Let there be light

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And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. [Gen. 1:3]

As God works with the raw material of creation, he first separates darkness from light. Notice that the Bible does not give us a mechanical description of how this light was produced. Rather, the focus is on the “divine fiat” that called it into being by the power of God’s word. The word fiat comes from the Latin phrase meaning “Let there be.” God speaks and things happen.

Verse 3 clearly affirms the authority of God. The word authority is built on the word author. God, as Author of all things, has authority over all things. Only God has the power of being within himself. Only God can declare anything into existence. The great “I Am” is the Author who speaks.

Here we begin to understand God’s power in creating all things. Theologians say the world was created ex nihilo, “out of nothing.” They also say ex nihilo, nihil fit: “out of nothing, nothing comes.” The modern secular view of the origin of the universe holds that the universe arose out of nothing “by chance.” This expression is ultimately meaningless. Chance here can only refer to a mathematical concept, and a concept has within it no power of being. “By chance” means we don’t know how it happened, but God didn’t do it.” Against such an absurd and self-contradictory philosophy, Christianity maintains that ex nihilo, nihil fit: out of nothing, nothing arises by itself.

The universe was not created by nothing. It was created out of nothing by God. It came from the creative act and word of God. It was spoken into existence.

Ancient philosophy, however, said that the universe was made out of the substance of God, as an outflow of his being. Against this notion, Christianity maintains that creation was ex nihilo. God made the universe neither out of himself nor out of any pre-existent eternal substance. Rather, he caused it to come into being out of nothing by power expressed in his creative act.

As believers it is encouraging to remember that the same power displayed in creation raised our Savior from the dead. Further, this power is brought to bear by the Spirit of God in our personal redemption. Remember, if you have experienced this power, it will sustain you through any difficulty. If you have not experienced this power, turn to Christ in repentance and belief.

Sproul, R.C., Before the Face of God: A Daily Guide for Living from the Old Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books) 1994.

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