"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." (Genesis 1:1)
The foundation of the gospel is God’s character and nature, a foundation laid right at the start of Scripture. Genesis 1 states most of God’s attributes implicitly or explicitly. For example:
(1) His freedom: "In the beginning God created" implies that, before the beginning of time, space, and man, only God was. No one was present to compel or instruct God to create; He did it of His own, un-influenced free will.
(2) His sovereignty, omnipotence, and rule: "God said . . . and it was so" (Genesis 1:9, 11, 24, etc.). We never find a verse that says "God said…and it failed." The entire universe obeys His commands.
(3) His omniscience: Before the universe was created, it existed only in His mind--He knows all things!
(4) His omnipresence: Since God created space and time, He is not bound by it.
(5) His transcendent holiness: Is there any being or substance with these attributes? Our God is far above and distinct from His creation!
(6) His goodness: "God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good"--a comforting thought for children of this absolute, sovereign Monarch. Thus, Genesis 1 eminently displays the glory of God.
What does His nature have to do with the gospel? Consider that the only logical responses of created beings to this glorious God are to glorify Him as the God that He is and to give Him thanks for His goodness and creation. Our inborn failure to do this (Romans 1:21) earns us just punishment--the eternal wrath of the glorious God (Romans 1:18). Only by hiding behind the sacrifice of the obedient Christ are rebels like us saved from the holy wrath of the transcendent Creator. NTJ
