Lessons from Genesis One

Genesis 1 is intended as an introduction to God: 

1. Genesis 1 is an introduction to the wisdom of God. This becomes a background of the wisdom for the rest of the Bible. There is not anything that is short or lacking in God’s creation. God did not have to ask anybody about His methods of procedure in creation (Romans 11:31-36).
2. Genesis 1 is an introduction to the power of God. If God had the power to bring the worlds into existence then why should He have any problem with any other miracle that is recorded in the Bible? This includes the Virgin Birth or resurrection!
3. Genesis is an introduction to the eternity of God (Isaiah 57:15—ASV).
4. Genesis 1 is an introduction to the goodness of God. All that is needed for man’s happiness is provided for him. The goodness of God becomes the background for our redemption. God has an interest in what happens to man. His grace has ever provided what man has needed (Deuteronomy 8:18; James 1:17; Titus 1:17).
5. Genesis is an introduction to the love of God (John 3:16; Romans 5:6-9).
6. Genesis introduces us to the spiritual nature of God. The spiritual nature of God becomes the background of man’s fellowship with God. Faith is a spiritual principle. Love is a spiritual principle. These have to do with our responses to our Creator (Genesis 1:26-27; Deuteronomy 6:5-6; Matthew 22:37; I John 5:3; John 14:15).
7. Genesis is an introduction to the authority of God. When God delegates authority that does not diminish God’s authority. Note Jesus and the apostles (Matthew 28:19).
8. God’s method of operation is through His Word (And God said). Notice the number of occurrences in Genesis 1 of: “And God said.”
9. Genesis is an introduction to the perfection of God. The knowledge of God is fundamental to all correct knowledge. Error is based on a misunderstanding of the character of God. God will not overlook false doctrine (Matthew 15:9, 13; Galatians 1:6, 9).
10. Genesis 1 gives emphasis to the unity of God. The unity of God opposes Denominationalism. The New Testament teaches the necessity of unity based on truth (I Corinthians 1:10; John 17:20-21). Each denomination has its own distinctive name and doctrines. This would be foreign to II John 9-11. False teaching is filled with poison. We must not follow after that which is crooked and perverse. We must see righteousness as the solution to all our problems. Sin is the root of all of our problems. Sin creates was in the soul. This being the case, the only solution for us today is the Gospel of Christ (Isa. 52:7; Rom. 10:15; 1:16- 17; Mark 16:15-16). 

The Gospel must be believed and obeyed if we want to be saved.

Franklin Camp

“IF, AND ONLY IF…”

The title above expresses a formula in logic and mathematics regarding compound statements (i.e., “biconditionals”). The formula (IFF, abbrev.) applies if, and only if both statements are of exactly the same “truth value.” The IFF formula is a powerful way of expressing propositional facts and truths that are incontrovertible.  

The New Testament contains several statements that readily demonstrate this formula, but which men deny or ignore on a large scale to their own present and future detriment. Consider the following:  

“Except ye believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24). One will avoid dying in sin and being eternally condemned if, and only if one believes Jesus’ Deity claims. Those who deny that Jesus is the only begotten of the Father will be lost.  

“Except ye repent, ye shall all…perish” (Luke 13:3, 5). One will avoid perishing (eternally) if, and only if one repents of his sins (i.e., turns from them in purpose and in practice). Those who continue in sin will be lost eternally.  

“Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). One may/can enter into God’s kingdom (either its earthly or heavenly state) if, and only if one is born of water and the Spirit. Jesus will deliver up to God in the heavenly kingdom only those who are in His kingdom here below (I Corinthians 15:24).  

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16a). One will be saved from the ravages, guilt, and consequence (both now and in eternity) if, and only if one believes the Gospel and is baptized according to New Testament teaching. All others will not be saved (i.e., they will be lost).  

“Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins” (Acts 2:38). One will receive remission (forgiveness) of sins if, and only if one repents of his sins and is baptized according to New Testament teaching. Those who fail to do so will arrive at The Judgment with unforgiven sins and will thus be lost.  

“He [Jesus] became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation” (Hebrews 5:9). One will receive eternal salvation if, and only if one obeys Jesus Christ. It is not enough merely to believe in Him; one’s salvation depends upon obeying Him.  

“Be baptized, and wash away thy sins” (Acts 22:16). One’s sins are washed away if, and only if one is baptized according to New Testament teaching. Baptism is the God-ordained act in which one is cleansed of sin through the blood of Christ (I Peter 1:18–19; Revelation 1:5).  

These are but a few of many such statements indicating immutable Truth concerning eternal salvation damnation.

Dub McClish

The Lure of Money

Jesus in Matthew 6 is not giving attention to the luxuries of life. He does not in this passage point our attention to some things, but “all these things.” Jesus in this context has discussed material possessions as a potential idol that is worshiped and served. In verse 24, Jesus tells of the impossibility of serving two gods. We cannot divide our allegiance between two gods. 

Jesus states clearly, “for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other” (6:24). There is no middle ground. Religiously we cannot occupy middle ground. Religion is a “love” or “hate” relationship. 

Of all that could be named as an illustration of “another god” that could have been named, Jesus, in this verse, said, “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Mammon means “money and what money can buy, possessions.” Perhaps man’s greatest threat to idolatry is here, in money and possessions. Perhaps the lure of materialism is man’s greatest weakness. Man needs to know of the danger of “these things.” Man needs to know that materialism is not something to be shrugged off as if it does not matter. 

Materialism is idolatry! Possessions can keep us out of heaven. “Covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). Calvin accurately wrote, “Where riches hold the dominion of the heart, God has lost His authority.” According to Jesus in Matthew 6, our treasure is either in heaven or on earth, our life is either full of light or darkness, our master is either God or mammon. This is not our only warning about the lure of possessions. 

A familiar parable begins with these words of warning and the theme of the parable, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15). In the parable of the rich, young ruler, we are introduced to a prospering young man. His crops had been so abundant that he had no place to store them. His solution to the problem was to pull down his barns and build bigger ones. His attitude was, “take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry” (12:19) because his life was good for many years to come because of the quantity of his possessions. He believed that his life was determined by things. He was wrong. God corrected his impression, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (12:19-21). Paul points us to the same danger, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (I Timothy 6:10). 

In another familiar parable the sower sows seed in thorny ground. Jesus interprets this portion of the parable for us. He states, “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection” (Luke 8:14). Notice carefully that the seed which is the Word of God is sown into the heart where it is eventually “choked” by the “cares and riches and pleasures of this life.” It is interesting to observe here that the word for worry comes from an old German word which means “to choke, to strangle.” Worry usually has to do with these very things, the cares, riches, and pleasures of this life. We are physically affected by worry so we choke and strangle. These same things can affect us spiritually in a similar way. The growth of God’s Word in our lives is choked by the “cares, and riches and pleasures of this life.” 

When this life becomes more important to us than the life which is to come then the process of choking has begun. Christ here is not speaking of the extras, the luxuries of life. The questions He gives suggest the very essentials of life can become so important to us that they can keep us from being saved. His questions have to do with food, drink, and clothing. If we can place too much importance on these things, then how much more dangerous are the “wants” of life available to us. 

Lester Kamp

The Main Attraction

I recall an advertisement in which a talented group of acrobats was billed as the “main attraction” of an amusement park. No doubt, the drawing power of this team was being used to the best advantage by the promoter. Looking into the Bible, I see the “main attraction” quite clearly. Jesus said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself “ (John 12:32). Preaching “Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Cor. 1:23; 2:2) is to be the focal point of our message. 

Some promote gimmicks, games, giveaways, and gymnasiums, instead of dedicating themselves to a plain, bold, and forthright proclamation of the Gospel, which alone saves souls. Millions of dollars of the Lord’s money are spent emphasizing entertainment and social functions, making the Lord’s precious church into hardly more than a soup line for the distribution of loaves and fishes, when we should be pointing people to eternal water and eternal food (John 4:10–14; John 6:26–27)! Some will continue to draw attention to programs, speakers, edifices, and novelties. 

Some pulpits will persist in feeding spiritually starved people with a “social gospel” that talks of psychology, weight loss, and “feeling good about yourself.” 

However, faithful followers of the Master know that His way and message are best. So, by the help of God, we will continue to point men and women to the Lord through direct, timely, and much needed Bible preaching. Jesus and His Word are what the world and the church desperately need! 

Let us put our emphasis back on spiritual matters rather than material. Let us, through our teaching and preaching, feed people with God’s Word, which is able to build them up and give them an inheritance among all them that are sanctified (Acts 20:32). 

Lynn Parker

NO DEPARTURE From the Jerusalem Church

If we are to depart from the Jerusalem church because it was in its infancy, and not reproduce the primitive church, we should like to know how far we are to depart from it, and in what. If the faith and practice, the precept and example of the primitive church may not be adopted now and followed, and if in all things we should not now have the same faith and practice, precept and example they had, we should be pleased for some expounder of the new doctrine to explain to us in what the departure shall consist, and what rule we are to adopt now. If we let go of the rule that governed the first church, what rule shall we adopt? If we cut loose from the Divine, shall we adopt a human rule? If so, what human rule—some one of these already made? Or shall we have the presumption and folly to think we can make a better one than these human rules already in use? 

We are not ready to cut loose from the Jerusalem Church, its rule of faith and practice, its precept and example. We have more confidence in the old ground than ever, and have no idea of departing from the Jerusalem Church, its faith and practice, precepts and example. The men that will not stand on apostolic ground, the faith and practice of the first church, will not stand on anything long. We want something reliable, permanent, sure, and steadfast—a kingdom that cannot be moved. In the old Bible, the old Gospel, and the old church, we find it. Here is something to lean, upon living and dying, for this world and the world to come. If we leave this, all is uncertainty, darkness, and night. Let us “hear what the Spirit says to the churches,” and not be of those who ”depart from the faith,” giving heed to seducing spirits, and not listen to “unstable souls,” of those who are “ever learning and never able come to the knowledge of the truth.” 

Benjamin Franklin -- 19th century Gospel preacher

Repentance

Repentance is absolutely essential to one’s salvation (Acts 2:38; II Peter 3:9). It is universal in its import (Luke 13:3, 5). Without doubt, however, the hardest command to obey in becoming a child of God is the command to repent of one’s sins. Human beings as a rule do not like to be told that they are wrong about anything, especially when it comes to their moral conduct. To be criticized about anything seems to “cut against the grain” in our mental make-up. Yet, it is precisely the humbling of ourselves- -so as to recognize we are wrong when we are wrong--that lies at the very heart of genuine, heart-felt, and life-changing repentance. It is the lowering of ourselves in our own eyes, not only to acknowledge with both mind and lips “I am wrong,” --but the steeled determination to do something about it, regardless of what may be required by the Lord, that is the essence of true repentance. Repentance is produced by “godly sorrow,” but it is more than this (II Corinthians 7:10). While it recognizes the fact of wrongdoing and creates in the human heart genuine sorrow “after a godly sort,” it proceeds to motivate the penitent to do something about the wrong—to try in some fashion to correct it or, at the very least, to change his behavior about it. Where restitution is possible, it seeks to make it. It is a change of life itself, produced by a change of mind! Repentance is beautifully illustrated in the parable of the two sons in Matthew 21:28-32. The first son refused to go into his father’s vineyard to work, but then “afterward he repented, and went” (v. 29). It is also demonstrated in the wonderful account of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, who went on to preach the faith which he once destroyed. 

Some years ago, I was studying the Word of God with a young man. He soon came to understand God’s plan of salvation. When it came time to press the matter and call upon him to obey what he now knew to be true, he backed away from the Gospel by claiming that he simply could not bring himself to stop doing certain things, such as drinking alcoholic beverages, dancing in the nightclubs, et. al. He ultimately rejected the Gospel because it demanded more of him than he was willing to do! Invariably when people reject God’s plan of salvation, the key point is repentance. 

I am convinced that more people get hung up on that command far more even than the command to be baptized for the remission of sins. In fact, if the truth be known – in all cases where the latter is rejected, the former has never begun really to take place! True faith and repentance demand nothing less than full compliance with God’s Word in becoming a Christian. The biggest obstacle is not getting into the water to get into Christ, it is getting out of self so that the other can occur! The first requirement of discipleship is a denial of self (Mat.16:24). 

Repentance is the proper expression of such radical change in one’s focus in life.

Daniel Denham

“When Your Hands Are Tied”

One of the most difficult, perplexing, and heartrending situations is when one must sit back and watch others make decisions the results of which will create more problems than the decision-makers ever thought. In fact, what compounds the problem is when one knows that those making the decisions think that their choice is the solution to a legitimate problem or problems. 

There is a further compounding of the problem when the decision-makers have been taught correctly and yet to no benefit concerning the decisions they make. In circumstances of this nature, some persons are moved to ask, what can we do to help the situation? The answer many times is: At this point there is nothing anyone can do that has not been done. 

To volunteer information to those who could have asked such of you but did not is folly. Under such circumstances people simply open themselves up to all manner of unwarranted charges and accusations. People need to learn where their responsibility begins and ends in trying to help others. Thus, under such circumstances and insofar as being able to help, honest folks must finally conclude that their hands are tied. 

God’s hands were tied regarding Adam and Eve’s decision to sin. God had informed them as to what was right and wrong and told them of the consequences if they chose to sin. Their choice and its blessings or consequences was theirs alone to make (Genesis 3). Such has been the case with God and man to the present and will continue for all time. What else could or can God do? (Romans 1:21-32; 3:23; Revelation 22:17). 

Parent’s hands are tied regarding their children’s decisions. Besides setting a Christian example before their children, godly parents have the responsibility of teaching, training, and disciplining them (Ephesians 6:4; Proverbs 22:6). Some children, while still in the home, will appreciate none of this and decide to go their own way. In such situations when all is said and done if children are rebellious enough, there comes the time when there is nothing that parents can do to change the rebellious child. Remember, after others have done all that they can do, change is effected by the person who needs to change (Joshua 24:15; Acts 2:40; 8:22; II Peter 3:9; Revelation 2:5). 

As a faithful member of the Lord’s church many times one’s hands are tied regarding the various decisions other church members make insofar as changing said members (II Timothy 4:10; Revelation 2:21-25). Even when such decisions will have a detrimental impact on the whole church, there comes the time when the faithful child of God must conclude that at least at this juncture there is nothing else that can be done to alter the matter (Hosea 4:17; III John 9); especially is this true regarding false teachers. Some brethren just will not be warned. 

Finally, when all is said and done, the faithful children of God can and must act to protect themselves and other faithful brethren from the consequences of wrong decisions made by others (Joshua 9:1-21). What else could or can a faithful child of God do? “I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contraryto the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them” (Romans 16:17). 

David P. Brown