Week 1: Genesis 1

 “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Gen 1:31a, emphasis mine). This is God’s declaration after creating Adam and Eve. In all of creation, only humans bear the image of God. As a master artist paints a self-portrait on canvas, so God paints us as a likeness of himself. We embody his image. God loves our bodies because he created them. They are intrinsically good, not evil. Male and female bodies were not the result of the Fall into sin, but part of God’s original design of humans. We are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” “knitted together in [our] mother’s womb” (Ps 139:13). Ultimately, God cared enough about our bodies to become embodied himself, taking on human flesh, and tabernacling among us (John 1:14). Through faith, he makes a way for us to one day dwell with him in heaven forever, not just our souls, but with our resurrected, glorified bodies (Phil 3:21). The scope of God’s endgame is even grander than “saving souls.” He will not rest until he has rescued us body and soul.

Reflection Questions

1.) What surprises you most about the Creation narrative in Genesis 1? 

2.) Read Psalm 139:13-16. How does David describe our bodies?

3.) What do you see when you look in the mirror? Is it hard to believe you are “fearfully and wonderfully made”? Why or why not?