Chapter 4


Creation

1. In the beginning God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit1 was pleased to create or make the world and all things in it, both visible and invisible, in a six-day period, and all very good.2He did this to manifest the glory of his eternal power, wisdom, and goodness.3

1 John 1:2, 3; Hebrews 1:2; Job 26:13. 2 Colossians 1:16; Genesis 1:31. 3 Romans 1:20.

2. After God had made all the other creatures, he created humanity. He made them male and female,4with rational and immortal souls,5thereby making them suited to that life lived unto God for which they were created. They were made in the image of God, being endowed with knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness.6 They had the law of God written in their hearts7and the power to fulfill it. Even so, they could still transgress the law, because they were left to the liberty of their own will, which was subject to change.8

4 Genesis 1:27. 5 Genesis 2:7. 6 Ecclesiastes 7:29; Genesis 1:26. 7 Romans 2:14, 15. 8 Genesis 3:6.

3. In addition to the law written in their hearts, they received a command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.9 As long as they obeyed this command, they were happy in their communion with God and had dominion over the creatures.10

9 Genesis 2:17; 10 Genesis 1:26, 28.


Published: November 2021