In The Beginning
By Grant Gaines
According to statisticbrain.com, 62% of Americans will begin their New Year’s resolutions today[1]. It’s a time for new beginnings, fresh starts, and renewed hopes. Though last year was only yesterday, the turning of the calendar represents an opportunity for everyone to leave their mistakes and shortcomings behind them and start over again. Whether you want to work out more, spend less, or do a little bit of both, now is the time—this is your new beginning.
Speaking of beginnings, what better time do we have to look at the beginning of creation than at the beginning of this New Year? I bet most of y’all know the first verse in the Bible, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1, NIV). But would you believe me if I told you that this actually was not the first event that took place in history? No I’m not going to talk about some mythical fairy tale such as the Big Bang Theory or aliens. Instead I’m going to talk about an actual, historical, and Biblically-based occurrence that happened before Genesis 1:1.
Do you know what this event is? To give you a hint, it is inarguably the most significant event that ever occurred, not only for Christianity but also for all of creation. Still haven’t got it yet? Don’t worry. You have certainly heard of the event that I’m hinting towards, but you’ve likely never heard it taught in its true chronological order.
So what exactly am I talking about? What is this event that finds its origins before Genesis 1:1? I’m talking about the grace of God that is freely offered to us through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. You see, if you follow a historical timeline, you have been taught that Jesus was crucified on the cross from anywhere from 30-33 AD. Now I’m not disagreeing with that date, instead I want to draw your attention to several verses scattered throughout Scripture that indicate that the grace of God was not first extended to us at the cross but rather before creation.
Speaking of the Father’s everlasting grace, 2 Timothy 1:9 (NIV) declares that, “…This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” Or take 1 Peter 1:20 (NLT) for example, “God chose [Jesus] as your ransom long before the world began, but [God] has now revealed Him to you in these last days.” Do you see the common thread in these verses? Both verses indicate that God’s saving grace was revealed through the cross but had its roots securely fastened before time. His grace not only predates Jesus’ physical death on the cross in the early first century but also the creation of the cosmos.
Now I want you to reflect the implications of this truth for a moment. This means that long before you ever tithed your first penny, did your first good deed, or sang your first worship song, God had already decided that He would love you. In fact, He loved you so much that despite His foreknowledge telling Him that you would rebel and sin against Him time and time again, the Father purposed in His heart to send, “…His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, NIV).
Do you understand the weight of that truth? That means that there is nothing you can do to win God’s favor. There is nothing you can do to make Him love you more. And possibly the greatest truth of all, there is nothing you can do to make Him love you less because God loved you before the creation of time. That’s the Gospel right there—you are saved through the grace of God, by the works of God, with the love of God. He has done it all and He is crazy in love with you.
Oh that we would stop falling for the lie of fear, guilt, and shame because, “…there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1, NIV) because long before you ever committed that sin that you’re ashamed of, Christ paid for that sin. You can’t surprise the Savior with your sin nor can you cover its costs with your good deeds because Jesus’ dying words of, “…It is finished…” (John 19:30, NIV) echo from eternity’s past.
He truly has loved us from the beginning.
“We love because He first loved us”
—1 John 4:19 (NIV)
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
©Grant Gaines 2013
