Faith in God?
The first verse of the Bible demands not only faith in God, but also faith that the Bible is the Word of God. In the beginning God….created
Faith is complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Therefore “Faith in God” is complete trust in God. Our main information about God is the Bible.
From the first page of the Bible until the last, God’s existence is assumed. Nowhere is there an attempt made to prove that God exists. The writers of Scripture take it for granted.
Everything in the Bible (both Old and New Testament) flows from its first book, Genesis. Genesis gives us the origin and initial introduction of all major biblical doctrines. Genesis means the origin (beginnings) or mode of formation of something.
Doctrine – a major teaching on a specific subject in the Bible such as sin.
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Our knowledge of God comes from five sources, all in agreement:
1. Creation: Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Created Man: Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Dominion – is authority/control. How much control did God grant Adam (man) is the basis of much debate even today.
Commanded man: Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:[17] But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
This commandment became the foundation of God’s covenant relationship, plus the basis of man’s conscience! Also this command established some limits to man’s dominion/authority/freedom.
2. Conscience: Rom 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
This concept of a conscience has a bearing on some debated Christian doctrines.
3. Comforter: Jhn 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Although we we saw the work of the Holy Ghost (Spirit) in the Old Testament starting with creation, it came to the forefront after Christ ascended.
4. Covenant: Jer 32:40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.
God’s Covenant relationship is the skeleton that holds the whole Bible together and starts with God’s Covenant revelation with Adam in verse 2:16 above and ends the covenant with Christ and the church in Heb 13:20.
Heb 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
5. Christ: Heb 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,[2] Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
The theological teachings of Genesis lays the foundation for the acceptance of the Holy Bible as the authoritative source of God’s revelation about Himself and mankind. It contains and expands the information of the above five sources.
The Christian faith requires God’s Word to be accepted as absolutely true, infallible and worthy of deep study.
The Word of God, itself, states that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
All of the above sources revealing God and His covenant relationship with man demand faith.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Our faith in God grows as we diligently seek Him through the study of His Word, the Bible, while being aided in its understanding by His Spirit, the comforter.
The following lessons will provide structure for this study. Our first lesson, “Where are You?”, will start process of developing our faith not only in God, but also in the person and work of His Son, Jesus Christ.
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