Origins Matter

“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”

—Hebrews 11:3—

There’s been a lot of media attention given to recent announcements in the general scientific community over “proof” of the Big Bang Theory’s reality (i.e., that everything began from matter and not from God).

The Bible clearly claims God’s creative power over everything:

• “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
• “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth” (Psalm 33:6).
• “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (John 1:1–4).

Obviously the above three passages do not comprise all of what the Bible says in addressing the reality of God’s creative power in speaking everything into existence. Too often we overlook the foundational principle of origins is—Where did we come from? Why are we here?—are both questions which everyone at some point is going to seek to know the answers; and those answers shape our understanding of nearly everything else.

The creative power of God is exactly what the apostle Paul began with when preaching about Jesus and the resurrection to people who knew nothing about the Bible (see Acts 17:18–31, specifically v 24).

Actually, these people believed in gods—as evidenced by all the idols they made—but Paul begins with them at the beginning! Again, the questions concerning mankind’s existence, and the beginning of all things—whether from matter which has always existed or God who has always existed—is foundational to everything else.

When I was public education I remember the gradual shift of the unacceptability and eventual disregard for God in the lab. I remember arguing (as much as any high school student could with a high school evolutionary professor) about the beginning of all things. Usually, I would end what I was trying to say with what the Bible said. To some degree, that has always been a problem to some: because they don’t care what the Bible says about anything at all (unless, of course, they’re quoting Matthew 7:1). He would come back to me about what science says. The problem is that the facts of scientific discovery never contradict the word of God! Now theories (such as the so-called Big Bang) do contradict God’s word; but again, the facts never have, and I truly expect that they never will.

The issue is not as much about origins as it is about authority: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1). But why does the fool say this? Is it because of facts presented? Or rather, because of an attitude that will not submit to God’s will and way? “The Atheist is the fool pre-eminently, and a fool universally. He would not deny God if he were not a fool by nature, and having denied God it is no marvel that he becomes a fool in practice” (Charles H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David).

If there is no God, then there’s no Bible, and there’s no authority for anything about what we can and cannot be or do or think—in other words, there is no basis for any thought or act to be considered moral or immoral. Everything is morally neutral. And so you live and let live: tolerate everything. (Yes, this is ultimately all tied together.)

I realize some who call themselves Christians want to hold to God’s existence and simultaneously deny God’s creative power: which absolutely denies God’s full and real nature (Isaiah 45:5–12; Matthew 6:24). Remember, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. … By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. … But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:1, 3, 6).

Faith begins with “In the beginning God …”