Revelation of God's Character Through Creation for Evangelism

God's character is revealed through creation, providing a foundational understanding of His "invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature" to all humanity ^[6]. This revelation serves as a basis for evangelism, demonstrating that people are "without excuse" regarding their knowledge of God ^[6].

The act of creation itself is attributed to the Godhead, involving the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit ^[5]. Genesis 1:1 states, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" ^[9]. This initial act of creation was "out of nothing" and was "absolutely free" and for "infinitely wise reasons," with the cause existing solely in God's will ^[5]. The creation account in Genesis teaches that the world was "created, ordered, and populated by the one true God" ^[9]. The divine command, "Let there be," enacted God's will to create, demonstrating His supreme rule over everything ^[10]. God declared His work "good" seven times in Genesis 1, culminating in the declaration that it was "very good" after the creation of human beings ^[11].

The Bible emphasizes that creation was accomplished by God's command ^[2]. The creation of all things is ascribed to God ^[8], distinguishing Him as the true God ^[5]. Specifically, the Son, Jesus Christ, is identified as the agent through whom all things were created ^{[4, 5]}. John 1:3 states, "All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made" ^[5]. Colossians 1:16 further affirms this, stating, "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible... all things were created through him and for him" ^[5]. The Holy Spirit also participated in creation, as seen in Genesis 1:2 where the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters ^[5].

Humanity, in particular, reflects God's character. Man was created "in our image, after our likeness," a distinction that signifies humanity as God's representative on earth ^[13]. This image is not merely physical but encompasses a deeper spiritual resemblance ^{[12, 13]}. Ephesians 2:10 describes believers as "God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works" ^[3]. The purpose of humanity's creation was for God ^[7], and the creation itself was for God's pleasure ^[2].

The revelation of God's character through creation is not merely an abstract theological concept but has direct implications for evangelism. The term "evangelion" (good message) refers to the central fact of Christian preaching: the coming of the Savior ^[1]. Those who proclaimed this message were called "evangelists" ^[1]. The existence of creation, understood as God's handiwork, provides a universal testimony to His power and divine nature, leaving all people without excuse for not acknowledging Him ^[6]. Even "all parts of the creation, animate and inanimate," are depicted as giving praise to Jesus Christ, the Creator ^[14]. This universal praise underscores the pervasive revelation of God through His creation.

Sources

Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Gospels — The central fact of Christian preaching was the intelligence that the Saviour had come into the world (Matt. 4:23; Rom. 10:15); and the first Christian preachers who called their account of the person and mission of Christ by the term evangelion_ (= good message) were called _evangelistai (= evangelists) (Eph. 4:11; Acts 21:8). There are four historical accounts of the person and work of Christ: "the first by Matthew, announcing the Redeemer as the promised King of the kingdom of God; the second by Mark, declaring him a prophet, mighty in deed and word'; th”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Creation — The formation of things which had no previous existence -- Ro 4:17; Heb 11:3. Effected By God. -- Ge 1:1; 2:4,5; Pr 26:10. By Christ. -- Joh 1:3,10; Col 1:16. By the Holy Spirit. -- Job 26:13; Ps 104:30. By the command of God. -- Ps 33:9; Heb 11:3. In the beginning. -- Ge 1:1; Mt 24:21. In six normal days. -- Ex 20:11; 31:17. According to God's purpose. -- Ps 135:6. For God's pleasure. -- Pr 16:4; Re 4:11. For Christ. -- Col 1:16. By faith we believe, to be God's work -- Heb 11:3. Order of First day, making light and dividing it from darkness. -- Ge 1:3-5;”
Ephesians “Ephesians 2:10 (BSB) — For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.”
Ephesians “and to make all men see what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ; -- Ephesians 3:9”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Creation — "In the beginning" God created, i.e., called into being, all things out of nothing. This creative act on the part of God was absolutely free, and for infinitely wise reasons. The cause of all things exists only in the will of God. The work of creation is attributed (1) to the Godhead (Gen. 1:1, 26); (2) to the Father (1 Cor. 8:6); (3) to the Son (John 1:3; Col. 1:16, 17); (4) to the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:2; Job 26:13; Ps. 104:30). The fact that he is the Creator distinguishes Jehovah as the true God (Isa. 37:16; 40:12, 13; 54:5; Ps. 96:5; Jer. 10:11, 12). Th”
Romans “Romans 1:20 (BSB) — For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Man — Made for God -- Pr 16:4; Re 4:11. God's purpose in creation completed by making -- Ge 2:5,7. Cannot profit God -- Job 22:2; Ps 16:2. Unworthy of God's favour -- Job 7:17; Ps 8:4. Created By God. -- Ge 1:27; Isa 45:12. By Christ. -- Joh 1:3; Col 1:16. By the Holy Spirit. -- Job 33:4. After consultation, by the Trinity. -- Ge 1:26. On the sixth day. -- Ge 1:31. Upon the earth. -- De 4:32; Job 20:4. From the dust. -- Ge 2:7; Job 33:6. In the image of God. -- Ge 1:26,27; 1Co 11:7. After the likeness of God. -- Ge 1:26; Jas 3:9. Male and female. -- Ge 1:27; 5:2. A l”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Creation — (The creation of all things is ascribed in the Bible to God, and is the only reasonable account of the origin of the world. The method of creation is not stated in Genesis, and as far as the account there is concerned, each part of it may be, after the first acts of creation, by evolution, or by direct act of God's will. The word create (bara) is used but three times in the first chapter of Genesis-- (1) as to the origin of matter; (2) as to the origin of life; (3) as to the origin of man's soul; and science has always failed to do any of these acts thus as”
Genesis (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Genesis 1:1: 1:1–2:3 These verses introduce the Pentateuch (Genesis—Deuteronomy) and teach Israel that the world was created, ordered, and populated by the one true God and not by the gods of surrounding nations. • God blessed three specific things: animal life (1:22-25), human life (1:27), and the Sabbath day (2:3). This trilogy of blessings highlights the Creator’s plan: Humankind was made in God’s image to enjoy sovereign dominion over the creatures of the earth and to participate in God’s Sabbath rest. 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth: This statem”
Genesis (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Genesis 1:3: 1:3-13 In the first three days, God formed the chaos into a habitable world. 1:3 Then God said: Nothing in ch 1 is created apart from God’s powerful word (cp. Ps 33:6, 9). • “Let there be . . .” and there was: God’s command enacted his will to create the world. God is not a part of creation or limited by it; he is the supreme ruler over everything (cp. Neh 9:6).”
Genesis (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Genesis 1:31: 1:31 The Creator declares his work good seven times in ch 1; following the creation of human beings, God declares it all very good.”
1 Corinthians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Corinthians 11:7: 11:7 man is made in God’s image: See Gen 1:26-27.”
Genesis (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Genesis 1:26: The last stage in the progress of creation being now reached--God said, Let us make man--words which show the peculiar importance of the work to be done, the formation of a creature, who was to be God's representative, clothed with authority and rule as visible head and monarch of the world. In our image, after our likeness--This was a peculiar distinction, the value attached to which appears in the words being twice mentioned. And in what did this image of God consist? Not in the erect form or features of man, not in his intellect, for the devil a”
Revelation (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Revelation 5:13: Every creature - All parts of the creation, animate and inanimate, are represented here, by that figure of speech called prosopopaeia or personification, as giving praise to the Lord Jesus, because by him all things were created. We find the whole creation gives precisely the same praise, and in the same terms, to Jesus Christ, who is undoubtedly meant here by the Lamb just slain as they give to God who sits upon the throne. Now if Jesus Christ were not properly God this would be idolatry, as it would be giving to the creature what belongs to the Creator.”

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