Seven Days That Divide the World: The Beginning According to Genesis and Science by John C. Lennox

Author:John C. Lennox [Lennox, John C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Religion, Religion & Science
ISBN: 9780310492191
Google: rAEKJejbkiwC
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Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 2011-08-22T22:00:00+00:00

THE GOODNESS OF CREATION

One cannot read Genesis 1 without noticing the constant refrain, “And God saw that it was good” (Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25), culminating in the final assessment on day 6: “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (1:31). God is not some distant deistic figure uninterested in his work. He regards his creation with the enthusiasm and joy of a skilful artist who is delighted at what he has done as he sees it formed and organised step by step, until the wonderful harmony of his completed work lies before him, thoroughly fit for the glorious purpose for which he intended it.

Sadly, it would not be long before the original harmony of creation was disrupted, as the first humans failed at the higher level of moral goodness, and sin entered the world to wreak endless havoc. So serious is that moral infection that the business of restoring men and women to fellowship with their Creator will involve something much bigger than creation itself: nothing less than the Creator becoming human, dying at the hands of his creatures and rising again in triumph over sin and death.

Yet at the beginning all was perfect. How different from pantheistic philosophies that regarded matter as essentially evil and held that our wisdom would be to escape from it completely. Indeed, just as the material creation was originally perfect, one day there will be a new creation, new heavens and a new earth that will also be perfect — and righteousness will dwell in them (see 2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 21).

In the meantime, the fact that God has put human beings in charge of a good creation reminds us also of our responsibility towards God as stewards of creation. It is not our property, but God’s; and we are not at liberty to abuse, waste, and ruin it. Indeed, God takes our attitude to the earth very seriously, as a day will come in which God will judge those who destroy the earth (Rev. 11:18b).

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