Genesis

The written Word of God, conveying its powerful message of creation, redemption, and the promise of eternal life with God, has always faced challenges from the secular world and the unseen forces of darkness that influence it. However, God has laid out an excellent plan of salvation and everlasting joy for all who respond to His call, trust in His Word, and accept His incarnate Son as their Savior and Lord.

Genesis - The Book of Beginnings

The Book of Genesis is the most important book in the world, as it serves as the foundation for all other 65 books of God's written Word. Genesis emphasizes the unmerited grace of God. In the creation of the world, grace displays itself in the excellent provision that God makes for His creatures. In the creation of man, the grace of God is represented as bestowing even God-likeness upon him. God's grace is in evidence even in the flood. Abraham is chosen not because he is worthy but because God is gracious. In all His dealings with the patriarchs, God displays great mercy; they always receive far more favor than any one of them could deserve.

Another essential feature of Genesis should be carefully analyzed - it effectively answers our questions about origins. We will always want to know how the world as a whole came into being. We will also want to understand how humans originated. Furthermore, we feel rather painfully that a major disorder has come upon the world and would like to understand its nature. In short, we are concerned to grasp how sin and all its dire consequences came about. We must understand if a basic and certain hope of redemption exists for this world and its inhabitants, what that hope is, and how it came to humanity.

All the great doctrines of Christianity - sin, atonement, grace, redemption, faith, justification, salvation, and many others - are first encountered in Genesis. Since the only alternative to creation is evolution, these attacks are all ultimately based on evolutionism, the assumption that this complex universe can somehow be explained apart from the infinite creative power of God.

For Further Study:

• Read through the book of Genesis.
• Pay attention to any reactions you have while reading this text.
• Write down any questions you have about particular passages. (I keep a journal just for Biblical questions I have.  I may not get the answer right away, but when I do, I return to my question journal and write the answers I've found.)
• Outline chapters and passages.  This will help you identify central themes and may aid in understanding the meaning of a particular verse that appeared difficult at first reading.
• Note how a passage describes the relationship between God and people.  Does this call for specific changes in your understandings, attitudes, or actions?
• What hope does this passage give for your life this week?