Post 4 Opening the Door to Genesis

My first impression is to say that those set on denying the Bible is true and on denying that God exist are perhaps wasting time here. Then again, the Bible is unique in that it has a way of dealing with a persons heart. Other material usually goes straight to the head. So, if you are wondering about the truth of the Bible, please stick around. It won't hurt to see if you are wrong.

If people can accept Genesis as truth, they are well on the way to a good relationship with God. After all, it is pretty discouraging to have a conversation with someone who denies every word from your mouth. There are at least three sticking points to get over here:
* God's existence
* God creating everything
* Bible is truth
By accepting the Bible as truth, the other two problems go away. Why would some people have trouble accepting that God exist? I think it is an ego problem and a guilt problem. Since God does exist, it can make a person feel very small and insignificant, IF you only look on the surface of the promise of God's word. On the other hand, if you look at the fact that the great God of the universe went to such great lenghts to redeem mankind then that makes us very important and not unsignificant at all.

As for guilt, if someone can convince themselves that God does not exist and that the Bible is just another book they falsely relieve themselves of the guidelines set down there for right and wrong. In other words, if there were no right and wrong, there would be no guilt or penalty for wrong. There is a problem with that thinking. Suppose you were in a burning building. Then someone who loves you screamed fire. Instead of believing the warning you stay in the building. Did not believing put out the flames? Or lessen the consequence? Or nullify the love of the one sounding the warning? I'm afraid some people are mad at God because sin came into the world and made it a very difficult place to live. That was someone else. God is telling us that sin will kill and reaches down his hand to help. We need to get over ourselves so we can get to God and all the good things He has in store for us. All that being said, I believe Genesis 1:1 --
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." See also the gospel of John chapter one. "In the beginning was the word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."

Special note: You make a beautiful garden filled with wonderful things and give it to your best friend. A stranger comes to your friend and clouds your mind concerning the sincerity of your gift. Your friend yields to the stranger and cast poison into the garden. The stranger laughs. The poison gets into the friend's system and poisons all his offspring as well. Then you find out about the stranger and the great wrong that has been done. You have a plan to clean up the mess. The friend you gave the garden to must understand the great plan you have and participate for it to work. Because your friend is truly your friend, you will not force them to accept your plan but you set out to explain it in great detail with stories and examples to prepare them for the day when the plan to clean them and their offspring of the poison spread by the stranger is initiated.
They do not understand at first but as time passes and the examples melt into their heart the time has come to undo the harm done by the stranger. Perhaps my story is not so good. But the old testament is God dealing with a special people with a special purpose all leading up to the events of the new testament.