On January 1, 2012, we “rang in” the New Year, yet again. How long has this “New Year” business been going on? I suppose as long as man has been alive. And how long is that you ask? The answer is laden in controversy.

Depending on whom you ask, man has been “celebrating a New Year” for 250,000 years. Yet some will argue closer to four million years. Of course no one was there when man first appeared on earth, except God. He is the only eye-witness that can set the record straight.

The Bible, God’s special revelation, declares he created the heavens and the earth in six, 24-hour days and out of nothing. This view, as well as the earth sciences, overwhelmingly supports a heaven and earth that is about 6,000 years old. It also supports that man, as we know him today, has been on earth since the 6th day of creation.

To hold to a view that man has been walking on planet earth for 250k years or more assumes as fact that the earth is millions of years old, there has been death and disease from the very beginning, and Noah’s global flood is a myth. Obviously both views can’t be true.

Some Christians will object and say the age of the earth is a side issue and not relevant to the gospel, so why split hairs. The important issue is Jesus Christ died to free us from sin and death.

I contend that creation is a gospel issue because it has everything to do with biblical authority. To view the earth as young is to believe the eye-witness report in Genesis as it is written. To accept millions of years is to accept man’s fallible opinion about origins. To follow the ever-changing results of science is to put man’s authority above God’s divine word. If God can’t get it correct in scripture, and thus neither did Jesus, how do we know they got the gospel correct? Who wants to read a book claiming to be factually accurate but makes serious errors in the very first chapter? I would conclude the book is not to be trustworthy and throw it away.

The Hebrew language makes it very clear that the word day in Genesis 1 refers to a normal, 24-hour day. When “yom” (day) is used with a number, it always means a normal day. When used with the word evening and/or morning, it means an ordinary day. Even the phrase, “evening and morning” by itself always means an ordinary day. In all the Old Testimony there isn’t an exception. God has declared loudly that he created all there is in six, normal days.

“Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” —Psalm 90:2

“He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including Israel, the tribe of his inheritance—the LORD Almighty is his name.” —Jeremiah 10:16

He also created out of nothing, through Jesus Christ:

“As it is written: ‘I have made you a father of many nations.’ He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.” —Romans 4:17

“But in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.” —Hebrews 1:2

As you can see this is not man’s opinion but God’s testimony. If you adhere to millions of years, then you are forced to believe matter is eternal. Again it defies biblical authority and places man’s wisdom above God’s.

Lastly, the fact that day in Genesis means an ordinary day is made clear in Exodus.

“Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, ... For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” —Exodus 20:9-10a, 11

The only place man came up with the seven-day week is from the seven days of creation. The word day (yom) as used here clearly means seven, normal days. It would make no sense for God to command Israel to work six days and rest one just as God did at creation if, in fact, it took millions of years for God to create.

Remember, this is not splitting hairs, it’s about biblical authority. When Jesus says he is the Way the Truth and the Life, I want to know I can trust Him and His word and he is not mistaken. So make no mistake about it:

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” —Romans 3:23

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” —Romans 6:23

Would you like to receive that gift?