Creation Basics: The Gospel Is Grounded in Genesis

Genesis really is foundational, as every single major Christian doctrine is either grounded directly or indirectly in the history in Genesis.

Yes, Genesis really is foundational, as every single major Christian doctrine is either grounded directly or indirectly in the history in Genesis. Genesis 1–11 is the foundation for everything.

• Marriage. What is marriage? Well, we don’t get to define marriage—God does, because he created it! He created marriage when he created one man and one woman and brought them together as “one flesh” (Genesis 1:27, 2:24).
• Gender. Gender is not on a spectrum as our culture likes to claim. God defines gender and sexuality, and he has said that he created us male and female from the beginning (Genesis 1:27). There are only two sexes in humans!
• Sanctity of life. Human life is sacred, worth far more than any animal, plant, or anything else. And the reason for that is because we’re made uniquely in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). We aren’t just animals—we’re image bearers of the Creator.
• Race. There’s only one race, the human race. Every single person is descended from Adam and Eve; therefore there can only be one race. We have people groups (not races) around the world because of the event of the tower of Babel when God confused their languages, scattering them around the world. Biblical history explains not only why we’re only one race but also why there are different people groups.
• Death and suffering. Why does death and suffering exist if there’s a good God? Genesis teaches that God created a “very good” creation (Genesis 1:31) and that death became part of this world after Adam sinned against God. Death isn’t God’s fault—it’s our fault because of sin (Genesis 3)!

And most importantly,

• The gospel! Why did Jesus need to come and die? Because death is the penalty for sin. Think about it—if death is not really the penalty for sin, if death had existed for millions of years and Adam and Eve were going to die anyway, then what does it mean that Adam and Eve would die because of sin? The gospel is first proclaimed in Genesis 3:15. The gospel is grounded in a literal Genesis and a literal Adam! Just consider what God says through Paul:

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. (Romans 5:12)

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22)

This is why AiG is so passionate about Genesis—because the gospel is grounded in that history. If we want people to understand the good news of why Jesus came and died on the cross for our sins, we have to first understand the bad news of sin in Genesis. The good news only makes sense when you understand and believe the bad news in Genesis!

This is why AiG is so passionate about Genesis—because the gospel is grounded in that history. If we want people to understand the good news of why Jesus came and died on the cross for our sins, we have to first understand the bad news of sin in Genesis. That’s exactly why I did a verse-by-verse commentary titled Creation to Babel, which covers these foundational chapters in Genesis 1-11. The good news only makes sense when you understand and believe the bad news in Genesis! I encourage you to order this book and share with your family during devotional time.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.