Christian Foundations : Understanding the Creation order

Three Main Concerns

1. Understanding God’s created order

2. Realizing the consequences of the fall of man

3. Discovering what the cross of Christ makes available

Part I: Understanding Created Order

God’s Perfect Work

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

• God’s work is perfect—never guesswork, never trial and error.

• At the end of each creative step, God said it was good:

  • Genesis 1:10, “God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.”

  • Genesis 1:12, “The earth brought forth grass...and God saw that it was good.”

  • Genesis 1:18, “To rule over the day and over the night...and God saw that it was good.”

  • Genesis 1:21, “God created great sea creatures...and God saw that it was good.”

  • Genesis 1:25, “God made the beast of the earth...and God saw that it was good.”

Made in God’s Image

Genesis 1:26 (NKJV):"Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness...'"

• Image (Hebrew: tseh-lem): Like a shadow—man reflects God but in an imperfect way.

• Likeness (Hebrew: dem-ooth): A real similarity in appearance and nature.

• Man was created to reflect God’s glory and to enjoy relationship with Him.

• Sin obscures this glory:

  • Romans 3:23 (NKJV), “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

• We must know God accurately through His Word to truly glorify Him:

  • 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV), “Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

Our Purpose & Authority

Humanity was created with the ability and calling to mature into God's likeness and reflect His glory. God gave us authority over all the earth:

Genesis 1:28-31 (NKJV):"Then God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'... And God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good."

• God intended for man to fill the earth with His order and glory (Numbers 14:21, NKJV):“But truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.”

Humanity’s Three-part Design

Genesis 2:7 (NKJV):"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being."

• Man is made of spirit, soul, and body:

  • Spirit: Designed for fellowship with God (James 2:26 NKJV):“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

  • Soul: Intellect, emotions, will, reacting to life’s experiences.

  • Body: Physical temple subject to natural laws (Leviticus 17:11 NKJV):“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls.”

God’s Garden and Two Special Trees

Genesis 2:8-9 (NKJV):"The LORD God planted a garden...and He put the man whom He had formed there. And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow...the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."

Genesis 2:16-17 (NKJV):"And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.'"

• This command shows man’s free will: obey and live, disobey and die.

Created for Relationship

Genesis 2:18-25 (NKJV):"It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him... So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam... He made a woman, and brought her to the man.""Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

• Marriage of man and woman was God’s original design—intended for intimate relationship, reflecting God’s order and glory.

Part II: The Fall and Its Consequences

The First Temptation

Genesis 3:1-6 (NKJV):"Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field... and said to the woman, 'Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?'... The woman said to the serpent... But the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened...'"

• Eve considered the serpent’s words and rebelled, followed by Adam.

Separation and Shame

Genesis 3:7-10 (NKJV):"Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings... And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden... and they hid themselves."

• Sin caused shame and fear—separating them from God’s presence.

God Confronts and Judges

Genesis 3:11-19 (NKJV):

• God asks Adam and Eve about their sin; both blame others instead of taking full responsibility.

• Curses pronounced:

  • On woman (verse 16): "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children."

  • On man (verses 17-19): “Cursed is the ground because of you... In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground...”

• Sin corrupted creation; man’s dominion became burdened.

God’s Mercy Even in Judgment

Genesis 3:21 (NKJV):"Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin and clothed them."

• God provided a covering through innocent blood, foreshadowing Jesus’ sacrifice.

Genesis 3:22-24 (NKJV):"Behold, the man has become like one of Us... therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden to till the ground... and placed cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life."

Part III: Spiritual Reality and Redemption

• Sin brought spiritual death (separation from God) and physical death.

• Man’s spirit, soul, and body are corrupted by sin, opening the door to satanic influence.

• All have fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23 NKJV):“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

• Redemption through Jesus Christ restores us to God’s original design.

Prayer

Father God, please help me understand Your created order. Renew my heart and mind to joyfully walk in the fullness of Your design. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Summary

• God created everything perfectly and intentionally to reflect His glory.

• Man uniquely created in God’s image with authority and purpose.

• The fall disrupted this order, bringing sin, shame, and death.

• God’s mercy prepared the way for redemption through Christ.

• Understanding creation and fall points us to the hope and restoration Jesus offers.