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God and Creation
Creation & Environment
 

God reveals to us not only how creation came into existence, but how we are to interact with it. This section focuses on a wide range of issues - from how God created the world, to the way we should treat it, to things we can learn from it.

Our sin has affected all of creation. Because of this, the world is wearing out - and will one day be replaced by a new earth. Even so, we will be held accountable for the way we treat creation, the world around us, for it reflects our attitude toward its maker.

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For every truth, the world tries to invent a counterfeit. One such counterfeit goes by the name of "evolution" - a philosophical viewpoint about things in the past, based on speculation and assumptions that cannot be verified by genuine science (which God created). The world wants us to blindly accept evolution as true. Those who question its lack of genuine scientific evidence are normally attacked and accused of trying to "promote religion" - when in reality they are often trying to do nothing more than promote truthfulness and integrity.

The idea that the Bible and "science" are incompatible, or that one belongs to the realm of "speculation" and the other to the sphere of "facts," is an invention of the human mind - a mind corrupted by sin. Scripture denies any such myth. The God who gave us the Bible created science (and by implication commands its practice, in Genesis 1:28).

Modern-day "environmentalism" often tends to be another counterfeit. Any form of "environmentalism" that places greater emphasis on creation, than on the Creator, or who values plants, rocks and animals more than they value human life, is a form of idolatry - a counterfeit "environmentalism."

God has ultimate control over creation, and uses it to accomplish his purposes. (This is the concept of "providence.") Under normal conditions, he works with the "laws of nature" (which he created). But he has, at times, accomplished his purposes by overruling the "laws of nature" - and he has the right to do so. [See the section, "Miracles and the Laws of Nature" for more about this.]


How God Created the World

This is part of a commentary on Genesis 1 - 3. The first 8 sections of the commentary are about Genesis 1 - 2, which focus on how God created the world and its inhabitants. (The "Introduction" section also explains the reason for the modern-day opposition to the Bible's account about creation.) This study is in PDF format only.

Issues Related to Understanding Genesis and the Creation Account

This includes two related articles that focus on some foundational issues related to our understanding of the book of Genesis: (1) A brief look at what the book of Genesis is about, and (2) the meaning of the word "Day" in Genesis chapter 1.

The Concept of "Kind" (Hebrew Word "min")

God commanded that all living organisms would reproduce "after their own kind." That is exactly what we see in nature. This article examines what is meant by the Hebrew word "min," which is normally translated by the word "kind" (in the sense of "animal kind" or "mankind," etc.).

The Environment, God's Judgment and Our Priorities

Because God created the world to be revelatory of his nature and character, our relationship with God will have an impact on our relationship with the environment. Most people today, because they want to exclude God from their lives, don't want to hear that... but they cannot stop it from being so. They may try to separate "science" from "religion" - but they cannot separate science from God.


Lessons From Creation

God created things in such a way that they can be used to teach us - not only about the world of visible objects, but also about invisible matters, such as relationships, God, etc. The Bible often uses physical concepts to communicate ideas and concepts which cannot be seen. The following are just a few of the many possible studies.

Stars

The Bible's concept of "star" is somewhat different from ours - and this needs to be taken into consideration, when we read passages that include this word. This article looks at some of these differences, and also shows some of the purposes for which God made stars, the ways he uses stars to teach us, the symbolic use of stars, and more.

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The Bible says...

The heavens tell of the glory of God.
The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship. (Psalm 19:1)