In the beginning
Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
I want to speak a moment about our God….Who is Almighty….Who is our all.
God has no beginning,….so when He speaks of a beginning, here, He is speaking of the beginning of the earth.
Out of nothing, God created the heaven and the earth. Only God can create out of nothing.
We can take materials, and design, and build, and decorate….but God speaks and it is done. Something is created, at His Word and Will.
Psalm 19:1-4 “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth HIs handiwork.
Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
There is no speech nor language, where Their Voice is not heard.
Their line is gone out through all the earth, and Their Words to the end of the world…”
All creation manifests that there is a Creator…..all creation manifests HIs command to:
“Let all things be done decently and in order.” (1 Cor. 14:40)
After man’s sin, and man became separated from God….his heart was darkened.
The Light through a promise of a Savior was given (Genesis 3:15). Would they receive this promise, and look for this Savior? Would they seek to walk in the Light of this promise?
A trial had to be made to see whether man would return to His Creator in worship…
…..but man refused. (Although God always has a believing remnant…those that seek and love HIm)
Romans 1:20-21 “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”
Man’s heart became darker and darker…..
….the only light and bright spot in our history is God revealing Himself and His Will in HIs Word…
….for, as I said, God always has His believing remnant….those that are drawn to the light, to the truth, to God in faith and love.
And then (and we should all say “Amen!”)….
…..when the fullness of the times was come…..then…
Galatians 4:4-6 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth HIs Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of HIs Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father.”
The announced and promised Savior came….and He redeemed all who believe on Him, from sin, self, and the devil….to give us an adoption as sons of God.
Romans 8:15-16 “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”
And when we became sons of God, adopted children of God….He did something wonderful within us.
“In the beginning” of our new birth….He created a new creature…He implanted within us a new nature…a holy nature.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
And why did God create a new nature within us? Because He could not use our old nature…the nature that rebelled against Him is to be set aside,….denied.
Ephesians 4:22-24 “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
We are now, created in Christ Jesus, to grow in grace and love…..till we, with all the saints manifest Christ Jesus in His fullness … .in the darkness of this world.
Ephesians 4:13, 15 “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”
We started this with “In the beginning”….the creation of the heaven and the earth….
….and we have talked of the beginning of the new creature in Christ…
But these were just the beginning…..and God is Alpha and Omega….the beginning and the end.
If He has begun a good work in you….He will bring it to the end, that He wants.
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
(“expected” here means a cord bound or twisted together. God’s end for us….is bound up in Himself. We were never meant to have a life away from HIm.)
1 Corinthians 1:4, 8-9 “I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful, by Whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”
(confirm you unto the end…..”confirm” means stabilize….make sure.)
God’s Word is sure…..God is faithful….His promises are in Christ Jesus….and we, if we are born anew, are in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 1:20 “For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”
From the beginning to the end….God will see HIs Will done. Let us seek our place in His Purpose and yield to HIs faithfulness in bringing us to HIs expected end.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 