What was God thinking before creation? Understanding what God's purpose before he created the universe gives us an understanding of his intentions and ideas. For example: if you saw someone make a large metal pipe, you wouldn't know what is was designed to be. It could be used as an exhaust pipe, water pipe, or for a sculpture. However, if you ask the metal worker, "Why did you create this?", you can learn its purpose. It is the same way we seek to understand the purpose of our lives and the universe by asking, "God, why did you create the universe? Why did you create me?" The Bible directly states the purpose of the universe in Eph. 1: To Glorify God. God created the universe to reflect his glory. Man was created for the same, "for the praise of his glory (Eph. 1:12)."
God did not create the universe because he was lonely and needed fellowship. God exists in the Trinity: God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He had all the company he needed. Although the Trinity is difficult to understand, we can know the results of having a triune God. One example would be God's love. God cannot love or be a God of love if there was nothing to love. It is like you cannot hear a noise unless something exists to make that noise. If God did not exist in the Trinity and only as one person, there would be nothing for God to love, and therefore God could not be a God of love without creation. But since God exists in the Trinity, God the Father can perfectly love God the Son, God the Son can love God the Holy Spirit and so forth. God can have this attribute of love without creation, by simply existing in the Trinity. The same goes for all of God's other attributes.
In fact the Trinity is something so fundamental to God's character that God reveals this in the first chapter of the Bible, "Let us make man in our own image." This image means that God makes a creation that reflects his characteristics, one that reflects his glory in a special way over all other creation.
What was God thinking? God Mission was to create a universe and mankind to glorify him.
Interact with Scripture/Questions1. Read God's Mission laid out in Eph 1:3-14. (Passage at the Bottom of Page). 2. Answer these questions from the Bible Passage on a sheet of paper:What are the roles of the three persons of the Trinity in the unfolding of creation? God the Father-
God the Son -
Holy Spirit -
List the decisions that God made before creation.
List the events that God decided will happen.
List what God is teaching about himself in this passage.
3. Along with your normal prayer, pray for the wisdom and the discipline needed to grow in your knowledge of God.
Scripture ReferencesEPH 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. [4] For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love [5] he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- [6] to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. [7] In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace [8] that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. [9] And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, [10] to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
EPH 1:11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, [12] in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. [13] And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, [14] who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory.
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