In The Beginning

Presenting The Christian Message

A Magnificent Creation

You’ve heard the story, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1). God created the sun, the moon, the stars, and billions of galaxies. On the earth, He created the seas, the dry land, all the plants and the animals. Then He created man—male and female.

All of God’s creation was magnificent beyond anything we can imagine, but man was a very special creation. Why? Because God made man in His own image! God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness” (Gen 1:26). Of course, no created being can ever be equal to the uncreated God. But to be made in the image of God is as close as any created being could ever be to being like God. No other creature was created to be godlike. What a privilege to be created in God’s image!

God planted a wonderful garden called Eden, and He placed the man and the woman in the garden to keep it. God came often to this garden to enjoy sweet fellowship with the man and the woman. He told them (Adam and Eve) to be fruitful and multiply and have dominion over all the earth. The garden was a paradise earth God. That is the way it was.

Life and Death

There were two trees in the garden, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve were permitted to eat of the tree of life and as a result they would live forever. But they were forbidden to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God told them, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die” (Gen 1:16–17).

But Satan, who had rebelled against God, tempted man, saying, “You will not surely die…God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:4–5). So, yielding to the temptation, they disobeyed God. In spite of all that God had given them, they rebelled against Him.

So, we see that man was originally created to live forever and enjoy wonderful fellowship with God— then, sin entered the picture. The rest is history. Adam and Eve ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and, through sin and rebellion, death entered the human race. Mankind fell from the position of close personal companionship with God and has sought ways of regaining dominion over the earth ever since. The result has been jealousy, murder, theft, suffering, wars, and every kind of evil. That is the way it is.

But don’t despair! God has a plan. What’s more, you and I have been offered the privilege of participating in that plan!

Next: The Plan of Restoration