Many churches and individual Christians shy away from Genesis 1. They either claim it is not an important issue, because it is a divisive element in the Church, or they believe that it is not possible that God could be the Creator (or whatever).
# What happens when one denies God as the Creator?
- The foundation of faith for forgiveness is wiped out. The most important aspect of the Christian faith is forgiveness for one’s sins by Jesus Christ, the Messiah. But, the right to forgive is linked to creation.
# The Forgiveness creation link.
- Jesus demonstrated this connection between Creator and Saviour when they brought the paralysed man to Him. He said to him, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ The teachers of the law thought by themselves, ‘Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ (Note: only God can forgive sins.)
- Jesus immediately knew what they were thinking, and said, “Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, …He said to the paralytic, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’” What Jesus did was to prove that as Creator (the paralysed man was healed), He can be the Saviour (forgive sins). The logical question is where did He get the right to forgive sins?
# God and Jesus have the right to
- Define what sin is;
- Announce the penalty for sin, namely death;
- Present a remedy, namely the exchange of an innocent animal’s blood for the guilty;
- To find in Jesus’ death on the Cross a permanent Sacrifice, the Lamb of God.
# Why do they have the right to define sin and forgive?
- God created the heavens and the earth. Therefore He is the Possessor of heaven and earth.
- God as rightful Owner of this creation has the right to decree what offends Him. It is just like the leader of a country who decrees the laws for the citizens.
- God also has the right to declare what the punishment is when people break His laws. (Remember Jesus is also the Creator according to John 1:3, Hebrews 1:2, Colossians 1:16.)
# God, the Owner, decreed forgiveness.
- His own Son, Jesus, paid the penalty of sin on the Cross. Jesus gives new birth and eternal life through His resurrection. He opens the way to heaven through His ascension.
- God is able to save humanity out from under the yoke of the evil one, because He as Creator and Owner can decree salvation for those who want it.
Conclusion
One cannot spread the message of forgiveness of sins by Jesus, but deny creation by God. That is one of the reasons many reject the Christian message. They realise that without God the Creator, there can be no God the Forgiver. No Jesus the Creator, no Jesus the Redeemer.
References
1. Mark 2:4-12
