Creation A Picture Of Salvation

Q: What does the Bible say about creation and salvation?

The Bible teaches that creation serves as a picture of salvation, confirming that all things are created and sustained by God for His glory. In Genesis 1, we see that creation is an expression of God's design, will, and purpose. Everything God has made is deemed 'very good,' indicating that His creation reflects His goodness. Just as God's creative work precedes salvation, our salvation, according to Scripture, is according to His eternal purpose. Salvation is framed within the same sovereign power that initiated creation. The theme of salvation being 'of the Lord' runs parallel to the notion that creation is also His handiwork, making it clear that both are reliant on God's divine will and decree. This unified understanding underscores that salvation is not an evolutionary process, but rather a distinct act of God from the very beginning.

Q: How do we know that God is sovereign in salvation?

The Bible affirms that salvation is entirely God's work, designed and executed according to His sovereign plan and purpose. Scripture repeatedly emphasizes that salvation is the result of God's sovereign will. For instance, 2 Timothy 1:9 states that God saved us and called us not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace given in Christ before the world began. This highlights that God's decision to save is rooted in His eternal decree, not in human effort. The work of salvation is not dependent on man's actions or choices; it is the culmination of God's eternal plan, which encompasses predestination and calling. This affirms that the grace of salvation comes from God's free will, ultimately validating the sovereignty of God in the salvation of His people.

Q: Why is understanding creation important for Christians?

Understanding creation is crucial for Christians as it lays the foundation for comprehending God's nature and His purpose for salvation. The account of creation in Genesis provides insight into God's character and His sovereign authority over all things. It reveals a God who is purposeful, designing everything for His glory. By recognizing that creation is a divine work, Christians can appreciate the intrinsic order and intentionality behind existence itself. This understanding further enhances our grasp of salvation, as it reflects the same creative power that God used to bring the universe into being. Furthermore, acknowledging creation establishes the context for understanding the fall of man into sin and the subsequent need for redemption through Christ. Understanding these elements, intertwined in the narrative of Scripture, allows believers to respond to God’s grace more fully and leads to a deeper relationship with their Creator.

Q: What role does sin play in God's plan of salvation?

Sin reveals the need for salvation and magnifies God's mercy and grace in redeeming humanity. The concept of sin is pivotal in understanding God's overarching plan of salvation. According to Romans 5:12, sin entered the world through one man, Adam, resulting in death for all humanity. This reality underscores the depth of human depravity and the necessity of divine intervention for redemption. God's plan was never thwarted by sin; rather, He sovereignly ordained it to magnify His grace. The presence of sin illustrates the great need for salvation, making it clear that humans are unable to redeem themselves. Therefore, God's act of sending Christ, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, demonstrates His ultimate justice and mercy. Hence, acknowledging sin’s role enhances our appreciation for the grace freely offered through Jesus Christ.

Genesis chapter 1 and I'm going to use for a title for our message this morning creation creation the creation of God a picture of salvation Creation a picture of salvation It's a very good picture. I love what it says in verse 31 and God saw that everything that he had made salvations of the Lord God saw that everything he made, and behold, it was very good.

And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Everything God does is good. Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? Absolutely. Creation, the picture of salvation, the salvation of a sinner. And it's very good. It's very good. Our salvation, think about this, our salvation is older than creation. Our salvation is older than creation.

All of creation was expressed design, will, and purpose of God. He asked no one for help or advice because God alone needs no help, advice, or assistance. He created all things by the word of his power. He said, and it was so. He made, and it came to pass. He created all things by the word of his power. He decreed, ordained, sustains all things right now as they are by His sovereign eternal will.

We read last time in Colossians chapter 1 that Christ the Creator is before all things and by Him all things consist. All things are held together. He ever noticed how the exact order of creation is? I mean the exact order of the seasons, the way everything moves and revolves, the sun, the sunset, the stars.

It's all ordered of God, created of God, and sustained by Him. Sustained by Him. He worketh all things after the counsel of His own will. And He does according to His will in the army of heaven. and among the inhabitants of this earth, and no one can stay his hand, or no one can say unto him, Lord God Almighty, what doest thou? So that's true in creation, right? Of him, through him, and to him are all things.

No fundamentalist would say that God needed help in creation, for he's acknowledging the creations of the Lord. So too is salvation all of the Lord. He does not need our help. He does not need our assistance. This is true of our salvation. All salvation is the creed, plan, will, and purpose of God before the foundation of the world.

Christ is the Lamb without blemish and spot, foreordained of God before He created the world. He wrote the names in the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world. We read of Christ being the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. So you would say all creation is of God, right? We don't believe in evolution because the Bible doesn't teach that.

So we say in salvation that salvation is of the Lord, right? It's not a process of evolution. If you listen to the average preacher today, they preach salvation as the salvation of evolution. That men start out bad and eventually they work their way up and up and up, and eventually they're right for heaven. That's salvation by evolution, isn't it? The Bible doesn't teach that. The Bible teaches salvation by creation. The Lord gives life. The Lord, we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Our salvation was purpose of God from eternity.

Listen to this scripture. When Paul writes back to young Timothy and reminds him, he said, don't be ashamed of the gospel. The gospel of God, for it's God who saved us, and God who called us with a holy calling, not according to our work, but according to His own purpose and grace, given us in Christ, when? Before the foundation of the world. That's salvation of the Lord, is it not?

I was reading this in Isaiah 43 verse 10. Before me, our Lord said, there is no God formed, neither shall there be any after me. He said, I am God. Beside me, there is no other. So verse 1 and 2, in the beginning, God created the heaven. God created the earth. And something happened here.

God doesn't create things without form and void and dark. The earth became without form and the earth became darkness was upon the face of the deep and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And then we see in the following days that God from this mass of void, emptiness, the darkness, God created all things or remade all things. Something happened here between verse one and verse two. God does not create things without form and void and dark. Everything he created was perfect with form and light and God said it's very good. But the earth became without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep. The earth was not created that way originally. It became that way because of sin. Now how did sin get into this picture? How did sin get into this picture?

And I believe that's what happened here after God created all things, sin entered in. And this too, by God's eternal purpose, God's will. Nothing happens without the decree of God, His will being done. Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He in heaven, earth, sea, and all deep places. Did you ever think about that question? How did sin enter into the picture? Was it by an accident?

No, it was by God's purpose and rebellion of Satan against God. Now, most of the preachers that I know and those that I associate with and most of the old writers of the past, they think that when Satan led a rebellion against God and was cast unto heaven is when this earth that was originally created became void and without form and dark.

Our Lord said this in Luke 10, 18. Luke 10, 18, and he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Fall from heaven. Now, we read in Isaiah 14, where it says, how art thou fallen, O Lucifer, son of the morning? He said, I will ascend. I will ascend above the stars of God. I will be like God. I will be like the Moti. I think that's where free willism started. Satan said, I will, I will, and I will. God said, no, you won't. You'll be brought down to the pit. down to the sides of the earth. Now I want you to find, do you remember our study in the Revelation?

Turn to Revelation 12. And I don't know all the ins and outs of this, but it has to be so. It has to be so. Revelation chapter 12. Listen to these two scriptures while you're finding that. Revelation chapter 12, we'll begin reading there about verse 7. But listen to this scripture.

Adam not only sinned and fell, but there was a rebellion against God in heaven, led by Satan and those fallen angels that followed him. Listen to these two scriptures. God spared not the angels that sinned, 2 Peter 2, 4, but cast them down to hell. and deliver them into chains of darkness to be preserved unto the judgment. So there is the elect angels that did not fall, and then there's those fallen angels that followed Satan's rebellion and sin against God. And then we studied recently from Jude chapter one, verse six, the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he received an everlasting change under darkness unto the judgment of that great day.

There are fallen angels, and Satan is real, and he is a demon and a monster, but he's defeated by the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, Revelation 12, verse six, and there was a war in heaven, and Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought against the angel, then prevailed not, neither was their place found anymore in heaven, and the great dragon was cast out, the old serpent called the devil, and Satan, which deceived the whole world, He is cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

And I heard a loud voice saying, In heaven now has come salvation's strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ. For the accuser of the brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the lamb, by the word of the testimony, and they loved not their life unto death."

So that's how sin got into the picture. by God's purpose, that he might magnify his mercy in saving sinners. Out of this mass of darkness, emptiness, our Lord remade or reformed a new creation, restoring all things, and this is what we see in the six days of creation. The Lord brought order out of chaos. He brought light out of darkness. He brought life out of death. Now, a lot of people have debated, are these six days, are they 24-hour days like the days that we know?

Maybe, but I know we read in scripture that a thousand years is but one day with the Lord. So, what happened between when God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was without form and void? How many years passed between those two verses? I don't know. Maybe thousands of years. Maybe millions of years. Maybe billions of years. With God, there is no time. How old is the earth? I don't know. If it's 6,000 years old, well, I believe that. If it's a billion years old, a million years old, I believe that too. I asked my phone, this is dangerous to do. You don't do this, do you? I asked my phone. They say that the Appalachian Mountains are the oldest mountains, oldest mountain range in the United States. The Rockies are about 80 million years old, they say. The Appalachian Mountains are 480 years old. Now, are they really 480 years?

I don't know. I don't know. And it doesn't make any difference. But I do know this, God created all things. for His own purpose and glory. We know that the biblical history of man upon the earth is 6,000 years. From Adam to Moses, 2,000. From Moses to the Lord Jesus Christ, another 2,000. From Christ until this day, another 2,000. So we know the biblical history of man and the history of the earth.

Now here's where I'm going with this. I'm not going off the deep end, but listen to me. Here's what I want us to see. The history of the earth is similar to man's history upon the earth. You got that? Okay. The history of the earth is similar to man's history upon the earth. Now here, listen to this.

God created, it says in Ecclesiastes 7.29, God created man upright and innocent with no sin.

Adam and Eve were made in the likeness of God. He said, let us make man in our own image, in our own likeness. So God created man upright, but the rest of that scripture says, but they have sought out many inventions. What did Adam do? He sinned against God.

They were made in the likeness of God, perfect without sin. Adam became a living soul. God breathed in him the breath of life, that lump of clay, and Adam became a living soul. But we all know the sad story. Adam, what did he do? He sinned against God. We're gonna see this in detail in chapter three. Adam sinned against God and it brought him death, destruction upon all men.

We're going to see that in chapter 3, but look at chapter 2 verse 17. Notice chapter 2 verse 17. We're going to see these two trees here, the tree of life and the tree of knowledge and good and evil. Genesis 2 verse 17, but if a tree, our God said, of knowledge and good and evil, Thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Now he didn't say if you eat, he said in the day that you do. You see, all this was purpose of God. Purpose of God.

We're going to see when Adam sinned, we sinned in him. When Adam sinned, he became without form. without God, without hope, and without Christ. He became void of all spiritual understanding and light. Man at his best state is altogether vanity. We're born that way, without God, without hope, and without Christ. We're born that way because of Adam's sin. We came from him void. Man at his best state is void of understanding and spiritual life and righteousness. And then we're born in the dark. We're born in the dark. Adam wasn't created that way, but he came that way because of what? Because of sin. Because of sin. We've studied this in Romans chapter 5 so many times over the years.

We talk about federal headship and representation in Adam. And Adam all died. And Adam all sinned. We all issued from Adam. Unless you came from monkey, you don't have the problem that I do. But all men descended from Adam, that one man. God created just one man.

And when he sinned, we sinned in him. And that sin and guilt and total depravity has been passed on to all of us. We're all born in sin, shaped in iniquity. We don't evolve to become sinners. We're born that way. And Adam all died, and Adam all sinned.

Therefore, God said, there is none righteous. No, not one. There's none to understand it. There's none to seek after God. They're all together become filthy. They're all together gone out of the way. None righteous. No, not one. Again, we read in Ecclesiastes 7 verse 20, there is not a just man upon the earth that doeth good and sinneth not. There's not a just man upon the earth that doeth good and sinneth not.

Is that talking about you? Let's see. Turn to Genesis chapter 6 verse 5. And this is such an important scripture here. Genesis... And I'll tell you why it's so important that we understand what happened in the first three chapters of Genesis. If you look at Genesis chapter 6 verse 5, look at this very carefully.

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. God saw the wickedness of man was great in every imagination of the thoughts of his heart. Now this is God's estimation of our wicked heart. Our wicked heart, only evil, only evil continually.

Now it's said by many preachers of the past and present, and remember this statement, I've given this to you before, but we have this statement, wrong on the fall, on the fall of Adam, wrong on it all. If you don't start out right, you'll end up wrong. Your theology has to begin with God and what happened in the garden. If you miss that, if you miss Adam's rebellion, sin, and guilt, you'll miss redemption in the Lord Jesus Christ. I've given this to you before. If we don't understand total ruin, total inability, Total depravity will never understand the completeness of our redemption through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If we have no understanding of what sin is, a lot of people think, well, he's a sinner because he's a drunk or a harlot, whatever. We're not a sinner based upon what we do, what we are. That's what we are. We do the things we do because of what we are. But if we don't understand sin, we don't understand what happened in Adam. We don't understand sin, its origin, we'll not understand the necessity of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ by His grace.

Now, then we see something happening in verse two. And the earth, Genesis 1 verse 2, and the earth was without form, void, and darkness upon the face of the deep. So, what happened? The earth didn't say, well, I'm just going to get better. I'm going to make the light. I'm going to create day. I'm going to make the stars and sun and moon. I'm going to do all the earth. The earth didn't make the first move because it couldn't.

The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the water. God said, let there be light, and there was light. God saw the light, that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness, and God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. It all starts with God. It all starts with the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God. The new birth, and that's what we call salvation by God's grace, the new birth is by the Holy Spirit bringing dead men to life.

It starts with Him seeking us before we start seeking Him. Before I ever heard the gospel, or knew the gospel, or ever started seeking the Lord, He was seeking me. From all eternity the Lord knoweth them that are His. From all eternity the Lord was on the trail of this sheep.

One day He sent me a gospel preacher. And one day He called me out of darkness into His marvelous light. You see, the new birth is the work of the Holy Spirit. We read it in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1. And you have He quickened who were dead and trespasses and in sin. Our Lord said it this way.

No man can come to Me except the Father which sent Me. Draw him and I'll raise him up at the last day. And John 6. In verse 63 we read, It is the Spirit that quickeneth the flesh, profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. You must be born again. And that's by the purpose of God and the will of God and the grace of God in Christ Jesus. Now don't turn, let me just read this to you.

But in John chapter 1, we've read this many times over the years I know most of you know this, but in John chapter 1, verse 11, he came unto his own, his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power, right, or privilege to become sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but they're born of God. Those who believe the gospel, they do so because they're born of God. Who's ever believed that Jesus is the Christ? He's been begotten of God.

We don't believe to be born. We believe because we have been begotten of God. Sinners do not evolve into being transformed from darkness to light and life? Is that something we work our way up to? We evolve into a process of evolution? That's what most people believe.

God must cause the light of his gospel to shine in our hearts. that we might see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. You remember the scripture 2 Corinthians 4, 6, God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness? That's what we just read. He has shined in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God that shines in the face of Jesus Christ. God commanded the light to shine in your darkened, dead heart. God gave you life in Christ Jesus.

God turned on, we say, He turned on the light switch. Now I see. I didn't see before. I see now that God is God, that I'm a sinner. Salvation's in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. You have to be quickened who were dead. Listen to this scripture, 2 Corinthians 5, 17. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things have become new.

We read it in Ephesians 2.10, where his workmanship created in the Lord Jesus Christ. I wrote this scripture down from Isaiah 43.

But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob. Jacob was a sinner. He that formed thee, O Israel, a prince of God. God took that rascal Jacob, Jacob have I loved, and he turned him into a prince of God. That's what Israel means. Now who did that? Jacob didn't have anything to do with that. That's the work of God alone.

Our salvation is of the Lord. Now we're going to see in Genesis 32 verse 28, How that happened with Jacob, how he met the Lord. And the Lord said to him, thy name shall no more be called Jacob, which means cheat and supplanter, but Israel, a prince of God. For thou hast power with God and with men and hath prevailed in the Lord Jesus Christ. We've won the victory. He has won the victory for us.

God said in verse three, God said, let there be light and What's going to happen? If the Spirit of God moves upon the face of the waters and divides the light from the darkness, and God said, let there be light, what's going to happen? And there was light. There was light. God said, let there be light. Let there be light. And the light shined at the command of the Word.

The Lord Jesus Christ is called, He's the Lamb is the Light of the City. In Revelation 21, the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon. The shine in it, for the glory of God, did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, slain before the foundation of the world, is the light of that city. And that new creation, Christ is all the light. In that new creation, new heaven and new earth, and in this creation in salvation, Christ is our light.

How many times did we read here in Genesis chapter 1? I counted at least nine times. God said, God said, God said, God said, the Lord uses the word of God to quicken and call us out of darkness. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth. Don't ever discount the necessity of the word of God and the word that was made flesh and dwelt among us, the Lord Jesus Christ. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth. God made, God called, God blessed by His Word. Isaiah 55, 11, he says, My Word will not return unto me void, but it shall prosper whereunto I send it. God uses the preached Word to call out His people that pleased Him to do so. And we're born again, not of a corruptible seed, but of an incorruptible seed. What is it? The Word of God. The Word of Truth. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of the Lord. A couple more things, and I'll let you go.

Verse 4 and 5, we read that God divided the light from the darkness. You see that? God saw the light, that it was good, and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness called night, and the evening and the morning were the first day in our salvation. Like in creation, God divides the light from the darkness. We read in Colossians 1, we've been translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son. We've been called out of darkness into His marvelous light, and we should show forth the praises of His glory.

Those who are born of God, by the Spirit of God, they have light and life. Light and life. Listen to this scripture, John 8, 12. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world. He that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. He said, I am come that they might have life and habit more abundantly. More abundantly. As he is in the light, let me read this to you. I used to be able to quote these scriptures. I can't do it anymore. So it's a safe thing for me to turn and read it to you. So I won't misquote God.

But in 1 John 1, we studied this recently, this then is a message which we've heard of him and declared to you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth.

But if we walk in the light, As He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. We have fellowship with one another because we're walking in that same light. Christ is the light of our salvation. We were in the dark, now we have light, and we have life. Only in the light and revelation of the gospel, we not only see and understand, but we also experience the power of God unto salvation. We are called the children of the light. It's by the power of God. It's the gospel of Christ. It is the power of God.

We understand the difference of salvation by works and salvation by grace because God divides the light from darkness. He's given us an understanding that we may know Him that is true and we're in Him that is true. Look at Genesis chapter 1 verse 5. God called the light day and God and the darkness he called night, and the evening and the morning were the first day."

The Lord Jesus Christ is the day of our salvation. Today is the day of salvation. In Job, we read, thou hast commanded the morning since thy days and caused the day spring to know its place. Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, said this in Luke 1. Through the tender mercies of our God, whereby the Dayspring from on high hath visited us. Who's that Dayspring? Christ the day. To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. To guide our feet in the way of peace.

And then we read this in 2 Peter 1.19, we have also a more sure word of prophecy, or until you do well to take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day star arises in our hearts. Christ is that day star that arises in our hearts.

Something else in verse 9 down through verse 12, God said, let the earth bring forth fruit. God said, verse nine, let the waters under the heaven be gathered together under one place, and let the dry land appear, and it was so. And God called the dry land earth, and the gathering together of the waters he called seas, and God saw that it was good. And God said, let the earth bring forth grass and herb yielding seed, and a fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind. Apples produce apples, whose seed is in itself upon the earth, and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, herb, yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed is in itself after his kind. And God saw. It was good. It was good. The word of truth, in the light of the gospel, in the light of God's grace, gospel of God's grace, where it's found, there will be fruit unto God.

The fruit of the spirit is the evidence of life, not the cause of life. Those born of God bear fruit after its kind. That which is born of the spirit is spirit. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. The fruit of the spirit is called love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. That's the fruit of the Spirit after its kind. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

God created man, verse 26 and verse 27, Genesis 1 verse 26-27, God said, let us make man in our image. Let us make man in our image. Father, Son, Holy Spirit, after I likeness and let them have dominion over the fish, over the sea, over the fowl, over the air, over the cattle, over the earth, over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. God created man in his own image. In the image of God created he, him, male and female. Yes, there are two genders. Men don't become women. Women don't become men. God created male and female. Yeah, I'm old-fashioned. Yeah, I believe the Word of God. And let the crazies go where they will. But I believe God. I believe God. But here's the point. Here's the point. Let us make man. The whole triune God was involved in our salvation.

We're going to see in Genesis chapter 2 verse 4 something new added here to the name of God. Look at Genesis 2 verse 4. These are the generations of heavens and the earth where they, when they were created in that day, This first time we read this in scripture, capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D. God made the earth and the heaven. The Lord God made. Now why am I bringing that up? That word Lord, there were all capitals. You can see that all through the book of Psalms and other places. It's Jehovah. It's Jehovah. What does Jehovah mean? The eternal everlasting God. It's Jehovah Elohim. Plural. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. I am a Trinitarian because the Bible teaches that.

God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit is all involved in our salvation. We see that in Ephesians chapter 1. The Father choosing us unto salvation, you have to had chosen from the beginning, the Son purchasing our salvation, we're redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, in whom we have redemption, and then the Holy Spirit, what's He doing? Quickening, calling, revealing, regenerating His people. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. The whole triune Godhead, Jehovah, Jireh, Jehovah Sidcanu, Jehovah Rapha, all those seven names of Jehovah. all involved in our salvation. He is the Lord our righteousness. He is the Lord our shepherd, God the Holy Spirit quickening and calling.

It is God alone who has predestinated us to be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I put in the bulletin several times over the years, and I tried to see if I had this article written. I wrote it years and years ago, but I tried to see if I included that in my book. produced last year, but I'll try to put this in the bulletin next week, and we'll go over this again.

Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide. Jehovah Rapha, the Lord that healeth thee. Jehovah Nisa, the Lord our banner. Jehovah Shalom, our peace. Jehovah Ravah, the Lord my shepherd. Jehovah Sidcanu, the Lord our righteousness. Jehovah Shammah, the Lord is present. So all through the scripture, we see God involved in our salvation.

Now, and lastly, I'll send you home with this. Verse 28, and God blessed them. You see verse 28? God blessed them and said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply. I pointed this out in the reading. Replenish the earth. Now, do you need to replenish something that's already replenished? Because it was void and empty. Whatever existed before that form without form and darkness, God said, replenish or repopulate. the earth. That's the way I take it to mean.

And subdue it and have dominion over the fish, over the sea, over the fire, over the air, over every living thing. And God saw, verse 31, everything that he made and behold it was very good in the morning and evening for the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them. On the seventh day God ended his work which he had made and he rested from the seventh day of all the works which He had made.

Salvation is the creation work of God. He finished it, right? Salvation is the creative work of God. Creation is and salvation is the creative work of God. And He finished our salvation. Those who are born of God, born of the Spirit of God, are blessed with all spiritual blessings and heavenlies in Christ Jesus.

All things are yours. Christ is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Let no man glory in men, for all things are yours. Paul, Apollos, or Peter, the world, life, death, things present or things to come, all are yours, and you are Christ, and Christ is God's. All the promises of God in him are yes, and in him, and amen, and to the glory of God by Jesus Christ.

Thus the heavens were finished, On the seventh day, God ended His work and He rested because it was complete. In Him was all the fullness of a Godhead bodily and in Christ we stand complete. Complete. Now be sure you understand this and be sure you get this point. Our salvation in Christ is finished. It's complete by our Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing needs to be added or supplied.

He prayed in John 17, John 17, in that priestly prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ, he said, all power is given to me in heaven and earth. Thou hast given me power over all flesh, and I shall give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given me. And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent. I have glorified Thee on the earth. I have finished the work You gave me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Thou me with Thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and that Word was made flesh. Our Lord said, upon Calvary's tree, what did He say? Finished. It's finished. It's done.

Until we're one with Christ, by faith in Him, we're not in harmony. with the God of creation or the God of salvation. But all who come to Christ by God-given faith and rest all their hope in Christ alone for all their salvation are in harmony with God's eternal will, purpose, grace, and glory in the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, to be one with him. All grace now, all glory forever, and we'll enjoy the new heaven and the new earth forever and ever. Let's turn and read about it. Turn to Revelation 21. I'll let you go home. Revelation 21. Revelation 21. Look at verse 1. Before we read that, let me read this to you. You stay there in Revelation 21 verse 1.

But in 2 Peter chapter 3, The day of the Lord will come as a thief of the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, the elements shall melt with a fervent heat, and the earth also and the works therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved one day, What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with a fervent heat? Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. This we see. is marked for destruction. He's going to make a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Now, I'll send you home with this. Revelation 21, verse 1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. You remember John's cast out on that island. He said, no more sea, no more trouble.

John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. There shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain for the former things, are passed away.

And he that sat upon the throne said, behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, write, for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, it's done. I'm Alpha, I'm Omega, the beginning, the end. I'm the beginning, I'm the end. I will give unto him that is of the thirst of the fountain, of the water of life, freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things. I will be his God, and he shall be, he shall be my son. Beloved, now are we sons of God.

Creation A Picture Of Salvation

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about creation and salvation?

How do we know that God is sovereign in salvation?

Why is understanding creation important for Christians?

What role does sin play in God's plan of salvation?

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Creation A Picture Of Salvation

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about creation and salvation?

How do we know that God is sovereign in salvation?

Why is understanding creation important for Christians?

What role does sin play in God's plan of salvation?

Sermon Transcript

About Tom Harding

Comments

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