Miracles and Deliverance

Lesson 1

Lesson Text—Genesis 1:20-21

Genesis 1:20-2120 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Lesson Text—Genesis 1:22-24

Genesis 1:22-2422 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

Lesson Text—Genesis 1:25-26

Genesis 1:25-2625 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Lesson Text—Genesis 1:25-26

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Lesson Text—Genesis 1:27-28

Genesis 1:27-2827 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Focus Verse—Colossians 1:16

Colossians 1:16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in

earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or

dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by

him, and for him.

Focus Thought

All living things have the

fingerprints of Divinity upon

them because all things were

made by Him and for Him.

I. One Great DesignerIntroduction

Like a flashing billboard, the Bible begins by answering one of the most important questions that mankind could ask: “How did we get here?” The answer: “God created” (Genesis 1:1).

I. One Great DesignerSplashes of starlight, color-filled balls floating in space, blue waters and green plains, yellow fish and red parrots, and one creature crafted from dust—all these comprise God’s universe. No principles of astronomy or physics can explain how or even why God made all of this. Yet, by looking at the wonders of God’s created world, we see evidence of the almighty God and His miraculous power.

I. One Great DesignerOne Great Designer

Some abstract artists have become famous by producing works that appeared to have had paint thrown or dripped onto a canvas. However, when the Master Artist created the universal masterpiece, He did not do so on a whim. The Almighty did not just create random splotches on the canvas of space, nor did He haphazardly throw living beings together. He designed the universe and all within it with an intricate and detailed master plan in mind.

I. One Great DesignerGod is not an abstract artist. He is an engineer, architect, builder, and contractor all at once. The beauty of the created world came from the mind of the greatest inventor—the Eternal Developer.

A. God’s Creative Power—the Word

A. God’s Creative Power—the Word

God did not need a paintbrush or a hammer to create His masterpiece. He used one tool—His spoken word. When God spoke, matter miraculously emerged. When He spoke again, matter obeyed His command and organized into air-light particles, dense elemental compounds, and intricate cells.

Psalm 33:4-7 “For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth. He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of

the goodness of the LORD. By the word of the LORD were the

heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up

the depth in storehouses” (Psalm 33:4-7).

Psalm 33:8-9

“Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:8-9).

I. One Great DesignerGod did not need millions of years to perfect His ideas. He did not need thousands of years to bring forth planets, animals, and mankind. He simply spoke creation into existence.

No difficulty ever deters God, and schedules do not restrict Him. Moreover, diseases do not baffle Him. We need Him only to speak the word and great miracles occur.

B. God’s Creative Work—the Action

B. God’s Creative Work—the Action

Evolution depends on a theory of long-term alterations in the natural world. According to this theory, certain chemicals combined at right proportions; electricity zapped them at a precise moment; enough water existed devoid of stray oxygen for life to form; enough oxygen existed in the atmosphere at the precise moment to support life after its formation; and the life form managed to find a suitable food source to sustain its existence.

I. One Great DesignerThen, according to this misguided theory, the life form grew, split, rejoined, mutated, and somehow developed both male and female varieties of the same species within the other’s lifetime, which enabled them to reproduce more of the same species. What an exhaustive, tedious concept fraught with complications, botched accidents, and unpredictable results!

I. One Great DesignerThe biblical view of Creation

makes sense even to children. Not dependent on random accidents and mutations, God did not need a rare chemical balance or volatile atmosphere to form life. God created the miracle of life without any assistance. He literally breathed all of creation into physical existence by His word!

I. One Great Designer

Like a builder who believes that a tornado tore up a forest and installed the hardwood flooring in the kitchens of his condos, so evolutionists look too hard for impossible answers about how life formed. The unbiased examination of the created world reveals intentional divine design. Human and animal circulatory, skeletal, and nervous systems all show more than accidental development.

I. One Great DesignerCloser examination of our world

reveals the intricacy of God’s design. The very simplest structure of all living things—the cell—employs complexity that no scientist fully understands. No one can duplicate the cellular structure. Mankind has mimicked the small chains of amino acids and basic compounds of life, but no one has ever created a living cell. None of our artificial intelligence or electronic inventions has yet rivaled the complexity of God’s creation.

I. One Great DesignerGigabytes have replaced megabytes, and terabytes are poised to make gigabytes obsolete, but the human brain still remains the most compact and complex mass-storage device. Beyond mere originality, God’s created beings retain the ability for the self-healing of their own bodies, which no man-made device has ever achieved.

C. God’s Creative Influence—the Results

C. God’s Creative Influence—the Results

God did more than experiment with a weekend hobby. He put His own breath into His creation. God created mankind in His own image as His representatives and gave them His leadership ability. All mankind is created in His master plan. On those grounds, no one should criticize individuals for differences in skin, hair, and eye color or mental capacity. To speak evil against a creation of God is to speak evil against the Creator.

I. One Great DesignerGod’s creativity reflects in our

development of tools, selectively bred animals, hybridized plants, and invented technology. The Creator not only developed incredible life forms, but He also put His very creative power into those living creatures.

II. One Great DesignOne Great Design

The created world did not explode into existence on a heavenly whim. God preplanned everything He made. The Bible reveals that God planned from the beginning to create man in His own image even though He knew that mankind would fail to live up to His divine plan. Consequently, He planned for the Son of God to be born in Bethlehem to provide for the means of human redemption and to facilitate the means through which His glorious body on earth would continue beyond His earthly life—through the church.

II. One Great DesignThrough the church He would give new life to the redeemed by a spiritual new birth, and the church would become the very center of His earthly dwelling and spiritual works among all mankind. Indeed, God planned for the sacrificial Lamb of God “before the foundation of the world” (I Peter 1:20). (See Revelation 13:8.)

A. The Divine Image A. The Divine Image

As the Creation week came to a close, God determined to make His most important living creatures. Perhaps He pondered how to structure this ultimate, final masterpiece. After much consideration and planning, He said, “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26). On His own—without assistance or external advice—He created mankind “in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:27).

Hebrews 6:13 Some have concluded

erroneously that Genesis 1:26 suggests a divine trinity counseling among themselves. Such could not be further from the case since the entire Bible clearly teaches the absolute oneness of God and that He alone acted in the Creation. (For example, see Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10-11; 44:8; 45:21-22; John 10:28-30.) Paul the apostle clearly revealed that God counsels with and swears by Himself since He can consult with none higher (Ephesians 1:11; Hebrews 6:13).

Hebrews 6:13

“For when God made promise to Abraham, because he

could swear by no greater, he sware by himself” (Hebrews

6:13).

Isaiah 45:23

“I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth

in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me

every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear”

(Isaiah 45:23).

Ephesians 1:11

“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance,

being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own

will” (Ephesians 1:11).

I. One Great DesignerGod molded dust into detailed

form. After copious sculpting, the Artist had nearly finished His showcase work. One finishing touch remained. God breathed life into His new creation. An air pipe tunneled down through the center of the creature and inflated two hollow places in his chest. From these newly formed lungs branched numerous tubes, flowing with life, rushing to a quickly forming chambered muscle that began to spasm rhythmically, forcing the red liquid of life down long tubes that webbed throughout the awakening structure.

I. One Great DesignerThe chest of this new creation suddenly heaved on its own, breathing the freshly created atmosphere of God’s earth. The eyelids fluttered open, the body sat up, and for the first time man became conscious of his existence.

Soon, God went to work creating an opposite, a matched being, a help meet for this man—woman. He then gave them authority over His creation. Patterned after He who rules the universe, these stunning works of art reflected God’s nature of imagination, creative design, and leadership ability.

B. The Divine Blueprint B. The Divine Blueprint

More than just immaterial beings, God created us as material beings in His image. However, one might wonder how the invisible God could make mankind in His physical image.

J. Wilbur Chapman tells the story of an artist in Russia who was commissioned by the palace to paint 850 beautiful women.

I. One Great DesignerIn each portrait, the artist included something connected with Her Majesty Catherine: her hair, her eyes, her smile, her hands, and so on. One could take the whole of his work, distill out the vital features, and construct an accurate picture of Catherine.

If we summed up all of humanity, perhaps we could produce the visage of our Lord. However, more than just a tribute to the anatomy of Christ, we should reflect His character and holiness.

I. One Great DesignerWe do not seek to replicate His physical face, but we desire to reflect His glory. While our sinful and diseased bodies ineffectively represent His natural attributes, our inward person should pursue His divine character.

II Corinthians 3:18

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the

glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord”

(II Corinthians 3:18).

Colossians 3:10

“And have put on the new man, which is renewed in

knowledge after the image of him that created him”

(Colossians 3:10).

Colossians 3:10 On any sizable construction

project, contractors and managers will inevitably have to issue “change orders.” These orders alter the original plan slightly by moving the location of doors and windows, adding more lighting, and other such changes. With the human race patterned after God’s own blueprint, He has added change orders that give us unique characteristics. Inside the nucleus of each cell in our bodies is a copy of our blueprints—also known as our DNA code.

Colossians 3:10 This chain of molecules documents our identities: gender, hair color, stature, voice pitch, and a myriad of other characteristics. Yet every molecule traces back to God’s own original blueprint.

Those who rely on God’s truth rather than mankind’s limited scientific understanding know that “the worlds were framed by the word of God” and that the “things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3).

Colossians 3:10 In his letter to the Ephesians,

Paul revealed that God “created all things through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 3:9, NKJV). He further stated to the Colossians, “All things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17). Through the divine design of Jesus Christ, all living things were formed. Down to the single-celled bacteria and protozoa, the components of living organisms all correspond to elements from the highly developed human cell.

Colossians 3:10 All things were created through modifications to the original blueprint of Christ.

In an attempt to minimize the miracle of our creation and genetic uniqueness, evolutionists have labeled parts of the DNA code as “junk DNA.” They believe large portions of this blueprint are non-important elements—leftovers from the process of evolution. This is the same group that once said mankind had over a hundred vestigial (useless) organs, simply because they did not understand the complexities of God’s creation.

Colossians 3:10 God does not make junk. Isaiah

said of God’s innovative work that He “created it not in vain” (Isaiah 45:18). More than just giving us unique blueprints, God formed us with individual purposes and plans in life.

Billion-dollar industries now exist in the field of attempting to destroy that which was created in God’s image. Carnal mankind has so devalued and animalized the human race that he no longer simply permits the mutilation and destruction of the human species—he markets it.

Colossians 3:10 Consequently, we should understand humanity’s divine design before we can intelligently discuss abortion, cloning, or any other such issue.

The two great commandments intertwine on this point. First, we should acknowledge that God is one and that we should love Him completely. Second, we should love others, all of whom God made in His image. We should realize that what we do to others, we do to one whom God has patterned after His likeness (Proverbs 14:31; 17:5; James 3:9). (See Matthew 25:40.)

Matthew 25:40

“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40).

Matthew 25:40 1. Abortion. One of the greatest

miracles of life is the conception of a child. This impossibility-made-possible remains as the modern link to the ancient wonder of creation. From something so minute—the joining of two incomplete cells—emerges an embryo that develops with overwhelming speed. Forty weeks later, a miniature human being emerges from the womb.

Matthew 25:40 Some people, however, believe

they have the right to disrupt this life-formation process. Not only in opposition to God, but almost in competition with Him, they terminate the creative process. This satanic desire has existed from the beginning as the spirits of darkness sought to assume God’s authority. Life flows from God; death flows from the devil. Jesus stated, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

Matthew 25:40 Regardless of the excuses and attempts at justifying abortion, it is contrary to God’s business because death is the inherent component of abortion.

2. Euthanasia. The toehold gained by the advocates of abortion has given logical course to the promotion of another form of murder—euthanasia. If one can assume God’s authority for determining which babies should survive and live, why not also determine when an adult human being should die?

Matthew 25:40 Which one of us qualifies to be the judge of who should live and who should die?

No follower of the Creator should participate in or condone the practices of either abortion or euthanasia. Such things are the devil’s work, not God’s, and they should not be our work either.

Matthew 25:40 3. Cloning. Carnal humans have

continued to leave their proper place as mortals and have attempted to usurp God’s authority through deciding the timing of life and death. Not content with controlling when, they also have continued the outrage by tampering with how through human cloning.

Today, the cry for cloning has out-shouted the clamor for abortion and euthanasia. This manipulative process attempts to define what a human being should look like or what qualities he should possess.

Matthew 25:40 So now, rather than mankind

being created in the image of God, carnal humanity wishes to create mankind in his own image! The process seeks to avoid the uniqueness assigned by God alone, and it toys with the very sovereignty of God. Just as the builders at Babel built a tower because they did not trust God to prevent another flood, so society’s godless reasoning today does not trust God’s plan of procreation. Where the people who were in Babylon shouted, “Let us make us a tower,” the modern cry is, “Let us make us a man.”

Matthew 25:40 4. Anything That Devalues Life.

The rebellion against God’s creative power attempts to regulate both ends of life’s spectrum through abortion and euthanasia. Additionally, this revolution explores construction of human life (cloning).

From hallucinogenic drugs and methamphetamines to alcohol and depressants, fallen mankind has developed numerous methods of making himself feel more “godlike,” all the while driving his health far from the intended vigor that God designed for him.

Matthew 25:40 Those who ingest things that steal their strength, destroy their health, and kill their immune systems will answer to God for destroying His temple. Moreover, one should keep his body pure and free from unhealthy foods. Gluttony destroys one’s health as surely as alcohol and tobacco use, and it also destroys the Christian’s witness (Deuteronomy 21:20-21; Proverbs 23:21; Philippians 3:19).

Matthew 25:40 5. Anything That Mutilates the

Image. “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:28, NKJV).

It certainly is not wrong for a person to desire to look his or her best, but the Scriptures have explicitly forbidden marring our flesh by cutting and marking it. If God had wanted pictures of dragons, anchors, and mermaids on our skin, He would have put them there. God wants the human body to reflect His glory, not some human’s artistic ability.

Matthew 25:40 The Scriptures never described Jesus Christ as needing or using any accessories to enhance His image. He did not wear a diamond studded watch or gold earrings, but He did have piercings—in His hands, feet, and side. Those scars certainly did not need jewels to make them more attractive to the individual hungering for redemption from sin.

Matthew 25:40 Sometimes reconstructive

surgeries are necessary due to problems from birth or accidents, but other than necessary operations, a child of God should not need physical enhancements or surgical remakes to increase his self-worth or eternal value. God made each of us with unique features and certain value. We can accept and appreciate His creative choices for us.

Matthew 25:40 Rather than obsess over

external features unique to them individually, believers should focus on developing and maintaining the inner qualities of patience, meekness, and gentleness. God is not concerned with our being perfect outwardly as much as He is concerned with true inward beauty. God has taken the time to create the outward person, but He has given mankind the responsibility to pattern the inner man after His likeness through submission to Jesus Christ. (See I Peter 3:3-4.)

I Peter 3:3-4 “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of

wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the

hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in

the sight of God of great price” (I Peter 3:3-4).

III. One Great PurposeOne Great PurposeThrough our study of the

Scriptures we understand that God created mankind in His image (Genesis 1:27; 9:6). Further, we recognize the wondrous beauty of His creative work in mankind, for the psalmist proclaimed, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well” (Psalm 139:14). However, the lingering question remains: why did God create mankind?

John 2:21 Why did God foreordain His own

image? While the full understanding of the mystery of the Incarnation still eludes even the most devoted scholars, the Scriptures clearly declare that it was the Father’s good pleasure that in the Son—the image of the divine—all fullness should dwell (Colossians 1:19; 2:9).

If the man Christ Jesus is the “house” of God and all of mankind has been patterned after His original blueprint, then we are designed to be more than just mannequins that imitate life.

John 2:21 We are designed like Him to be “houses” or “temples” for God. In Christ dwells “all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,” and we as believers “are complete in him” (Colossians 2:9-10) by receiving His indwelling Holy Spirit. We then grow to the spiritual perfection of coming to the “measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13), that we “might be filled with all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). The Scriptures refer to this “house” of God as His temple (John 2:21; I Corinthians 6:19; II Corinthians 6:16).

John 2:21

“But he spake of the temple of his body” (John 2:21).

I Corinthians 6:19

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are

not your own?” (I Corinthians 6:19).

II Corinthians 6:16

“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?

for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk

in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my

people” (II Corinthians 6:16).

A. God’s Plan—Fellowship A. God’s Plan—Fellowship

“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will

guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which

have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and

bridle, lest they come near unto thee” (Psalm 32:8-9).

John 2:21 God desires to befriend us, to teach us, and to lead us. He does not leave us to mere instinct as is the case with animals, but He created us for personal interaction. He first demonstrated this concept by walking in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day alongside Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:8). In the New Testament, Jesus referred to His disciples as “friends” while eating with them in the upper room (John 15:14).

B. God’s Promise—Redemption

B. God’s Promise—Redemption

Mankind’s sin caused the entire human race to fall away from God’s perfection. The image that God had created became ugly, marred, and imperfect—completely opposite to His beauty and glory. Rather than discard the entire planet, however, God chose to re-create mankind in His image. While the original creation proved God’s miraculous power, this new creation proves His patience, love, and mercy.

II Corinthians 5:17-18 “Therefore if any man be in

Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away;

behold, all things are become new. And all things are of

God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,

and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation”

(II Corinthians 5:17-18).

C. Our Blessing—Restoration C. Our Blessing—

Restoration

We can share in the powerful identity of the God who created the universe. We should understand the power of not just reflecting the image of Jesus Christ but of fulfilling our destiny through His dwelling within us. What Adam and Eve lost in the Garden of Eden, we can regain by receiving the resurrected Christ.

John 2:21 Conclusion

Understanding who we are as God’s children, we should view ourselves as valuable individuals whom He created in His image. As such, we should be careful not to destroy ourselves physically or pollute our bodies and our minds. Just as Jesus Christ was foreordained to be the house or temple of God, so we are incomplete without His Holy Spirit within.

Psalm 32:8-9 Certainly, a structure does not serve its intended function without the intended inhabitant, and we fulfill our purpose in Christ Jesus only when He moves into our life and dwells within us.