The first essential question that faces anyone attempting to build a worldview concerns origins. How did we get here? If we see a turtle on top of a fence post, we can be sure that it did not get there by itself. Until the advent of evolutionary thinking, people understood that we and our world did not create itself. Now that idea is challenged by those who claim that the cosmos created itself. Which side we take in the debate has profound implications.
Origin determines identity, purpose, morality, and destiny; so, getting the answer to the origin question right is extremely important.
That is why the devil, works so hard to get us off course in the beginning of our worldview journey. He knows that if he can deceive us regarding from where we came, he can more easily dupe us in the other areas.
Genesis opens with the following two verses.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:1-2 (ESV)
We learn from these verses that:
- There was a beginning of time, and God was there, hinting that God is eternal.
- God acted to create everything in the visible and invisible realms – the heavens and the earth, implying that he is extremely powerful.
- The waters, light, and what we call earth were the first things created, destroying the Big Bang evolutionary theory of the cosmos.
- Therefore, we were made by God, making us accountable to him. The Creator owns the creation.
- Therefore, what God says trumps every other so-called source of truth.
Creation Reveals Much about the Creator
Whenever we examine anything that has been made, we learn something about the maker. A beautiful watch is a doorway into the mind”Yes!”
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Romans 1:20 (NASB)
Some of God’s attributes are “incommunicable,” meaning they are unique to him and divine. Others are “communicable,” meaning that he shares them with his creatures. Theologians call God’s attribute of power “omnipotence,” which means he is all powerful. It is interesting that Paul wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that God’s power is eternal, which is an inference we can make from seeing that God was present in the beginning. He predates the beginning. Later in the Bible we find out that God has no beginning or end. He is eternal. God has placed something in the heart of mankind that is drawn toward eternity. The author of Ecclesiastes wrote that God has “…set eternity in the hearts of men…” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV)
What can we discern about God’s divine nature? One of the children in our small group responded to this question by saying that God is “amazing, fantastic, and surprising.” (Not bad for an 8-year old!) We can also tell that he is creative and good. We gather that God appreciates beauty, complexity, and diversity by observing the world he created. Perhaps a very good exercise would be for us to ask ourselves, what else can we discover about God by thoughtfully observing his creation?
Is the Bible Narrative a Satisfying Explanation of Our Origins?
In order to be open and honest, we should ask ourselves if we have ever encountered another satisfying explanation of how things came to be.
Does our explanation of origins satisfy our intellectual curiosity and resonate as being true in our hearts?
There are certainly a variety of theories out there, one of which is materialistic evolution. This theory of origins usually starts with the “big bang,” which posits an extraordinary explosion which originated the cosmos. One problem with this explanation is that it is merely an hypothesis regarding the mechanics of how the universe came to be, without answering the question of origins. It does not tell us where the big bang’s matter and energy originated. In other words, what was before the big bang? This fails to pass the intellectual test and the heart test.
Evolutionary theory assumes the presence of the material world, without trying to explain its origin, and tries to explain life’s origin in terms of chemical and physical processes taking place over untold eons, without God’s being in the picture. Since this is not a scientific paper, I will not attempt to show all the problems related to this unprovable hypothesis. If you are interested, you can do your own research at the Creation.com website. A very informative video is available, entitled Evolution’s Achilles Heels, which I highly recommend. Let me summarize my objections by saying that science has already proved that it is impossible for matter to move from chaos to complexity without the application and maintenance of external energy. This is called the law of entropy. Things fall apart naturally, not self-create. Our complex and ordered world demands a Creator.
It is obvious that I accept the Bible’s explanation that we and the cosmos were created God, whose genius we have been studying for centuries. For those who believe in God, the biblical account satisfies the heart, but intellectually we may find it lacking. This is because Adam’s and Eve’s first sin was to choose to understand things for themselves rather than simply trust in God. Since then the devil has used the same ruse against us. Unsaved people do not want to have to rely on what God says. Instead, we want to figure things out for ourselves. This is the test of the ages: will we believe God or our own intellect?
Once we decide that God’s Word is always true, the biblical account satisfies our intellectual curiosity. We can devote ourselves to discovering more about his creation without wandering down dead ends of human speculation.
The Deliberate Suppression of Truth
Those who refuse to acknowledge God’s existence usually work hard to refute the Bible’s creation narrative.
Sadly, in the pursuit of the world’s validation, many Christians have decided that the Bible’s account of creation is little more than a fairy tale.
Evolution, when it was first introduced, was readily embraced by communist leaders, because they thought validated heir atheistic worldview. If people are determined to believe that there is no God, it is easy to understand why Darwinism is so attractive. It appears to lend some scientific credibility to a biblically unsupportable viewpoint. Over the decades following, evolution has gained wide acceptance, being taught as fact in our school systems. Those who wield power in academia suppress the teaching of creationism, insisting that evolution must be accepted as a scientific fact, when it is actually an unprovable hypothesis.
Those who accept the existence of the biblical God also believe that there is an archenemy, Satan, whose plan is to destroy faith in God as the Creator in young children in order to subvert God’s plan and purpose for their lives. It is revealing to see how creationism is suppressed in public schools. It is ridiculed, mocked, and often ignored. Creationist teachers often face the wrath of other teachers and the administration. This is no accident.
On the other hand, the truth can stand on its on merits. Because of this, those who oppose God’s truth must try to squelch or suppress it.
Evolutionists fear the power of the truth they have chosen to suppress.
Children are naturally disposed to believe that there is a Creator, unless they are brainwashed to believe a lie. We are going to believe something; so, it is far better to believe the truth than to believe a lie. From where did this proclivity to believe come? If we accept the Bible account, we must conclude that it was built in to us at creation. What a travesty it is when childlike faith is undermined by a deliberate suppression of truth!
Conclusion
No matter to which side of the origins debate we are drawn, all of us bring to the table certain unprovable presuppositions. The evolutionist presupposes without proof that there is no God; whereas, the creationist presupposes the very opposite. Every worldview depends on such a priori beliefs.
After becoming a follower of Christ and accepting the truth of the Bible, I have found great joy in acknowledging the kindness, wisdom, and power of the God I serve! For me, the creationist approach to origins passes the heart test and the intellectual test.
One does not have to commit intellectual suicide to believe the biblical account of creation; however, we may suffer at the hands of those who hold power and believe in a godless worldview. The suppression of truth requires those in power to use any means possible to slap down those that question their orthodoxy.
Unless we are willing to endure suffering for the sake of truth, we will likely suppress our voices in speaking out against the lie.
When we admit that the heavens and earth could not possibly have self-originated and recognize that we owe our existence to the Creator God, it automatically sets us up to be able to answer the other worldview questions correctly.
- We will see that knowing where we come from helps us to know our identity.
- Knowing our identity helps us to understand our purpose.
- Understanding our origin, identity and purpose gives us insight into how to determine what is right and wrong.
- Finally, we will also be able to understand what is our destiny.
A proper understanding of origins is a fountainhead of truth, which is why we must make sure that we completely accept Genesis Chapter One.
It opens up a path of revelation into the heart of God that, if followed to the end, provides us with the ability to live with purpose and joy.
