The book The Genesis Flood has rightly been credited as the catalyst of the modern revival of scientific biblical creationism. Published in 1961 and in continuous print ever since, no other single work has produced such a profound effect upon Christian thought concerning the theological and scientific credibility of the biblical creation account in particular, and the veracity of Scripture as a whole. Its magnificent apologetic was, and is, stunning…and each of us owes a great debt of gratitude to Drs. John Whitcomb and Henry Morris for providing such a powerful weapon in the defense of the faith.
At the time, no organizations existed that were wholly dedicated to creation science research. But the enthusiastic fervor that quickly followed soon led to the founding of the Creation Research Society in 1963 and the Institute for Creation Research in 1970. Many fine organizations have sprung up in the decades that followed, but these two original ministries, still in existence, continue to provide the bulk of the technical research that is essential for the entire creation science movement.
The unique pairing of a theologian (Whitcomb) and a scientist (Morris) played some part in the overall effectiveness of The Genesis Flood. I am convinced, however, that the true reason for its unrivaled influence…aside from God’s direct blessing…was the authors’ frank acceptance of the Genesis record as absolutely and literally true, showing that Genesis offered a better basis for understanding the scientific data relating to primeval history than any evolutionary model could ever do. This conviction, in particular, has been the dominant theme of all of ICR’s activities.
ICR’s highly successful creation conferences, books, and other publications have all shown that the literal Genesis record of supernatural creation is the foundation of the true gospel of Christ and all crucial aspects of biblical Christianity. True education, true science, and even the institution of marriage and family, are also based on the truths found in Genesis. In fact, all truth in every area of life finds its beginning in the Genesis record…the very word means "beginning," after all. God placed it first in the Bible for a very good reason, for it is the foundation of all foundations.
But while Genesis is the foundation, it is not the complete structure. Jesus Christ is our Creator, but He has also become our Redeemer and will one day be acknowledged by all as King and Lord. Thus, winning the world and all its systems back to God must be our ultimate goal. Of course, no organization could achieve such a task alone, and it will never be fully accomplished until Christ returns to "make all things new" (Revelation 21:5). But we should at least be earnestly working toward that end, doing what we can to meet this great challenge.
This has always been ICR’s purpose, and by God’s grace it will continue to be until Christ comes again. Fifty years since The Genesis Flood was first published, and five years since our founder Dr. Morris went home to heaven, ICR is committed to the same timeless message of the truth of God’s creation and His loving work of redemption. We trust that our faithful readers, who have supported ICR’s work through their prayers and gifts, will continue to pray, and give as they are able, to maintain this vital ministry until Christ returns.
* Mr. Morris is Director of Donor Relations at the Institute for Creation Research.
Cite this article: Morris IV, H. 2011. Commitment to a Timeless Message. Acts & Facts. 40 (2): 21.
