January 29, 2023- If I asked you to close your eyes and picture the beginning of the world, what would you envision? No doubt that some of you would picture dinosaurs, the big bang theory, or even an endless void. If I asked you "How did life start?", some of you would mention microorganisms and the theory of evolution. Yet, an alternative to the scientific approach of the origin of the earth and the origin of life exists.
The Origin of the World and Life
The first sentence of the Holy Bible states, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:11). The next verse goes on to say, “The earth was without form, and void; darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2). The biblical perspective is that God created the world and its contents. According to Genesis 1, God created all things in six days as explained in the table below:
Day | The Things God Created | Biblical Citation |
First | Light, night and day | Genesis 1:3-5 |
Second | Heaven | Genesis 1:6-8 |
Third | Land, seas, grass, herbs, and vegetation including fruit-bearing trees | Genesis 1:9-13 |
Fourth | Seasons, the sun, the moon, and the stars | Genesis 1:14-19 |
Fifth | Sea creatures, and birds | Genesis 1:20-23 |
Sixth | Land animals, and Man “in Our image” | Genesis 1: 26-31 |
On the sixth day, God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). From the first sentence in the Holy Bible, you can discern that “Our” includes God and the Holy Spirit. In spite of this, another person is included in the phrase, “Our image.” The first chapter in the gospel of John states:
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. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John 1:14-15 goes on to explain that:
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”
Let us clarify a some items within John 1:15. First, the John referenced in Chapter 1:15 is not the disciple John that wrote the gospel. In this verse, John the disciple is referring to John the Baptist,. Secondly, John the Baptist bore witness of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, our messiah. John the Baptist was a cousin of Jesus Christ and was born before Jesus Christ. The third thing to clarify is the last part of verse 15, “He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.” How can Jesus come after but still be before John the Baptist?
How Jesus Was After and Before John the Baptist
Revisit Genesis 1:26 where God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness”, and tie it back to John 1:1-2. In this section of the Holy Bible, John explains that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” Thus, Jesus Christ was in the beginning with God and the Holy Spirit. When you read “Our image” in Genesis 1:25, the narrator is speaking to God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
Accepting Jesus Christ
You can accept Jesus Christ in your life today. If you are ready, say this prayer:
God, I confess that Jesus came in the flesh and blood, paid the price for my sins, died on the cross, rose on the third day, ascended to the heavens, and sent the Holy Spirit to help me understand Your ways. For that, I accept Jesus Christ as my savior and Lord, and I welcome the Holy Spirit in my life. In Jesus’s name I pray, amen!
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