In the beginning, God created....

For me, God did not need long periods of time for ALL of creation in Genesis 1, ....certainly not thousands to millions of years to complete His creative work.  Regardless of what we humans try to figure out about knowing the "How?" and "When?" of creation, ....the Bible simply says, "God spoke, ....creation happened, ....and 'God saw that it was good'."  Beyond that, nobody knows for certain the "How?" or "When?" of this world's creation.

However, we do know the "Why?"

....An abundance of scripture declares:  

Christ's involvement in creation, and

Christ's involvement in the lives of ALL who believe in Him.

This we know....

EVEN BEFORE HE MADE THE WORLD, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.  God decided in advance to ADOPT US into his own family by BRINGING US TO HIMSELF THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
    — Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT

....THEREFORE....

We also know....

God creating "organic" humans ....was NOT AN AFTERTHOUGHT on Day 6, but ....God's PREMEDITATED REASON for creating this "organic" world in the first place ....on Days 1-5.  ....It was all part of His counterintuitive plan.

....Think about it.  Creating "organic" humans with a soul (Genesis 1:27), so we can relate to God, ....IS THE REASON for creating this "organic" world on days 1-5.  

....Consider the details!  

God created the earth at a correct distance from the sun, ....with an axial tilt and atmosphere to support "organic" life, ....a moon in perfect rotation around this earth to cause "organic" life supporting ocean tides, ....all as an "organic" environment in which we humans can live and thrive.  

And the list of God's creative miracles continues ....with plants bearing seeds to reproduce more plants, ....fish and animals reproducing their "kind".  ....And finally, us "organic" humans created with an eternal soul — that spiritual part of us, ....so we can choose to have a personal, intimate, loving relationship with God our Creator ....Himself.  ....Psalm 139:1-2, 5-6, 16-17.

ALL OF THAT IS ....INCREDIBLY MIRACULOUS, ....WONDERFULLY COMPLEX, ....AND SO CREATIVELY GOD!  HE IS AMAZING!

Said another way....  ‍

By God's design, we are "eternal" spiritual beings living a human experience "in time".

‍Why?  ....Because God is giving us time on earth ....to choose to live with Him now, ....and therein we are choosing to live with Him throughout Eternity in Heaven.

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES in him will not perish but HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
    — John 3:16 NLT

....Why is it that simple ....to just believe in Jesus Christ?

So that EVERYONE comes equally before God.  It does not matter your cultural status, ....your race, age, physical abilities, or financial position, etc.  Everyone is equal before God.  ....Simply believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.

And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do (how you live). So you must live in reverent fear (honor, worship, trust, obey) of him during your time here as “temporary residents.”
    — 1 Peter 1:17 NLT

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Christ before the beginning....

Seeing life from a supernatural worldview, we begin to understand why God created us for fellowship with Himself....

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.  He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth....  For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself.  He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
    — Colossians 1:15-16,19-20 NLT

....and again....

God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and ....it gave Him great pleasure.
    — Ephesians 1:5 NLT

Seems God wants us to choose to join His family!

....Why?  So we can live for Eternity in loving relationship with Him.  God designed this from the beginning of creation ....as His counterintuitive plan.

That is why God gave us His Holy Word, the Bible, so each new generation can read for themselves God's unfiltered, unadulterated truth of what it means to have an eternal relationship with Himself.

Physical Birth....

Everyone's "Eternity" begins at physical conception and birth during our human experience "in time" here on earth.  .....WE ARE LIVING IN ETERNITY NOW, ....and during this earthly journey, ....God gives us opportunities to choose ....when this "in time" journey is over, ....where we want to spend THE REST OF ETERNITY....

IN HEAVEN with God, if we believe in Jesus Christ here and now, ....OR....

"ELSEWHERE" without God, if we do not chose Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  See John 3:36; Matt 13:49-50; 2 Thess 1:8-9; Rev 21:8.

Jesus said, "The world's sin is that it refuses to believe in me" (John 16:9).

....which brings us to....

Spiritual Birth....

Everyone's "spiritual birth" (Born Again) begins when they ask Jesus to forgive their sins, come into their life, and receive salvation through Him as Savior and Lord....  

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”  “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
‍
Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.  Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.  So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’"
    — John 3:3-7 NLT

‍WE RECEIVE BEING BORN AGAIN and live "Eternally" with our Lord in Heaven ....by responding during our "in time" journey here on earth to Christ's offer of eternal salvation ....by simply trusting and obeying.‍

So, ....what does that look like in our lives?

Assures us of "Whose we are" in our eternal relationship with God.

Helps us build our Biblical worldview by reading and applying His Word.

Gives us peace in our hearts and resolve for each day's challenges.

....and....

Only God can give us Eternal Life with Himself....

That is why Jesus said...

"The Spirit alone gives eternal life.  Human effort accomplishes nothing.  And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life."
    — John 6:63 NLT

....because....

“I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE.  The one who believes in me will live (spiritually), even though they die (physically); and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.  Do you believe this?"
    — John 11:25-26 NIV

Yes, LORD, I believe!

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Select NEXT arrow for our second summary question.....

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^{*Credits: creation image from lacasadecristo / earth tilt image by timeanddate}