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To: O'Hara who wrote (1251)	11/22/1997 6:27:00 PM
From: O'Hara	Respond to of 2110

><>...CREATION...><> God's action in creating the natural universe out of nothing. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews in the New Testament declared, "By faith we understand that the world was framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible" <Heb. 11:3>. People of the pagan nations of the ancient world believed that matter was eternal and that the gods evolved out of natural processes. But the Bible teaches that God existed before creation and called the physical world into existence out of nothing. The account of His act of creation is found in the first two chapters of the Book of Genesis. First God created inanimate life: grass, other vegetation, trees, and fruit trees. Then the sea was filled with living creatures, the air with flying things, and the earth with creeping things. Then God moved on in orderly fashion to create land animals. The creation of man was left for the sixth and final day of creation because man was special and was to rule over the rest of creation. "Then God said, 'Let us make man in Our image, according to our likeness' "<Gen. 1:26>. This statement has fascinated thinkers for centuries. Just what does the image of God in man mean? Since God is spirit-- not a material substance-- it must mean more than physical resemblance. To be created in God's image means that man, though a creature, is akin to God. God is Creator-- the only being capable of making something from nothing. Yet, on a lesser level, man also has capacity to be creative. This is one distinct meaning of the truth that we are created in God's image. God is speaker and a ruler. Man was also told to have dominion over the creation. God is holy, a moral and ethical God who is righteous. Man is also morally and ethically responsible and must make moral choices. God has revealed that he is a social being (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Man also is a social being who needs relationship with others. Human experience and the biblical record suggest that these are some ways in which man reflects the image of God. The Genesis writer also declared that God created humanity as "male and female" <Gen. 1:27>. This account of creation does not give priority to either male or female. Both are needed to reflect the image of God. The most fundamental difference in humanity is not race but sex. The Greeks said man once was androgynous-- both male and female. Somehow he lost the female half and ever since has been looking for his other half. But the writer of Genesis pointed out that sex is an order of creation which is good and proper in God's sight. <Genesis 2> contains what some scholars call a second creation account. But others point out that it sets the stage for what follows in the accounts of man's temptation and sin. A major emphasis of <chapter 2> is the creation of woman as a companion for man. Man's incompleteness apart from woman is shown in his loneliness and frustration. None of the animals could meet Adam's need. Then the Lord created woman from Adam's rib. Bible students have long seen symbolic truth in this rib imagery. Woman was taken from under man's arm to symbolize his protection of her. She was taken from near his heart that he might love and cherish her. She was not made from a head bone to rule over man, nor from his foot to be trampled on and degraded. Like the man, she reflects God's image. Together they formed the blessed pair needed to replenish and subdue the earth. Many Bible students wonder about the six days of creation. Were these 24-hour days or indefinite periods of time? It may help us in our interpretation if we remember that we use the word "day" in several ways, even as the ancient Hebrews did. We speak of the day of reckoning, the day of opportunity, and the day of trouble. These may signify more than a 24-hour day. In similar fashion, the biblical writers spoke of the "day of the Lord" and "day of visitation." Skeptics have ridiculed the creation story in Genesis because it reports that the creation occurred in six days. But the indefinite meaning of day takes care of this objection. Besides, Scripture says that with the Lord, "A day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day" <2 Pet. 3:8>. The biblical writer was not writing a scientific journal. He was moved by God's Spirit to give a revelation of spiritual reality. His primary emphasis was not on the process by which the world was created but on the Creator and His purpose. Many of the pagan nations of the ancient world had their own creation stories. But in these stories, their gods evolved out of natural processes connected with the world itself. They believed the material universe was eternal, and it brought their gods into being. But Genesis declares that God existed before creation and is in full control of the physical universe. He called the world into being by His word. His power is absolute. He does not have to conform to nature and cannot be threatened by it. God is sovereign and does not have to share His power with other supernatural beings. Since God created the universe out of nothing, it is His and will always serve His purpose. As He shaped creation without any interference from anyone, He will bring creation to its desired end. No power can frustrate God in His purpose to complete the process started in creation and revealed in Scripture. Our hope rests in the sovereign power of Him who created the world and then re-created us through the saving power of His Son, Jesus Christ. (from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary) (Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

To: O'Hara who wrote (1251)	11/24/1997 10:35:00 AM
From: O'Hara	Respond to of 2110

><>...JESUS THE CHRIST...><> When sin is considered as slavery from which the slave must be set free, then the death of Christ is spoken of as a ransom or a means of redemption. Jesus Himself declared that He came "to give His life a ransom for many" <Mark 10:45>. Paul not only spoke of sin as slavery; he also personified sin as a slaveowner who compels his slaves to obey his evil orders. When they are set free from his control by the death of Christ to enter the service of God, they find this service, by contrast, to be perfect freedom. The idea of sin as a debt that must be canceled is based on the teaching of Jesus. In Jesus' parable of the creditor and the two debtors <Luke 7:40-43>, the creditor forgave them both when they could make no repayment. But the debtor who owed the larger sum, and therefore had more cause to love the forgiving creditor, represented the woman whose "sins, which are many, are forgiven" <Luke 7:47>. This is similar to Paul's reference to God as "having canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands" <Col. 2:14>, (RSV). (from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary) (Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

To: O'Hara who wrote (1251)	11/24/1997 10:37:00 AM
From: O'Hara	Read Replies (6) \| Respond to of 2110

><>...JESUS THE CHRIST...><> Paul's words in <Colossians 2:15> speak of the "principalities and powers" as a personification of the hostile forces in the world which have conquered men and women and hold them as prisoners of war. There was no hope of successful resistance against them unti Christ confronted them. It looked as if they had conquered Him too, but on the cross He conquered death itself, along with all other hostile forces. In His victory all who believe in Him have a share: "Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" <1 Cor. 15:57>. Sin is also viewed as estrangement, or alienation, from God. In this case, the saving work of Christ includes the reconciliation of sinners to God. The initiative in this reconciling work is taken by God: "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself" <2 Cor. 5:19>. God desires the well-being of sinners; so He sends Christ as the agent of His reconciling grace to them <Col. 1:20>. (from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary) (Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)