Our Eternal God
“Call me Ishmael.” This well-known opening line to the classic novel, Moby Dick, captures our imagination, builds our anticipation for the rest of the story, and say a lot of things by itself. Other well-known opening lines do the same thing: “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit” (The Hobbit), “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” (A Tale of Two Cities), “All children, except one, grow up” (Peter Pan). What is your favorite opening line?
The most captivating, meaningful, memorable, and timeless opening line, though, is this one: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1). This line introduces not only the book of Genesis, or the whole of Scripture, or even the beginning of the entire universe. Most important than all these things, it introduces God.
Knowing God is important. Without a proper knowledge of God, nothing else makes sense.
Without God, there are no meaningful, satisfying answers to the important questions in life: (1) “Who am I?”, (2) “Why am I here?”, (3) “Where am I going?”, (4) “What is success?”, and (5) “How can I be happy?”
Without God, we can have no confidence in the day-to-day questions of life: “What should I say?”, (2) “How should I feel?”, (3) “Where should I go?”, (4) “What should I do?”, and (5) “Who can I trust?”
Without a proper knowledge of God, there are no acceptable answers to the difficult questions of life: (1) “Why do people do terrible things?”, (2) “Why do I make bad choices?”, (3)
“Why do people experience pain and suffering?”, (4) “Why do we die?”, and (5) “What happens after we die?”
While we cannot answer these many questions in this message, we can begin to lay the first and most important part of the foundation. Without this piece of the puzzle, all the other pieces of your life and existence will be impossible to assemble.
As Maria sang in The Sound of Music:
Let's start at the very beginning,
A very good place to start.
When you read you begin with A-B-C,
When you sing you begin with do-re-mi.
But to live, you begin with God.
As the British author, H. G. Wells, once said, “Until a man has found God, he begins at no beginning and ends at no end.”
God exists.
Before anything else, this opening line, “In the beginning, God…”, introduces us to three important truths about God. In doing so, the Scripture does not attempt to prove the existence of God. It instead assumes the existence of God, as though the fact of God’s existence needs no proof. The existence of God is more necessary and obvious than any other thing that exists, for every other thing that exists points argues for and demonstrates the existence of God as the one universal reality underlying all things. Our consciences know this to be true.
“God is not for proof but proclamation; not for argument but acceptance.” (Robert M. Horn)
Here in Gen 1:1, we see at least three truths about God, which may be called (1) the preexistence of God, (2) the singularity of God, and (3) the self-sufficiency of God.
As with anything else we can learn about God from this opening line, the Bible says many more things about all three of these qualities of God, but these qualities are first revealed to us here are serve as foundational concepts which we must know and accept in all of our thoughts, choices, and actions.
Do you believe in the existence of God? According to Gallup in 2017, only 64% of adults in the U.S. believe in God with absolute certainty. This is down from 79% in 2005. Perhaps this statistic, more than any other, reveals why our culture is descending so embarrassingly and shockingly into immoral behavior and senseless priorities and ideals.
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” (Psa 14:1)
Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools … (Rom 1:21-22)
Like a mechanical engineer who refuses to account for entropy or a farmer who refuses to acknowledge the pH value of the soil, a person or society that fails to acknowledge and account for the existence of the preexisting, singular, self-sustaining God as God – as the most important and undeniable fact, reality, and being – will undermine their own intelligence and efforts and ultimately fail.
“What we believe about God is the most important thing about us.” (A. W. Tozer)
God reveals himself.
In addition to these three important truths about the existence of God, the opening line of Genesis also introduces us to God himself. It says “… God …” In this way, God reveals himself to us rather than remaining distant, mysterious, and unknowable. From this we see that God wants us not only to know that he exists but to know him in a personal, relational way. He wants us to know who he is and what he is like so that we will obey, trust, worship, and love him with all of our heart.
“We trust not because ‘a god’ exists, but because this God exists.” (C. S. Lewis)
Not only must we believe that this God exists, but we must believe that he is not merely a powerful force or some kind of nebulous, intelligent mind. We must believe that he is a personal God – a divine person.
“The ultimate fact about the universe is a personal God.” (G. C. Lichtenberg)
Throughout Genesis, God is named and referred to more than any other person, revealing him as the most important being of all. In doing so, God reveals himself to us in this book by a variety of names and titles, the first of which is here, Elohim. According to commentator K. A. Mathews, this title, Elohim, portrays God as majestic, supreme, and distinct from all other so-called deities – as the one, true creator God.
Also throughout Genesis, we find combinations of a shorter version of this title, Elohim as El, which further enrich our understanding of God. He is El Elyon, “God Most High” (14:18-19), El Shaddai, “God Almighty” (17:1; 35:11;28:3; 43:14; 48:3), El Roi, “the God who sees” (16:13), and El Olam, the “Eternal God” (21:33). Yahweh Yireh presents God as “The LORD who provides” (22:14). Another title, Adonai, presents God as “master,” and when combined with Yahweh, means “Sovereign LORD” (15:2, 8). Another title reveals God as the Abhir, the “Mighty One,” portraying him as strong and powerful (49:24; 60:16). He is also called the “Shepherd” (Raah) and the “Rock” (Eben) (49:24), which reveals how he cares for his creation and his people.
Which of these names and titles of God are most meaningful and special to you? I would encourage you to familiarize yourself with these names and titles of God, even memorizing them if possible. Think about these titles often and rely upon God to specifically be what he claims to be in those experiences and moments when your mind, will, and emotions need a God to rely upon in that specific way.
How would your decisions, feelings, and thoughts change if you deeply, personally believed that God indeed was these things? (1) most high – ruling over everything, (2) all powerful – able to do anything good, (3) eternal – unlimited by time, (4) a shepherd – caring for your every need, (5) a rock – entirely reliable for shelter and protection, (6) the one who provides, (7) the master – the one to whom you must and will answer.
Throughout Genesis, we will find that God wants you to know that he exists, and he wants you to know who he is. In particular, Genesis frequently uses the word אמר (which means “to say”) to show that God spoke to other people, such as: to all mankind (1:28), Adam (2:17), Eve (3:13), Satan (3:14), Cain (4:6), Noah (6:13), Noah’s sons (9:1), Abram or Abraham (12:1; 17:15), Sarah (18:15), Hagar (21:17), Abimelech (20:3), Rebekah (25:23), Isaac (26:2), and Jacob (31:3).”
As a God who reveals himself, he remains neither secretive and unknown, nor silent and reclusive. Genesis unveils him as a God who reveals himself to the world that we may know him and rely upon him completely and build our entire lives upon him.
God creates.
One of the most significant ways that God revealed himself was by creating the world, a world filled with creatures – esp. human beings – so that to them he could reveal himself. By “creating the world,” I mean creating everything outside of himself. “The heavens and the earth” encompass and include everything that is not God himself - everything else except God. This means that God is not only the creator but the authority and master over all things.
Genesis presents God as the creator of all good things, including the universe at large, Earth in particular, plant life, animal life, and human beings (1-2). From the biggest to smallest things which we have discovered, God has created them all. We will explore his work of creation in more depth in future sermons as we make our way through the opening chapters of Genesis.
From Genesis 1:1 to 6:7, the word ברא (which means “to create”) occurs ten times. In every instance, God is always the subject (the one doing the creating) and no material is provided to him from which to create. This means that God creates things ex nihilo, or “from nothing.” No one else can do this. Whenever we create things as human beings, we merely manipulate or rearrange things which already exist, things which God has already created from nothing.
Later in Genesis, a man named Melchizedek calls God the “Most High, Creator of heaven and earth” (14:19, 22). And as the climactic achievement of his own creative work, God created human beings (5:2). It is important to point out that in making human beings, God gave them (us) life, which reveals him not only as the creator of the material world, but the giver of life and the creator of the immaterial world as well (2:7).
What’s even more remarkable, though, about God’s creation of human beings is that he made them – us – in his “image and likeness” (1:27). This means that he intended for us “to be and act like him.” This means that through our feelings, thoughts, words, and actions, he desires to reveal himself through us!
How should we respond to knowing that God not only exists and reveals himself to us, but he also created the world – and especially human beings? And in creating human beings, he created us to be like him?
First, we should accept and acknowledge without reservation that we must submit ourselves to God completely. Whatever he says, we must do. Whatever he desires, we must pursue. There should be no question about this, no hesitation, no excuses, and no reservations. Since God has made us, then we must make knowing him and obeying him our most serious priority.
Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, “He did not make me”? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”? (Isa 29:16)
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? (Rom 9:20-21)
In this second verse (Rom 9:20-21), we see that to recognize and relate to God as our creator not only compels us to accept his authority in our lives but doing so also enables us to understand ourselves and our purpose as well. I say this because to know that God has created us requires us to obey him, but to know why he has created us enables us to obey him. We’ll learn more about this purpose in a future sermon.
So, when Genesis opens with the statement, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth,” what does this mean to you? It should mean that there is one, true, personal God who has always existed, who needs nothing, and who made everything. From this opening line, we see that God not only exists, but that he reveals himself to us because he wants us to know him. He wants us to have a personal, trusting relationship with him – and this is important because he wants us to be like him, to reflect and reveal what he is like, to say what he would say, to feel what he would feel, to think what he would think, and to do what he would do.
How clear, how confident, and how compelling is your awareness of God today? Do you merely believe in God as a matter of cultural, logical, or religious preference? Or do you know God personally, believe on God completely, and seek to know him through his word intentionally and persistently?
Does belief in the pre-existent, personal, self-revealing, creating God govern your life?
Is the truth about God your first governing reality in life? As the Gallup poll research, I cited earlier indicated, that only 65% of Americans in 2017 were convinced of the existence of God, we have a serious problem as a culture. I am inclined to believe that the problem is even more severe than this 65% number indicates, for at least two reasons. First, the percentage has probably decreased more since then and second, this presumes that all those who claim to be convinced of God’s existence actually know him as the Bible explains him and that they actually live as though he is God.
So, how do you know that you are believing in the one, true God? The pre-existent God who made all things and revealed himself through Scripture? You know not merely because you say you believe in him but because you do those things which give evidence of believing in him. James, the NT apostle and pastor, taught this clearly and made his point from the book of Genesis:
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? (Jam 2:19-21)
Here’s what he is saying. You can accept the idea of God’s existence, but that’s nothing more than intellectual and emotional acknowledgement. The demons know and feel that God exists but are they accepting and relying upon God? Absolutely not. And if you think your faith in God is legitimate even as you refuse to do what God commands, then you are a “foolish person” – which means that you have no sense and are empty (as in empty of true knowledge and true faith).
James goes on. How do we know that Abraham – the timeless example of genuine faith in God – actually believed in God? Not because he said he believed in God but because when he received a difficult command from God, one which was incredibly difficult and painful, he obeyed.
What God required of Abraham does not seem fair. It doesn’t seem possible. Would you have obeyed like Abraham obeyed? Such a hypothetical question, though, is not necessary because we have our own choices to make and challenges to face.
As you follow God by following Christ through the clear teaching of Scripture, you face your own “sacrificing Isaac” moments, when the clear commands, statements, and teachings of Scripture revealed to us by God comes into conflict with other things that we hold dear. What do you hold dear?
Comfort, money, cleanliness and order, another person (a spouse, child, relative, family in general), a hobby, education, your reputation, an athletic sport, entertainment, your job or profession, a false god or religion, or perhaps even a false view of the true God? For Abraham it was his son, but what is it for you?
How can you identify these points of possible conflict in your life, these true tests of the authenticity of your professed faith in God? You can apply what I will call the “yes, but…” test. When you face a clear command and statement about God or command from God in Scripture and it comes into conflict with something else that you value, do you act based upon the clear teaching of Scripture about who God is and what God says? Or do you say, “Yes, I believe in him and I believe that, but …” And after saying “yes, but,” you offer up a reason why you cannot or will not do what faith in God requires?
You see, when you will do what God’s Word clearly teaches, then you are rejecting the very revelation of the pre-existent, personal God who created you. You are behaving like the demons who know and feel that God exists, so much so that they even tremble in fear at what he thinks of them and the judgment that will follow. But they will not do what faith in God requires. They will not submit to him and follow his way. It is utterly foolish to think that we can behave the same way and actually believe in God for real.
As we make our way through the book of Genesis, we will see that this is true. We will observe how people who truly believe in God will do what God has revealed about himself and from himself. Those who demonstrate this genuine faith will endure hardships and receive great blessing, as well. But those who refuse to truly believe God in this way will live under a curse, cut off from God’s blessing and facing judgment.
“One of the great needs of today is a profound conviction that God is.” (W. Holloway Main)
It would not be difficult to persuade me that far more than we would like to know, American churches in general have more “professing” believers than genuine believers, like Abraham. I say this because in my observation, we sacrifice very little to follow God. We all do what is convenient and popular to do within our churches and Christian communities, but few demonstrate the sort of genuine devotion to God which is willing to sacrifice that which is important to them when faced with the inconvenient and hard commands and realities of God.
May our study of Genesis challenge us all to evaluate the genuineness of our faith in God and motivate us to follow God with the genuine devotion of Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham. May faith in the pre-existent, personal, revealing, creator God transform our lives and lead us to the blessing that God promises to those who walk by faith.
Discussion Questions
The most captivating, meaningful, memorable, and timeless opening line, though, is this one: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1). This line introduces not only the book of Genesis, or the whole of Scripture, or even the beginning of the entire universe. Most important than all these things, it introduces God.
Knowing God is important. Without a proper knowledge of God, nothing else makes sense.
Without God, there are no meaningful, satisfying answers to the important questions in life: (1) “Who am I?”, (2) “Why am I here?”, (3) “Where am I going?”, (4) “What is success?”, and (5) “How can I be happy?”
Without God, we can have no confidence in the day-to-day questions of life: “What should I say?”, (2) “How should I feel?”, (3) “Where should I go?”, (4) “What should I do?”, and (5) “Who can I trust?”
Without a proper knowledge of God, there are no acceptable answers to the difficult questions of life: (1) “Why do people do terrible things?”, (2) “Why do I make bad choices?”, (3)
“Why do people experience pain and suffering?”, (4) “Why do we die?”, and (5) “What happens after we die?”
While we cannot answer these many questions in this message, we can begin to lay the first and most important part of the foundation. Without this piece of the puzzle, all the other pieces of your life and existence will be impossible to assemble.
As Maria sang in The Sound of Music:
Let's start at the very beginning,
A very good place to start.
When you read you begin with A-B-C,
When you sing you begin with do-re-mi.
But to live, you begin with God.
As the British author, H. G. Wells, once said, “Until a man has found God, he begins at no beginning and ends at no end.”
God exists.
Before anything else, this opening line, “In the beginning, God…”, introduces us to three important truths about God. In doing so, the Scripture does not attempt to prove the existence of God. It instead assumes the existence of God, as though the fact of God’s existence needs no proof. The existence of God is more necessary and obvious than any other thing that exists, for every other thing that exists points argues for and demonstrates the existence of God as the one universal reality underlying all things. Our consciences know this to be true.
“God is not for proof but proclamation; not for argument but acceptance.” (Robert M. Horn)
Here in Gen 1:1, we see at least three truths about God, which may be called (1) the preexistence of God, (2) the singularity of God, and (3) the self-sufficiency of God.
- The pre-existence of God means that God not only existed before everything else that exists, but that he has always existed and has no beginning. Since this was “the beginning” and God existed before the beginning, then he has no beginning and has always existed.
- The singularity of God means that there is only one God. Since this is the case, then not only are there no other gods comparable to or as high-ranking as him, but there are no other gods at all. Though we may form other gods from our imagination and the material world, these are not real gods by nature.
- The self-sufficiency of God means that God needs nothing or no one else to exist. As a result, he is entirely perfect, reliable, and unchangeable.
As with anything else we can learn about God from this opening line, the Bible says many more things about all three of these qualities of God, but these qualities are first revealed to us here are serve as foundational concepts which we must know and accept in all of our thoughts, choices, and actions.
Do you believe in the existence of God? According to Gallup in 2017, only 64% of adults in the U.S. believe in God with absolute certainty. This is down from 79% in 2005. Perhaps this statistic, more than any other, reveals why our culture is descending so embarrassingly and shockingly into immoral behavior and senseless priorities and ideals.
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” (Psa 14:1)
Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools … (Rom 1:21-22)
Like a mechanical engineer who refuses to account for entropy or a farmer who refuses to acknowledge the pH value of the soil, a person or society that fails to acknowledge and account for the existence of the preexisting, singular, self-sustaining God as God – as the most important and undeniable fact, reality, and being – will undermine their own intelligence and efforts and ultimately fail.
“What we believe about God is the most important thing about us.” (A. W. Tozer)
God reveals himself.
In addition to these three important truths about the existence of God, the opening line of Genesis also introduces us to God himself. It says “… God …” In this way, God reveals himself to us rather than remaining distant, mysterious, and unknowable. From this we see that God wants us not only to know that he exists but to know him in a personal, relational way. He wants us to know who he is and what he is like so that we will obey, trust, worship, and love him with all of our heart.
“We trust not because ‘a god’ exists, but because this God exists.” (C. S. Lewis)
Not only must we believe that this God exists, but we must believe that he is not merely a powerful force or some kind of nebulous, intelligent mind. We must believe that he is a personal God – a divine person.
“The ultimate fact about the universe is a personal God.” (G. C. Lichtenberg)
Throughout Genesis, God is named and referred to more than any other person, revealing him as the most important being of all. In doing so, God reveals himself to us in this book by a variety of names and titles, the first of which is here, Elohim. According to commentator K. A. Mathews, this title, Elohim, portrays God as majestic, supreme, and distinct from all other so-called deities – as the one, true creator God.
Also throughout Genesis, we find combinations of a shorter version of this title, Elohim as El, which further enrich our understanding of God. He is El Elyon, “God Most High” (14:18-19), El Shaddai, “God Almighty” (17:1; 35:11;28:3; 43:14; 48:3), El Roi, “the God who sees” (16:13), and El Olam, the “Eternal God” (21:33). Yahweh Yireh presents God as “The LORD who provides” (22:14). Another title, Adonai, presents God as “master,” and when combined with Yahweh, means “Sovereign LORD” (15:2, 8). Another title reveals God as the Abhir, the “Mighty One,” portraying him as strong and powerful (49:24; 60:16). He is also called the “Shepherd” (Raah) and the “Rock” (Eben) (49:24), which reveals how he cares for his creation and his people.
Which of these names and titles of God are most meaningful and special to you? I would encourage you to familiarize yourself with these names and titles of God, even memorizing them if possible. Think about these titles often and rely upon God to specifically be what he claims to be in those experiences and moments when your mind, will, and emotions need a God to rely upon in that specific way.
How would your decisions, feelings, and thoughts change if you deeply, personally believed that God indeed was these things? (1) most high – ruling over everything, (2) all powerful – able to do anything good, (3) eternal – unlimited by time, (4) a shepherd – caring for your every need, (5) a rock – entirely reliable for shelter and protection, (6) the one who provides, (7) the master – the one to whom you must and will answer.
Throughout Genesis, we will find that God wants you to know that he exists, and he wants you to know who he is. In particular, Genesis frequently uses the word אמר (which means “to say”) to show that God spoke to other people, such as: to all mankind (1:28), Adam (2:17), Eve (3:13), Satan (3:14), Cain (4:6), Noah (6:13), Noah’s sons (9:1), Abram or Abraham (12:1; 17:15), Sarah (18:15), Hagar (21:17), Abimelech (20:3), Rebekah (25:23), Isaac (26:2), and Jacob (31:3).”
As a God who reveals himself, he remains neither secretive and unknown, nor silent and reclusive. Genesis unveils him as a God who reveals himself to the world that we may know him and rely upon him completely and build our entire lives upon him.
God creates.
One of the most significant ways that God revealed himself was by creating the world, a world filled with creatures – esp. human beings – so that to them he could reveal himself. By “creating the world,” I mean creating everything outside of himself. “The heavens and the earth” encompass and include everything that is not God himself - everything else except God. This means that God is not only the creator but the authority and master over all things.
Genesis presents God as the creator of all good things, including the universe at large, Earth in particular, plant life, animal life, and human beings (1-2). From the biggest to smallest things which we have discovered, God has created them all. We will explore his work of creation in more depth in future sermons as we make our way through the opening chapters of Genesis.
From Genesis 1:1 to 6:7, the word ברא (which means “to create”) occurs ten times. In every instance, God is always the subject (the one doing the creating) and no material is provided to him from which to create. This means that God creates things ex nihilo, or “from nothing.” No one else can do this. Whenever we create things as human beings, we merely manipulate or rearrange things which already exist, things which God has already created from nothing.
Later in Genesis, a man named Melchizedek calls God the “Most High, Creator of heaven and earth” (14:19, 22). And as the climactic achievement of his own creative work, God created human beings (5:2). It is important to point out that in making human beings, God gave them (us) life, which reveals him not only as the creator of the material world, but the giver of life and the creator of the immaterial world as well (2:7).
What’s even more remarkable, though, about God’s creation of human beings is that he made them – us – in his “image and likeness” (1:27). This means that he intended for us “to be and act like him.” This means that through our feelings, thoughts, words, and actions, he desires to reveal himself through us!
How should we respond to knowing that God not only exists and reveals himself to us, but he also created the world – and especially human beings? And in creating human beings, he created us to be like him?
First, we should accept and acknowledge without reservation that we must submit ourselves to God completely. Whatever he says, we must do. Whatever he desires, we must pursue. There should be no question about this, no hesitation, no excuses, and no reservations. Since God has made us, then we must make knowing him and obeying him our most serious priority.
Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, “He did not make me”? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”? (Isa 29:16)
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? (Rom 9:20-21)
In this second verse (Rom 9:20-21), we see that to recognize and relate to God as our creator not only compels us to accept his authority in our lives but doing so also enables us to understand ourselves and our purpose as well. I say this because to know that God has created us requires us to obey him, but to know why he has created us enables us to obey him. We’ll learn more about this purpose in a future sermon.
So, when Genesis opens with the statement, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth,” what does this mean to you? It should mean that there is one, true, personal God who has always existed, who needs nothing, and who made everything. From this opening line, we see that God not only exists, but that he reveals himself to us because he wants us to know him. He wants us to have a personal, trusting relationship with him – and this is important because he wants us to be like him, to reflect and reveal what he is like, to say what he would say, to feel what he would feel, to think what he would think, and to do what he would do.
How clear, how confident, and how compelling is your awareness of God today? Do you merely believe in God as a matter of cultural, logical, or religious preference? Or do you know God personally, believe on God completely, and seek to know him through his word intentionally and persistently?
Does belief in the pre-existent, personal, self-revealing, creating God govern your life?
Is the truth about God your first governing reality in life? As the Gallup poll research, I cited earlier indicated, that only 65% of Americans in 2017 were convinced of the existence of God, we have a serious problem as a culture. I am inclined to believe that the problem is even more severe than this 65% number indicates, for at least two reasons. First, the percentage has probably decreased more since then and second, this presumes that all those who claim to be convinced of God’s existence actually know him as the Bible explains him and that they actually live as though he is God.
So, how do you know that you are believing in the one, true God? The pre-existent God who made all things and revealed himself through Scripture? You know not merely because you say you believe in him but because you do those things which give evidence of believing in him. James, the NT apostle and pastor, taught this clearly and made his point from the book of Genesis:
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? (Jam 2:19-21)
Here’s what he is saying. You can accept the idea of God’s existence, but that’s nothing more than intellectual and emotional acknowledgement. The demons know and feel that God exists but are they accepting and relying upon God? Absolutely not. And if you think your faith in God is legitimate even as you refuse to do what God commands, then you are a “foolish person” – which means that you have no sense and are empty (as in empty of true knowledge and true faith).
James goes on. How do we know that Abraham – the timeless example of genuine faith in God – actually believed in God? Not because he said he believed in God but because when he received a difficult command from God, one which was incredibly difficult and painful, he obeyed.
What God required of Abraham does not seem fair. It doesn’t seem possible. Would you have obeyed like Abraham obeyed? Such a hypothetical question, though, is not necessary because we have our own choices to make and challenges to face.
As you follow God by following Christ through the clear teaching of Scripture, you face your own “sacrificing Isaac” moments, when the clear commands, statements, and teachings of Scripture revealed to us by God comes into conflict with other things that we hold dear. What do you hold dear?
Comfort, money, cleanliness and order, another person (a spouse, child, relative, family in general), a hobby, education, your reputation, an athletic sport, entertainment, your job or profession, a false god or religion, or perhaps even a false view of the true God? For Abraham it was his son, but what is it for you?
How can you identify these points of possible conflict in your life, these true tests of the authenticity of your professed faith in God? You can apply what I will call the “yes, but…” test. When you face a clear command and statement about God or command from God in Scripture and it comes into conflict with something else that you value, do you act based upon the clear teaching of Scripture about who God is and what God says? Or do you say, “Yes, I believe in him and I believe that, but …” And after saying “yes, but,” you offer up a reason why you cannot or will not do what faith in God requires?
You see, when you will do what God’s Word clearly teaches, then you are rejecting the very revelation of the pre-existent, personal God who created you. You are behaving like the demons who know and feel that God exists, so much so that they even tremble in fear at what he thinks of them and the judgment that will follow. But they will not do what faith in God requires. They will not submit to him and follow his way. It is utterly foolish to think that we can behave the same way and actually believe in God for real.
As we make our way through the book of Genesis, we will see that this is true. We will observe how people who truly believe in God will do what God has revealed about himself and from himself. Those who demonstrate this genuine faith will endure hardships and receive great blessing, as well. But those who refuse to truly believe God in this way will live under a curse, cut off from God’s blessing and facing judgment.
“One of the great needs of today is a profound conviction that God is.” (W. Holloway Main)
It would not be difficult to persuade me that far more than we would like to know, American churches in general have more “professing” believers than genuine believers, like Abraham. I say this because in my observation, we sacrifice very little to follow God. We all do what is convenient and popular to do within our churches and Christian communities, but few demonstrate the sort of genuine devotion to God which is willing to sacrifice that which is important to them when faced with the inconvenient and hard commands and realities of God.
May our study of Genesis challenge us all to evaluate the genuineness of our faith in God and motivate us to follow God with the genuine devotion of Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham. May faith in the pre-existent, personal, revealing, creator God transform our lives and lead us to the blessing that God promises to those who walk by faith.
Discussion Questions
- Which three attributes of God which Genesis 1:1 reveals (God is pre-existent, singular, and self-existent) is the most difficult for you to grasp mentally?
- The pre-existence of God means that God not only existed before everything else that exists, but that he has always existed and has no beginning. Since this was “the beginning” and God existed before the beginning, then he has no beginning and has always existed.
- The singularity of God means that there is only one God. Since this is the case, then not only are there no other gods comparable to or as high-ranking as him, but there are no other gods at all. Though we may form other gods from our imagination and the material world, these are not real gods by nature.
- The self-sufficiency of God means that God needs nothing or no one else to exist. As a result, he is entirely perfect, reliable, and unchangeable.
- Why does it matter that God is pre-existent? Singular? Self-existent?
- What does the quote below mean?
- “God is not for proof but proclamation; not for argument but acceptance.” - Robert M. Horn
- Does Genesis 1:1 prove or disprove the truth of this point?
- What does this mean for apologetics (defending the Christian faith) and evangelism (spreading the Christian faith)?
- The sermon gave us a list of names of God in Genesis. Why is it important that we know about God’s nature and not just his actions?
- How does God’s character enable us to be the ideal friend? Husband? Wife? Father? Mother? Employer? Employee?
- What is distinct about a person who is concerned with being like God, instead of merely knowing about God?
- Do you functionally question the Creator’s wisdom? If so, how?
- How can you make these truths about God into governing realities?
- How does a “Yes, but…” response to Biblical commands resemble the “faith of demons?” (Jam 2:19-21).
- How does considering these realities of God help us when facing our tendency to work to make God accommodate us? What are some ways that long-term Christians try to make God accommodate them?
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