Grounding the Gospel in Genesis

Simon Turpin

What is creation evangelism?

The Bible tells us that through creation
God has revealed himself to all
people. Creation evangelism is communicating
the truth of the gospel in
a way that connects to the truth God
has already communicated through
the general revelation of creation
(Romans 1:20). For example, the DNA
molecule shows clear evidence of
design. In fact, in his book The Blind
Watchmaker, famous atheist Richard
Dawkins stated, “Biology is the study
of complicated things that give the
appearance of having been designed
for a purpose.”1 Because of his atheistic
worldview, Dawkins has to say that
DNA only appears to be designed. But
we know that DNA carries complex
coded information that cannot be generated
by mindless natural processes,
but only by an infinite intelligent
source: God.

What is your favorite example of
creation evangelism?

My favorite example of creation
evangelism is known as subversive fulfillment.
Subversive fulfillment originates
from Romans 1:18–32 as the foundation
for creation evangelism, which
Paul puts into practice in Acts 17:22–31.
The gospel is subversive because it contradicts
and confronts all unbelieving
worldviews. It calls for repentance from
idolatry and obedience to the true and
living God (Acts 17:30, 14:15; 1 Thessalonians
1:9). But it is also the fulfilment
of what these unbelieving worldviews
seek. Since the idol-like gods of these
worldviews are counterfeits of the one
true God, the questions the worldviews
ask can only be answered by the true
and living God. The subversive fulfillment
approach can be practically
applied in conversations by following
three steps: exploring the truth that has
been distorted; exposing that distortion;
and then evangelizing by showing
how the gospel alone offers the true
answer.

Is creation evangelism used only
to reach lost people?

No. Evangelism for Paul was about
much more than initial salvation. He
wanted believers to be discipled as
well as to fully know and be obedient
to the gospel message (Romans 1:5,
16:26). For those Christians in Rome
who came from a Greco-Roman background,
it was important that they
not only understand that the God of
creation has clearly revealed himself
from the beginning in Genesis 1, but
also that people sinfully suppress that
truth and create idols for themselves
instead of worshipping the one true
God (Romans 1:18–23). Paul wanted
them to understand the foundational
history in Genesis so they could
fully grasp the gospel message. They
needed to remember that the only
way for a person to be liberated from
the reign of sin, brought into the world
by the first man Adam, is through the
righteousness bought by the obedience
of Jesus (Romans 5:12–21).

Are we adding to the gospel when
we practice creation evangelism?

Creation evangelism is not adding to
the gospel; rather, it grounds the gospel
message in its overall biblical context
by adhering to its biblical foundation
for the gospel. In Colossians 1:15,
Paul’s reference to “image” harks back
to Genesis 1:26–28 when God made
the first man and woman in his own
image. This image, however, has been
distorted by the fall. Yet through the
proclamation of the gospel, the image
in the life of the Christian is “being
renewed in knowledge after the image
of its creator” (Colossians 3:10).

Is creation evangelism a one-size-fits-all
approach?

Or is it important to
tailor your message to your audience?
It is always important to recognize
your audience, just as Paul and Barnabas
did. When they visited Lystra
and spoke to pagan farmers who worshipped
other gods, they gave a basic
appeal to God’s revelation in creation
(Acts 14:15–18). But when Paul stood
before the Greek philosophers in Athens,
he not only appealed to God’s revelation
in creation but also addressed the
teachings of their poets (Acts 17:27–31).

What particular challenges do
you face in the UK, birthplace
of Charles Darwin?

“While speaking at numerous churches
across the UK over the last five years, I have
seen that the ones that employ creation
evangelism have the greatest impact in
reaching their communities.”

Surveys show that in the UK today,
71% of people accept Darwinian evolution
as fact. This has helped lay the
foundation for unbelief in the UK and
led many Christians and churches to
adopt evolution and millions of years
into their thinking. This naturally
makes them less effective in their gospel
witness and open to accepting other
unbiblical teachings. However, while
speaking at numerous churches across
the UK over the last five years, I have
seen that the ones who employ creation
evangelism have the greatest impact in
reaching their communities.

What is the biggest challenge
for people trying to use creation
evangelism?

In the UK, the biggest challenge is
that so many churches have already
accepted theistic evolution or old-earth
creation (mixing evolutionary
religion with Christianity). Because of
this compromise, many Christians are
simply unaware of how the foundational
history in Genesis 1–11 is key to
understanding the redemptive gospel
of Jesus we see in the New Testament.
Therefore, they have no foundation and
see no reason for using creation-based
evangelism. Let’s pray that God will
raise up more preachers who are eager
to remind their congregations about
the importance of biblical history when
defending their faith.

SourceThis article originally appeared on answersingenesis.org

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