"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." (Genesis 1:1)
In this brief sentence we have the whole of the truth of the Gospel summed up. He who reads aright, may derive a world of comfort from it.
In the first place, let us consider who it was that created the heaven and earth. "God created." But Christ is God, "the brightness of the Father's glory, and express image of His person." (Hebrews 1:3)
He himself said: "I and my Father are one." (John 10:30)
He it was who, representing the Father, created the heaven and the earth.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made." (John 1:1-3)
And again we read of Christ, "By Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him, and for Him; And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist." (Colossians 1:16-17)
The Father himself addresses the Son as God, and as Creator. The 1st chapter of Hebrews says that God has not at any time said to any of the angels: "You are my Son, this day have I begotten You; ... But unto the Son He says, Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom." (Hebrews 1:5,8)
And He has also said to the Son: "You, Lord, in the beginning have laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of your hands: ... by whom also He made the worlds." (Hebrews 1:10,2)
So we are well assured that when we read in the 1st chapter of Genesis, that: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth," (Genesis 1:1)
--it refers to God in Christ. Creative power is the distinguishing mark of Divinity. The Spirit of the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah describes the vanity of idols, and then continues: "But the Lord is the true God, He is the living God, and an everlasting King: at His wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide His indignation. Thus shall you say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, and has stretched out the heavens by His discretion." (Jeremiah 10:10-12)
The earth was made by His power, and established by His wisdom. But, "Christ [is] the power of God, and the wisdom of God." (1 Corinthians 1:24)
So here again we find Christ inseparably connected with creation as the Creator. Only as we acknowledge and worship Christ as the Creator, do we acknowledge His Divinity.
Christ is Redeemer by virtue of His power as Creator. We read that: "We have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins," (Colossians 1:14) because that, "By Him were all things created." (Colossians 1:16)
If He were not Creator, He could not be Redeemer. This means simply that redemptive power and creative power are the same. To redeem is to create. This is shown in the statement of the apostle that: "The Gospel ... is the power of God unto salvation," (Romans 1:16) which statement is immediately followed by another to the effect that the power of God is seen by means of the things that have been made.
"For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead." (Romans 1:20)
When we consider the works of creation, and think of the power manifested in them, we are contemplating the power of redemption.
There has been a great deal of idle speculation as to which is greater: redemption or creation. Many have thought that redemption is a greater work than creation. Such speculation is idle, because only infinite power could perform either work, and infinite power cannot be measured by human minds.
But while we cannot measure the power, we can easily settle the question about which is greater, because the Scriptures give us the information. Neither is greater than the other, for both are the same. Redemption is creation. Redemption is the same power that was put forth in the beginning to create the world and all that is in it, now put forth to save man and the earth from the curse of sin. The Scriptures are very clear on this point. The psalmist prayed, "Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit in me." (Psalm 2:10)
The apostle says that: "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature," (2 Corinthians 5:17) or a new creation. And again we read: "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Compared with God, "Man is less than nothing, and vanity." (Isaiah 40:17)
In him "dwells no good thing." (Romans 7:18)
But the same power that in the beginning made the earth from nothing, can take everyone who is willing, and make of him that which is "to the praise of the glory of His grace." (Ephesians 1:6)--Present Truth, December 15, 1892--Genesis 1:1.
E.J. Waggoner