In the Garden (part I)

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Big Picture: One way or another, all biblical texts on manhood and womanhood must be interpreted consistently with Genesis 1-3. They lay the foundation. In these three chapters we find that male-female equality and male headship were instituted by God at creation and remain permanent aspects of human existence.

Some Biblical “Non-Negotiables” About God

· God simply is.
· God made everything that is non-God.
· God is a talking God who interacts with his creation
· Everything God makes is good—very good.
Some Biblical “Non-Negotiables” About Human Beings

· We are made in the image of God.
· We human beings were made male and female.
· The man and his wife were innocent.

Theme 1: Mankind is created in the image of God (1:26-28)

· Original context: we are God’s Prime Ministers over creation (God is King), ruling over life in the three domains God created: sea, land, and air.

· Whatever else is entailed by our status as God’s image-bearers, the creation account make clear that the capacity to know God intimately and commune with him lies near the heart of the matter.

· Developed canonically: Image being restored in Jesus, the second Adam, ultimately in the resurrection.

Implication #1: Being created in the image of God gives mankind a unique dignity, while grounding all human responsibility.

Implication #2 Our creation in the image of God ensures that human beings are endlessly restless if they suppress or deny this truth.

* Two books by D.A. Carson were a big help in putting this sermon together: The Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism and The God Who is There: Finding Your Place in God’s Story