The Beginning: God as the Source of All Being
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1); yet before the beginning, God was, for from everlasting to everlasting, You are God (Psalm 90:2). And when Moses asked His name, God said, I AM WHO I AM (Exodus 3:14); therefore He is not one who becomes, but One who is.
Thus the Spirit opens the Gospel saying, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him (John 1:2-3), revealing distinction — with God — and unity — was God.
And again it is written, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness (Genesis 1:26), so that from the first page of Scripture the fellowship within God is revealed. For even as the Father speaks, the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters (Genesis 1:2), and by His Word the worlds were formed, for He spoke, and it was; He commanded, and it stood (Psalm 33:9).
Therefore creation bears the imprint of its Maker: For I, Yahweh, do not change (Malachi 3:6), and God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good (Genesis 1:31).
The heavens declare His glory (Psalm 19:1), the sea obeys His limits (Job 38:11), and all things hold together in Him (Colossians 1:17).
Thus the testimony is sure: All things have been created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16); for from Him and through Him and to Him are all things (Romans 11:36).
Nothing exists apart from Him, and nothing is understood except in Him.
The Eternal Communion: God as Love
God is love (1 John 4:8), and the Son declares, You loved Me before the foundation of the world (John 17:24); therefore love is not something God began to show, but something God eternally is.
For the Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand (John 3:35), and the Son says, I love the Father, and I do exactly as the Father commanded Me (John 14:31); and the Spirit proceeds from the Father and bears witness about the Son (John 15:26).
Thus before time, the communion of God was perfect joy, for in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand are pleasures forever (Psalm 16:11); and this joy was shared, for the Son says, Glorify Me… with the glory which I had with You before the world was (John 17:5).
Therefore when God said, Let Us make man in Our image (Genesis 1:26), man was created not to fill a void, but to share in the fellowship that already was, for as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love (John 15:9).
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14), to reveal the love that has no beginning, for He who has seen Me has seen the Father (John 14:9). By this the love of God was revealed, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him (1 John 4:9); and again, In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10).
For the Son emptied Himself and humbled Himself… to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:7-8), and the Father did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all (Romans 8:32); and the Spirit helps our weakness and intercedes with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26).
Thus the love of God is eternal, purposeful, self-giving, and triune. And all who love bear witness to this truth, for everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God (1 John 4:7). For the desire for love is not illusion but design, since we love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).
Therefore the eternal communion of Father, Son, and Spirit is the fountain of all true affection; the source of all self-giving; the reason love exists at all. For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things (Romans 11:36) — including love itself.
The Eternal Reason: God as Truth and Order
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1); and by Him all things came into being (John 1:3), for He is the Logos—the eternal Reason.
Thus it is written, By the word of Yahweh the heavens were made (Psalm 33:6), and again, He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm (Psalm 33:9). Therefore creation itself testifies that reason is not an abstraction but the personal outflow of God's unchanging nature, for I, Yahweh, do not change (Malachi 3:6).
And the psalm declares, Forever, O Yahweh, Your word stands firm in the heavens (Psalm 119:89); the sum of Your word is truth (Psalm 119:160). Thus truth is not discovered but revealed, for Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your law is truth (Psalm 119:142).
Because God is one, His creation is united, for there is but one God (1 Corinthians 8:6), and because He is faithful, His works are sure: His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice (Deuteronomy 32:4). Thus righteousness, reason, and justice all arise from Him who cannot lie (Titus 1:2) and who cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13).
The heavens obey His order, for the heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1); the sea keeps its bounds, for He says, Thus far you shall come, but no farther (Job 38:11); and all creation stands because in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:17).
He calls men to reason, saying, Come now, and let us reason together (Isaiah 1:18); for the human mind reflects its Maker, since God created man in His own image (Genesis 1:27). Wisdom is not human ascent but divine gift, for Yahweh gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and discernment (Proverbs 2:6). And the fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), for without Him professing to be wise, they became fools (Romans 1:22).
Thus every law of nature, every principle of reason, every foundation of truth is rooted in the God who says, I am the truth (John 14:6). And this truth took on flesh, for the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14), and grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).
Therefore order endures because God is faithful; logic exists because God is true; reason speaks because God is Word.
For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things (Romans 11:36), including truth itself.
The Cry of Pain and the Witness of Justice
Out of the depths I have called to You, O Yahweh (Psalm 130:1); My tears have been my food day and night (Psalm 42:3); and even the Beloved Son cried out, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? (Matthew 27:46).
Thus Scripture does not hide anguish but reveals its root, for God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good (Genesis 1:31); yet through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin (Romans 5:12). Therefore suffering is not original but intruded when man turned aside from following Him (Deuteronomy 9:12).
And now the whole creation groans and suffers together until now (Romans 8:22), for the creation was subjected to futility (Romans 8:20), and man drinks iniquity like water (Job 15:16).
Yet our cry against evil proves we know the world is broken, for He has written eternity in their hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11), and we instinctively confess that Yahweh is righteous; He loves righteousness (Psalm 11:7). Without Him, there is no ought, but Scripture says, Shall not the Judge of all the earth do justice? (Genesis 18:25).
But how can justice be upheld and mercy shown? He is a righteous God and a Savior (Isaiah 45:21) — and righteousness and salvation meet at the cross, for He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf (2 Corinthians 5:21). The Son bore our griefs and carried our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4); the Father laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6); the Spirit sustained Him (Isaiah 42:1).
Thus justice is satisfied and mercy poured out, for steadfast love and truth have met; righteousness and peace have kissed each other (Psalm 85:10).
And the suffering of His people is not void, for if we suffer with Him, we will also be glorified with Him (Romans 8:17); and the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). For our momentary light affliction is working out for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison (2 Corinthians 4:17).
And this hope stands sure, for God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more (Revelation 21:4); and He will swallow up death for all time (Isaiah 25:8). The Spirit now intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26), and Christ Himself always lives to intercede (Hebrews 7:25).
Thus pain becomes a witness: a witness that the world is fallen, a witness that justice is real, a witness that God must restore what He made good, and a witness that He has already begun that restoration in His Son.
For weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5).
The Revelation of Christ: The Word Made Flesh
In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God (John 1:1); and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory (John 1:14), the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
For no one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him (John 1:18). Thus He is the visible revelation of the invisible, for He is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature (Hebrews 1:3).
He who made all things entered His creation, for all things came into being through Him (John 1:3), yet He emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave (Philippians 2:7). He hungered, yet said, I am the bread of life (John 6:35). He thirsted, yet promised, Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst (John 4:14). He slept, yet rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm (Matthew 8:26). Thus in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells bodily (Colossians 2:9).
He revealed the Father, for He said, He who has seen Me has seen the Father (John 14:9); and again, the Father is in Me, and I in the Father (John 10:38). Yet He prayed, Father, glorify Me… with the glory which I had with You before the world was (John 17:5), revealing distinction without division, equality without rivalry.
And the Spirit bore witness at His baptism, for the heavens were opened, the Spirit of God descended as a dove, and a voice out of the heavens said, This is My beloved Son (Matthew 3:16-17). Thus Father, Son, and Spirit were revealed together, one in glory, three in person.
Throughout His ministry the fellowship remained: I do nothing from Myself, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me (John 8:28); the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (Luke 4:18); and He promised, I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate… the Spirit of truth (John 14:16-17).
For the Spirit will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you (John 16:14); and the Son says, All things that the Father has are Mine (John 16:15). Thus the works of God reveal the unity of God.
And the love of God stands revealed at the cross, for He said, No one takes My life from Me; I lay it down of Myself (John 10:18); yet it pleased Yahweh to crush Him (Isaiah 53:10), and Christ… through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God (Hebrews 9:14). Father, Son, and Spirit act as one — redeeming the lost through blood that speaks better than Abel (Hebrews 12:24).
He rose again on the third day, declared the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4). He ascended far above the heavens (Ephesians 4:10), and sat at the Father's right hand (Hebrews 1:3). And because we are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba! Father! (Galatians 4:6).
Thus Christ is the revelation of God: the Word who was with God, the Son who reveals the Father, the One who pours out the Spirit, the fullness of Deity made flesh.
For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell (Colossians 1:19)— the meeting place of heaven and earth, the bridge between God and man, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
The Consummation: The Triune Foundation of All Things
I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty (Revelation 1:8); for before the mountains were born… from everlasting to everlasting, You are God (Psalm 90:2).
And as the story began with His Word, so it ends, for heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away (Matthew 24:35). Thus creation itself groans, waiting eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God (Romans 8:19); and He who made all things says, Behold, I am making all things new (Revelation 21:5).
For the Father purposed from eternity, having chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4); the Son redeemed, purchasing for God by His blood people from every tribe and tongue (Revelation 5:9); and the Spirit sealed, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of God's own possession (Ephesians 1:13-14).
Thus the end is not a collapse but a consummation, for of Him and through Him and to Him are all things (Romans 11:36). The knowledge of Yahweh will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9); justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:24); and death will be swallowed up forever (Isaiah 25:8).
Then the promise will be fulfilled: Behold, the dwelling of God is with man, and He will dwell with them (Revelation 21:3); and they will see His face (Revelation 22:4). No longer by faith, but by sight.
The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple (Revelation 21:22), and the glory of God illumines it, and the Lamb is its lamp (Revelation 21:23). The Spirit and the Bride say, Come (Revelation 22:17); and the Lamb says, Yes, I am coming quickly (Revelation 22:20).
Therefore no contradiction will remain, for the Judge of all the earth shall do justice (Genesis 18:25). No sorrow will remain, for He will wipe away every tear from their eyes (Revelation 21:4). No curse will remain, for there will no longer be any curse (Revelation 22:3). And no separation will remain, for God will be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28).
Thus from creation to consummation, the Triune God stands as the only foundation of all reality: the Father from whom all things are, the Son through whom all things are, the Spirit in whom all things live.
And heaven's song will never end: Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing (Revelation 5:12). And every creature will say, To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever (Revelation 5:13).
Epilogue: The Call to Reality
Return to Me, for I have redeemed you (Isaiah 44:22); and again, Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why will you die? (Ezekiel 33:11). For the living God… desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:3-4).
Thus the Son says, Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28); and again, The one who comes to Me I will never cast out (John 6:37). For this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent (John 17:3).
The Spirit also speaks, saying, Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts (Hebrews 3:7-8); for behold, now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). Every promise urges, every warning pleads, every call declares that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live (Ezekiel 33:11).
For the stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief cornerstone (Psalm 118:22); and he who believes in Him will not be put to shame (Romans 10:11). Therefore, repent and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15); for everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13).
Let the thirsty come, for I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost (Revelation 21:6). Let the hungry come, for whoever comes to Me shall never hunger (John 6:35). Let the burdened come, for if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36).
For all must stand before Him, for it is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27); yet the same Judge says, I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved (John 10:9).
Therefore, seek Yahweh while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near (Isaiah 55:6); forsake your way and return to Yahweh, and He will have compassion (Isaiah 55:7).
For the end of all things is near, and the Spirit and the Bride say, Come (Revelation 22:17); and the One who testifies says, Yes, I am coming quickly (Revelation 22:20).
To Him be glory forever, for He Himself has said, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me (John 14:6).