What We Believe About Creation

From Gospel Translations

God's Creation of the Universe and Man

The Bethlehem Baptist Church Elder Affirmation of Faith, Part 4

4.1 We believe that God created the universe,^[1] and everything in it,^[2] out of nothing,^[3] by the Word of His power. Having no deficiency in Himself, nor moved by any incompleteness in His joyful self-sufficiency,^[4] God was pleased in creation to display His glory^[5] for the everlasting joy^[6] of the redeemed, from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.^[7]

4.2 We believe that God directly created Adam from the dust of the ground and Eve from his side. We believe that Adam and Eve were the historical parents of the entire human race;^[8] that they were created male and female equally in the image of God,^[9] without sin;^[10] that they were created to glorify^[11] their Maker, Ruler, Provider, and Friend by trusting His all-sufficient goodness, admiring His infinite beauty, enjoying His personal fellowship, and obeying His all-wise counsel; and that, in God’s love and wisdom, they were appointed differing and complementary roles in marriage as a type of Christ and the church.^[12]

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9-10)!

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