“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
The Bible opens not with a command, a moral rule, or even a problem to solve, but with a gift: creation itself. Before sin, before covenant, before cross and resurrection, there is a garden. Creation is not merely the backdrop of the gospel—it is the opening chapter of God’s good news, the stage on which redemption unfolds, and the destiny toward which God is leading all things.
This reflection explores how creation is woven through the entire story of the gospel—from Genesis to Revelation—through Scripture, the words of Jesus, and the voices of Christian mystics, theologians, and philosophers.
Creation as God’s Original Gospel
Genesis 1–2 presents creation as good, beautiful, and purposeful. Humanity is formed in the image of God, called to cultivate and steward the earth, and invited into relational communion with God and one another.
“God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31)
Before humanity ever falls, God proclaims a blessing over the world. This goodness is foundational: the gospel is not about escaping creation but restoring it.
Irenaeus of Lyons (2nd century) emphasized that creation itself is part of God’s saving plan:
“The glory of God is a living human being, and the life of the human is the vision of God.”
For Irenaeus, salvation is not a rejection of material existence but its fulfillment.
Creation Broken, Creation Promised
The fall in Genesis 3 fractures the harmony between God, humanity, and the earth. Yet even in judgment, God speaks hope—the first whisper of the gospel.
“I will put enmity between you and the woman… he shall bruise your head.” (Genesis 3:15)
Throughout Scripture, God’s covenant promises always include land, harvest, peace, and flourishing creation. The prophets envision not just redeemed souls but renewed earth:
“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb… the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord.” (Isaiah 11:6, 9)
Augustine recognized this cosmic scope of redemption:
“For God did not abandon what He had made; He repairs it.” (City of God)
Jesus and Creation: The Word Made Flesh
The gospel reaches its climax not with God abandoning creation, but with God entering it.
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)
Jesus is the Logos through whom all things were made (John 1:3). In the incarnation, God affirms the material world by taking on materiality Himself.
Jesus constantly taught using creation imagery—seeds, birds, lilies, storms, vineyards—revealing the kingdom of God through the rhythms of the natural world.
“Look at the birds of the air… Consider the lilies of the field.” (Matthew 6:26–28)
He calms storms, multiplies bread, walks on water, and rises bodily from the grave—signs that creation itself is being restored under His reign.
Thomas Aquinas saw creation as a continual gift from God:
“Creation is not a change, but a dependence of the created being on the Creator.”
In Jesus, that dependence becomes communion.
The Cross and Resurrection: New Creation Begins
Paul describes salvation not only as forgiveness of sins but as new creation.
“If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
The resurrection is the first fruits of a renewed cosmos:
“The creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay.” (Romans 8:21)
John Calvin emphasized that Christ’s redemption reaches beyond the human soul:
“Christ is the beginning of the renewal of all things.”
The gospel is cosmic in scope—personal and universal, spiritual and material.
Mystical Voices: Creation as a Sacred Window
Christian mystics often experienced creation as a sacrament of God’s presence.
Hildegard of Bingen spoke of viriditas, the greening life-force of God flowing through all creation:
“All nature is at the disposal of humankind. We are to work with it, for without it we cannot survive.”
Meister Eckhart taught that God is present in all things:
“Every creature is a word of God and a book about God.”
St. Francis of Assisi sang of Brother Sun and Sister Moon, embodying a spirituality that saw the world as kin, not commodity.
For the mystics, creation was not merely scenery—it was a living icon pointing to God.
Modern Theologians: Creation and the Gospel Story
Karl Barth insisted that creation and covenant belong together:
“Creation is the external basis of the covenant; the covenant is the internal basis of creation.”
N. T. Wright reframes the gospel as God’s plan to renew all things:
“God intends to flood the whole cosmos with his presence… through Jesus and the Spirit.”
Jürgen Moltmann spoke of a “theology of hope” where the Spirit renews creation:
“The resurrection of Christ is the beginning of the new creation.”
These theologians remind us that the gospel is not a rescue mission from earth but a restoration mission for earth.
Revelation: The Gospel’s Final Scene—A New Earth
The Bible ends where it began—with a garden, now a city-garden, heaven and earth united.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth… Behold, the dwelling place of God is with humanity.” (Revelation 21:1–3)
The story does not end with souls floating in heaven but with God dwelling with humanity in renewed creation.
“He makes all things new.” (Revelation 21:5)
Living the Gospel of Creation Today
If creation is woven into the gospel, then discipleship includes how we live in the world God loves. Stewardship, justice, simplicity, and wonder are not optional—they are gospel practices.
To care for creation is to participate in God’s redemptive work. To delight in creation is to echo God’s delight in Genesis. To hope for renewed creation is to align with the promise of Revelation.
A Final Reflection
Creation is the first chapter of the gospel and the last chapter of the gospel. The story begins with God walking in the garden and ends with God dwelling in a renewed earth. In between stands the cross and resurrection—the turning point of all creation.
The gospel is not only about saving souls; it is about God reclaiming His world.
As the psalmist sings:
“The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.” (Psalm 24:1)
And as Jesus teaches us to pray:
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)
May we live as people of new creation, reflecting God’s image in a world God still calls good.