Genesis Introduction: Why Origins Matter

What are the consequences of believing that we came into being by accident through some primordial chemical reactions millions of years ago? In what ways is it different from believing we were created by God? When we study Genesis, what’s really at stake? Why do our origins matter? 

In short, the bottom line is this: If evolution is true, then the Bible is not trustworthy. If the Bible is not trustworthy, then we have no hope for salvation, no hope for life after death. In such case, the world is pure chaos, and life meaningless. Origins really do matter, and we must seek the truth with diligence and humbleness. 

Many people do not really know why they believe something; Without ever thinking it through, they merely believe what their teachers taught them. And where did those teachers learn it from? Their teachers, and on and on. 

This phenomenon often happens with the belief of evolution. It is told as fact in virtually all public schools in the nation, but do science teachers and such ever encourage their students to think for themselves, learn how evidence works, and see how the idea of evolution holds up to scrutiny? 

Just as prevalent as this ignorance is skepticism. The Bible’s creation account is widely mocked today, supposedly having been disproven by “science”. For some Christians then, there seems to be only one option: view the first 11 chapters of the book of Genesis as poetry of some sort, not meant to be taken literally. This seemingly saves their Christian faith while not disregarding “science”. But is this rational? Could the book of Genesis just be poetry or symbolism, and not an historical account?

Another issue that we are confronted with when reading Genesis is the age of the earth. Of course, in the evolutionary worldview, the earth must be billions of years old…But is that estimate feasible in a Christian worldview? Does Genesis tell us how old the earth is? 

We will answer all these questions and more, and we will additionally study the Genesis account of the fall of man, and how Genesis directly affects the gospel of Jesus Christ. Finally, we will look at the “ultimate proof” of creation and how it can be effectively shared with the world.