Genesis The Implications of Creation Genesis 26 Then

Genesis The Implications of Creation

Genesis 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping that creeps on the earth. ”

Genesis 27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God Romans 1: 19 “…that which is He created him; male and female known about God is evident He created them. - One of the most important within them; for God made it evident to them. ” concepts in the Bible -When we look inside - Flatly contradicts ourselves, we see evidence naturalistic theories there that we were created by an infinite, personal God

Internal Consistency (Presuppositions) Beliefs should match actions. 1. Our actions may demonstrate our true beliefs better than our words 2. When our actions contradict our claimed beliefs, it suggests we are either confused or dishonest Example #2: A friend says he is Example #1: Your friend says he’s concerned about the such aenvironment, good driver, it is but you catch him impossible he will ever a emptying car oil intoget theinstream car accident… behind his house

Argument from Design If these rocks were arranged like this, the arranger must be a thinking, planning, creative, willful being - i. e. a personal being

Internal Consistency (Presuppositions) Beliefs should match actions. Design means a Personal Designer.

Argument from Presupposition: You cannot argue that this happened by accident and yet claim it is meaningful!

Internal Consistency (Presuppositions) Beliefs should match actions. Design means a Personal Designer. Accident cannot produce Meaning. – – – Does your life have meaning or value? Only if your were the product of creation! If humans just “happened” our existence must be meaningless.

Internal Consistency (Presuppositions) Beliefs should match actions. Design means a Personal Designer. Accident cannot produce Meaning. Naturalism cannot produce Morality. – you Everyone there right and wrong. “If want. Knows to get theisplain truth, – Derived from Society? be not concerned with right and wrong. who believe in Law? an infinite, –Those Derived from Natural The conflict between right andpersonal wrong is Matter reacting physical laws Yun-Men, cannot be turned into the sickness of tothe mind. ” creator God believe in morality because God, Buddhist master (Oz Guiness, "The East: No Exit", morality as a moral being, made us moral beings p. 221)See a paper falling…is it right or wrong? – Under naturalism, what is, is right

Internal Consistency (Presuppositions) Beliefs should match actions. Design means a Personal Designer. Accident cannot produce Meaning. Naturalism cannot produce Morality. Human Dignity: by Special Creation. – – Who is unwilling to swat a mosquito? Why kill these but not humans? Why are all people equal? Without a personal, spiritual dimension, “human Humans are significant because we dignity” is nonsense! Eastern Religions: humans have no special place of dignity. were created in the image of God. . .

Internal Consistency (Presuppositions) Beliefs should match actions. Design means a Personal Designer. Accident cannot produce Meaning. Naturalism cannot produce Morality. Human Dignity: by Special Creation. Freedom means we are not predetermined. Eastern Religions also have – Vinegar and soda: a predetermined outcome. When we protest awith rapist orfreedom: a racist, wethat are a– Asproblem thinking Christians we argue If the universe arose strictly from natural law, showing that we believe they are not humans were created with the capacity Karmic Law you are a machine (no matter how complex). determined to do what they do, but are free Includingfree your choices thoughts, urges, personality, etc. to make – If everything is predetermined, nothing matters

Conclusions When we believe people are meaningful, significant, free, moral beings, we HAVE to believe that a purposeful God created them that way And All yet of we these all are know All of these are these incompatible are true of with a incompatible with a humans! pantheistic origin chance origin

Conclusions Romans 1: 19 “…that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. ”

Conclusions Who is God? What is He like? How can you get to know him personally? – Start tonight by taking your search directly to Him…

Christian Considerations: Beliefs should match actions. Design means a Personal Designer. Accident cannot produce Meaning. Naturalism cannot produce Morality. Human Dignity: by Special Creation. Freedom means we are not predetermined.

What it Means These people faced significant choice: – Tree of knowledge of good and evil: Satan: “your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. ” 3: 5 3: 22 And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. ” Now, like God, people needed to look no further than themselves to define right and wrong This tree stood for autonomy, self-rule and unqualified independence.

What it Means These people faced significant choice: – Tree of knowledge of good and evil – The tree of life Life is union with God. Death is separation from God. Matters of good & evil settled relationally. Includes the notion of authority: – Depends on trust. Regained in Christ!

Conclusions When we believe people are meaningful, significant, free, moral beings, we HAVE to believe that a purposeful God created them that way All of these are incompatible with a chance origin

Conclusions When we believe people are meaningful, significant, free, moral beings, we HAVE to believe that a purposeful God created them that way All of these are incompatible with a pantheistic origin

Conclusions When we believe people are meaningful, significant, free, moral beings, we HAVE to believe that a purposeful God created them that way And yet we all know these are true of humans!

Conclusions How you view the origin of humans controls how you view the nature of humans Our own actions show that at some deep level, we know a personal God made us

Conclusions How you view the origin of humans controls how you view the nature of humans Our own actions show that at some deep level, we know a personal God made us God has “made himself evident within us” Rom 1: 19

Conclusions Who is this God and What is he like? How can you get to know him personally and be with him forever?

Conclusions Who is this God and What is he like? How can you get to know him personally and be with him forever? Start tonight by taking your search directly to him Learn the answers to these questions in Genesis

Next Time: Gen. 2: A detailed look at what it means to be created “in the image of God”

Genesis Comments? Questions? Experiences?