Week Nine: Creation

What does the Bible teach about creation?

When you and I undertake a project - whether that project involves construction skills, cooking skills, or whatever the case may be - we look for materials to work with. If it's cooking, we need the ingredients to mix together. If it's construction, we need the building materials. Whatever the project, we need something to begin with! The wonder of what God did in creation is that He began with absolutely nothing. He created everything out of nothing! No one else but God can do that.

A second wonder of creation is that God created everything simply by the power of His spoken word. All through the account of creation we read the words, "And God said."   After each of His commands, we read "And it was so."  Something new was created each time God spoke. Again, no one but God can do this!

God made all that He made in the space of six days. The natural sense of the word "day" found in Genesis 1 and 2 is a twenty-four hour day. We believe this on the authority of the Bible. After all, we must remember that time itself is something that God created. It did not exist until God created it!

Finally, everything that God made was "very good." God Himself says that it all He created is good. "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good...." (Genesis 1:31). Sin has marred creation, bringing much sadness and pain. Yet even in a sin-cursed world, the goodness of God displayed in creation is clearly evident. All of creation will one day be restored when God returns in Christ Jesus to bring about the new heavens and the new earth.

Four wonderful, basic, amazing truths about God's work of creation!

• God made all things of nothing
• God made all things by the power of His spoken word
• God made all things in the space of six days
• God made all things "very good"

Items for debate and disbelief? Not at all! Rather, these great truths are great reasons to worship our great God!

You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they were created

and have their being.

Revelation 4:11

 "It pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for the manifestation of the glory of his eternal power, wisdom, and goodness, in the beginning, to create - or make out of nothing - the world and everything in it, whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days, and all very good."

    -  From the Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 4.