For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through Him and for Him (Col. 1:16)
The creation of the universe was an expression of grace, revealing the unfathomable intelligence and power of God. Creation was an act of divine Self-revelation — God created a universe which reveals His existence: That which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made (Rom. 1:19,20).
God’s has revealed His existence within humanity — the inward witness of moral discernment reveals a morally just God. And God has revealed Himself through what has been made — the awesomeness of creation reveals the existence of a God of awesome power. God’s self-revelation is an act of grace.
So that humanity could know and relate to this Self-revealing God, God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Gen. 1:27). This was an act of grace — created in the likeness of God so we could enjoy God in His infinite love and beauty, truth, goodness and holiness. Men and women were given a free, moral will so that we could choose to worship and love our Creator. This was an act of grace.
God placed the first man and woman in a bountiful garden and lavished upon them every blessing and resource needed to live an abundant life. They were like branches on a vine, drawing from Creator God the life and wisdom necessary to fulfill God’s purpose for their life. Every aspect of their relationship with Creator was an expression of grace.
The Lord also warned them that if they chose to use their freedom to rebel against Him, their sin would separate them from Him and would create the reality of death, as a branch severed from a vine will surely die. This warning was an act of grace.
Eventually, the first of our family did rebel against God, exercised their free moral will to violate His command. The resulting separation introduced death into their relationship with God, into their own emotional being and with each other. Death infected creation. Death also infected the physical being of the man and woman, though it was centuries before their bodies succumbed, so excellent was God’s gracious design.
The result of their sin was a rupture, a breaking of communion with God and a grievous offense to the God of grace who had always only blessed them. But God’s response to their sin was astounding. God came to them, called to them, covered them and made promises to them of a Redeemer / Deliverer (see Genesis 3). These were incredible expressions of grace.
Generations later, the world had fallen into unredeemable evil and the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Gen. 6:5). God’s response to the world-wide polluting flood of evil was to send a cleansing judgment on the world but the outpouring of grace continued as God provided an ark of safety which was both a warning of coming judgment and the testimony of certain deliverance — expressions of grace. Though God did judge the earth, there was room in the ark for every human being who desired deliverance. Such is God’s grace.
Generations later, God expressed His grace in human history by making covenant with a man named Abraham and from Abraham and Sarah God called forth a nation, Israel. God made covenant with Israel, a covenant of grace. God graciously revealed truth to Israel, truth about Himself and about the human condition, truth revealed through the holy Scriptures and through prophetic truth speakers. This revelation of truth was a continual act of grace.
God’s gracious plan was that this covenant nation would prepare the world for the greatest expression of grace in the history of the world: God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world (Hebr. 1:1,2).
In the fullness of time, God manifested His grace in human form.
Study Questions
1. How was the creation of men and women in the image of God an expression of grace?
2. How was the ark an expression of grace?