The Beginning

For the last few days another conversation I had a few years ago has been on my mind. Not sure why, because with this one I haven't really wished I'd said something else.

At one point when I was a youth/young adult pastor in Michigan a discussion began at our young adult Bible study over young earth/old earth. There is scientific evidence for both, and I could make an argument for both if I had to. But in my mind it doesn't really matter all that much to my walk with Christ. I return to my adapted version of a quote from my college Church History professor, "The Bible contains everything you need to know to become like Christ, it does not contain the answers to everything you are curious about."

I don't need to know how old or young the earth/universe is. It really doesn't matter, if it did, the Bible would tell me a specific date. All I need to know to become like Christ is what the Bible tells me.

Genesis 1.1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

Genesis 1.3, "Then God said...and there was..."

Genesis 1.6-7, 9, 11, 14-15, 24, "Then God said...and it was so..."

Genesis 1.20-21, 26-27, "Then God said...God created..."

At the end of each day the Bible tells us "and God saw that it was good."

We can then jump ahead to John 1.1-3, "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 came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being."

That is what we need to know in regards to the beginning of the world. Does it matter to salvation and holiness how old the earth is? No, if it did then God would have told us. Are we curious about it? Of course, and so God gave us science to learn and explore as we try to figure things out. But for me and you to become like Christ, everything we need to know is in the Bible.

In terms of creation, all I need to know is that whenever the beginning was, it was then that God made everything. He created everything that exists by speaking, and when He made it, everything was good.

While science is fascinating, let's not get caught up on the things that we really can't prove and let's not let them become dividing walls among the Church. Let us instead unite around the Truth given to us in the Bible as we strive to become like Christ.

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you