In The Beginning

The Bible begins with one foundational statement:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

-Genesis 1:1 CSB

God Created Everything

Before the Bible tells us anything about humanity, sin, or God's plan for redemption through Christ, it first establishes God as the creator of everything that exists. This Bible's account of creation teaches us that the universe did not come into existence by accident, but God intentionally created everything by His power and according to His purposes.

Genesis 1 describes God creating the world in an orderly sequence. On the first day, God created light, separating the light from the darkness (Genesis 1:3-5). On the second day, He made the expanse that separated the waters (Genesis 1:6-8). On the third day, God gathered the waters so that dry land appeared, and He commanded the earth to produce vegetation (Genesis 1:9-13). On the fourth day, God made the sun, moon, and stars to govern the day and night and to mark seasons, days, and years (Genesis 1:14-19).

On the fifth day God began to fill the world He had formed. He created the creatures of the sea and the birds of the sky (Genesis 1:20-23), and then on the sixth day He created the animals that live on the land (Genesis 1:24-25).

Finally, and also on the sixth day of creation, in the culmination of His creative work, God created mankind. Mankind occupies a unique position within creation. Human beings are creatures because we are created by God, yet we are distinct from the rest creation because we are created in God's image (Genesis 1:26-27).

By His Word

One of the most significant parts of the creation account in Genesis is the means by which God created. Over and over, Genesis records the words, "Then God said…" followed immediately by the accomplishment of His command. God does not struggle to create, and He does not depend on anyone of anything outside of Himself in order to create. God speaks, and creation responds. The whole Bible reinforces this truth.

The heavens were made by the word of the Lord, and all the stars, by the breath of his mouth…For he spoke, and it came into being; he commanded, and it came into existence

-Psalm 33:6,9 CSB

Through The Son and in The Spirit's Presence

The New Testament also tells us that creation occurred through Jesus:

All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created"

-John 1:3

Similarly, Colossians 1:16 says about Christ:

For everything was created by Him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible…all things have been created through Him and for Him.

-Colossians 1:16 CSB

The Holy Spirit is also present in the biblical account of creation. Genesis 1:2 states that

"…the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters."

-Genesis 1:2 CSB

The Bible presents creation as an act of the Triune God: the Father creates through the Son, with the Spirit actively present in the work of creation.

Creating Everything From Nothing

Scripture also teaches that God did not simply rearrange material that already existed independently of Him God is the source of everything that exists. This truth is commonly described as creation ex nihilo, meaning "creation out of nothing."

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.

-Hebrews 11:3

This detail is important because in separated God from His creation. God does not depend upon the universe for His existence. Rather, the universe depends entirely on Him. When Paul was preaching to the Athenians, the Holy Spirit spoke this through him:

"The God who made the world and everything in it—he is Lord of heaven and earth—does not live in shrines made by hands. Neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives everyone life and breath and all things."

-Acts 17:24-25

God existed before the universe and needs nothing outside of Himself. Everything else exists because God chose to create it.

For His Purpose

Creation has a purpose. The universe was not created because God lacked anything, but created exists to display God's glory.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of His hands."

-Psalm 19:1

Romans 1:20 tells us that God's invisible attributes are obvious throughout the world He created:

For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse.

-Romans 1:20

Humanity was created not only in God's image but also with a specific purpose. God commanded Adam and Eve:

“Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.”

-Genesis 1:28

Humanity was entrusted with stewardship over God's creation. It is humanity's responsibility to cultivate, govern, and care for what ultimately belongs to God. God's command to Adam to work and watch over the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15) establishes God's original deign for humanity to steward His creation, and that our call to work and steward was established even before the entrance of sin.

The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the Lord.

-Psalm 24:1

In Conclusion

God created everything intentionally and purposefully. God spoke the universe into existence, created humanity uniquely and in His image, and declared all creation to be good. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all active in the Bible's account of creation, and everything that exists depends on God for its existence.

The Bible's account of creation is foundational to the rest of Scripture. If God created everything, then everything ultimately belongs to Him. Human beings derive our identity, dignity, purpose, and moral responsibility from God. The world is not meaningless, and human existence is not accidental. Creation has a beginning, a creator, a purpose, and this world will have an end when God creates the new Heaven and the new earth (Revelation 21-22).

"Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created."

-Revelation 4:11 CSB

The answer to how the world and everything in it came into existence begins and ends with God. He created all things by His power, according to His will, and for His glory.