The Story of God. From Chapter 9 of According to Plan Creation by Word In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was.

THE FIRST THREE CHAPTERS

The Story of God

CHAPTER 1

From Chapter 9 of According to Plan Creation by Word In the beginning was the Word, and the

Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:1-3)

FOR BY HIM ALL THINGS WERE CREATED…ALL THINGS WERE CREATED BY HIM AND FOR HIM. (COLOSSIANS 1:16)

Outline of Biblical History (Genesis 1-2) In the beginning God created everything

that exists. He made Adam and Eve and placed them in the garden of Eden. God spoke to them and gave them certain tasks in the world. For food he allowed them the fruit of all the trees in the garden except one. He warned them that they would die if they ate the fruit of that one tree.

(This would be excellent test material!)

GOD CREATES BY HIS WORD

Through the gospel we learn the purpose of creation and the meaning of the universe.

What is the Bible saying in Genesis 1-2? How can I know there is a God? Where did God come from? What was before the beginning? How can God create out of nothing? What was before the beginning?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE MEAN WHEN IT SAYS THAT GOD CREATED BY HIS WORD?

John 1:3 Colossians 1:16 Hebrews 11:3 2 Peter 3:5-7

SOVEREIGNTY

Sovereignty means exercising kingly power.

Creation is a demonstration of this sovereignty.

Ex Nihilo The supremacy of the word of God in

the world goes back to creation. Transcendence

GOD THE LORD

chooses to relate to his creation by means of his word.

(Another good point for a test!)

THE WORD AND ESTABLISHED ORDER Why does Genesis 1 describe creation

having taken place in six days?1. The passage is unique and thus presents

some difficulties in interpretation. It is a historical event according to the N.T.

2. The gospel must instruct us since it is God’s final and fullest word to man. The question is not whether the Bible tells the truth, but how it tells it.

TRUTH FROM GENESIS 1 - 2

Creation is not only a question of beginnings, but of purpose and relationships.

The good (harmonious) order of the universe is good because God declares it to be so.

Providence – God not only creates the universe but he governs it.

BY HIS WORD

God established all things in ordered relationships.

God continues to uphold order in the universe.

(Good points for a test!)

GOD LOVES HIS CREATION

How can I know God exists? His Word and his creation prove it. Accurate but not convincing… God is self-evident. The creator may be described as king. The focus of the kingdom of God is on

the relationship between God and his people.

THE GOODNESS OF CREATION

In the universe he has made for them, God rules over his people in continual and loving self-commitment to the whole creation. This is the kingdom of God.

(Good points for a test!)

MAN MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE

Genesis 1:26 Genesis 1:27 Genesis 9:6 Psalm 8:5 – Humanity is the special

focus of God’s care. Romans 8:19-23 – God works through

his Son who becomes a man to restore mankind.

THE IMAGE OF GOD IN MAN

Mankind is created in a unique relationship to God. Man also is addressed personally by God as the highest creation and the focus of his purposes.

(Good point for a test!)

MAN A CREATURE WHO IS RULED

The uniqueness of the human race lies not in our having developed more or survived better, but in being created in God’s image.

Man does not live by bread alone. (Deut. 8:3, Psalm 104:24-30)

Christ sustains all things by his powerful word. (Hebrews 1:3)

In him all things hold together. (Col. 1:17)

MAN A CREATURE WHO IS RULED

The creation accounts teach us that no attempt to define human beings is adequate unless it at least includes the recognition of our creation in the image of God.

The image of God tells us that humanity does not truly exist apart from a special relationship with God.

RESPONSIBILITY

Man is uniquely responsible to God.

Responsibility means being answerable to someone for what we do.

FREEDOM

At the heart of human responsibility lies freedom.

With freedom and responsibility comes a test of obedience in the prohibition placed on eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The choice was not between ignorance and knowledge but between remaining good and becoming evil.

THE RULE OF GOD

and the image of God in mankind mean that we are uniquely answerable to God for all that we do.

(Good point for a test!)

THE PATTERN OF THE KINGDOM

It is the word of God which informs man that he is to be a scientist and loving caretaker of the world rather than a magician and power-motivated exploiter of the world.

Creation reminds us that theories which suggest that life, personhood, love and moral value are all the result of chance, have long since abandoned the realm of science.

THE PATTERN OF THE KINGDOM

God establishes a perfect creation that he loves and over which he rules.

The highest honor is given to mankind as the only part of creation made in God’s image.

The kingdom means that everything in creation relates perfectly (as God intends it should) to everything else and to God himself.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD AT CREATION

was everything in existence: God, mankind, and the rest of creation, all relating perfectly as god intended.

(Good point for a test!)

CREATION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Summary Creation results in the kingdom of God,

mankind and the rest of creation all relating perfectly.

Kingdom

God Mankind World

Creation

God Adam & Eve

Eden

MAIN THEMES

Sovereignty of God Creation ex nihilo (out of

nothing) by the word of God Order and goodness of creation Image of God in man Responsibility of man before

God

KEY WORDS

creation/generation sovereignty image kingdom

THE PATH AHEAD

The first Adam – The last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45)

Creation – New Creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Heavens & earth – New heavens & earth (Isaiah 65:17, 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1)

WRITING ASSIGNMENT

from first exercise on page 101 of According to Plan

Read Genesis 1 and 2. List the things mentioned which seem

to you to be most important in the teaching of these chapters.