Title: Growing Believers / Genesis 1: 22-23
Content Source: Gwangju Eunpyeong Church Student Council
◎Genesis 1:22-23 ◎Explanation on Genesis (18) - Growing believers
Now we are looking at the fifth day of the creation of the heavens and the earth in the Book of Genesis. The fifth day of creation can be said to be the most energetic day among God's six days of creative work. This is because on this day, for the first time, God created living creatures in the sky and made them fly and made fish in the water to play. He also gave them the blessing of being fruitful and multiplying. We are looking at the lessons from the text that shows God's work on the fifth day of creation. Last time, I looked at my faith before God with the words, “God saw that it was good.” Today, at this time, I would like to share the word with you under the title of Growing Believers.
As you can see from the text, God created the first living creatures on the fifth day of creation and gave them the blessing of being fruitful and multiplying. From the first day to the fifth day of the creation of the universe, we can discover two peculiar things.
First, it is said that God's creative work progressed progressively and progressively from the creation of the higher things, from the creation of the lower things to the creation of the higher things. This fact suggests that God, the Creator, is the God of progress and wants change for the better. Of course, God's completed work of creation was perfect in itself, so no change or development was required. However, God clearly shows that He wants more change by creating all things sequentially and progressively during the creation work.
Therefore, believers who have become children of God through faith in Christ must imitate God's disposition and achieve further changes by always growing up in Christ. That is, the saints must grow in the grace of Jesus Christ and the knowledge of Him, so that they may become one in the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to become a perfect man, and to reach the fullness of the stature of the stature of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).
If we do not give up the basics of faith as we did when we first believed in Jesus Christ even after living a long life of faith and continue to have the same faith as a child, it will never be a proper attitude as a child of God who desires further change. .
Therefore, we must no longer remain at the beginning of our faith when we first believed. Now, let's get up from the beginning of our faith and, like the apostle Paul, run toward the goal of Jesus Christ, who is the sign of our faith and the basis of our faith (Philippians 3:12-14).
When we do this, we will imitate God's perfect disposition and eventually become partakers of God's disposition.
What is the second characteristic that can be discovered by the fifth day?
First, let me ask you a question. Guys, have animals been blessed just like humans? would you have gotten it? In our opinion, we do not receive any special blessings and we just live a rough life. But read verse 22 together. “God
Second, the text depicts the scene where God blesses creation for the first time on the 5th day of creation, unlike the four days of creation that has continued so far. In this way, the blessing was not proclaimed until the fifth day because the animals were created on the fifth day.
In this way, it seems that he paid special attention to protecting life because it is difficult to be full and prosperous without God's special protection.
On the other hand, the meaning of blessing is to intervene in God's presence. In other words, I myself kneel before God. In other words, the animals come to their knees before Almighty God, even if no one tells them to.
Because we don't communicate with us and our reason doesn't work, animals seem to just live without thinking, but they kneel before God because they are blessed beings. They also praise God.
A being blessed by God may, on the one hand, think of the words success, prosperity, and fertility. But more important than that, I feel that God is in control. This is a blessing. Beating me and making me submit to God so that the channel of God's grace to me is not blocked and flows incessantly. This is where our faith must grow.
God speaks to us through animals. We say we are blessed. Because God, who is in control of even a single sparrow falling to the ground, has blessed fertility and fertility in this way, innumerable and diverse living creatures are swarming in the water and in the air. Therefore, we should be able to feel God's almighty creative power when we see a small fish in the water or a sparrow flying in the sky.
is the conclusion
What does growing up mean?
How can I confirm that my faith is growing? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Through what can I confirm that my faith is growing?
God shows us many things that He created the heavens and the earth progressively.
Above all, it means that we grow in faith to the full measure of Christ.
In particular, in today's text, it is recorded that God has blessed animals as well.
Please also remember that our faith can only grow when we have a good understanding of this blessing.
Those who know how to receive blessings and enjoy them continue to receive blessings.
That means it has to be a bowl.
Dear Eunpyeong Church middle and high school students!
What was your greatest blessing as a student?
What do you need to grow up in your student days?
Sexuality must also grow. Filial filial piety to parents must also grow. But most importantly, your faith and faith must grow in Jesus Christ.
Let's pray - God who created the heavens and the earth in a progressive way, make our lives a life that develops more and more today. May our faith grow. Help me to become a growing believer