By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command so that what is seen was not made out of what is visible.

Hebrews 11:3

Every theological truth flows from the biblical revelation of origins.

What amazes me about Hebrews 11:3 comes from verb tenses. Everything that is seen was not made out of anything that is visible. The theological term is ex nihilo––creation out of nothing. Think about it.

“Is” refers to the present. “Was” takes in the past. What is apparent now did not come into existence by the forces of anything visible now.

Revelation vs. Discovery

The Bible is God the Creator’s revelation of himself, not man’s cumulative discoveries or explanations of how the world came to exist.

As science seeks to discover, the Bible reveals.

This distinction holds the key to understanding.

In the Bible, God reveals his Creation and his purposes for human beings. Humanity beholds God’s glory in creation and in the person of Jesus Christ.

Truth is truth. Truth is a Person. All truth is God’s truth.

“Truth will out.”

William Shakespeare

God’s story: Already in progress when you and I got here

Every person ever born entered a story already in progress. Like walking into a darkened theater in the middle of Act 2, no matter when we were born or where, everyone missed Act 1, a span of time and history before our existence.

Every person relies on someone to reveal the story that came before.

The Bible tells me what God wants me to know.

According to the Bible, relating to other people in our lives is at the center of every person’s story.

Everyone’s story somehow illustrates something the Bible has revealed about humanity––the struggle against sin, the desire to find meaning and purpose in life, and the instinct to worship someone or some thing.

God keeps repeating himself.

The Bible records God’s unchanging Word, protected and preserved, infallible. It’s worth considering what God has taken the trouble to say.

By faith, you and I can view life through the lens of God’s Word.