God's Purpose for His Creation: An Examination of Traditional Teaching

By Bruce Thomas

Much has been written and debated concerning the details of the creation account. In doing so, that which is of most importance has been missed. This is Gods Purpose for His Creation, which is seen in the way of His creation, His actions, and all He allowed to happen. Gods purpose and plan was not seen to begin with; consequently, a number of teachings resulted. These teachings have become tradition and are addressed herein by the following questions that reveal His purpose:

What did God mean when He called His creation good and very good?

Did God originally create Adam and Eve with immortal, physical bodies?

Were all animals and mankind originally created to be vegetarians?

Why did God cast Satan and his angels onto the earth and not elsewhere?

Did eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evilwhich God called goodinclude both physical and spiritual death?

What was the Tree of Life all about?

Was an animal killed when God made clothes out of skin for Adam and Eve, and if so, was it the first animal to die?

What all was cursed when Adam sinned?

What were the penalties because of Adams sin?

Understanding all of this sets the foundation for and enables us to see Gods purpose for his creation from the beginning in Genesis to the end in Revelation. This is God revealing the fullness of His nature and His loving mercy and grace, which was never before seen or experienced in His heavenly kingdom. This is specifically revealed through Jesus Christ.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 20, 2015
• ISBN: 9781512720600

Bruce Thomas

Bruce Thomas was born in the north-east of England and moved to London as a teenager to become a professional musician. He is known principally as the bass player with Elvis Costello and the Attractions, having recorded and toured internationally with the band since 1977. He is also a sought-after session musician. He trained with the late kung fu master Derek Jones at his school in west London.

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God’s Purpose for His Creation

An Examination of Traditional Teaching

Bruce Thomas

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Copyright © 2015, 2017 Bruce Thomas.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Front Cover Design by Sam Haltom

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-2061-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-2060-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015918989

WestBow Press rev. date: 12/23/2016

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1 – God’s Creation

Chapter 2 – God’s Plan

Chapter 3 – The Fall

Chapter 4 – The Penalty

Chapter 5 – Early Days

Chapter 6 – Death

Chapter 7 – Jesus’ Death

Chapter 8 – Restoration

Chapter 9 – Closing

About the Author

Dedication

I dedicate this book to Rosalie, my darling wife for fifty-seven years, whom God chose for me and whom I love so dearly. She put up with me buried in the Word while I was writing this, oblivious to all else, and she reviewed my writing.

I include our precious children that they may each see and live their journeys of grace.

Acknowledgments

This is my tribute to and in memory of Pastor Willard Taussig, who inspired me over fifty years ago to begin the long journey toward living a surrendered life.

I also thankfully acknowledge all following pastors who contributed along the way. A special acknowledgement is due to Pastor Robert Myers, Ph.D., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, who with his questioning made me thoroughly examine God’s Word. My original intent was only to record the results of my inquiry, but following Dr. Myers encouragement to publish my writing is now this book.

The Holy Spirit deserves the greatest credit, praise, and glory, for He is the only one who reveals His Word to us. The Holy Spirit is my credential.

Introduction

This is an account of my journey through God’s Word following a creation presentation several years ago. My pastor said, This is to make you think. That it did, so following this and considering numerous other presentations plus reading several creation books, I wrote this book that you may think and search God’s Word as well.

My journey through God’s Word is in obedience to God’s command given to us in 2 Timothy 2:15, Study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (KJV). We are all accountable to God to personally search all Scripture pertaining to the subject. To often we either rely on what others say without question, or only review a few selected verses, which is not rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Our journey through God’s Word continues to the end of this life.

This challenge resulted in a blessing for me, and I pray that it will bring the fullness of His blessings to you through your prayer and study of His Word.

What really got me started writing this book was the idea that there was no physical death of humanity and animals until after Adam and Eve sinned. This means God created animals to be immortal, but how about humans? If Adam and Eve hadn’t sinned, if they had not eaten from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, would they, all their descendants, and all animals be alive today? The tradition is that original sin resulted in physical death. The question to begin with is, was physical death due to original sin or for a purpose?

I’ve always been interested in different views on how God put creation together in the framework of His Word. In many of these views, I see much human reasoning used to fill in details that haven’t been revealed to us. I didn’t write this book to present or support any point of view but to make known what’s most important—the purpose of God’s creation.

I am determined to follow God’s Word, the evidence, wherever it leads to answer this and other related teachings.

This book has been a work in progress just as our lives are. I’ve said that this has been a learning experience and the first thing I learned is that anyone can find what God’s word says if we desire to know and take the time and effort to search it out.

Secondly, I see that we continue to believe what we are taught until something makes us get out of our box. That something for me was hearing that animals didn’t die until after Adam