MESSAGE:
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the
surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Level 1: Birth
When we, life, started to exist, everything seems to be
broad. In one’s life, this can last during their childhood or some never really
advanced to this level. This is the part of one’s life when a goal or a future
is never really clear. As for a child, for example, they just keep on living in
their present lives. Like, today they’ll play and tomorrow they will go to
school and the next day they will be having a test, with all this in mind, they
wouldn’t think of getting married, or having a profession. Point is, though
they are living their life, to them, in a very meaningful extent, life is still
pointless. Thing is, most people now are in this stage. Maturity does not mean
getting insurance, or passing the board exam, or even getting into marriage. Life’s
meaning, as described by our Christian faith is way more than that.
3 And
God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Level 2: Acceptance
Going further in the book of
Genesis, we learned that Adam and Eve gained enough knowledge to realize they
were naked after they have been tempted. That is also an illustration of what
chapter one makes. Everyone goes through this stage. When we were children, we
are curious about almost everything. About where we came from, about how we
were made, stuff like that. same thing goes through our spiritual lives. There will
come a time when we start asking ourselves about life after death, if heaven
and hell was really, about who Jesus Christ really was. This can be a very
tricky level because the human brain can be very complex that we can be
deceived by our own perceptions. It may come to a point where an unbeliever
might ask, if God wanted people to believe in Him, why wouldn’t He just
magically change people’s minds? Answer: He is way too generous to do that. he
freely gave us free will that we can believe what we want to believe. God
created light. Many times in our life, God always shows us that light, that
opportunity to actually know Him, the Truth. But many people refuse the light. But
hey! The whole earth embraced the light, why wouldn’t you?
6 And
God said, “Let there be a vault between
the waters to separate water from water.”
Level 3: Salvation
After passing
through level 2, salvation should be the product. Accepting the light would
mean knowing the fact that you are separated from God because of sin which is
illustrated by the sky. Looking up, we can imagine how far till we reach the
sky as we are on the ground. But we should take in heart that prayer takes us closer
to Him. Those who still think that God hide beyond the sky or space lack faith.
But for us Christian, we know by heart that though waters above and under has
been separated, our hearts are closer to Him when we pray.
24 And God said, “Let the
land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the
creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to
its kind.” And it was so.
Level 4: Multiplication
There is
a fact that many Christians nowadays are stuck at level 3. They enjoy the
blessings of being a believer. They live their lives in the promise the Lord
has bestowed upon us BUT many lack conviction. They have accomplished LOVING
GOD but many forget the other command, that is, LOVING PEOPLE. Why do missionaries
exist? Why are there a lot of churches abroad spending lots of expenses just to
go around the globe to preach the gospel? It is because of the hope of multiplication.
Our Christian living must not end in blessing ourselves, our families our
friends but also blessing other people as well. Salvation was not brought for
His people for only those who know it. It is for everyone. And as Christians we
must be disciples as well. We don’t keep the Truth for ourselves but for the
World to know.
26 Then
God said, “Let us make mankind in
our image, in our likeness, so
that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the
birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild
animals,[a] and
over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
Level 5: Discipleship
Every believer
is a leader. It is clear that this is our destiny. We lead people to God. We
lead people to faith. And we lead people to lead other people as well.
In the
end, God has created us in His own image. That doesn’t only mean physically but
also reflects godliness that every believers, leaders, disciples must have.
COMMAND: 28 God
blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill
the earth and subdue it. Rule overthe fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and
over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
PROMISE: 29 Then God said, “I give
you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that
has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and
all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the
ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every
green plant for food.” And it was so.
