Genesis 1: Creation's Portrait of Salvation

Long before the creation, God ordained a beautiful plan for the salvation of his people. The Bible tells us that the Lord created our world with our eventual redemption already in mind. The book of Revelation tells us that the names of the redeemed were “written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb” (Revelation 13:8, nasb). The Apostle Paul explained that the Lord “chose us in him before the creation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).

From eternity past, your name was penned in the Lamb’s book of life! When God spoke the universe into existence and hurled the galaxies into place, your name was already sealed in its pages. The ultimate salvation of mankind was not an afterthought of God’s creation; it was the purpose of creation. All of history was ordained to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ and the beauty of his gospel. Even the creation narrative was intended to exalt our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Consider the beginning of Genesis. Talented authors recognize that a book’s opening lines set the tone for the rest of the book. A good opening statement captures the reader’s interest, sets the mood, frames the plot, and subtly provides a purpose statement for the remainder of the book. Without question, the Bible’s opening lines are the most famous in all of literature.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day (Genesis 1:1-5).

How does the creation narrative exalt Jesus and point us to salvation? John found this introduction so profound that he began his Gospel with the clear intention of directing his readers back to Genesis. The Gospel of John begins:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:1-5).

In the beginning of creation, it was the Word of God that brought forth the creation. The Psalms tell us that “God spoke, and it came to be” (Psalm 33:9). In John’s Gospel, he wants us to know that this Word is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Creator of all things. Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus is the source of life for mankind. In chapter eight, Jesus will claim these titles for himself. He openly declared himself to be the “light of the world,” who provides men with the “light of life” (John 8:12). Jesus promised that all who follow after him would “never taste death” (John 8:52). He declared himself to be the great I Am, who existed long before Abraham (John 8:58).

Why is the Gospel so deliberate in linking Jesus with the creation? Simply put, the opening lines of Scripture (i.e. the creation) anticipate our gospel.

Once again, consider the opening lines of Genesis. In the narrative of creation, we find the biblical path of salvation. Before you ever sought salvation in Christ, you were forced to come to the realization that you were utterly hopeless without Christ. You recognized that your life was overrun by darkness. You knew that without Christ, your life would remain empty of meaning, void of purpose, and destined for death. However, the Spirit of God moved in your life, and you became willing and able to embrace the gospel. As you embraced the gospel (the Word of God) in your heart, you were immediately transformed into the “light of the world.” Now God has deemed you to be “good” in His sight. Now that you have been saved from the penalty of sin, the Lord now calls upon you to live a holy life separated from darkness.

This is the story of creation! When Jesus declared himself to be the “light of the world,” perhaps he was announcing that his life marked the dawn of a new creation. Indeed, the New Testament is filled with such references. Jesus declared, “Behold, I make all things new.” We are called “new creations.” Revelation promises “a new heavens and a new earth.” The heavenly city is called the “New Jerusalem.” Undoubtedly, the Gospel brings a “new beginning” for mankind.

PATTERN OF SALVATION 1. Life was hopeless and dark. 2. The Spirit moved in my heart. 3. The Word of God was shared with me. 4. I was transformed into a “child of light.” 5. God deemed me “righteous.” 6. God calls me to separate from evil. PATTERN OF CREATION  1. Existence was dark, empty, and chaotic. 2. The Spirit moved in the darkness. 3. The Word of God was spoken. 4. Light shone forth out of the darkness. 5. God deemed the light “good.” 6. The light was separated from the darkness

At the end of the first day of creation, the Word of God declared, "And there was evening and there was morning, the first day" (Genesis 1:5). Why would God ordain that the first day would begin with the evening and then conclude with the morning? God wanted to teach us a precious pattern. Darkness comes before light. Suffering precedes glory. Deep sleep comes before the awakening to new life. Death precedes resurrection. The first five verses of Scripture are preaching the gospel!
This is not a novel idea. Paul compared our resurrection to the creation of Adam (1 Corinthians 15:49). The Bible repeatedly presents a redemptive theme based on the pattern found in creation. Paul understood that our salvation reflected God’s work in creating light on the first day.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).

This brilliant gospel not only shines into the darkness of our hearts, but it separates us from the darkness of this world. After all, light can have no fellowship with darkness (2 Corinthians 6:14). Paul clearly understood this to be a redemptive metaphor involving creation. In his letter to the Ephesians, he wrote:

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light… and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them (Ephesians 5:8-11).

We are not called out of darkness merely for the sake of our own salvation; we are called to play a great role in God’s redemptive story. We are redeemed by God so that we can both serve and praise our Savior!

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, so that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9).