The creationist's model of earth's history includes the concepts that our planet was modified as a result of the Fall and that its surface was radically trans formed in a post-Creation, universal flood. We are fully aware that this belief places us at odds with the widely held evolutionary model.
Several points need to be emphasized in our discussion of this most important subject. Serious reflection on these matters, in my opinion, reveals that turning from the Biblical account of a literal creation, fall, and flood and accepting the spontaneous origin of life and its slow development over hundreds of millions of years has far greater theological implications than most Christians recognize.
In the contemporary Christian world, theistic evolution has been promoted by numerous scholars and religious leaders. Theistic evolution suggests that God used natural selection, operating over long periods of time to develop life on our earth. This Christian humanistic model differs from the basic atheistic evolutionary model mainly in its introduction of God—the evolutionary principles and time frame are essentially the same. Obviously, this model avoids tension with the scientific community. But it must be evaluated on the basis of the authority and testimony of the Scriptures.
People generally overlook the fact that the verification of any model of origins lies beyond the scope of scientific procedure. Empirical evidence for the origin of the universe, and specifically our planet with its varied forms of life, is absolutely nonexistent! Although the available evidence can be interpreted in support of a particular model of origins, in the final analysis one must have faith to accept any of the models offered.
We believe that Scripture teaches a fiat creation and that there is logical and reasonable evidence, although not proof, that justifies taking the Biblical record literally. Seventh-day Adventist sponsorship of the Geoscience Research Institute witnesses to the strength of our commitment to this teaching. (For more on the founding of the Geoscience Research Institute, its purposes, and the importance of Creation to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, see MINISTRY, June, 1983.) The members of this institute, who all hold doctorates in various scientific disciplines, spend their full time in research, writing, and lecturing on creationism. As far as I know, ours is the only Christian church that supports such an entity. We feel it is money well spent, since the work relates directly to a most important doctrine of Scripture.
In fact, nothing in the Bible is more basic than its claim that God is the Creator. The Scriptures begin with the simple statement "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Then follow the details of a creation that took place in a six-day period. Some may speculate about the length of time involved in the Genesis narrative, but one cannot do so when it comes to the details and specific time given in the fourth commandment. The statement "For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is" (Ex. 20:11) makes sense only in the framework of a literal six-day Creation week, with a seventh-day Sabbath memorial of Creation. It is most significant that God's arbitrary use of seven days for the Creation week is the only satisfactory explanation for the weekly cycle we have today.
As to the importance of Creation, a quick survey of texts reveals that the Scriptures identify His creation of the heavens, earth, and mankind as that which marks the difference between the true God and the plethora of false gods, and establishes Him as authoritative in contrast to them. (See Isa.,40:25, 26; 42:5; 43:1; 44:6-21; 45:8-12, 18; Jonah 1:9; Acts 17:22-26.)
On earth our Lord displayed His magnificent creative power in restoring health to diseased bodies, sight to blind eyes, and life to dead beings. It was the same life-giving voice that brought the world into existence, that also made men who were physically and spiritually dead come to life!
That same Person will speak again—and create a new heaven and a new earth when He returns the second time (see 2 Peter 3:10-13). This climactic event will not take eons of time. No evolutionary process will be involved in the restoration of all things to their Edenic beauty. It will be a repeat performance of the original creation. The resurrection of the righteous dead magnificently demonstrates that God needs little time to re-create. They will be raised "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" (see 1 Cor. 15:51-54). If there is a "fiat creation" of life at the end-time, why couldn't there have been a "fiat creation" at the beginning of time?
Does it really matter? Many questions will have to remain unanswered, but we believe this special issue demonstrates that credible scientific evidence does exist to support the historicity of Gene sis. How one views the origin of life has an impact on how he views life itself. It does matter—J.R.S.
