Chapter 4 – Creation

1. In the beginning God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit¹ was pleased to create or make the world and all things in it, both visible and invisible, in a six-day period, and all very good.² He did this to manifest the glory of his eternal power, wisdom, and goodness.³

¹John 1:2, 3; Hebrews 1:2; Job 26:13. ²Colossians 1:16; Genesis 1:31. ³Romans 1:20.

2. After God had made all the other creatures, he created humanity. He made them male and female,⁴ with rational and immortal souls,⁵ thereby making them suited to that life lived unto God for which they were created. They were made in the image of God, being endowed with knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness.⁶  They had the law of God written in their hearts⁷ and the power to fulfill it. Even so, they could still transgress the law, because they were left to the liberty of their own will, which was subject to change.⁸

⁴Genesis 1:27. ⁵Genesis 2:7. ⁶Ecclesiastes 7:29; Genesis 1:26. ⁷Romans 2:14, 15. ⁸Genesis 3:6.

3. In addition to the law written in their hearts, they received a command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.⁹  As long as they obeyed this command, they were happy in their communion with God and had dominion over the creatures.¹⁰

⁹Genesis 2:17; ¹⁰Genesis 1:26, 28.