The Lord speaks spiritual conviction in all of His Word, to show us the spirit and path of what is good and right (2 Tim 3:16). So what are those godly convictions in this chapter?

Some that are worth seeing here:

Respect. Respect for God, for our fellow human, and for the creation of God. Genesis 1 teaches us great significance in the Creator and in His creation. And it teaches us great value for mankind.

Worship. Everything we have is from God. He is good, and His creation reflects His nature. We are meant to see the LORD as the God of this world, that all things come from Him and through Him, as well as live unto Him: “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Rom 11:36)

Life is from God. “In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28) All life is from God and sustained by God. This should humble us and teach us a right reverence for Him.

To respect the God of this world. This world is sustained by the power of God. We are wrong to simply do whatever we please and give no mind to the God of creation. We should walk before God with a continual mind of if things are acceptable in His eyes, and not live without reverence to Him—“I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.” (Gen 17:1) To take and eat and buy and engage in this or that thing with no regard to the God of this world is the great sin of godlessness.

Believe God. He is truly good, and seeks what is truly good for us. Like a perfect parent, truly loving us. Part of this is in giving us good, but part of this is disciplining us because we often “grow fat and kick” (Deut 32:12-15). The LORD is a good Father/Mother to us.

To be worthy of paradise. God creates paradise, and our souls touch upon the longing of this in fantasy and nature. But let us see that we must equally desire to be pure to enter a pure world. Let us strive to be worthy of the God who made us, and the new heavens and earth where righteousness dwells (2 Pet 3:13). To be as pure as clear water, as upright and patient as the enduring trees, and as beautiful in godliness and holiness as the rising and setting sun.

Don’t be deceived away from your true purpose in God. We find meaning in THIS call of God, to endeavor to walk in what is truly holy and godly, continually walking before God, serving Him, and obeying Him. Roar over your own soul like a jealous lion, and guard yourself from all that would try to come in to take you away from this—whether it be any idea of the world or pressure coming in the name of God. We serve whatever we follow, so serve Him alone. Sincerely seek God. Humbly bow your ear before Him and let His Word and Spirit teach you what is truly of Him, and the path you are to walk in. Do not be wise in your own eyes, even in, especially in, your own religion, but let God continually convict you and lead you.

We must truly do what is good. We must learn to find the nature and spirit of what is actually good, not just assuming that mere “name” of it. Very often we busy ourselves with things, assuming they are good or benign, yet it is incredibly rare for a person to truly search out what is actually good. We take for granted that what we do is good, our religion is good, our ways are good, never truly, deeply, examining them. And we love to poison the world with all our “goodness” and “good enough-ness”. But did God give us good in name only, or is it truly good in nature? Our goodness must be a real substance, like water is a real substance to thirst, and bread is a real substance of nourishment to the body. So many have a “godliness” and “righteousness” that is like a waterless cloud. It is vain and empty, or even darkness and cruel. And many in the world do not see their need for God because they are deceived by their own “goodness”, not seeing how lacking and hollow it is.

And lastly, God gives hope. We see here that God knows the great longing of our hearts, and that He is our hope to have all of these things again. God knows what we were created to live within. He is speaking and crying out for us to see that He is our refuge and hope in the midst of this stormy and dark world. He speaks to the very marrow of our existence, and is telling mankind to look to Him and be saved. To take hope in Him for a new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells, and to walk as we were created to walk, in true godliness and righteousness, waiting for the appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who will deliver us to this great Garden again.

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:11-14)

This is the message of the Gospel in Jesus Christ.

(This is an excerpt from the Genesis 1 commentary.)