Within every human is a deep need to answer questions about their origins. Where do we come from? How did life begin? Is there a God? Why are we here? Contrary to what many people believe, the Bible and science work together to help answer these questions. You don’t have to choose one over the other.
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” - Romans 1:20
For centuries, Christians found answers in the Bible, without question. There was little or no perceived conflict between science and Scripture. Today things aren’t so simple. Christians still find answers in the Bible, the Word of God. But many people question if the Bible is completely true and even some who profess to be Christians. The Bible is completely true. And we can rely on the Bible as an accurate record of creation. We can believe it all, not just some of it.
Beginnings Matter
We began this journey with a basic question—was the world designed by God, or did it just happen? Secular science attributes all of creation to a lucky break—a random chance, a cosmic accident that resulted in life forming on Earth. It’s a rather bleak perspective on life and death. We’re born; we die. Our brief time alive on this planet comes and goes without purpose.
But when Christians look at the complexity and beauty of the world, we see a world that is designed with order, reason, purpose and meaning.
Remember the hummingbird and the mimic octopus that can disguise itself to look like many other creatures? Those aren’t random. Even the simplest of cells is complex and shows design. And to be designed, they need a Designer.
The Bible describes the real account of how life began in Genesis: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He made the light and divided it from the darkness and created a firmament to divide the waters. He established the land and seas and grass, herbs, and trees. He created lights in the heavens to divide day from night and to be for signs and seasons, days and years. He put in place the sun, moon, and stars and created the creatures of the sea, winged birds, and land animals, each according to its kind. And last, He created man in His own image and likeness. And then God saw everything He had made and indeed it was very good.
Chapter one of Genesis explains all of creation—the planet, the solar system, our atmosphere, and us—not creation of the universe by a big bang or the creation of life by a random chemical accident in a primordial soup.
What we observe today supports what the Bible says about our origins. Which worldview will you believe? Which one is true? The one in which death is the end of your life is without purpose? Or, the one that believes in God the Creator, says man has a higher purpose, and in which “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Think Tank
You’ve seen evidence from both sides—creation and evolution. Which one presents teh stronger argument? Which side presents the more popular argument? Why?
Creation is supported by both scientific evidence and the Bible. Evolutionary theories contradict the Bible and are discredited by actual scientific evidence. The secular world sees evolution as “real” science, and it is taught more commonly than creation. People often believe what they hear the most. Many are not aware of the evidence that discredits evolutionary theory. It is also a spiritual battle—even when presented with the truth, people often don’t want to believe it. The Bible describes how people will resist the idea of believing in God and His work (Romans 1:20; 2 Peter 3:5).
What are some basic differences between evolution and creation when it comes to views on God, life, and death?
With evolution, instead of God you have natural forces being viewed as the cause of everything—these processes make mistakes and have to keep trying again until things turn out right. The evolutionary model relies on long ages of time and lots of death to explain origins. For creationists, God created life and He created man in His own image—no mistakes. Death originally started in the garden when Adam and Eve introduced sin into a perfect world. Everything “not good” about creation exists because after sin things could not be perfect anymore.
What makes us different from chimpanzees and indicates we do not have a common ancestor, based both on observations and on the Bible?
Humans were directly created “in the image of God,” different from animals, and have a unique ability to have a personal relationship with the One who gave them His own “likeness.” This image of God can be seen when humans work together to build, think, and create at a level chimpanzees never have and when we do great, complex things like send men to the moon. There are also significant physical differences between humans and chimps.
Why is Noah’s Flood so significant for what we believe about origins?
It contradicts the evolutionary belief that Earth is billions of years old and that life evolved over long ages. The evidence indicates that Noah’s Flood could have produced the fossil record and laid down Earth’s geological strata (layers) in a much shorter time than the millions of years that is taught. The Flood also marks the beginning of the Second Age of Earth’s history that will end one day, as promised.
Why is it important whether dinosaurs lived and died before humans or whether they lived with humans?
Because Adam sinned, death entered the world. Humans didn’t begin hundreds of millions of years ago—everyone agrees on that. So if you believe that fossils are that old, then you believe that death came before man—it would already have been around when Adam sinned. So, why would Jesus have to die to save us if death was not really our penalty? What we believe about the timing of creation actually connects to our need for salvation through Jesus Christ and how we view the Bible’s accuracy.
What in Scripture indicates that God created in six days, which supports the theory that Earth is only thousands of years old?
When God refers to creation in Genesis He uses the Hebrew word yom, which is translated as “day” in connection with creation and makes sense to be understood as a 24-hour day. He also says that the evening and the morning made up the first day, which perfectly matches the way our days work according to Earth’s rotation.
Why does it matter if the earth is billions of years old or only a few thousand, like the Bible says?
If we cannot trust what God says about the timing of creation in the first book of the Bible, then we have to wonder what other parts of Scripture should not be trusted.
Economic and social theorist Jeremy Rifkin said, “It is our creation now. We make the rules. We establish the parameters of reality. We create the world, and because we do, we no longer feel beholden to outside forces. We no longer have to justify our behavior, for we are now the architects of the universe. We are responsible to nothing outside ourselves, for we are the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever.” How would believing this shape the way someone looks at life?
This view denies God’s existence and authority and the laws of nature that He put into place. it says humans make the rules, and there is nothing higher than man. There are no objective standards that give life purpose, define what is right and wrong, give reasons to treat our Earth and fellow humans with respect, or demand accountability. The idea that “anything goes” leans toward chaos and not toward the order and design that God the Creator placed within His creation and His plan for eternity.
Back to the Bible
“The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s; but the earth He has given to the children of men.” - Psalm 115:16
Read Genesis 1:16; Psalm 19:1; Psalm 115:16; John 3:12; Acts 17:26; Romans 1:20; 1 Corinthians 15:41; 2 Peter 3:4-5.
How does the historical and scientific evidence confirm what the Bible says in Acts 17:26?
Evidence shows that at a modest growth rate the world population could get to today’s size and genetic diversity in about 4,500 years, from just Noah and his three sons. Archaeological discoveries and historical writings verify many of the people and places in the Bible, like the Tower of Babel and its wicked leader Nimrod. There is strong evidence that the 70 original major language groups stem from when God confused language at the Tower of Babel.
One of the most controversial topics in the debate between evolution and creation is how the universe began. No one can explain how even a hypothetical Big Bang could have possibly occurred without a supernatural force. What is the explanation that Genesis 1:16, Psalm 19:1, and 1 Corinthians 15:41 offer?
God is the creator. He made two great lights and the stars. The heavens declare His glory and the firmament shows His work. The sun, moon, and stars each have their own glory, and each star is unique , showing that God created with a careful plan.
What did Jesus mean by his statement in John 3:12, and how does that apply to the origins debate?
Jesus was telling Nicodemus that if people wouldn’t believe what He said about earthly things, then they wouldn’t believe Him about heavenly things. This is why details about how long it took God to create the world matter. Evidence supporting that God created everything in six days matters because if that is not true, the heavenly things of the Bible—like salvation—can be questioned too.
What is a worldview? What is your personal worldview?
A worldview is the belief system through which someone views everything about life. It is the framework for how they see the world and determines their actions, priorities, and expectations.
What does Romans 1:20 say about what we can know about God, even if someone does not have a relationship with Him?
The evidence for God as Creator is readily available, so people do not have an excuse for denying Him.
Based on 2 Peter 3:4-5, what do people “willfully forget”? What specific worldview is hinted at in these verses?
Peter said people “willfully forget” the evidence that is directly in front of them—that God created the heavens and the earth. When people say “all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” this describes the uniformitarian or naturalistic worldview that claims that the geological processes we see today operated in the same way in the past.
What are some of the main differences between a naturalist worldview and a creationist worldview? What are some potential consequences of choosing the naturalist viewpoint?
The naturalistic worldview exalts nature and man and attempts to explain the existence and nature of everything without God. The creationist worldview acknowledges God as Creator, King of everything, and the One who gives us salvation through Jesus Christ—we exist to glorify Him. By excluding God, the naturalistic worldview denies the essence of our purpose and identity as humans and devalues our world and our universe by attributing everything we see to just a cosmic accident.
Nothing we can see in our Earth contradicts Psalm 115:16. If you believe this, how should it change your life?
God is above all, and everything we have is a gift from Him. We should respond by giving Him all glory, praise, and thanks and by taking good care of the earth He has given to us.
Takeaway
Look all around you. Do you see randomness or design? Function? Beauty? Complexity? It’s all evidence of God’s invisible attributes. God is our Creator. Not some cosmic accident. We need to live our lives in view of this tremendous truth.
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