Foundation of Our Faith

Over the last few months, we have been preaching through a series of messages with the above title based in Genesis 1-11. It has been an exciting time for me simply because I love to preach foundational truths as often as I am able. The reason? Because too many times we forget the foundations of who we are as a people and who God is. God is the Maker of us, we are created. God is the Source of life, we live and breathe because of Him. God is the Promise-maker and Promise-keeper, we enjoy the fruit of His promises. Moreover, the Scripture answers what science does not: how everything came into being.

Now I understand that every religion in the world today has a story of Creation. What is interesting to me is that the Creation account in Genesis is the only account that I know of that speaks of the reason for all of Creation. The reason for all that has been created is for the purpose of sustaining the lives of mankind so that mankind might bring all glory to God. That for some is a stretch, but I see no problem with that belief based on Genesis 1-11.

Additionally, I see in these foundational passages of Scripture that God does not like sin at all. When you consider the doctrine of sin found in the Bible, you discover that when Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, when he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, sin entered into the world and thereby so did death. I do not like death. After losing my twin sister, I hate death all the more. And mankind lives with this death day in and day out. Everyday of our lives we are affected by sin and death. We see how God handles the sin of man: judgment. Many do not believe that a loving God could judge mankind but it is precisely because of His love that he brings judgment. If it was not for His love, then all sorts of evils and hell would breaking out around the world (far worse than it appears to be doing now). The evil that exists in the world right now–because of the sin of Adam–is held to a degree in order that God might show His favor on whom He wills. Noah is a prime example of this grace and the faith that he exercised in this loving God who showed him favor.

Our foundational beliefs also bring us to a point of understanding that all the nations of the world have come through Noah’s three sons, Japheth, Shem, and Ham, and that there is no room for prejudice in the lives of Christians–or any other person for that matter. All of us can trace our ancestry back to one of these three men, and because of this, we are all related in one form or another. It also stands to reason that because we can trace our roots to one of these three men that we can trace our ancestry back to Noah, therefore, tracing it all the way back to Adam and Eve. This is foundational to the beliefs of all Christians. And God fulfills His redemptive plan of men, women, boys and girls through this plan of the nations.

For instance, He lays out for Christians the future of the Messiah who would come and save His people in Micah 5:2. He lets us know in Isaiah 53 what the Messiah would go through on our behalf. He tells us that His birth was different from anyone else’s in all of history in Matthew 1. He tells us that after His death according to the Scriptures, His burial, and His resurrection according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4), He ascended into the heavens and is now seated at the right hand of God after He made payment for our sins (Hebrews 1:1-4). He tells us that it is these very nations to whom we are to go and preach the Good News of Jesus Christ so that we might be His witnesses in all the earth (Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1:8). And it is people from all tribes, tongues, nations, ethnic groups, etc. that will be saved and will be in heaven as it says in Revelation 7: a multitude that is too great to count!

Friend, this is the foundation of our beliefs: God is Creator, God is Communicator, God is Christ, God is Redeemer, God is Reconciler, God is Restorer. Do you know Him? Do you know the God of the Bible? Have you ever looked into the truths that are found in these foundational passages of Scripture? What you will discover is that the Gospel message is given from the very beginning of time. God has always had a plan of redemption and we are a part of this plan. You are a part of this plan! You simply need to repent of your sin, turn to the Messiah–Jesus Christ–and believe and receive Him as your Lord and Savior. The Bible is clear from the beginning: Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved!!