Physical and Spiritual Creation, by Greg Smith (elder @ Calvary Chapel)

PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL CREATION
How God made the world shows how He wants to make you a new person.

 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

One basic difference in the physical world is between space & matter.  But, matter exists in & with space.  A full container must have space that is being filled.  Spiritually, there is also heaven & earth.  The spiritual & fleshly (physical) are different, but in harmony.  Heaven & earth can exist together.  The Spiritual God is not against physical things, but wants people to know the true purpose in and beyond the physical.
But, a fleshly mind can’t see past the physical.

“The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”  Genesis 1:2.  At first, the physical world was disordered, useless, empty & dark.  But, God wasn’t finished.  God would not only bring light, but also usefulness, order and fullness. Moral evil brings spiritual uselessness, disorder, emptiness & darkness into human lives.  God’s Spirit hovered over the disorderly waters.  We also need God’s Spirit to come over our chaotic hearts.

“And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good.  And God separated the light from the darkness.” Genesis 1:3-4.  Unlike heaven & earth, light and dark are not in harmony, but in contrast.  They can’t be truly together or one in the other.  However much light there is, there is exactly not that much darkness.  They are forever separate.  Light doesn’t fill darkness, but destroys it.  So it is with good & evil.  “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)  God is never for evil.  He is always against it.  Evil cannot be with Him.  Evil is not equal in power to the light of God, but is like a shadow that must be sheltered from light to exist.  God allows evil a place to exist, not because He likes it or can’t destroy it, but shows that light is superior to darkness.  And God gives more than light.

God gave order and fullness to the universe and made many wonderful things (see Genesis 1). There is meaning & purpose in God’s creation.  Land and sea can represent what is stable (reliable) and what is not.  Different kinds of life were made for different purposes.  God gave plants to animals & people for food (Genesis 1:29).1 People were made in God’s image (likeness) to rule over animals and the earth (Genesis 1:26, 28).  God cares for all creation, but people are especially important & especially responsible for how they honor Him and treat each other and His creation.  A fictional hero was told, “With great power comes great responsibility!”  Jesus said, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required” (Luke 12:48).  But, people have misused the power given to them.  Since evil came into the world by human choice, God is not pleased when we dishonor
 Him and treat each other and the world badly.

God promises to have complete victory over evil and to restore all things by making a new heaven & earth where everything is good.  In the new creation, the separation between light and dark will be complete.  The new creation will have no night and no more sea (Revelation 21:1, 25; 22:5).  There will be no evil or instability in the new creation.  Right now, light and dark “take turns” in the same world with the coming of each day and night.  Likewise in this world, people experience both good and evil.  But, those who come to God will inherit a world that is only good with no evil.  But, all who stay away from God and cling to evil will go
 into a place of eternal darkness and pain and enjoy no good.

But, how can we come to God and have His light now and forever?  “For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”  (2 Corinthians 4:6).  The light that destroys spiritual darkness is to know the glory of God. God is all beautiful, wise, good, powerful & necessary.  God needs nothing & no one, but everything & everyone needs God.2 One who does not know that God meets every need is in great darkness.  God’s glory is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.  Jesus taught people and showed them God’s great love.  Jesus went around doing good, healing sicknesses, raising people from the dead and forcing evil spirits (fallen angels) to go away.  But, most of all He defeated guilt, punishment and the power of death by dying on the cross and rising from the dead.  Everyone needs light, order, purpose & fullness, whether they realize it or not.  Please ask God to show you what those things really are and to bring them into your life through Jesus Christ.  (Bible quotes from ESV) 1 Before evil entered the world, all animals and people were vegetarian (Genesis 1:29-30).  Eating meat is 
allowed by God until He brings the restoration of creation.