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Chapter 4 in the Second London 
Confession of Faith of Creation. We're going to read, I'll read 
the chapter and then we'll basically just do an overview, not spending 
a whole lot of time in each of the areas, but just trying to 
give a sense of the whole. So chapter 4 in the Confession, 
paragraph 1, in the beginning, it pleased God the Father, Son, 
and Holy Spirit for the manifestation of the glory of His eternal power, 
wisdom, and goodness to create or make the world and all things 
therein, whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days and 
all very good. After God had made all other 
creatures, He created man, male and female, with reasonable and 
immortal souls, rendering them fit unto that life to God for 
which they were created, being made after the image of God in 
knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, having the law 
of God written in their hearts and power to fulfill it, and 
yet under a possibility of transgressing, being left to the liberty of 
their own will, which was subject to change. Besides the law written 
in their hearts, they received a command not to eat of the tree 
of knowledge of good and evil, which whilst they kept, they 
were happy in their communion with God and had dominion over 
the creatures." Amen. Well, as we saw last time in 
the Confession of Faith, the doctrine of God's decree, chapter 
3, Pastor Porter gave us an overview of that particular chapter and 
highlighted the salient points there. Well, we come now to chapters 
4 and 5 on how God executes His decree. God has decreed whatsoever 
comes to pass. He has done this according to 
His own good pleasure, according to His own sovereignty. This 
is something that happens obviously or happened prior to the creation 
of the world. So when we ask the question, 
how does God execute, or how does God flesh out, or how does 
God manifest that decree, the confession goes on to highlight 
the doctrines of creation and providence. And then we might 
also say through redemption, which the confession takes great 
pains to explain in terms of the redemptive work of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. So this is the section we are 
in. How does God execute His decree? 
God executes His decree through the works or in the works of 
creation and providence. Now, prior to our overview, I 
just want to read a quote by Sam Waldron in his exposition 
of the Confession. There's obviously a lot of debate 
and a lot of controversy. surrounding the doctrine of creation, 
not only outside the church, but within the church as well. 
There's a whole host of people that do not accept the Genesis 
account, the narrative. They try and explain away what 
day means. They try to put gaps and great 
periods or spans of time in between various verses in the passage. 
But as we read Genesis 1, and as we reflect upon the confession, 
And as we reflect upon Jesus and his apostles, and we ask 
the question, how did they understand the creation account? There doesn't 
seem to be any good reason whatsoever to reject what is written in 
Genesis 1, a bare reading of the text. will yield the understanding 
that God's work of creation is His making all things out of 
nothing by the word of His power in the space of six days and 
all very good." There's no reason why we should jettison that. 
There's no reason why we should capitulate to the claims of science. There's no reason why we ought 
to capitulate to the claims of theistic evolutionists. We ought 
to maintain what Scripture clearly states and what our confession, 
I think, accurately reflects. Now, if you want more information 
concerning divergent views of creation, they are certainly 
out there. We don't have the time, and I 
certainly don't have the competence to go through all of those now. 
But here's Waldron on his statement concerning the doctrine of creation. He says, if anything should be 
obvious, It is that this chapter assumes a very literal understanding 
of Genesis 1 and 2. Repeated and explicit reference 
is made to the events of those chapters in each paragraph in 
ways which make it clear that the authors of the Confession 
understood them in the most literal and historical fashion. Whatever 
else, therefore, may be said about the many theories being 
propounded which are departing from such a reading of Genesis, 
they find no comfort at all in the Baptist confession." I think 
he's absolutely correct in that assessment. I do want to recommend 
a particular volume. It's called In Search of the 
Historical Adam. It's written by a professor from 
Joel Beeky's seminary, I know it's not called Joel Beeky Seminary, 
but popularly, or at least familiarly, we understand it as Joel Beeky 
Seminary. But this fellow wrote a book in quest of the historical 
Adam. And this is a fantastic treatment, 
because there's a lot of people today that are denying the historicity 
of Adam and Eve. And what the author does in this 
particular book is show the direct correlation. A denial of six-day 
literal creation oftentimes precedes a denial of Adam and Eve. I think 
you can see how those two things would go hand-in-hand. and one 
of the strengths of the book, and in some sense it's almost 
tedious because it's the same information over and over, he 
surveys the entirety of church history and shows the majority 
report consistently was a six-day literal creation according to 
the Genesis narrative. There were divergent views and 
opinions along the way, but overall the majority held to what Genesis 
1 and 2 says or states. So I say this because it is up 
for grabs, at least in the minds of many Christians, but I think 
as we survey this particular chapter, as we consider the biblical 
doctrine, and then as we try and draw out some implications 
for ethics, we ought to see how important it is that we have 
a good understanding of what the Bible and what confession 
teaches concerning the doctrine of creation. Now, paragraph 1 
highlights an overview or gives an overview of creation. Paragraph 
2 sets before us specifically the creation of man, and then 
paragraph 3 sets before us the probation of man, sets the context 
or the framework for the covenant of works. And so what we find 
in chapter 4 is explanatory of creation as a whole, but it sets 
the stage for many other things that will follow in the Confession, 
just like the Bible does. This is the context wherein God 
will deal with His people by Jesus Christ. The creation account 
is introductory, obviously, not only to our understanding of 
the world, but to the rest of the Bible. We're dealing with 
this world that God made in the space of six days and all very 
good. It was rendered not very good 
by the introduction of sin, and God remedies that by the sending 
of His Son. So let's look at the overview 
in paragraph 1. Notice the time of creation, 
in the beginning. Now, the beginning there obviously 
refers to the beginning of the world. Genesis chapter 1, in 
the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. We need 
to realize or we need to understand there is no beginning for God. God is not describing in Genesis 
1.1 His beginning. God has always been. God is from 
everlasting to everlasting. God is eternal. God is autemporal. He is not in time. He is not 
bound by time. He is not constrained by or restrained 
by time. So the time of creation in the 
beginning highlights the beginning of the creation itself, or highlights 
our creation. Notice the author of creation. It specifies or highlights the 
entire triune God. It pleased God the Father, Son, 
and Holy Spirit. Now if you look at Genesis chapter 
1, we see all three persons in this creation account. The doctrine 
of the Trinity most certainly is more fully revealed or demonstrated 
or illuminated by the New Testament, but that does not mean the triune 
God is absent from the Old Testament. I'm certain you've heard either 
Pastor Cam or myself refer to Warfield's quip that the doctrine 
of the Trinity is like a dimly lit room. The furniture is all 
there, and that's what the Old Testament is, and then when you 
turn on the light, you see it more vividly and more clearly. 
So the furniture is present in the Old Testament, we just see 
it more vividly demonstrated or illuminated in the New Testament. But here even in the Genesis 
account, notice in verse 1, in the beginning God created the 
heavens and the earth. By way of what's called apologetics 
or defending the faith, notice that the Bible never argues for 
the existence of God. It doesn't say, I want you to 
first of all consider the concept of God. I want to try and argue 
to you that there is a... No, the Bible assumes from Genesis 
1.1 that God is. It presupposes God. In the beginning, 
God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without 
form, and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. 
And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the water. So 
you see there's reference to God, probably understood as the 
first person of the Trinity, the Father. We see this reference 
to the Spirit, which is the Holy Spirit. And then the agency by 
which God creates, God said. God said. God said. Well, Jesus 
is the Word of God. John 1.1, in the beginning was 
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. So, 
the agent by which God the Father creates is the Word, the Son, 
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, all three persons are identified 
here. Notice in Psalm 33, we see something 
of the same situation. Psalm 33. Verse 4, For the word of the 
Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness 
and justice. The earth is full of the goodness 
of the Lord. Now there it is in verse 6, By 
the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of 
them by the breath of His mouth. Now the word breath and spirit 
are the same word in Hebrew and as well in Greek. So by the word 
of the Lord, the heavens were made and all the host of them 
by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the 
sea together as a heap. He lays up the deep and store 
houses. So the confession demonstrates 
or the confession affirms what scripture testifies. The Father, 
the Son, and the Holy Spirit are involved in the creation 
account. Now, just because we're writing 
Psalms, just go back to the book of Job. We'll see the Spirit 
specifically focused in on, with reference to creation in Job 
26. Now when the Bible says the Father, the Son, and the Holy 
Spirit, or when the Bible sets before us God as the Creator, 
it's not outlandish for it to focus upon or highlight the individual 
persons with reference to their participation in the creation 
account. Notice in Job 26, specifically 
in verse 13, by his spirit he adorned the heavens. His hand 
pierced the fleeing serpent. Indeed, these are the mere edges 
of his ways, and how small a whisper we hear of him, but the thunder 
of his power, who can understand? So by his spirit, he adorned 
the heavens. Notice in Job 33. Job 33, Elihu, 
that young man who ponies up and begins to speak to Job. Verse 
4, the Spirit of God has made me and the breath of the Almighty 
gives me life. If you can answer me, set your 
words in order before me, take your stand. Truly I am as your 
spokesman before God, I also have been formed out of clay. 
So we see this reference to the Holy Spirit active in the work 
of creation, Genesis 1, 2, Psalm 33, 6, and then these references 
in the book of Job. Turn to the New Testament to 
highlight or to see the agency of Christ with reference to the 
creation account, John 1. Of course, John 1, 1 ought to 
remind us or be reminiscent of Genesis 1, 1. In the beginning, 
God created the heavens and the earth. John 1, 1, in the beginning 
was the Word. The Word was with God and the 
Word was God. He was in the beginning with 
God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing 
was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life 
was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, 
and the darkness did not comprehend it." So you see, all things were 
made through Him. Notice in Colossians 1. Colossians 
1. I think one of the emphases in 
Colossians 1 is to highlight Christ's power and Christ's glory 
as head over what we would call the new creation. But because 
He is glorious in the head over new creation does not mean He 
didn't have involvement in the old creation, or the physical 
creation. Notice in Colossians 1.15, He 
is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created 
that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, 
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. 
All things were created through Him and for Him. You'll see as 
we move through the Confession, the doctrine of creation isn't 
first and foremost the doctrine of man's happiness, man's satisfaction, 
man's realization of his full potential, but of God's glory. That's conspicuously set forth 
in the Confession, which does indeed imitate and mirror what 
the Scripture says. Why does creation exist? All things were created through 
Him and for Him. You see, when you read the Bible, 
if you look at it in a man-centered way, you're always going to miss 
the point. It's a God-centered book. It's about His glory. It's 
about the manifestation of His wisdom, of His power, of His 
goodness. Again, in Hebrews chapter 1, 
highlighting the agency of the second person of the triune God. 
Hebrews chapter 1. These should all be familiar 
passages. Verse 3, who being the brightness of His glory and 
the express image of His person and upholding all things by the 
word of His power, let's see, yes, by the word of His power, 
when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right 
hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better 
than angels as He has by inheritance, obtained a more excellent name 
than they." So again, the idea being specifically in verse 2, 
"...has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has 
appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the 
worlds." So the doctrine of creation is ascribed specifically to the 
triune God And each of the persons are highlighted in Scripture 
in terms of their participation. And again, participation shouldn't 
be understood as, you know, the Son took the second day and the 
Spirit took the third day and all that sort of thing. It just 
highlights the unity of God. It's the fact that there are 
three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the 
Holy Spirit. These three are one God, the same in substance, 
equal in power and glory. And they participate in perfect 
unity in the creation of this world. In the confession, we 
see thirdly, the purpose of creation next. Going back to the confession, 
in the beginning, it pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy 
Spirit. Now notice the purpose of creation, for the manifestation 
of the glory of His eternal power, wisdom, and goodness. And we 
have to understand that. We look at creation, we say, 
well, God made all this because He wants us to be happy. Well, 
certainly we're happy. I mean, who's not happy when 
they get to take a walk or when they get to eat good food? I 
mean, of course we're happy, but the creation of the world 
is consistent with the decree of God. Go back in your confession 
to chapter 3. Notice in paragraph 3, very specifically, by the decree of God for the 
manifestation of His glory. See, God's decree is for the 
manifestation of His glory. We see that here with reference 
to the doctrine of creation. You'll see it as well in the 
doctrine of divine providence. Notice in chapter 5, paragraph 
1, very specifically. It says, God the good creator 
of all things and his infinite power and wisdom doth uphold, 
direct, dispose and govern all creatures and things from the 
greatest even to the least by his most wise and holy providence 
to the end for which they were created according to his infallible 
foreknowledge and the free and immutable counsel of his own 
will. To the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, 
infinite goodness and mercy. You see the purpose of God in 
the decree is the glory of God. So certainly we ought to assume 
and infer and imply, especially when the Bible directly tells 
us that God's goal in creation and in providence is the glory 
of God as well. We already saw that text in Colossians 
1.15. All things were made through 
Him and for Him. Go to Ephesians chapter 3. just 
to see, just to sketch, just to illustrate how all things 
serve the purpose of God, specifically the demonstration of His glory 
and of His majesty. Now, here specifically in Ephesians 
3, verses 8 to 11, it's redemption that manifests the glory of God. 
Notice in 3.9, And to make all see what is the fellowship of 
the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in 
God, who created all things through Jesus Christ, to the intent that 
now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church 
to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according 
to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus 
our Lord." You see, all three elements, chapters 3, 4, and 
5 of the Second London Confession are all dwelling on or all rather 
rooted in this particular statement. The decree, verse 11, according 
to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus 
our Lord. Creation, verse 9, through Jesus, 
I'm sorry, has been hidden in God who created all things through 
Jesus Christ. And then in verse 10, this whole 
idea of redemption to the intent that now the manifold wisdom 
of God might be made known by the church to the principalities 
and powers in the heavenly places. You see Paul's argument. According 
to God's decree, he created this world through Jesus Christ, and 
the primary emphasis in his providence is the redemption of sinners. 
And the redemption of sinners serves this particular end. It 
manifests his wisdom. And I love verse 11 in this sense, 
or in verse 10 rather. It says, to the intent that now 
the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to 
the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. I like 
to think of the church gathered together as a trophy case. Some 
of you bowl, or some of you jog, or some of you knit, or some 
of you have some hobby, and if you do it well, you get a trophy. 
And you put that trophy on your fireplace mantel so that when 
you look at the trophy, you're reminded of what a great bowler 
you are, a great knitter you are. or how you won the prize 
at the county fair for the best pie or whatever it is, but that 
trophy demonstrates something about the one who got the trophy. The church is sort of like that, 
isn't it? We're all conquered by God's grace. We all come in 
here this morning from different walks of life, from different 
backgrounds, all of us sinners, but some of us in different conditions 
and stratospheres and social and economic situations, but 
we all come here this morning And the common theme that binds 
us together is that we're blood-bought. We're washed in the blood of 
Christ. We are redeemed by sovereign grace. The idea being in Ephesians 
3 is that when these principalities and powers look down upon the 
church and they see the likes of you and I, they see the manifold 
or the manifested wisdom of God in His redemptive plan to bring 
us all together by Jesus Christ our Lord. See, I think when we 
understand how Scripture is to be understood, it's liberating. If it's not first and foremost 
about me, that's very good news. It's about God. It's about His 
glory. It's about what we find here 
for the manifestation of the glory of His eternal power, wisdom, 
and goodness. And then notice in Revelation 
4, very specifically with reference to creation. You see the throne 
room in both chapters 4 and 5 in the book of Revelation. Creation 
seems to be the emphasis in chapter 4 and redemption seems to be 
the emphasis in chapter 5. But notice specifically in verse 
8. In chapter 4, the four living 
creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and 
within, and they do not rest day or night, saying, Holy, holy, 
holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. If 
you have a New King James, you'll have a marginal reading there 
that says, M has holy nine times. M refers to what's called the 
majority text, and the majority text had the reading of nine 
times. Now imagine reading that in public 
worship, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy. Holy, holy, holy. 
Kids might think, what is he doing there? We think that's 
overkill, that's redundant. Do you realize the angels before 
the throne never cease saying, holy, holy, holy? That's their 
job. That's what they were created 
for, was to stand at the throne and say, holy, holy, holy. Isaiah 6, isn't that what the 
prophet saw? The angels crying, holy, holy, 
holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is filled with 
his glory. I don't think we're supposed to read that text and 
say, oh, they said it three times. This was antiphonal praise. It 
was constant. It's repetitious. And that's 
what we get here in Revelation 4. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God 
Almighty, who was and is and is to come. Whenever the living 
creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on 
the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders 
fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and worship Him 
who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the 
throne, saying, You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and 
honor and power. Why? For You created all things, 
and by Your will they exist and were created. I've often thought 
that if we tamper with the doctrine of creation, we tamper with a 
motivation for worship. This isn't confined to the throne 
room in Revelation chapter 4. You see it throughout the book 
of Psalms. One of the reasons God's people praise God is because 
He created all things. One of the reasons that God's 
people praise God is because He made the sun, He made the 
sky, He made the stars and the moon, He made the mountains, 
He made the waters, He made everything that we see, things seen and 
unseen. God is the one who made these 
things, and the purpose of creation is to manifest His eternal power, 
wisdom, and goodness. Now back to the confession, the 
extent or scope of creation is highlighted in this overview. 
Notice in chapter 1 of paragraph 4. To create or make the world and 
all things therein, whether visible or invisible. So, you know, not 
only the mountains but things at the subatomic level. Things 
that we can't see with the naked eye. God made those things. Anything 
there is, God made it. Now, brethren, creation was ex 
nihilo. God created all things out of 
nothing. But that does not negate the 
reality that He took the ground or the dirt and formed Adam. That's not theistic evolution, 
that's God using those existent materials. And I think part of 
it is to highlight, you know, what man is essentially. But 
God does make all things by the word of His power in the space 
of six days and all very good. Excuse me, visible or invisible, 
and then notice the duration or the timing of creation in 
the space of six days. We see here the confessional 
use of biblical language. We see a reflection. of Genesis 
1.1 to 2.7. Again, if you were unaffected 
by any sort of competing scientific theories or divergent theological 
theories and you just picked up a Bible and you read Genesis 
1.1 to Genesis 2.7, you would most likely conclude that God, 
the God described in this passage, made the world in six days. I 
think that would be the clear and the natural understanding 
of the text. As I said, this particular professor, 
and I know his name, I just can't pronounce it. He's a Dutch professor 
at Puritan Reform Theological Seminary. He highlights that 
this was the overwhelming majority position in the life of the church. 
But brethren, it is in the space of six days. Now, look at Exodus 
chapter 20. Exodus chapter 20, another reference 
to the six days. Exodus 20, verse 8, remember 
the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and 
do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord 
your God. Again, if you only had this in 
Genesis 1, 1 to 2, 7, you wouldn't have any problems. You would 
just understand that in that creation week described in Genesis 
1, 1 to 2, 7, God made the world in six days on the seventh day 
He sabbathed. Unless you were affected by some 
of the different explanations of what the Hebrew word day means 
and how it's, it just would mean 24 literal period, 24 hour literal 
period and seven of them. But the Lord your God, in it 
you shall do no work, you nor your son nor your daughter, nor 
your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor 
your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord 
made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, 
and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the 
Sabbath day and hallowed it." So the creation account took 
place in six literal days. The creation account does not 
account for a day-age theory or a gap theory. Those things 
must be read into it. One of the more recent challenges 
is the framework hypothesis, and because it's poetic, and 
because there's structure, that somehow it can convey a literal 
meaning. But if you read through the rest 
of Scripture, you can see that God conveys literal meaning through 
very poetic prose and through very wonderfully described or 
literarily framed narrative. untoward for God to do such things. So the confession indicates and 
highlights what Scripture says in the space of six days, and 
then notice the result of creation or an identification or description, 
rather, of creation. And all very good. Brethren, 
we are not to be Gnostics. That's one of the implications 
we're going to end with today. Gnosticism sees the physical 
as bad. It sees the fleshly as bad. But that's not how God views 
things. God is not at war with nature. 
God's not against us because we have digits. God's not against 
us because we have hair. God's not against us because 
we're physical or corporeal beings. God made us that way and it's 
good. He's not at war with nature. 
He's at war with sin. In fact, when you look at the 
New Testament pattern and you look at what's going on in redemption, 
there is a sense where there's a restoration of the original 
integrity of man. Ephesians 4.24, Colossians 3.10. What do we have in Christ? We 
are remade. We are made new. We are born 
again, if we can borrow the language of John 3, in those things that 
were present with Adam prior to the fall. So we need to be 
very careful that we're not Gnostics. It's not just an ancient Greek 
heresy. It rises up in the church. You 
can't eat that because it's bad. Well, unless it's sinful to eat 
it, and unless it's bad for your health, go ahead and eat it. 
You know, there's this sort of thing that's plagued Protestantism 
from time to time. They've imbibed this Roman Catholic 
doctrine that the sexual relations are only for the purpose of procreation. I would submit there's a hint 
of Gnosticism there. When God made Adam and Eve, yes, 
procreation was certainly in play, but as you reflect upon 
the rest of the Bible, pleasure, joy, companionship, unity, all 
those things are in there as well. So there's this Gnostic 
view of creation that Christians can sometimes unwittingly adopt, 
as well with the resurrection. The resurrection is the end game 
for Christians. When we drop dead, let's say 
now, we enter into the intermediate state. There's a separation between 
body and soul. If I were to get hit by a car 
today, they would bury my body. my spirit would depart to be 
with the Lord." That's the intermediate state. Certainly I'm present 
with the Lord, and Paul says it's much better to be there, 
but that's not what's in the final view for the believer. 
The finality of God's redemptive plan for His people is the resurrection 
from the dead. It's body and soul in the presence 
of God in the new heavens and in the new earth. There'll be 
a recognition of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There will be community. There will be the people of God 
standing before the throne of God, praising God and the Lamb 
for the salvation wrought. So you see, the intermediate 
state, as wonderful as it is, is not the finality for God's 
people. I believe in the resurrection 
of the dead. That is something the church 
has always confessed, and it's something that has always encouraged 
the people of God. And it's a Gnostic view to think 
that somehow the eternal state is only soulish. No, it's body 
and soul. Christ is paradigmatic. What 
goes into the tomb comes out of the tomb. Certainly, he was 
glorified. Certainly, there were some discontinuities, 
but there were continuities. He told Thomas to reach out his 
hand and to touch the marks in his hands and in his side. What 
goes into the tomb comes out of the tomb. Now, that may not 
be the best news for some of us. I want to look like Brad 
Pitt in the Eternal State. Sorry about that, but what goes 
in comes out. There are discontinuities, but 
there's continuity, and the final goal for the people of God is 
the resurrection. We're not to be Gnostics and 
see only soulish blessing in view in our redemption by Christ. That's the overview of creation. Notice paragraph 2. Several ideas 
or several thoughts we ought to consider here. The creation 
of man. Notice constitution. After God 
had made all other creatures, He created man, male and female, 
with reasonable and immortal souls. The constitution of man. God made man, male and female, 
And then it indicates with reasonable and immortal souls. This highlights 
what's called dichotomy. Dichotomy. Man is two parts. 
That's what the word di means. It's dichotomous. It's not trichotomous. There's not three parts that 
go into man. There's two parts. It's dichotomy. He's material and he's immaterial. There's a physical essence. I don't know if essence is the 
best word. There's a physical part and there's a non-physical 
part. There is body, there is soul. Soul, spirit are oftentimes used 
interchangeably in the Bible. Some have seen a trichotomy, 
and they would further divide. They'd say physical body, spirit, 
and soul. But the Bible, I believe, teaches 
two parts, body, soul. If we call soul spirit, we're 
not going to go to hell. If we call spirit soul, we're 
not going to go to hell. The idea being is there is a 
material and an immaterial part of man. Notice as well it highlights 
the immortality of man. The immortality of man. We need to realize it is a derivative 
immortality. Notice it says, with reasonable 
and immortal souls. Our immortality is different 
from God's immortality. Our immortality is derivative. It is conveyed upon us by God. When we say man is immortal and 
God is immortal, we are saying in some sense the same thing, 
but because we say it of God who is creator, it is to be understood 
a bit differently than when we apply it to man, the creature. 
For man, it is derived. For God, it is underivative. He doesn't receive his immortality 
from something outside himself. Remember God, the doctrine of 
divine simplicity. God is not composed of things. 
He is not put together with God parts. He is all that he is, 
always, has always been. There is no flux. There is no 
change. There is no shadow of turning 
with our God. Nevertheless, we are immortal, 
and what that means, though we have a beginning, it means we 
will have no end. Once we are created, we will 
enter into an eternal state, either with Christ or apart from 
Christ. We will either enter into heaven 
or into hell. So on the one hand, it's great 
encouragement for the people of God. On the other hand, it 
ought to strike great fear into those who are not the people 
of God. Immortality should be or would be seen then as an enemy. 
I mean, isn't this man's desire to go to the grave and cease 
to be? I mean, isn't that what man longs 
for? A dreamless sleep after the grave? I mean, isn't this what people 
delude themselves into thinking? Well, there's no life after death. 
There's no eternal state. There's nothing beyond the grave. 
Well, certainly that is a denial of the doctrine of the immortality 
of man. Man doesn't want to think that 
he continues after the grave because it'll affect or have 
effect upon the way he thinks and lives now. I think evolution 
is so popular, brethren. It's ultimately ethical. Yes, science. Yes, the shape 
of the universe, all that stuff. That's all just window dressing. See, I believe that they want 
to take God out of the beginning. So if you get God out of the 
beginning, you get him out of the middle and you certainly 
get him out of the end. I think ethics drives this whole 
desire to exclude God from creation. Get him out of the beginning. 
He's not in the middle, He's not at the end, so it doesn't 
matter how we live. See, if we concede or agree that 
God is in the beginning, then we certainly must reckon with 
the reality that He isn't going anywhere. He's there in our middle, 
and He will certainly be there in our end. And Scripture reflects 
what is called a linear view of things. not cyclical. Pagans have cycles and, you know, 
the circle of life popularized by, you know, movies and cartoons. 
It's all a part of the circle of life. What's Paul say? For 
of him, and through him, and to him are all things. That's 
the sweep of history. God is at the beginning, God 
sovereignly governs over the middle, and God is there at the 
end to judge for blessing and for cursing to those who have 
rejected Jesus. And then notice the image of 
God is asserted. It says, ìHe created man, male 
and female, with reasonable and immortal souls, rendering them 
fit unto that life to God for which they were created, being 
made after the image of God.î Itís the only thing, or the only 
part of creation in the narrative that highlights the image of 
God. Dogs are wonderful beings, aren't 
they? But they're not created in the 
image of God. Doesn't mean we hate dogs. You 
know, Baltimore Orioles are beautiful birds, but they're not image-bearers 
of God. They can't open math books. They 
can't, you know, deduct and induce. They can't drive. That's not 
the only thing that makes them, you know, not image-bearers. 
But you see the point. There's a dignity conferred upon 
man in creation, Genesis 1, 26 and 27. Now, many say that that's 
not a reference to the Trinity. I'm one of those people that 
think it is a reference to the Trinity. Let us make man in our 
image, the triune God stipulates. He doesn't say that about Leviathan 
or Behemoth. He doesn't say that about the 
dinosaurs. He doesn't say that about the 
dogs or the cats. He doesn't say that about any 
other aspect in creation, but he says that very specifically 
concerning man. And then notice what the image 
of God consists in. The confession describes it for 
us, being made after the image of God in knowledge. Again, not 
saying that a monkey doesn't know anything, not to say that 
a dog doesn't know anything, but there's a knowledge that 
man possesses that transcends. idiotic man, and he's smarter 
than the smartest monkey. It's just the way it is. I mean, 
that's, well, I don't know. Maybe that's not true. Bobo the 
chimp or whatever might be able to formulate more. But as a general 
rule, the dumbest man is typically smarter than the smartest animal. I mentioned that game my wife 
and I played, that pig game. And in the little write-up to 
that, it said pigs and dolphins are the smartest animals. I thought 
that was intriguing. I'd have never thought that myself. 
I think I've heard that or read that about dolphins. I certainly 
never thought that of a pig, but, you know, that's the way 
it goes. So we see here, knowledge or 
image of God consists in knowledge, righteousness, and as well, true 
holiness. True holiness. Animals don't 
do this. Animals don't have this. Animals 
do what God created them to do. God made man to exhibit, to display, 
to bear that image in such a way that knowledge, righteousness, 
and true holiness would be demonstrated. And then as well, we see that 
this image of God has implications for the created order. In other words, because God made 
man in this particular situation, they have a responsibility toward 
creation. It's interesting, the Westminster 
Shorter Catechism says, how did God create man? God created man, 
male and female, after his own image and knowledge, righteousness, 
and holiness, with dominion over the creatures. Some have debated 
that clause, with dominion over the creatures. It doesn't say 
that necessarily in our confession, it doesn't say that necessarily 
in the scriptural account, but I think the implication is there. 
Whether we agree with the Westminster Shorter on that or not, we ought 
to at least understand the implication. If God has made man as His image-bearer, 
if God has endowed man with this knowledge, righteousness, and 
true holiness, and then God does command to exercise dominion 
over the creation, We ought to understand that this is another 
illustration of the reality that man is the crowning work of God. 
Psalm 8 tells us the same thing. This isn't something that should 
just freak us all out. But when we consider man's role 
in the creation account, he was to multiply the image of God 
through procreation, right? Isn't that what God says? Be 
fruitful and multiply. Why? Because I want other image 
bearers reflecting the glory of God throughout creation. The 
purpose was to fill the earth with the image of God and extend 
the garden temple, and to extend God's rule over creation through 
His image bearer. See, Adam had a big calling and 
a big vocation. I mentioned this, I think it 
was Wednesday night or sometime recently. It wasn't primarily 
as a farmer. Agriculture is not why Adam was 
made. And if you're a farmer, that 
might be a blow because we all go to that passage and see our 
dignity there. but he was made as a priest. He was functioning 
in the garden temple of God, and his responsibility was to 
extend that garden temple, to encompass, to cover the entirety 
of the cosmos, to reflect God's glory through his image-bearers. 
That's the purpose in creation. Of course, it was forfeited by 
Adam, But guess what the purpose in the new creation is? Christ 
redeems. Christ makes us a kingdom of 
priests. When that new heavens and that 
new earth, or that new Jerusalem rather, in Revelation 21, descends 
from heaven to earth, it's in the shape of a temple. The idea 
is that the image of God, His image bearers, will reflect the 
glory of God throughout that new creation. and it will indeed 
redound to his praise and his honor and his glory. Then notice 
the integrity of man is highlighted in paragraph two. Having the 
law of God written in their hearts and power to fulfill it, and 
yet under a possibility of transgressing, being left to the liberty of 
their own will, which was subject to change. I mean, then this 
packed little paragraph, it really highlights a whole lot of things 
concerning man, his constitution, his identity, and his integrity. Now, the law referred to having 
the law of God written in their hearts. The confession later 
will highlight that it was indeed the moral law. In fact, look 
at chapter 19. It's good to jump into the Confession 
and read a paragraph here and a chapter there, and, you know, 
when you're doing a study, say, on the doctrine of justification 
in your Bible, and you're in Romans 4, you're in Galatians 
2, and you want some further sort of illumination on that, 
yeah, jump into, you know, the doctrine of justification in 
the Confession. But there's something beneficial 
about reading it as a whole. because it's a comprehensive 
document. It is a systematic document. The concepts introduced 
in the beginning are developed later on. There's interplay between 
the chapters. I think we've seen that already 
in chapters 3, 4, and 5. You see how they flow and how 
they work together. In chapter 3, concerning the 
decree, it talks about those predestinated. God also ordained 
the means in order to bring them from that place of election unto 
redemption by Christ. And the particular means he highlights, 
or the confession highlights, effectual calling, justification, 
sanctification, those all are treated later in the confession. 
You see, it's a systematic document. When you read it together in 
its entirety, you see these connections. But notice in 19.1. God gave 
to Adam a law of universal obedience written in his heart, and a particular 
precept of not eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good 
and evil, by which he bound him in all his posterity to personal, 
entire, exact, and perpetual obedience, promised life upon 
the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it, 
and endued him with power and ability to keep it. Now notice 
in paragraph two, the same law that was first written in the 
heart of man continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness 
after the fall and was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai in ten 
commandments and written in two tables, the four first containing 
our duty towards God and the other six our duty to man. So 
you see, what was written in Adam's heart was the moral law 
of God. When we get to Sinai and the 
giving of the law, this was not its first appearance. It was 
already on the heart of Adam. You see punishment for transgression 
of the Decalogue prior to Exodus 20. How do you explain that? How do you explain God raining 
hell out of heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah without understanding 
the seventh commandment. How do you explain for all of 
the judgment wrought upon various sinners prior to the giving of 
the law in Exodus 20? Well, it's this understanding 
of the moral law, or what some have called the natural law, 
the reality that God wrote the law upon Adam. We're all hardwired. You know, you go to the computer 
store, you buy a PC, you take it home, you flip it on, it does 
stuff because it's already formatted. There's already something in 
place so that you can run your programs. That's how man is. We have the law written in our 
hearts. Romans 2, 14 and 15 indicate that and highlight that Gentiles, 
they don't have the law. Paul's argument there is they 
don't have the benefit of being a Jew, and yet their conscience 
bears them witness. Why? Because they're image bearers 
of God with His law written on them. They are hardwired this 
way. John Lightfoot, a Puritan author, said, ìAdam heard as 
much in the garden as Israel did at Sinai, but only in fewer 
words and without thunder.î And thatís what the confession is 
indicating here, having the law of God written in their hearts. and power to fulfill it, and 
yet under a possibility of transgressing, being left to the liberty of 
their own will, which was subject to change." Now there's a whole 
world of stuff in that section that we could deal with, but 
it does indicate the mutability of man. See, when persons say 
that Adam and Eve were created perfect, I, you know, I don't 
necessarily balk at that concept, but I would like to distinguish. 
I think perfect implies or involves immutability, and they were mutable. They had the ability to sin. They were created upright by 
God. They were created and according 
to his image, but there was this mutability, this ability to choose 
the evil, and of course they do such things. So we see the 
moral law of God written upon their hearts and the mutability 
in their own lives. Just quickly, notice the probation 
of man in paragraph 3. Besides the law written in their 
hearts, that's the moral law of God, they received a command 
not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This is what's 
called a positive law. If you've been in our studies 
in the confession, say for instance in chapter 22, you will have 
remembered or you will hopefully remember the distinction between 
moral law and positive law. Moral law is commanded because 
it is right. It is a reflection of who God 
is. You know, you want to know who God is? Look at the Decalogue. It's a great expression of His 
holiness, of His righteousness, of His integrity. Positive law 
is right because it is commanded. And it's temporary, and it's 
oftentimes conditioned by the covenant under which it exists. It's not wrong to eat from a 
fruit tree, but in this instance, God gave this particular prohibition 
against eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and 
evil. This was a positive law. It was a temporary command. It 
had a design. It had a purpose. It was probationary 
in essence, so that Adam, under the covenant of works, would 
either A. keep it or B. plunge his race or his posterity 
into sin. And then this, as I said, provides 
the context for the Covenant of Works. It further explains, 
which whilst they kept, they were happy in their communion 
with God and had dominion over the creatures. Chapter 6 will 
further describe the context of the fall of man, of sin, and 
of the punishment thereof. Chapter 7 will further explain 
this whole idea of covenant of works, and Chapter 19 will indicate 
why man cannot enter life, eternal life, via the covenant of works. So, in conclusion, very quickly, 
We're going by that clock because it's two minutes slower than 
mine. Just by way of the doctrine of 
creation and vocation. Vocation, I'm using it in a broad 
definition. A function or station in life 
to which one is called by God. We oftentimes think of vocation 
as I'm a plumber, I'm a lawyer, I'm a pastor, I'm a missionary. 
And that's right. It's not the case that, you know, 
being a missionary or being a pastor is somehow a vocation from God. 
You know, the rest of you poor slobs are farmers. That's not 
it. Everybody has a vocation, a function 
or station in life to which one is called by God. If the goal 
of creation is the glory of God, the goal of the creature ought 
to be the pursuit of the glory of God. I think that's an implication 
we ought to really just draw out of this. Why do we exist? 
It's not for our own benefit. It's not for our own happiness. 
It's not for our own well-being. It's for the glory of God. The children's catechism asks, 
why did God make you and all things? For His own glory. Brethren, that needs to be, you 
know, determinative upon the way that we live and function 
and breathe and move and have our being. If the glory of God 
is the purpose of creation and we are a part of creation, then 
our goal, our pursuit, our desire ought to be the glory of God 
as individuals, in our family lives, in our church lives, in 
society. We ought to be responsible image 
bearers demonstrating the glory of God in our conduct in our 
words, in our doctrine, in whatever it is. The goal of creation is 
to bring glory and honor to God. In terms of the doctrine of creation 
and ethics, I've already alluded to this a little bit, we ought 
to first of all not be Gnostics. Do not be agnostic. Do not be 
against the physical and the fleshly. The physical and the 
fleshly are created by God and they're good things. Paul says 
it's a doctrine of demons in 1 Timothy 4 to forbid marriage 
and certain kinds of meats. That's a doctrine of demons. 
When the demons say, can't eat that steak, can't marry because 
somehow that's going to jeopardize your holiness, that is demonic 
in essence. Brethren, marriage is good. Steaks 
are wonderful. Marriage is wonderful. Steaks 
are good. Sorry about that. A good stake and a good marriage 
is just a wonderful thing. Secondly, we ought to see the 
integrity of man as image bearer. Thirdly, the authority of man 
as image bearer. If we've been given dominion 
over the creatures, we need to responsibly demonstrate it. So 
the Bible doesn't envisage or envision or see this, you know, 
abuse of the planet. I mean, I'm not some ecological 
wacko that wants to, you know, dance around and eat nuts and 
berries, but we need to be responsible beings. We are image-bearers 
of God and have been given this vicegerency, in old words, to 
show the authority of man over creation. We ought not to exploit 
it for everything it's got. Brethren, we need to be responsible. 
And then certainly the ethical implications of man as image-bearer 
ought to highlight the sanctity of human life. If man is created 
in the image of God, than to butcher that image in a mother's 
womb or to end that image at a sick bed or an elderly bed 
is an assault upon the image of God. The doctrine of marriage 
and divorce we ought to appreciate. Matthew 19, when Jesus is asked, 
is it lawful to permit a woman for any reason? What does he 
argue? So you go back to Jewish, he goes, in the beginning it 
was not so, God made men, male and female, he brought them together, 
one man, one woman, forever. But because of the introduction 
of sin, divorce was legislated and permitted, because of the 
hardness of your hearts, and in that post-fall condition, 
it's a good thing. Brethren, the law of God protects 
the innocent in a marriage relationship that goes sour. So we ought to 
argue in terms of our marriage and divorce ethics from the creation 
account. The doctrine of homosexuality, 
God made Adam and Eve. Brethren, that is normative and 
foundational for the rest of scripture. What's operative in 
the mind of Moses or God through Moses as he's legislating against 
homosexuality in Leviticus and Deuteronomy? It is his design 
at creation. He didn't make two men, he didn't 
make two women, he made man and woman. When Paul takes up this 
mantle in Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 1 and 1 Timothy 1, yes, he's 
got Leviticus and Deuteronomy in his mind, he's got creation 
in his mind. It's normative for the way that 
persons are supposed to function in God's world. The doctrine 
of gender distinctions in the church and in the home. When 
Paul is answering issues concerning role distinctions between men 
and women, he never argues from the culture. He never argues 
by what's best for the church or the family. He argues from 
creation. This is normative, it is binding, 
it is perpetual. Much of what the New Testament 
authors are doing in terms of reminding Christians how they 
are to live is consistent with the original design of God in 
creation. Right? In other words, it's not 
this brand new thing. I mentioned Ephesians 4 and Colossians 
3. We'll close on these two texts. Notice, in Ephesians 4.10, and 
that you put on the new man, which was created according to 
God in true righteousness and holiness. And how is that new 
man to function? The way Adam was told to function. Colossians 3.10 says essentially 
the same thing. I see glowing, wonderful, happy 
little boy faces over there, so I'll close in prayer and they 
can rejoin their All right, let's pray. Father, we thank you for 
the doctrine of creation. God, help us to see it in its 
glory and its beauty in the Scriptures, and may it be a reason, a cause 
for which we praise and honor you. Help us as well to be responsible 
as the vicegerents of God. Give us grace as well, God, to 
pursue those things that are pleasing in your sight that do 
further advance your glory in this world. We ask that you bless 
our worship services, give grace to Mike as he preaches the word, 
fill him with your Holy Spirit, fill us with the Holy Spirit 
so that we may receive with thanksgiving your word. And we pray through 
Christ our Lord, amen.