In these “faith” studies, we’re going to continue to develop what Christians believe about creation for a few more weeks (before turning our attention to what we believe about sin).

Have you ever asked the question, “WHY did God create this world?”

Sometimes well–meaning (but poorly taught) Christians say that God created this world because he was lonely and desired the companionship of man. 

Well, a unitarian god might get lonely and find himself in need of fellowship and companionship, but not the God of the Bible!  The God of the Bible exists eternally as three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

And these three persons live in perfect fellowship, perfect community with one another, in need of nothing. 

So… why was something created?

Augustine’s answer to that question was beautifully simple…

If you ask who made the light, Genesis 1 tells you — it was God.

If you ask how he made it, Genesis 1 tells you — he made it through his creative word, by saying, “Let there be light!”

If you ask why he made it, Genesis 1 tells you that as well — because it was GOOD to do so.

There might be other things to say about God’s goals in creation (such as the fact that a community of perfect love naturally desires to serve others with that love), but we have a fully sufficient answer to our question right here.

The cause and reason for creation is so that a Good Product should be created by a Good God!

Everything that God has created is wholly and unambiguously GOOD!  Now, of course, sin has since entered the picture of God’s initial work of creation, and sin has introduced various ways to abuse created realities.  But never forget that the created realities themselves are good!

On seven different occasions in Genesis 1, God pronounces his works of creation to be “good.” And the very last verse climaxes, you may remember, with “And God saw everything he had made, and behold it was very good.”

God takes a very positive view of all that he has made, and we dishonor him if we take a negative view of anything that he has made.  Think through the implications of this.  None of God’s works in creation are morally compromised in and of themselves.

In fact, God takes such a positive view of everything that he’s created that he refused to just scrap it when mankind spoiled it!

Rather, he determined — at the cost of his Son’s life — to make it new and good again!

As someone has said, “God has made no junk, and God doesn’t ‘junk’ what he has made!”