God and His good creation

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. On the first day, He created the light and saw that the light was good. On the second day, He created the sky as an expanse between the waters. On the third day, He gathered the water under the sky and let the ground appear. He also let the land produce vegetation, seed-bearing plants, and trees and God saw that it was good. On the fourth day, He made lights in the sky to govern the day and the night as well as the stars. Again God saw that it was good. On the fifth day, God created the living creatures teeming the water and the birds flying in the sky and saw that it was good. On the sixth day, God created living creatures on the land according to their kinds. Lastly, God made man “in our image, in our likeness,” made them male and female, and blessed them. God saw all that He created and it was very good. On the seventh day, God rested from all His work, blessed the day and made it holy. (Genesis 1:1-2:3).

Speaking of what is good or who is good, Jesus said, “There is only One who is good” (Matthew 19:17). He was, of course, referring to God Himself. If God is the only One who is good, what did God see in His creation that was good?

I think there can be only one obvious answer to that question. I think God saw a revelation of Himself in His creation and that is what He saw was good. God saw the creation before the original sin and downfall of mankind – the creation that declared the invisible qualities of God, that is, His eternal power and divinity (Romans 1: 20). Finally when God made man, both male and female, “in our image, in our likeness”, it was very good. Man was the pinnacle of God’s creative work, because man was made in God’s image, in God’s likeness. Man was the best revelation of who God is.

With the fall of mankind, this image became distorted and damaged, though not entirely lost. In order for man to be once again a likeness of who God is and serve as a revelation of who God is, man must therefore be born again (John 3:3) and, in Christ, be made a new creation (II Corinthians 5:17). Then our very being should serve as a manifestation of who God is. My being, that is, I should serve as a manifestation of who God is. What an awesome statement this is!

Lord God, I am unworthy. I am nothing. Yet you were not ashamed to call me your likeness, your image. Help me be a good reflection of you – like a mirror that shines light to the world. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.