beginning of the world, then you are saying Jesus lied.
4. If you believe he was mistaken about this, then how can you be certain there are no other mistakes?
D. Hence, how we see the creation affects our view of Jesus
III. How we see the creation affects our view of the Bible
A. The Bible declares God to be just - Isaiah 45:21; Zephaniah 3:5
B. We are told that we will be judged by God’s word
1. Must keep Christ’s word - John 14:23
2. Will not see death - John 8:51
3. Will have eternal life - John 5:24
C. Does it not follow then that our future hangs on our ability to understand what is expected of us?
1. By reading we can understand - Ephesians 3:3-5
2. Ephesians 5:17 - Commanded to understand. A command that cannot be fulfilled if the Bible is obscure.
D. The Bible gives definite statements regarding the origin of the world, such as that it came about by God speaking it into existence - Hebrews 11:3
1. It tells us how long it took, not only in Genesis, but see Exodus 20:8-11
2. The genealogies even give us a close approximation to when these events occurred.
a. Read Genesis 5:1-11 as an example
b. Is there any room to put thousands of years between the generations?
c. No! Why? Because we are told at what age in the previous generation the next came and the list goes all the way to the sons of Noah in Genesis 5:32 and other lists continue this method.
d. You might argue plus or minus a year due to rounding, but not plus or minus 100,000 years.
3. The only way to get around this is to declare that God didn’t really mean exactly what He said. Just as Peter warned - II Peter 3:16
E. If man can arbitrarily declare Genesis one to be allegorical, then what about the verses that refer to Genesis 1? If man can play fast and loose with one part of the Bible because of his own understanding, then why not other areas? - Proverbs 3:5
IV. How we see the Creation affects our view of truth
A. John 7:15-17 - Jesus teaching (doctrines) were of God
B. This teaching comes to us through the apostles - Acts 2:42
C. It was recorded for us - I Thessalonians 2:13
D. How is it that people argue for women preachers when the Bible says I Corinthians 14:34?
E. How is it that people argue for homosexual members when the Bible says I Corinthians 6:9-10?
F. How do you get people advocating sex outside of marriage when the Bible says Hebrews 13:4?
G. The reason is that people are not persuaded that the entire Bible is absolute truth! - John 17:17
H. Therefore, they believe that the teachings can evolve to adapt society’s views.
I. Yet doctrine is what saves us - Romans 6:17-18; I Timothy 4:16
J. We are to guard against the variableness of false doctrine - Ephesians 4:14-15
K. We must remain in its boundaries - II John 9-11
L. You see the Bible teaches that God created the world by His word - Psalm 33:6-9; Acts 17:24-26.
M. If you can change one doctrine, then any doctrine can be changed and they are being changed!
V. The Bible is clear as to how the world came into being. It is clear when it came into being. It is important that it is accepted just as it is presented.
A. Guard against false knowledge - I Timothy 6:20-21
[Based on a lesson by Wayne Walker.]
