The Importance of a Day

The Importance Of A Day I. Introduction A. Have you ever talked to someone about a doctrinal issue other than salvation itself who expressed that since it doesn’t directly impact salvation it doesn’t matter? B. For example, we shouldn’t argue about the days of creation since they do not directly impact salvation. C. “As long as we believe in Jesus Christ, that’s what’s important.” D. This message will demonstrate: 1. that such a notion is not biblical and undermines God’s word. a) that Jesus Christ himself does not agree with this notion. 2. the fact of a six day creation from the scriptures. a) Jesus’ teaching of a six day creation. b) the logical absurdity of anything other than a six day creation. 3. that the fact of a six day creation does in fact impact salvation. II. It is a false notion to say that something that doesn’t directly impact salvation it is not a critical matter about which Christians should be particular. A. Such a notion undermines the word of God. Either God’s word is truth, or it is not. J​OH 17:17; PRO 30:5; PSA 119:160 B. Regardless of whether or not a particular point of doctrine directly impacts salvation, it certainly impacts truth. ​2 TI 3:16 C. It is a righteous thing to hate ​every false way,​not just those that directly impact salvation. P​SA 119:128 D. Jesus Christ himself says that every word of God is necessary. L​UK 4:4 1. Notice that this was stated to the devil who was tempting Jesus to draw him away from God. 2. God’s word is like a woven fabric: if one strand is pulled out of place it impacts the whole work. 3. God’s word is like a puzzle: if one piece is out of place it changes the whole picture . 2​PE 1:21 c/w 1 CO 2:13 c/w ISA 28:9-1 0 E. The devil is the one who wants you to disbelieve that every word of God is necessary. 1. The devil is the father of lies and has an interest in deceiving God’s people. J​OH 8:44 2. Every word of God is a critical battleground which the devil will use to corrupt your mind from the simple truth. Any hole he can create in the fabric weakens it, and little by little he will alter it so that it is no longer recognizable. G​EN 3:1-5 III. God created the world in six days. G​EN 1; GEN 1:31-2:3; EXO 20:11; EXO 31:17 A. Neither a casual nor a thorough reading of scripture will result in the notion that these days are anything other than six literal 24 hour days just like we count days today. B. In particular, the days given in Genesis 1 are very well defined. Each one is stated to be bounded by t​he evening and the morning​and each one is definite, as in t​he first day,​t​he second day,​etc. G​EN 1:5,8,13,19,23,31 C. On t​he seventh day,​ God rested. G​EN 2:1-2 IV. The fact of a six day creation is codified in the law of Moses, even in the ten commandments. E​XO 20:11 A. Everything that God created was created in six days; on the seventh day he rested; and he blessed the sabbath day, a constant reminder every seven days that God did all his creation work in six days and rested on the seventh. B. This is all meaningless if a day is anything other than a day. 1. day​(noun)-1.That part of the time of the earth’s revolution on its axis ​in which its surface is presented to the sun; the part of the twenty-four hours when it is light; or the space of time between the rising and setting of the sun; called the artificial day. G​EN 1:5 ​2 . the whole time or period of o​ne revolution of the earth on its axis​, or twenty-four hours; called the natural day. G​EN 1:5​(Webster’s 1828 Dictionary) 2. Note that a day is a u​nit of time​ tied to the e​arth​ revolving on its axis, which takes 24 hours. 3. God made the earth, and he made it to revolve on its axis, and therefore he established the length of a day and he did it at the beginning of creation. C. Jesus fulfilled the sabbath, showing the completed work of eternal salvation - a picture that is lost if a day is not a day. C​OL 2:17 c/w HEB 10:1,12 V. Jesus confirmed a six day creation. A. Jesus confirmed Moses’ teachings, and we’ve already seen that Moses clearly taught a six day creation. J​OH 5:46-47; LUK 16:31 B. Jesus cited the creation as the doctrinal basis for marriage.​MAR10:2-12​ Is marriage unimportant? C. Jesus said, “But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female.” ​MAR 10:6 1. God made man on day six. G​EN 1:26-31 2. If six days was the total time God took to create all things, then these words of Jesus in MAR 10:6 have meaning - the first six days is the beginning of creation - it wasn’t complete until day seven, when God rested. 3. But if a day is a thousand or a million years, then six thousand or six million years after the first day of creation can hardly be said to be the beginning. a) b) week (noun) - The space of seven days. (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary) How many weeks would have passed in six thousand years? (1) 6,000 years x 365 days/year / 7 days per week = 312,857 weeks (2) This means that a single day of creation would have contained 52,142 weeks (312,857 weeks / 6 creation days). (3) This means by the time God finally rested on the seventh day he would actually have rested 52,142 times already. c) Remember that a day is a unit of time tied to the revolution of the earth on its axis. d) year​(noun) - The space or period of time in which the sun moves through the twelve signs of the elliptic, or whole circle, and returns to the same point. This is the solar year, and the year in the strict and proper sense of the word. It is called also the tropical year. This period comprehends what are called the twelve calendar months, or 365 days, 5 hours, and 49 minutes, within a small fraction. But in popular usage, the year consists of 365 days, and every fourth year of 366; a day being added to February, on account of the 5 hours and 49 minutes. e) A year is made up of days. If each day of creation was a million years, then each day was 365 times one million days. This means that each revolution of the earth on its axis (i.e. day) was made up of 365 million revolutions of the earth on its axis. This is impossible mathematically, scientifically and logically and is therefore absolutely absurd. D. Having established that Jesus confirmed a six day creation and based doctrine upon it, if you don’t believe this teaching of Jesus, then you don’t believe Jesus. 1. You can’t believe Jesus’ teaching on the resurrection of the dead and eternal life with him in heaven if you don’t believe his teaching on the creation. J​OH 3:12 2. Jesus said, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” L​UK 16:10 3. If the days of creation are a thing of little importance (i.e. that which is least), and you cannot believe God in this little matter, how can you believe God in a matter of great importance, such as the salvation of your soul? 4. Is Jesus your Savior, but he’s wrong on certain things? How do you know when he’s right? E. Jesus is the creator. He was there. He’s telling you how it happened and in what span of time. Do you believe him? J​OH 1:1-3,14; COL 1:16-17 VI. How important is a correct understanding of what a day is? A.The Lordship of Jesus Christ depends on it. 1. Christ is the promised ruler over Israel. J​ER 33:25-26 c/w ISA 9:6-7 2. Christ is the promised son of David who would reign upon his throne. JER 33:19-21 c/w ACT 2:29-30 a) God established a covenant of the day and the night, that there should be day and light in their season (i.e. proper time). b) If this covenant can be broken (i.e. day and night do not take place in their season, as is the case of the days of creation are not 24 hour days), then the covenant with David can be broken. c) That covenant with David establishes the Lordship of Christ, seated on David’s throne. B. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ depend on it. J​ER 33:19-21 c/w ACT 2:29-30 1. Christ sitting upon the throne of David speaks of the resurrection of Christ . A​CT 2:30-31 2. Christ tied his death, burial and resurrection to three days and three nights. ​MAT 12:39-40 C. The salvation of our souls depends on it.​ JER 31:35-37 c/w 1PE 2:9 c/w ROM 9:6-8 t​he true seed of Israel is the elect people of God who are an holy nation 1. Our salvation from sins depends on the resurrection of Christ. R​OM 1:3-4 c/w ROM 4:25 2. And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 1​CO 15:17 D. Obviously, the gospel depends on it, for what is the gospel without the Lordship of Christ, his death, burial and resurrection and the salvation of our souls? ​ROM 1:1-4 E. It is any wonder the devil is so intent upon corrupting the minds of Christians with evolutionary thinking? “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” 2​CO 11:3 F. The truth is a legitimate salvation from ignorance and lies and vain imaginations. JOH 8:31-32; ROM 10:1-4 c/w HEB 4:10-11