C. The World

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:27)

And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. (Genesis 1:31)

In the following dialogue about divorce between Jesus and the Pharisees, Jesus quotes from the book of Genesis making reference to these same verses and the creation of both male and female by God.

And some Pharisees came to Him, testing Him, and saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause at all?” {4} And He answered and said, “Have you not read, that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, {5} and said, ‘FOR THIS CAUSE A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, AND SHALL CLEAVE TO HIS WIFE; AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH’? {6} “Consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” (Matthew 19:3-6)

The apostle Paul also taught in a number of places that God created the world and all those who dwell in it. In these passages, Paul not only makes reference to the first man and women but refers to them by their names Adam and Eve.

However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. {12} For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God. (1 Corinthians 11:11-12)

He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth…” (Acts 17:26)

For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. {14} And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression. (1 Timothy 2:13-14)

The first point to be made then is that God has created this world and the people who dwell in it. He created the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, and He declared that all that He had made was “very good”.

THE WORLD BELONGS TO GOD

We live in an age when people have a misguided sense of the personal right to autonomy. The motto: “It’s my life and I can do what I want”. The fact of the matter is that our lives are not altogether ours to do as we like. We have been created by God and we belong to Him. The universe, this world and the people in it all belong to God. He owns them; they are His creation. Furthermore, we have been created by God, not to be set loose in the universe to do as we please, but to live according to the plans and purposes of God, being governed by His laws and commandments, in the grateful pursuit of the life He has given us.

The following passages of scripture illustrate God’s ownership of the creation along with some of the ways that man is to respond to God in light of this fact.

“Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it. (Deuteronomy 10:14)

The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. {2} For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the rivers. (Psalms 24:1-2)

By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host. {7} He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deeps in storehouses. {8} Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. {9} For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. (Psalms 33:6-9)

Come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. {7} For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. (Psalms 95:6-7)

Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. {4} Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name. {5} For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, And His faithfulness to all generations. (Psalms 100:3-5)

In summary, it’s important to realize is that this world and the people in it belong to God. Many today believe that their life is theirs to do with it as they please and that they have a right to live in an autonomous way without God. This is the opposite of the biblical world view which recognizes the inherent responsibility of every person to honor and obey God.

God has a plan and purpose in all things, including the creation of man, which necessitates that man live in subjection to God. God has ordained His commandments and laws to ensure that these plans and purposes can be carried out properly and to provide for the welfare of all.

GOD’S PLANS AND PURPOSES

The Bible teaches that God has created all things with a purpose which fits into His overall plan, all being formulated for His good pleasure. This thought is communicated by the prophet Isaiah and can be seen in the biblical account of creation. There are some very important practical considerations for every person as a result of this.

“Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, {10} Declaring the end from the beginning And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’; {11} …Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it. (Isaiah 46:9-11)

And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. {28} And God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” “…And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:27-28; 31)

Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. {16} And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; {17} but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:15-17)

From Isaiah, we learn that God has planned things with purpose according to His good pleasure. The account of creation states man’s purpose, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth”. Furthermore, man is placed in the garden and is commanded by God not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Some important principals come to light here. First, man exists for God, having been created to be the object of His love and goodness and to accomplish His good pleasure. Second, man was given specific purpose by God and is responsible to fulfill that purpose. Third, God has given man His laws and commandments to govern his life as he accomplishes the plans and purposes which God has ordained for him.

We learn that after God finished His creation He declared it was all “very good”. In other places in scripture we are told that the plans and purposes of God for man are for his good that man might be blessed. While some might initially view the plans, purposes and commands of God as restrictive, upon further reflection the wise person will see that God alone can provide an abundant life of happiness and fulfillment. However, this can only be realized as each one yields in complete subjection to God’s plans and purpose, trusting Him, obeying Him and Honoring Him in all things. On the other hand, we are warned in scripture of the danger of taking the gift of life and misusing it by pursuing our own plans and purposes, refusing to acknowledge God’s rightful place in our life.

O LORD, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will give thanks to Thy name; For Thou hast worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness. (Isaiah 25:1)

‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the LORD, And whose deeds are done in a dark place, And they say, “Who sees us?” or “Who knows us?” (Isaiah 29:15)

“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “Who execute a plan, but not Mine, And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, In order to add sin to sin; (Isaiah 30:1)

THE LAWS AND COMMANDMENTS OF GOD

Many have a mental picture of God as one who takes pleasure in denying happiness to man through the imposition of His laws and commandments. The truth is that just as Jesus said, God wants His people to enjoy an abundant life. God has created man in part to bless man and give to him a wonderful existence. When one looks around him and observes all the beauty of creation the fact that God has provided it and sustains it for man should reveal the goodness of God in this regard. However, the ability to enjoy this creation and every other thing that God wants to bless man with rests upon man’s obedience to God’s laws and commandments which are given to preserve the gift of life.

The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. {8} The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. {9} The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. {10} They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. {11} Moreover, by them Thy servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward. (Psalms 19:7-11)

“…what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, {13} and to keep the LORD’S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? {14} “Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it. (Deuteronomy 10:12-14)

But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does. (James 1:25)

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. {9} For this, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” {10} Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:8-10)

THE WORLD IS IN REBELION AGAINST GOD

While the world was created to be in subjection to God the facts of the matter reveal the sad reality that man from the beginning did not maintain this relationship with God. The account of the creation of man also gives testimony to the account of the fall of man. Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s commandment and took from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Before looking at the nature and consequences of this sin it may be helpful to consider the cause of this tragic failure.

The scriptures reveal that Eve was led to question and doubt the wisdom and goodness of God and to test the authority of God. Being told by the serpent that she would not die as God had warned her, and led to believe that God was withholding some good thing from her, she succumbed to temptation and broke God’s commandment. Furthermore, she convinced Adam to do the same and He too broke God’s commandment.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” {2} And the woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; {3} but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die.'” {4} And the serpent said to the woman, “You surely shall not die! {5} “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” {6} When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:1-6)

The lesson to be learned is that God must be trusted and obeyed in all things. All God’s commandments are for man’s good and God will not withhold any good thing from His creation.

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. (Psalms 84:11)

Furthermore, the warnings that God gave to Adam and Eve concerning the consequences of disobedience were in the end found to be accurate. The death God had said would come did in fact occur and continues to this day.

Many today still do not take seriously the warnings that God has given to this world in His word. Tragically, like Adam and Eve, those who continue to ignore His warnings will one day reap the inevitable consequences of their disobedience as they will face the certain judgment that God has declared will come on those who reject the truth.

Learning from the mistakes of Adam and Eve we must be thankful and content to be living in God’s will and keeping His commandments, knowing that God will not deprive us of any good thing and that obedience to Him is for our good and that of our neighbor. Much if not most of the misery in the world today is a direct result of man living in disobedience to God. The pain and unhappiness we find in our lives at times is a result of our waywardness. The key to finding true happiness is in learning and doing God’s will.

Please continue to the next point to learn more about the nature and consequences of sin.