Introduction:
“And it was so.” (Genesis 1:7)
“You will find those words six times upon the first page of Scripture. God spoke and said, “Let there be a firmament.” “And it was so.” He said, “Let the dry land appear.” “And it was so.” He bade the earth bring forth grass, “And it was so.” He ordained the sun and moon for lights in the firmament of Heaven. “And it was so.” Whatever it was that He willed, He did but speak the Word, “and it was so.” In no single case was there a failure. There was not even a hesitation, a pause or a demand for a more powerful agency than the Divine Word. In each case, Jehovah spoke, “and it was so.” Nor is this first week of Creation the only instance of the kind, for in no case has the Word of God fallen to the ground—whether of promise or of threat—the Word has been confirmed and fulfilled. “As it was in the beginning, it is now, and ever shall be, world without end.” Whatever the mighty God decrees, foretells, declares, or promises shall, before long come to pass.”
C. S. Spurgeon, from a sermon delivered at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, during the summer of 1871.
You Are a New and Wonderful Creation:
As a new believer, or an experienced believer who is wise enough to accept reminders, you are a unique, special, and loved creation of God. There is a concept I like to call “faith memory” that we must continually cultivate. It’s like we must remember not to forget the primary things of our faith, and the apostles saw the need as well.
“So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them . . . “
God’s creations are never wrong or without purpose. The things He directly does to us in our lives, or allows to occur in our lives all have a purpose and are part of His creative plan. They may not seem pleasant at the time; they may be devastating at the moment they befall us, but we do well to remember that He doesn’t make mistakes.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 KJV)
And so it was when He created the world and everything in it in Genesis. He created light (Note: There was light before there was the sun. God can do anything He wishes, in any order; He is not bound by His own creation), the sky above, the ground below, all plants, vegetation, trees, the sun, moon, and stars, and finally man and woman. All of those creations God spoke into existence, visually saw what He created, and declared them “good”.
Tell of a time when you were convinced you had no purpose on this earth, that
you were no good and of no value to anyone.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Now, reflecting on Romans 8:28 above, and the words of Spurgeon in the intro,
describe how you can see God working in your life, thoughts, and attitudes.
Tell what He may have in store for you as His perfectly created child.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
No Shame In God’s Perfect Creation:
This next aspect of God’s creation may seem a bit strange, and you may even be somewhat uncomfortable, but understanding it is key to the next lesson, and an important brick in your spiritual foundation. When God created man and woman – Adam and Eve – he did not give them clothes. His garden was warm, comfortable, there were no hazards or perils in Eden because it was, as I have said several times, perfect.
Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman', for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. (Genesis 2:22-25 NIV)
Think of what causes us feel the shame of nakedness. Is it morally wrong today? In public, with strangers, it certainly is wrong, but why? What does a typical man feel and think when he sees a beautiful woman with no clothes on? If you are answering honestly, you will admit he thinks lustful, sexual, improper thoughts. These kinds of thoughts and emotions are the result of sin, and we will cover that in Lesson #2, but what does that reveal about Adam and Eve’s spiritual condition here in Genesis chapter 2? What does it tell us about sin in their lives?
THEY HAD NOT SINNED, THEY WERE SINLESS, AND THEREFORE FELT NO SHAME (sorry to “yell”, but this is terribly important)!
Can you remember a time when you did something wrong, either purposely
or accidently, and you felt ashamed of your actions? What did you want to
do immediately after your blunder was revealed?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
If running away and hiding was your answer, you are not alone. Shame makes us want to hide, to crawl under a rock, until the feeling subsides.
I don’t know why, but I have had dreams over the years in which I am standing around in my BVD’s in a group setting. I can’t explain the meaning if there is one (please don’t try -- and don’t dwell on it), but I do know that even in my dreams I am really embarrassed and self-conscious by the way I am dressed. This is clear evidence of the sin that is a part of our lives (Lesson #2) but not in the lives of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in Genesis chapters 1 and 2.
Understanding the initial perfection that was God’s creation is important in moving on to the next lesson, but please take this away with you from Lesson #1. God made you just the way you are. He has never made a mistake, and that includes you – just as you are in your present condition. Adam and Eve were created, born if you will, into God’s perfect plan. You were born in to this world, and born again as a believing child of God with His express purpose and plan for your life.
Western civilization, has brought more economic, social, scientific, artistic and technological advancement, more political freedom, human rights and equality than any other worldview in world history. Why? Because Western thinking is based on the tenets of Christianity, which teach that all men are created in the image of God, and therefore are of inestimable value. Are some handicapped? Deformed? Autistic? Blind? Yes, but that doesn’t make them any less created in God’s image than an athlete or a doctor or an astronaut.
Chuck Colson, in How Now Shall We Live?, spoke of God’s creation this way:
Truth is found only in relationship to God and his revelation. God created the
natural world and natural laws. God created our bodies and the moral laws that
keep us healthy. God created our minds and the laws of logic and imagination.
God created us as social beings and gave us the principles for social and political
institutions. God created a world of beauty and the principles of aesthetics and
artistic creation. In every area of life, genuine knowledge means discerning the
laws and ordinances by which God has structured creation.
Find the words to thank Him for your life, for creating you, and ask Him to
reveal His perfect plan for you each and every day.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Please read the first three chapters of Genesis as part of this lesson assignment.
See you in Lesson #2!
[Note – This lesson can be downloaded in PDF format for printing or sharing]
Discipleship 101
New Believer Lesson #1
Creation – God’s Perfect Work
By Andy Madonio
July 10, 2010
