First Principles

Lesson 1

Lesson Text—Isaiah 46:9-11

Isaiah 46:9-119 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

Lesson Text—Isaiah 46:9-11

11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

Lesson Text—John 1:1-3

John 1:1-31 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.2 The same was in the beginning with God.3 All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.

Lesson Text—I Corinthians 2:6-7

I Corinthians 2:6-7

6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

Lesson Text—I Corinthians 2:6-7

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory.

Lesson Text—II Timothy 1:9

II Timothy 1:9Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

Lesson Text—Hebrews 11:3

Hebrews 11:3Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

Focus Verse—Genesis 1:1

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Focus Thought

The first few words of the Bible lay the foundation for our Christian world-view. The most important

truth is that there is a God who created us.

I. GodCulture Connection

Faith in who God Is – Richard Davis

We live in an age when people are “looking out for number one.” Even when it comes to studying the Bible, students commonly and rightfully ask, “What practical purpose does this lesson have for me?”

A student could certainly ask that question about today’s lesson on Creation. Creation may seem far removed from where we live in practical terms.

I. GodCreation was a long time ago and

primitive compared to our fast paced, complex, and hectic world today. Still, there are many practical lessons to be gleaned from studying Creation and the God who is.

For instance, when God identified Himself to Moses as “I AM,” He identified Himself as the One who perpetually occupies the present tense. In other words, there is never a time of history in which God is more present, more powerful, or more available to mankind than any other time. He is!

I. GodCreation teaches us to have faith in the One who is available to help—an ever-present help in time of need! (See Psalm 46:1.) The One who laid the foundations of all things—visible or invisible—is also able to create peace in our troubled hearts, create solutions to our most pressing dilemmas, and create opportunities that will work for the good of those who love Him. (See Romans 8:28.)

I. GodGod created all things. To believe that is the foundation for believing in One who can be all we need Him to be in our lives. But the basis of God as creator of all things good and relevant in our lives will neither evolve through the channels of evolution nor spring up from the pages of a science textbook. It is a matter of faith! If I can believe in the God who created all things, I can believe He is the solution to all I need in life.

I. GodIt is impossible to know or even

imagine what it was like at the beginning. The conditions were so alien and arcane to what we know or understand. We have no frame of reference to compare with that time of pristine origins. It was nothingness, but we live in a world of time, energy, and substance. There was nothing but a colossal, empty, black vacuum without matter for one to see, touch, or smell.

Contemplating the Topic

I. GodThere was no light, energy, time—no life-forms—nothing but the inert, yet omnipotent power of God.The only life-form was God’s ethereal presence quietly awaiting revelation. In the beginning, only one thing existed—God. He existed as a single, invisible Spirit being. He was one single entity—invisible and unknowable, yet filled with unlimited potential.

God defines uniqueness. No creature is comparable to God’s holy, powerful, creative omniscience.

I. GodMoses asked God for His name, and God responded with an ambiguous, yet profound, answer: “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you” (Exodus 3:14). Calling Him the “Ancient of days,” Daniel pictured God on His throne of judgment, judging the great world empires (Daniel 7:9, 13, 22).

I. GodEverything emanated from the mind of God, and the origin of all things came about through His divine wisdom and creativity. God envisioned everything before creation and then spoke everything into existence. He is the One who created, maintains, and perpetuates everything by His divine power.

At God’s word, matter, light, energy, and time emanated from nothing.

I. GodGod created a vast cavity of space and then strewed the heavens with glittering stars and various celestial bodies, giving each its own shape, color, and movement. (See Jeremiah 31:35.) Among these swirling masses of rock and gas, galaxies and nebulae formed.

In this immeasurable sea of heavenly bodies, the Earth became a place of purpose and significance. God spun it around the sun with a perfect rotation on its own axis.

I. GodIts atmosphere was just right to provide a perfect environment for life. He made it with just the right balance of ocean and land and established its days, years, and seasons with delicate equilibrium. He gave the Earth winds, rain, and heat from the sun with accurate precision.

In this perfectly suited habitat God created life. He scattered innumerable life-forms across land and sea.

I. GodFrom worms crawling in the ocean floor to giant whales rolling their tonnage in the depths; from the birds singing on the branches to the lion stalking through the brush; from the cattle chewing their cud to the monkey swinging from the vine—God created it all!

Then God created mankind—His finest creation. Created in His own image and likeness, mankind would worship Him by choice, not on the basis of instinct alone.

I. GodThis creature would have the ability to ponder God’s awesomeness and understand His revelation. His intelligence would equip him to fellowship with the Almighty and to make choices of his own volition.

Psalm 8:3-5“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and

the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art

mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower

than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour” (Psalm

8:3-5).

I. GodSearching The

Scriptures:

GodTo deny the existence of God is

foolish! The term “fool” defines those who, in spite of the obvious realities, deny the existence of an almighty God: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1). The atheist is arrogant, egotistical, and presumptuous.

I. GodIn spite of the millions of unanswered mysteries of the cosmos, he assumes the sparse bits and pieces that he knows about the origins of the universe are enough to qualify him to arrive at such a conclusion.

We know so little compared to what we do not know, yet the atheists think they know. Paul wrote concerning people of the last days who would be “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (II Timothy 3:7).

A. God’s Existence Established in Scripture

A. God’s Existence Established

in Scripture

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

I. GodResident in this opening declaration

of the Bible are questions that curious humans long to know, but God has not chosen to reveal. As the narrative of Creation unfolds, the Bible simply proclaims, “God said.” God willed the works of Creation to be so, He spoke with authority and power, and He created all things. This first sentence makes one thing very clear—God exists, and everything else that exists came from Him. He is the prime visionary, initiator, and Creator.

I. GodThe Bible is a book about God. He is the central personality, and mankind and creation are secondary to God’s eternal existence. The central message of the Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to mankind and His desire for us to have a relationship with Him. God created mankind and then made overtures toward him—incrementally revealing Himself to the human race.

B. God Is a SpiritB. God Is a Spirit

Jesus declared to the woman at the well in Samaria, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

In his book The Oneness of God, David K. Bernard says, “What is a spirit? Webster’s Dictionary includes in its definition of the word the following: ‘A supernatural incorporeal, rational being usu. invisible to human beings but having the power to become visible at will . . . a being having an incorporeal

or immaterial nature.’

I. GodThe Hebrew word translated as spirit is ruwach, and it can mean wind, breath, life, anger, unsubstantiality, region of the sky, or spirit of a rational being. The Greek word translated as spirit, pneuma, can mean a current of air, breath, blast, breeze, spirit, soul, vital principle, disposition, angel, demon, or God. All three definitions emphasize that a spirit does not have flesh and bones (Luke 24:39). Similarly, Jesus indicated that the Spirit of God does not have flesh and blood (Matthew 16:17).

I. GodSo, when the Bible says that God is a Spirit, it means that He cannot be seen or touched physically by human beings. As a Spirit, He is an intelligent, supernatural Being who does not have a physical body.”

God is not just nature or a force, but He is a being. He has attributes and characteristics that give Him personality and individuality. He has a mind and a will, and He is capable of action and emotion.

I. GodGod is a spirit-being, divine

entity, or ethereal individual with many wonderful attributes and characteristics. God also has manifested Himself to the human race in numerous ways. However, the Old Testament declares frequently that He is one being:

Deuteronomy 6:4

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

Isaiah 44:8

“Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any”

(Isaiah 44:8).

Isaiah 44:24

“I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth

abroad the earth by myself” (Isaiah 44:24).

I. GodHe is undeniably one in number

and not as some believe “three persons.” He is numerically one. The Hebrews lived among people who believed in polytheism—many gods. Monotheism was a major distinction that made the Hebrews different from their neighbors. Jehovah was also an invisible spirit being in contrast to the idols and creature worship of the heathen.

II. The Beginning of TimeThe Beginning of Time

A. Progression of Time

Eternity is the absence of time. God conceived and implemented this measurement we call “time” by initiating a progression of linear events.

I. GodSome religions believe we are

merely on a cycle, or a great circle, where time repeats itself. For example, the Hindu religion teaches reincarnation, where humans return after death to recycle life in some different form. However, the Scriptures do not support this idea. God set into motion a series of events that will culminate in the great judgment day (Hebrews 9:27). God’s great program had a beginning and it will have an ending. (See Ecclesiastes 3:11; Isaiah 46:10; Daniel 12:4, 9; Revelation 1:8;

21:6; 22:13.)

I. GodEven though God is an eternal

being, He has limited His actions relative to mankind and Creation to the realm of time. God has provided a time and season for all things, including a time for salvation, which He provided through Jesus Christ: “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law” (Galatians 4:4). The providence of God toward mankind is pervasive in our history and future. (See Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.)

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a

time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep,

and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance”

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-4).

Ecclesiastes 3:5-8“A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a

time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to castaway; a

time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of

peace” (Ecclesiastes 3:5-8).

B. Value of TimeB. Value of Time

Each person is given a certain amount of time to live on this earth, and none of us knows how long that will be. Our lives are gifts from God that we should use to glorify Him. The psalmist declared, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

I. GodPaul penned these words: “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16); “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time” (Colossians 4:5). This commodity called time is a part of the talents that God distributes to everyone, and we should be good stewards of His gifts. (See Matthew 25:15-28; I Peter 4:10.)

III. Beginning of MatterBeginning of Matter

In the beginning there was nothing but a gargantuan, cavernous vacuum—only emptiness and nothingness! At Creation, God filled this vacuum with created matter or substances. Science has discovered that all matter is composed of atoms and molecules, which make up the building blocks of all substances. In this natural world where we live, a vacuum is an anomaly.

I. GodWe may be able to artificially create vacuums, but nature fights to fill the void. Although science considers outer space as a vacuum, it is not a perfect vacuum, because some substances exist even there.

A. Creation DefinedA. Creation Defined

The word creation can mean to bring into existence that which had no prior existence, or to make something out of nothing. God made mankind differently than He created the elements and other forms of organic life. He formed mankind from the existing substance of dirt and then breathed life into him. From the man’s rib, He then created a woman. This exceptional way of creating accents the uniqueness of humanity that remains dependent upon His care and support.

A. Progression of TimeGod’s creation is separate from His

being. Nature is not God, and God is not nature as the pantheists (Buddhists) teach. Creation is independent from God’s person and at the same time dependent upon His care.

B. Creation by GodB. Creation by God

The universe was not produced by some cosmic accident. God intricately planned and considered the conditions of creation. Some scientists say that a mindless, uncontrolled “big bang” occurred billions of years ago. A sudden outburst or explosion would have resulted in destruction and chaos rather than the life and order that we now witness around us. Rather, God was the Creator!

I. GodAmong many other sophisticated disciplines, He was a chemist, a physicist, an astronomer, and a biologist. He was most certainly an artist, the maker of all our world’s beauty. Further, He was the lawmaker of all unseen forces that make nature orderly and predictable.

The Book of Genesis describes six days of creation (Genesis 1). We have no way of knowing for certain how long these days were; however, we have much reason to conclude that the days were twenty-four hours in length

just as our days are.

I. GodNumerous students of Scripture have made strong arguments to support the idea that the One who created the twenty-four-hour day also utilized the same-length time periods as days of creation. Certainly, God could have utilized a longer, unique period of time for each day if He so desired. Simply, we do not know for sure. We do know, however, that the creative act was a six-day process followed by a day of rest, and we know that God was the originator and implementer of it all.

I. GodThe earth has gone through many

changes over the years and holds many mysteries. We do not know how hydrocarbons became buried deep in the earth, how the Grand Canyon was formed, where dinosaurs came from, or how seashells got to North Dakota. Neither do scientists. They only have theories! It is likely, as suggested by many creation scientists, that the great Flood was involved in creating many of these unsolved mysteries.

IV. Before the BeginningBefore the Beginning

It is satisfying to know there is a mastermind behind creation! We are not here as the result of random acts. We are not hapless prisoners of a whimsical universe, waiting for some calamity to cause our demise. From the beginning, God was deliberate with every step of the creative process. Everything He did was purposeful and designed with intent.

I. GodHe also created human beings with purpose and preordained destiny. Consequently, we are not highly evolved animals pursuing our instincts and destined to eventually die and pass into oblivion.

A. Eternal Life PlannedA. Eternal Life Planned

Even scientists agree that this world as we know it will eventually be destroyed. We are vulnerable to the elements of nature—the death of our sun, collision with meteorites, radiation from galactic eruptions, diseases, and now our ability to destroy ourselves with nuclear weapons.

I. GodThe Bible predicts this world will be destroyed and there will be a new heaven and a new earth. (See Isaiah 65:17; 66:22; II Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1-2.) Our world may be temporal, but our spiritual nature will live forever. God created the human race with the potential to live eternally. (See Genesis 2:7.)

Genesis 2:7

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and

breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a

living soul” (Genesis 2:7).

I. GodGod was not surprised when Adam and Eve failed to obey His command, for He understands the strong natural drives and cravings of human nature. He gave mankind the power of choice, and they made the wrong choice. Knowing Adam’s propensity for failure, God provided a way of redemption. God instituted substitutionary procedures that the patriarchs implemented in the Old Testament.

I. GodUnder that sacrificial system the blood of innocent animals brought about the temporary atonement for mankind’s sins. However, the blood of animals could never really atone for man’s sins; it would ultimately require a higher sacrifice of One who alone could provide atonement.

I. GodGod’s love for humanity climaxed at

the Incarnation. He became incarnate through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who shed His innocent blood to provide a thorough and perpetual propitiation for the sins of the world (Romans 3:25; I John 2:2; 4:10). Jesus proclaimed, “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:15-16).

I. GodEternal purpose planned. “And to

make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:9-11).

I. GodThe church is comprised of

individuals who are destined to bring eternal glory to God. They represent God’s ultimate purpose in history (Romans 1:9-12), and all Christians should find their life’s purpose in their role in that ultimate purpose (Romans 4:11-13). Even the angels learn about God’s redemption through observing the church. (See I Peter 1:12.) The church is at the center of His eternal purpose—redeeming mankind.

I. God“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).

Some commentaries say that the phrase “slain from the foundation of the world” is speaking of the Book of Life. How could the Book of Life, or those in it, be slain? It appears more reasonable to interpret this verse by relating it to the time in eternity past when God envisioned the ultimate sacrifice for sin. (See Revelation 1:8,

21:6, 22:13.)

I. GodHe was not crucified when the world was created, but it was the imperative piece in God’s envisioned plan.

God knows the end from the beginning: “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” (Isaiah 46:9-10). As an eternal being, God can speak of things beforehand as though they were. (See

Romans 4:17.)

I. GodEternal life planned. “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; but hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour” (Titus 1:2-3).

Titus 1:2-3 reveals that the “promise” of eternal life was codified before God created the world.

I. GodEternal life is a promise to every believer who will trust in the blood of Jesus for redemption and be born again of the water and the Spirit (John 3:5). The greatest benefit of being a part of God’s kingdom is eternal life!

I. GodJesus declared, “My sheep hear my

voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28). Jesus also prayed, “Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him” (John 17:1-2).

B. PredestinationB. Predestination

“Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his

good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the

dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:” (Ephesians 1:9-10).

Ephesians 1:11-12

“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: that we

should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ”

(Ephesians 1:11-12).

I. GodPredestination, a popular

theological idea, proposes that individuals do not have a choice in the process of being saved or lost, and that God in His sovereignty has predetermined who will be saved. This would mean that our volition is deprived and manipulated by God where we robotically follow our predetermined destiny. If this were true, we would be like puppets with God pulling the strings.

I. GodAs sovereign, God is free to choose

our destiny separate from our will and actions. Nevertheless, there is a bastion of Scripture that affirms the individual’s power to choose in these eternal matters. (See Matthew 6:24; 16:11; Mark 3:29; 16:16; John 5:29; Romans 13:2.) The Greek word translated as “predestinated” in Ephesians 1:11 is prooridzo, and it means “to predetermine, decide beforehand” (Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon).

I. GodThis predetermined salvation is speaking about the church collectively and not of specific individuals. Jesus told Peter the gates of Hell would not prevail against the church (Matthew 16:18). He assured us that the church will be victorious over the world, but each individual must seek his own salvation with great gravity. Paul wrote to the Philippian church, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).

B. PredestinationEternalizing The Message

To ignore God would be the most severe mistake a person could make in his lifetime. Whether it is from doubt or simply neglect, the consequences are enormous. Further, to ignore God is to be dishonest and unthankful. When we refuse to acknowledge Him as the source of everything and the One who provides our every need, we put blindfolds on our eyes and stumble blindly through life.

I. GodWe miss the whole purpose of our existence by not becoming a believer in and a worshiper of God.

Life is more than just satisfying our carnal cravings and accumulating riches. God must be at the center of everything. Jesus proclaimed, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).

I. GodJust as God is the source of the universe and is in control of everything, He is also the chief controller of eternity. God created a temporal universe, but He gave human beings an eternal spirit. From the beginning, God planned that people would live eternally just as He is eternal. God’s ultimate intention is that each person to whom He gives life should live eternally with Him.