The Doctrine of Creation is what helped me maintain my faith in college. When everything I grew up believing was seemingly falling apart before my eyes, I remained a Christian. Why? The Lord kept me: “I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish—ever; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:28). The means of His keeping in the case of my college crisis of faith moment was the Doctrine of Creation.

The Bible teaches that God created all things (John 1:3). The Bible teaches that before there was anything, there was nothing

(Heb 11:3). The Bible teaches that God eternally existed before the creation of anything (Ps 90:2). Therefore, God is the only uncreated presence in the universe and all things were, under His sovereign decree, created out of nothing. What power!

Understanding that everything cannot come from nothing (God necessarily initiated creation) kept me secured enough to my faith to allow me to continue building strength in the areas that were weakest in my understanding of Christianity. There are at least three foundational implications on your life for getting the Doctrine of Creation right.

👉You Know God Exists

The existence of a Creator is simply a necessity for there to be a creation. Paul assumes that everyone knows about God based on what has been created: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, both His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” (Rom 1:20).

You know God exists based on the vast swath of evidence. Therefore, every breath we take, every pleasure we enjoy, and every taste we savor comes from the hand of God, and we are mere recipients. Though we work, we receive what was not ours. We’ve earned nothing, and we owe everything to God.

👉Your Life Matters

God, in His almighty wisdom, chose a finite number of souls to bring into existence. YOU are one of them. What does that mean? It means that God thought of you when He was creating the universe. The infinite God considered you, created you, and desires good for you through His Son’s life, death, and resurrection on your behalf. Reconciliation with God, despite sin, is possible because He loved you enough to provide a substitute sacrifice (John 3:16).

Psalm 8:4 reflects on something remarkable: “What is man that You remember him, and the son of man that You care for him?” How can God truly value mankind? God created man to be an image-bearer or a mirror to the rest of creation so that mankind would “teach” creation about the works and ways of God (Gen 1:27). Even through the Fall in Genesis 3, God valued sinful humanity enough to purchase life back with a price: the price of the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus on the cross (1 Cor 6:19-20).

👉You Have a Job

Because you exist, you are not an accident, AND you also have a purpose. God gave His first people jobs before they had a chance to cause the fall. We learn through the roles given to Adam and Eve that you have a biologically informed occupation that works in tandem with the occupation of the other gender to accomplish an ultimate goal: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Eph 2:10).

These good works reflect the nature of He who made us. We worship God because He exists, He has given us meaning by creating us, and He has given us meaningful work. This work reflects His goodness. God created all things, holds all things together continually, and is bringing all things toward a triumphant conclusion. As Christians, we rest in His creative power knowing that He is working for the good of all things: “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Phil 2:13).