Genesis 1:1 — In the beginning God ... Pt. 1

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Genesis 1:1

This is the first verse of the Bible. It starts out be stating that God created the heaven and the earth. It assumes that the reader will recognize there is a God. There are no explanations associated with his existence, just that he created the heaven and the earth.

I have had people say to me, "Prove there is a God." To the person that does not want to recognize there is a God, proof will not satisfy. I could easily, and justifiably say, "Prove there is no God."

How do you prove there is a God? How do you prove there is no God? Some say that because there is an idea of a God there then must be a God. I do not know if that necessarily follows. What I do know that God has never attempted to prove that he exists. He does offer evidence to support his existence, evidence that is overwhelming. Those that want proof there is a God need only look at the evidence.

We accept many things without being given adequate proof. We accept many things in spite of the proof. Yet, when it comes to believing in God we shut our eyes and our hearts to that which is so clear.

Some argue: "No one has ever seen God." With this the Scriptures agree. I have never seen God. You have never seen God. No one has ever seen God (we'll leave Moses alone, for right now). Does that mean or even prove that he does not exist? We believe a lot of things without seeing them.

Not only has no one seen God, no one has ever seen the sun; yet we believe there is a sun. We see the glory of the sun and we feel the effects of the sun. Only a crazy person would deny there is a sun. Likewise, we see the glory of God and we feel the effects of God. Only a crazy person would deny there is no God.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Contrary to what evolutionists would have us believe, the universe and our solar system did not just happen. The driving force behind evolution is (beside Satan) is the desire to be autonomous, to be free of God, and to be free from judgment.

When dealing with those who consider themselves atheists or agnostics (a term invented by Thomas Huxley to camouflage his atheism) deal with them as people who really do believe in God. Atheism is a denial of the Truth, not a disbelief of the truth. God has implanted in every person the knowledge of his existence (Romans 1:19) and, while it may be suppressed, the knowledge is ever there. Additionally, God has revealed himself and given evidence of himself in his creation of the heaven and the earth.

The Basis of the Trinitarian Belief

In my blog post “One God — or many?” I said, “The Bible teaches that God is one,” and, “. . .this one God exists in a plurality of persons.” Many reject the idea of God as a Trinity because they cannot comprehend it or because they misunderstand it. The belief that the one God consists of three persons is difficult to understand, I admit.

There are those that would argue that the Trinity is not mentioned in the Bible. They are correct. However, the truth of the Trinity is taught in the word of God. The Bible does not teach systematically. One must often deduce truth by compilation: that is, we find bits and pieces here and there which, when put together, bring us to a certain conclusion.

Some argue against the Trinitarian position by claiming that the early church never taught it. That is also correct. However, The early church never taught contrary to the Trinitarian position, either. Specifically, the Church has never taught that Jesus was a god separate from the one, true God. Nor has the church ever accepted such a teaching that Jesus Christ was a created being. The Trinitarian formula was developed to counter the heresy espoused by Arius (d. A.D. 336) that Jesus was a created being and not truly divine. Arius and his beliefs were subsequently tried before the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) which formulated from the Bible the first Trinitarian statement of faith.

Only God can have all the attributes of divinity. The Bible ascribes to Jesus Christ and to the Holy Spirit all the attributes of divinity. One example should be sufficient to support the Trinitarian position. Only God is eternal. The Bible ascribes eternality to God the Father (Deuteronomy 33:27). It ascribes eternality to Jesus Christ (Isaiah 9:6). It also ascribes eternality to the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 9:14).

Only God can create something from nothing. The Genesis creation account says God created the heavens and the earth. When God was about to make man he said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness." This is the first indication the Bible gives, and that in the first chapter, that God consists of a plurality of persons. The apostle John said (John 1:3) Jesus Christ created the world. “All things were made by him, and [to add emphasis] without him was not made anything that was made.” Jesus could not have created himself nor could he be previously created, seeing he created “all things.” Likewise, the Holy Spirit was involved in creating the earth. Many scripture passages refer to the Holy Spirit working in creation, Psalm 104:24-30 among them: “You send forth your Spirit, they [the works of God] are created: and you renew the face of the earth.”

A careful study of the Bible can lead only to a belief in the Tri-unity of God, and only a study of the Bible will lead there. May God bless you with the realization of this truth.

God Is a Gentleman — or Is He?

I cannot count the number of times I have heard preachers, Bible teachers, and others say, “God is a gentleman and he will never force you to do what you do not want to do.” Like so many errors, repeat it often enough and people will believe it.

Perhaps you believe this is true. Support your view with Scripture. Can you find one verse — or even one sentence in the entire Bible that will back you up?

Is God a gentleman? Let's see what He says about that. I think it goes without saying that a gentleman is first, foremost, and always a man. A gentleman is a gentle man or perhaps, a gentry man (gentry being derived from Old French for gentleman).

Before we can determine if God is a gentleman, we must first ascertain if he is a man. That answer is specifically answered in God's word, the Bible. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19). Do you see that? “God is not a man.”

In case there is any doubt, or if you reason that that is just one verse, here is another: “And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.” (1 Samuel 15:29).

The Scriptures are clear: God is not a man. If God is not a man, how then could He be a gentleman? To call God a gentleman is to dishonor Him, putting Him on a level with His creation.

We must think of God as He is or we are guilty of mental-image idolatry. We must worship God in truth. We do not have the liberty to misrepresent Him or to portray Him as He is not.

God is God. Is that to say that God is not gentle? No. God is often quite the opposite: “With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt show thyself unsavory,” (2 Samuel 22:27). Was God a gentleman when he chased the Canaanites out of their cities with hornets (Exodus 23:28)? Was God a gentleman when he killed in a mass slaughter all the firstborn sons in Egypt on the night of the first Passover? Was God a gentleman when he drowned Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea?

Will God be a gentleman when he comes back in the person of Jesus Christ “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (2 Thessalonians 1:8)? There is nothing in the Bible to warrant calling God a gentleman.

Thankfully, God is a merciful and a gracious God and acts kindly toward all those that seek His face and desire to do His will. To those whose hearts are bent toward honoring God, God is gentle, kind, and compassionate. To those whose hearts are contrary to God, God will show Himself contrary.

“Or do you despise the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? (5) But after your hardness and impenitent heart you treasure up unto yourself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; (6) Who will render to every man according to his deeds: (7) To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life: (8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, (9) Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that does evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile,” (Romans 2:4-9).