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In The Beginning
Introduction
Genesis 1:1–2 declares, “In the beginning God created the heavens
and the earth… and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of
the waters.” These opening words ground all Scripture and anchor our
faith in the sovereign God who made and sustains everything.
The God Who
Is There
“In the beginning, God”—Elohim—speaks of the one divine nature
shared by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Scripture
consistently affirms the full deity of each: the Son is fully God
(Colossians 2:9), and to lie to the Holy Spirit is to lie to God
(Acts 5:3–4). The triune God is no distant idea; He is the living
Creator whose presence and purpose frame the entire biblical story.
The Son’s
Active Work in Creation
The New Testament opens the curtain on Genesis 1 and shows the Son’s
personal agency in creation. “All things were made through Him”
(John 1:1–3). Paul adds that all things were created through Him and
for Him, and that in Him all things hold together (Colossians
1:15–17). The Hebrew writer declares that He upholds all things by
the word of His power (Hebrews 1:1–3). Creation is not an abandoned
project; it is sustained by Christ’s constant care.
The Reality
of a Beginning
For centuries many imagined an eternal universe, but the Scriptures
plainly teach a beginning: time, space, and matter had a starting
point (Genesis 1:1). If matter is not eternal, it either produced
itself or was brought into being by a greater cause. Reason and
revelation agree: creation witnesses to the wise, powerful God who
made it.
Creation Ex
Nihilo—By God’s Word
The verb often used for “create” in Genesis carries the sense of
bringing into existence by God’s unique power. The psalmist says,
“He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm
33:6–9). No creature can summon realities from nothing; only God
speaks universes into being.
Creation’s
Witness to the Creator
The heavens declare God’s glory (Psalm 19:1). From the ordered
vastness of the skies to the intricacies of life, what is made
testifies to God’s eternal power and divine nature, leaving humanity
without excuse (Romans 1:20). A house implies a builder; this world
implies its Maker (Hebrews 3:4). Creation is God’s sermon in the
sky—clear, constant, compelling.
The Heavens
and the Earth
Genesis names “the heavens and the earth,” the whole theater of
God’s creative work. Scripture speaks of the heavens where birds fly
and where sun, moon, and stars rule seasons and days. All of it
exists by God’s design and appointment, fashioned for life and
prepared ultimately for humanity made in His image.
Without
Form and Void—The Spirit’s Hovering Care
Genesis 1:2 portrays the earth unshaped and unfilled, cloaked in
darkness, while the Spirit of God hovers—brooding with purposeful
care. Like a hen over her eggs, the Spirit superintends the ordering
that follows. The chaos will yield to God’s word; form and fullness
will follow His voice.
Genesis 1:1
as the Chapter’s Thesis
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” functions
as the chapter’s thesis. The verses that follow detail how God
ordered, filled, and blessed His creation. This deliberate pattern
shows intention and goodness, preparing a world where human beings
can know their Maker and fulfill His will.
Faith
Anchored in the First Verse
Faith comes by hearing the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). If the
first words of Scripture are sure, the rest of Scripture stands
firm. A faith rooted in God the Creator is a shield for the soul
(Ephesians 6:16). Trusting Genesis 1:1 strengthens our confidence in
God’s promises—from the earliest hints of redemption (Genesis 3) to
the gospel’s call to new birth and obedience.
Gospel
Implications—From Creation to New Creation
The God who spoke light into darkness brings the light of the gospel
into human hearts. The One who created the world calls us to be made
new in Christ. Faith hears His word, turns to Him in repentance,
confesses Christ, and submits to baptism for the remission of sins,
entering a life reconciled to the Creator through His Son.
In The
Beginning Sermon Outline:
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I. God—Elohim:
One Divine Nature, Three Persons
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II. The
Son as Creator and Sustainer
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“All
things were made through Him” (John 1:1–3)
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“In Him
all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15–17)
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“Upholding all things by His word” (Hebrews 1:1–3)
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III.
The Universe Had a Beginning
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Genesis
1:1—time, space, matter begin
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Reason
points to a sufficient cause (Romans 1:20)
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IV.
Creation by the Word of God
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V.
Creation Testifies to the Creator
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VI.
Heavens and Earth Defined
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VII.
Without Form and Void—Spirit Hovering
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VIII.
Genesis 1:1 as Thesis; Details to Follow
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IX.
Faith’s Foundation and the Gospel’s Call
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Faith by
hearing (Romans 10:17)
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Shield
of faith (Ephesians 6:16)
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Call to
repentance, confession, and baptism (Acts 2:38)
Call to
Action
Let the God who spoke worlds into being speak life into your heart
through His word. Trust Him as Creator and Redeemer. Respond to His
gracious call: turn from sin, confess Christ, and be baptized for
the forgiveness of sins, walking in the light and strength He
provides.
Key
Takeaways
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God alone is
Creator; Father, Son, and Spirit share the one divine nature
(Colossians 2:9; Acts 5:3–4).
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The Son
created all things and sustains them continually (John 1:1–3;
Colossians 1:15–17; Hebrews 1:1–3).
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Creation had
a real beginning and points to God’s eternal power (Genesis 1:1;
Romans 1:20).
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God created
by His word; He spoke and it stood fast (Psalm 33:6–9).
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The heavens
and the earth declare His glory and wisdom (Psalm 19:1; Hebrews
3:4).
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The Spirit’s
hovering shows God’s tender, purposeful care (Genesis 1:2).
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Faith is
strengthened by trusting the truth of Genesis 1:1 (Romans 10:17;
Ephesians 6:16).
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The Creator
calls us to new creation in Christ through obedient faith (Acts
2:38).
Scripture
Reference List
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Genesis
1:1–2 – God’s creative beginning;
the Spirit hovering in purposeful care.
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Genesis
3 – Early promise of redemption
that assumes the truth of creation.
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John
1:1–3 – The Word present in the
beginning; all things made through Him.
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Colossians 1:15–17 – Christ as
Creator, goal of creation, and sustainer of all.
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Hebrews
1:1–3 – The Son reveals God and
upholds all things by His powerful word.
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Colossians 2:9 – The fullness of
Deity dwells bodily in Christ.
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Acts
5:3–4 – Lying to the Holy Spirit
is lying to God; the Spirit’s full deity.
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Psalm
33:6–9 – Creation by God’s word;
He speaks and it is done.
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Psalm
19:1 – The heavens proclaim God’s
glory.
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Hebrews
3:4 – Every house has a builder;
God built all things.
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Romans
1:20 – Creation reveals God’s
eternal power and divine nature.
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Romans
10:17 – Faith comes by hearing
the word of Christ.
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Ephesians 6:16 – The shield of
faith protects against the evil one.
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Acts
2:38 – Repent and be baptized for
the forgiveness of sins.
Prepared by Bobby Stafford of the church of Christ at
Granby, MO
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The
church of Christ
