1. HOW DID GOD CREATE THE UNIVERSE?
Genesis 1:1 — In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:3 — And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (first day)
Genesis 1:7 — So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. (second day)
Genesis 1:9 — And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.”
Genesis 1:11 — Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. (third day)
Genesis 1:14 — And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years.” (fourth day)
Genesis 1:20 — And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” (fifth day)
Genesis 1:24 — And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so.
Genesis 1:27 — So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (sixth day)
Exodus 20:11 — For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them.
God made the universe in six natural and consecutive days, using nothing but his own almighty power.
2. HOW DID GOD CREATE MAN?
Genesis 1:26-28 — Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Genesis 2:7 — And the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.
Genesis 2:18 — The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Genesis 2:21,22 — So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
God made the first man and woman on the sixth day of creation. He made them wise and powerful and holy, something like himself.
3. HOW HAS THE WORLD CHANGED SINCE GOD MADE IT?
Romans 5:12 — Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.
Genesis 6:13 — So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.”
Genesis 7:18,19 — The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered.
Genesis 11:6-8 — The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.
The greatest change since creation is sin. Sin made death necessary. Because of sin God sent a great flood which drastically changed the earth. Because of man’s sinful pride God created different languages which forced men to scatter.
4. WHY WAS THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION DEVELOPED?
(Evolution is the theory that the universe slowly developed into its present condition over billions of years, through strictly natural processes, some of which are still unknown.)
Romans 1:21-23 — For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
Evolution was invented because man wanted to ignore the one true God.
5. HOW DOES GOD CONTINUE THE WORK OF CREATION TODAY?
Acts 17:25 — He himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
Psalm 104:14 — He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate.
Psalm 91:10,11— No harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.
Romans 8:28 — And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.
God is constantly providing for his creatures and protecting them.
6. WHAT IS THE PROPER CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORK IN NATURE?
Psalm 118:1 — Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
We thank God for his goodness to us.
1 Peter 5:7 — Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
We trust God to take care of us.
Psalm 24:1 — The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
We respect God’s ownership of all things and of all persons.
Ephesians 4:28 — He…must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
We feel responsible for the careful use and distribution of God’s property, so that no one will be deprived.
Proverbs 3:9 — Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.
We want to honor God by returning to him the best of all that he has given us.
7. HOW DOES GOD REWARD THOSE WHO RESPECT HIS CREATION?
Psalm 128:1,2 — Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.
Romans 3:23,24 — For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
God will bless our careful use of his creation in spite of our sins. But he grants forgiveness and eternal life only because Jesus paid for our sins.
SUMMARY: God is the source of everything. He made the universe in six days and created man to rule over the earth. All theories of evolution are clearly in opposition to the Bible and they contradict many facts of science. Although sin brought death and great destruction into the world, God still supplies the needs of all creatures. Sometimes he does this through miracles, but usually through natural means. A Christian therefore wants to make use of God’s creation in harmony with God’s will. So he will use the works of creation to honor God and to serve his fellow men. God will bless those who use his creation with care and respect. But he grants us forgiveness and salvation only because Jesus died for our sins.
QUICKIE QUIZ (T or F)
- ___ God made everything in just six days.
- ___ The earth is about 4.5 billion years old.
- ___ Man and the ape are distant relatives.
- ___ God made man to look like God.
- ___ The world’s geography was changed drastically by the flood.
- ___ Most scientists accept the theory of evolution.
- ___ God is still creating things today.
- ___ God will never let a Christian be harmed.
- ___ God’s beautiful world is evidence of his love for us.
- ___ We have the right to do as we please with our own property.
WHERE DOES THE BIBLE SAY
-
Exodus 20:11 — For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them.
-
Genesis 1:27 — So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (sixth day)
-
Genesis 11:6-8 — The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.
-
Psalm 91:10,11— No harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you. to guard you in all your ways.
-
Psalm 24:1 — The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
For more information you can watch this lesson presented as a Bible study HERE. Please click HERE to find the complete series of Bible studies.
Previous Lesson – #14 God’s Guide For Christian Prayer
Next Lesson – #16 Which God Is Our God?