A Very Good Creation

Irby Wallace

April 27, 2022

Creation is good, very good.

The Father created everything through His Son, stopping many times to declare the parts of his universe as “good” (Gen. 1:4, 10, 18, 21, 25). On the sixth day of laboring over Creation, God summarized His masterpiece in two words, “very good” (Gen. 1:31). God was impressed by the fruit of His labor, and rightfully so. This praise is our first glimpse of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit glorifying one another perfectly in the fullness of their glory just as Jesus prays to His Father on the night of His betrayal (John 17). On the seventh day, God rests because the work was finished and needed nothing else but his sustenance. He enjoyed what he created because Creation is good, very good.

I must be clear about what I mean. I am not saying Creation was good, though it was good at its forming. I am arguing that the goodness of what God caused to exist is good at the present time and will continue to be good until the return Christ and the coming of the new Heaven and Earth.

Christians agree that when God gathered nothing and turned it into something, the final product was good because God made it that way and gave His stamp of approval. Nothing existed at the beginning of time to make it not good. However, there would later come one pesky, human addition which calls into question the continuing goodness of Creation, the Fall. This is the moment that man and woman sinned against God. Because of their rebellion, they died spiritually and were condemned to physical death. Their sinful nature and both forms of death would pass down to their offspring (Rom. 5). This fall of mankind creates a dilemma with the phrase, “Creation is good, very good.” We are their sons and daughters and are part of the created order. However, due to our sin, mankind is not good (Mark 10:18; Romans 3:9-20). A second issue from the Fall is that God cursed the ground as a punishment for Adam’s sin (Gen. 3:17). No longer would the ground yield its fruit as easily and bountifully as it once did. Instead, Adam would work his fingers to the bone to put food on the table.

Although mankind blundered the responsibilities and gifts given to us by God, this does not remove the intrinsic goodness of the universe. Nature can do nothing to cease from being good. The natural creation consists of objects and beings created by God for their own purposes and does not have its own morality or will. It is submitted to the good will of God and to the evil will of men.

The problem of evil in Creation, is in the will of man. It is necessary for us to see the will of man as separate from the rest of Creation. Though we are in Creation, we were separated out by God, given His image, and placed over Creation to be the caretakers of all He has made (Gen. 1:26-30). Though we are part of the created order, we are in a different category because we have morality and will. While Creation perfectly obeys the will of God as was intended, mankind goes against the Father’s will in rebellious sin. Additionally, we take the gifts of Creation and twist them to serve our evil desires. In this subjugation, Creation is in bondage to our evil will (Rom 8:20-21). It is true that some individual things can become unholy because of our sinful manipulations, but the nature of the thing remains good.

Would we say the Law of Moses was not good because Israel failed to fulfill it? Does the goodness of the Law end when sin uses the Law to increase our desire to sin and the Law curses us (Rom. 7:7-10; Gal. 3:13)? Since we have Christ and the Law is obsolete for making us righteous, does that mean the Law is no longer good (Heb. 8:13)? If anyone uses the Bible for evil purposes, which any student of history knows has been done, does scripture become evil? No, it cannot be. God’s Word is perfect and holy (Ps. 19:7-11; Rom. 7:12).

Do trees become evil because we cut them down to make weapons with which we murder? Do cows and potatoes become evil because we gluttonize fast food and become overweight? Of course not, “for everything created by God is good” (1 Tim. 4:4, ESV). We are the problem. We are sinful. We use a very good Creation for our achieve our evil goals. Because of Adam’s sin, the ground was cursed and enslaved to serve a sinful caretaker.

If none of us would blame the tree for murder or the cow for a lack of self-control, why have Christians throughout history declared some parts of Creation as evil? Is it not true that Creation is very good, or is that only true of the things you like? We would be bold to see evil in what God has declared to be good as if our opinion stands above God’s opinion.

A faulty view of Creation is often born out of a desire for holiness and righteous. God has given us the Gospel for us to be made holy and righteous. We want to please our Lord because we want to be worthy of the Gospel (Eph. 4:1). We err when we take things to unnecessary extremes. If something is used for evil, we are tempted to declare the thing itself as evil. When this happens, commands not to sin in one way transform into absolutes of which the scripture never speaks. The sin stops being about the abuse of a thing, but the thing itself. Therefore, to be righteous, we must absolutely abstain from such a thing so that we will not sin. This progression is what lies at the heart of legalism. Legalism is when our works become the basis of our righteousness. The legalist is continuously adding things to their list of abstinence. They create laws where God gives freedom.

It is simple to see how Christianity can become a legalistic religion, in the same way Pharisees added to the Law of Moses. An example that I have witnessed in my life is over the topic of dancing. In Matthew 5, Jesus teaches against lust even in the heart. Dancing has the potential to enflame those desires. If lusting is evil and people lust while they dance, then dancing is either evil itself or too tempting for any Christian to overcome. By this logic, dancing can only lead to sin. Thus, a new commandment is born. The command not to lust transforms into a prohibition against dancing.

While it is true that some forms of dancing can be sinful, not all dancing is sinful. Though the legalist would disagree, it is possible for two people to dance and have fun without lasciviousness. While some may avoid the dancefloor due to deep struggles with sin, others are free to dance in the holy joy. We must be cautious about our opinions becoming laws.

The real danger of a opinionated laws in Christianity is that we begin to twist scripture to fit our new commands. Words in the Bible lose their original meaning and theology becomes "opinonology." It is wrong to condemn the entirety of a thing because it has a potential for abuse when God himself has not condemned that thing. If God has given freedom and Christ does not make a law, then we are not to take on the role of God and make our own laws.

One of the most difficult areas to navigate freedom is with God given things that produce feelings of euphoria. Christians often claim such things as evil, typically only the things they don’t like, while culture believes that “if it feels good, it is good.” Both views are wrong. It is not the pleasure of something that makes a thing good or bad, but what God has said about the thing. Please read that again. I did not say, “What we think God has said about a thing.” There are some things that bring pleasure which are an abomination before the Lord, while others bring pleasure and joy for the glory of God. The practice of procreation was commanded to man and wife and is one of the greatest gifts of pleasure on Earth (Gen. 1:28; 1 Cor. 7:1-5). Of course, it has also been one of the greatest abuses of evil and defiled from God’s original intentions. It is not the pleasure that makes it good nor the abuse that makes it evil. Whether it is good or bad depends on the boundaries to which God has given it. This gift of procreation is to be enjoyed and our desire for it ensures that we continue the human race. When it comes to matters of freedom in Creation, we must weigh these things with scripture.

We see that God has made different things for different purposes in Psalm 104. This Psalmist praises God for the His provisions in Creation. The Psalmist says (Psalm 104:13-15, ESV),

From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
You cause the grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth
and wine to gladden the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine
and bread to strengthen man’s heart.

In this section of the Psalm, God is providing water so the ground can produce for various purposes. It feeds livestock and provides crops. The food and bread are for the health and strength of the body. Our hearts are filled with joy and thanksgiving that God provides all that we need. Notice, however, that God gives beyond what is merely necessary for human sustenance. He gives oil to comfort our skin. As one who has worked in construction my entire life, I suffer from dry and cracked hands. I keep a can of O’Keeffe’s Working Hands in my bag. Thanks be to God for the relief and healing it brings. Let us not forget how miserable winter would be without a tube of lip balm in our pockets. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

The ground also yields wine which the Psalmist claims we drink to gladden our hearts. I imagine it is shocking to many Christians to learn that scripture praises God that wine brings gladness to us. I was also surprised. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard, “The Bible never says we cannot drink but it never says anything good about alcohol.” Many Christians are raised under the absolute mandate against drinking alcohol for any reason at all. This unbiblical command was born out of the scriptural condemnation of drunkenness. They say, “Alcohol has destroyed many lives; therefore, it is evil.” Some churches will go so far as to include this extra-biblical law in their church covenants hanging on their walls. Their reading of scripture also becomes twisted to fit their theological viewpoints; thus, “wine” becomes “grape juice.” Just like our dancing example above, the abuse of a thing has become about the thing itself and now our theology has been improperly shaped into condemning something God created.

God created wine and declared in his word that it is a gift to bring us merriment. God condemns its abuse but edifies its use. King Lemuel’s mother understands the resulting gladness of strong drink when she says (Proverbs 31:6–7, ESV),

Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,
and wine to those in bitter distress;
let them drink and forget their poverty br and remember their misery no more.

She is not encouraging overindulgence. She warned her son of the dangers of drunkenness in the verses before. To abuse strong drink would be a sin, but it does not make alcohol itself sinful. She encourages the king to give strong drink to the poor and suffering man so they can have joy in their distress. This wise mother has a proper view of Creation knowing God has given gifts that we may be glad.

I understand how uncomfortable or angry the previous paragraph will make some who read this article. I don’t expect you to agree with me, but I do ask that you at least consider a few questions. Do you believe that all of Creation is good? What has God revealed in His Word about His Creation? Are the absolutes in your life your opinion or laws given by God? Do you live as if Creation is good for the glory of God?

Living with the knowledge that Creation is very good gives us a deeper appreciation of God. Consider the following poem about things we encounter daily. Think about how these things can turn our minds toward God, not in worship of Creation, but for the glory of the Creator.

The Earth awakens to the sun’s fiery essence,
announcing to all God’s omnipresence.
Mountains which rise and fall in splendor,
testify to the Lord’s power in grandeur.
Hushed sounds of water tumble over stone,
carrying soothing serenity from God alone.
Aromas escape the cook’s kitchen,
preparing the body to receive God’s provision.
Wine patronizing friends who celebrate,
quickening the memory of blood shed for sins negate.
Flames dance beautifully savage
rendering fear of the One who judges.
Distant stars and galaxies are painted on black canvas,
astonishing all to wonder in God’s eternalness.
Husband and wife lovingly become one,
sharing in God’s ability to create daughter and son.
The sun hides its glorious face
resting wearied workers in God’s grace.

This very good Creation constantly reveals how dependent the created order is on a very good God. This whole world was designed to be held together by our Lord so that He can constantly bless His beloved Creation (Col. 1:16-17). As we contemplate Creation, we quickly learn that everything we do and enjoy is by faith, as it was always meant to be. We must be ever thankful and content for that which has been given to us. We must trust that he knows how to care for what is His. We have perpetual cause to worship our Lord. Whether we are eating or drinking, we do everything for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). Creation was not made to be worshipped or abused (Rom. 1:18-32). It longs for all things to be made right so that it will no longer be subjugated to the whims of man (Rom. 8:21-23). May we learn to live in this world the way God intended, enjoying what the Lord has made for his glory. After all, Creation is good, very good.

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.