Biblical creationism is the belief, based on the Bible, that God created the heavens, the earth, and all life within a few days around 6,000 years ago. This view stands in contrast to evolutionary ideas of universal common descent over billions of years. Biblical creationism is important for several reasons:
1. It affirms the authority and truthfulness of Scripture
The opening chapters of Genesis provide an account of God’s creative work over six normal days followed by a day of rest. If this text is discounted as mere myth or allegory not intended to convey actual history, then doubt is cast on the rest of the Bible’s accounts. Jesus himself quoted from Genesis 1-2, showing he accepted it as historical (Matthew 19:4-6). Believing the Genesis account of creation as written affirms the entire Bible as God’s authoritative, truthful, and inerrant Word.
2. It reveals God’s power and divine nature
The Genesis account highlights God’s awesome power and divine attributes. He merely spoke and everything came into being (Psalm 33:6, 9). Complex lifeforms like plants, animals, and humans were created fully formed and functional. This contradicts naturalistic ideas of life evolving from simple to complex. God’s instantaneous creation reveals his infinite intelligence and wisdom. The creation of mankind in God’s image shows his personal nature (Genesis 1:27). Biblical creationism presents a God far above the limited abilities of false manmade gods.
3. It explains the origin of sin and death
According to Genesis, God’s original creation was “very good” (Genesis 1:31). So where did sin, imperfection, and death come from? The biblical explanation is the historical fall of Adam and Eve and the resulting curse on creation (Genesis 3). Believing this historic event explains why the world is flawed and fallen. It also presents a God of perfect holiness who therefore cannot tolerate sin. Evolutionary ideas that portray death, selfishness, cruelty, pain, and waste as part of life from the beginning present a distorted view of God.
4. It provides the foundation for the gospel message
Biblical creationism establishes the background for the redemptive gospel message. God created a perfect world which was then corrupted by Adam’s disobedience. Every aspect of the creation now longs to be restored and redeemed from the effects of the Fall (Romans 8:22). Jesus Christ, the last Adam, came to undo the work of the first Adam and reconcile all things to God (Colossians 1:20). Belief in biblical creationism establishes our lost state and need for salvation.
5. It differentiates humans from animals
The theory of evolution eliminates any fundamental distinction between humans and animals. According to evolution, humans are just advanced primates. However, the Bible clearly says God created man separate from the animals, “in his own image” (Genesis 1:27). This gives humans unique worth and dignity. Evolution devalues human life while biblical creationism upholds the sanctity of human life.
6. It provides a basis for morality
Biblical creationism grounds morality in the unchanging, holy nature of God. He defined what is good based on his character. Evolutionary ideas make right and wrong subjective, mere social conventions that differ by culture and can change over time. Belief in creation provides an objective standard for moral duties and virtues like love, righteousness, kindness, and forgiveness.
7. It emphasizes purpose in nature
Everything God created has a purpose, which ultimately brings glory to him (Psalm 19:1-4, 148). But evolutionary thinking reduces biological features to products of unguided, aimless processes lacking higher meaning. This can breed despair. Seeing creation as the handiwork of a wise Creator infuses nature with intention and value.
8. It inspires worship of the Creator
Belief in God’s biblical creation cultivates a sense of awe at his power and glory. The ordered universe reveals God’s divine intelligence and care in fashioning a habitable place for humans to dwell and thrive. The sheer beauty and complexity of nature gives evidence of its Maker (Psalm 8:3-4; Romans 1:20). Biblical creationism motivates praise and thanksgiving to God.
9. It unifies and gives meaning to human history
The early Genesis narratives connect all humans as descending from the first couple, Adam and Eve. Biblical history begins with their creation, falls into sin, and continues through redemption in Christ. This common heritage and overarching redemption story binds humanity together and infuses history with meaning and purpose. Evolution lacks any such grand narrative for mankind.
10. It instills hope in future restoration
Biblical creationism anchors the promise that God will one day fully reverse the effects of the Fall and restore creation to his original intent, free from disease, degeneration, and death (Acts 3:21; Revelation 21:1-5; 22:3). Believing God originally made a perfect world inspires confidence that his final redemptive purpose will triumph. The future hope of bodily resurrection and restored physical creation depends on taking the early chapters of Genesis seriously.
In summary, biblical creationism is essential because it affirms the authority of Scripture, reveals God’s divine attributes and purpose for creation, establishes the basis for man’s redemption, upholds human dignity as image-bearers of God, provides an objective foundation for morality, infuses creation with meaning and intent, inspires worship, crafts a metanarrative for human existence, and secures hope in future restoration. Genesis presents historic eyewitness accounts, not myth or allegory. Attempts to harmonize evolutionary concepts with Scripture fail to do justice to the biblical text. True biblical faith requires belief in the creation account as written.
