“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 (Read Genesis 1)
The opening words of the Bible, those found in Genesis 1:1, proclaim a foundational truth upon which all of Christianity rests: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
If these words are not true, then the rest of the Bible’s claims about man’s accountability to God, God’s impending judgment upon man’s sin, Christ’s redemption, God’s forgiveness and eternal life with Him in heaven are all meaningless.
Those who reject the Bible’s teaching regarding God’s creation have rejected all that the Bible teaches because it is all interwoven and a part of the same truth. Those who do not believe in the God who was there in the beginning and who created the heavens and the earth and everything in them cannot legitimately lay claim to be followers of Christ or to be Christian.
However, in the same way as the work of an artist testifies to the existence and skill of the artist, so the existence and wondrous design of all things testify to the existence and infinite wisdom of an almighty God who created all.
The Bible itself declares, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.” (Psalm 19:1-3).
Everywhere in this world, regardless of people’s race or language, the testimony of all creation cries out and announces to everyone that there is an all-wise, all-powerful God who created all things. The majesty, grandeur, and the very intricacy of all around us say loudly and clearly for all to hear, “There is a God!”
This same God has revealed Himself to all of mankind in His Word, the Bible. From the very first words of the Scriptures, we see that God already was in the beginning when He created the heavens and the earth. We see that not only the Father, but the Spirit was in the beginning; for “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2).
The apostle John writes of Jesus, God the Son: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:1-3).
The one true God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – was there in the beginning and created all things. This same eternal God provided for the salvation of all mankind when the Son became man and paid the due price for our sin by suffering and dying on the cross and rising again from the dead on the third day.
He will still be when this world comes to a close, and He will be our judge. Those who believe on His name, trusting in Him for forgiveness and life everlasting will be saved; but those who do not trust in Him stand condemned already for not believing in the name of God the Son, their Redeemer and Savior (cf. John 3:13-18, 36).
O almighty and eternal God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – thank You for revealing Your majesty to us through your glorious creation and for revealing Yourself and the salvation You have provided for us through Your life-giving Word, the Bible. Amen.
[Scripture is taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]