Having established the eternal decree by which God ordained all things, the Confession now turns to the first outworking of that decree in history: the act of creation. This is where God’s eternal purpose breaks forth into temporal reality. The doctrine of creation is the starting point for the entire biblical narrative and the necessary foundation for understanding everything that follows—providence, the fall, redemption, and final glory. It answers the most basic questions of existence: Where did all this come from? Why are we here? And who is in charge? The Divines’ answer is clear, profound, and stands in stark opposition to every humanistic philosophy.
The Confession teaches that the Triune God, for the manifestation of His own glory, was pleased to create the entire universe out of nothing in six days, culminating in the creation of humanity in His own image, perfectly righteous and capable of fellowship with Him, yet with the freedom to fall.
The Work of the Triune God (WCF 4.1)
The first paragraph declares that “It pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost…in the beginning, to create, or make of nothing, the world, and all things therein.” Creation is explicitly a Trinitarian work. While we often ascribe creation to the Father, the Confession reminds us that the Son and Spirit were active agents. The author of Hebrews tells us the Father created the world through the Son (Heb. 1:2), and John’s gospel affirms that “all things were made by him” (John 1:2–3). The Holy Spirit was also intimately involved, as Genesis 1:2 describes the Spirit of God hovering over the waters, and Job poetically states, “By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens” (Job 26:13; 33:4).
The purpose for this grand work was not that God was lonely or needy, but “for the manifestation of the glory of His eternal power, wisdom, and goodness.” Creation is a divine act of self-revelation. As Paul writes in Romans 1:20, God’s invisible attributes “are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.” The Psalmist concurs, declaring, “The earth is full of thy riches” (Ps. 104:24).
The method was creatio ex nihilo—creation “of nothing.” This is not shaping pre-existing matter, but calling matter into existence, so that “things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Heb. 11:3). The divines affirm this all took place “in the space of six days; and all very good,” echoing the refrain of Genesis 1. Whether visible or invisible (Col. 1:16), angels or atoms, all owe their existence to His fiat.
The Crown of Creation (WCF 4.2)
After describing the creation of the cosmos, the Confession focuses on its pinnacle. “After God had made all other creatures, He created man, male and female” (Gen. 1:27). Humanity is unique. We are not merely intelligent animals; we are created “with reasonable and immortal souls.” The divines point to Genesis 2:7, where God breathes into Adam the breath of life, and Ecclesiastes 12:7, which teaches that at death “the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” Jesus Himself warns us not to fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul (Matt. 10:28).
The essence of our uniqueness is the Imago Dei, the Image of God. The Confession defines this image not in physical terms, but in moral and spiritual ones: man was “endued with knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, after His own image.” This reflects the New Testament’s description of the renewed man, who puts on the new self “renewed in knowledge” (Col. 3:10) and created in “righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:24).
This original man had “the law of God written in their hearts, and power to fulfil it” (Rom. 2:14–15; Eccl. 7:29). Adam was not morally neutral; he was righteous and had the inherent ability to obey God perfectly. Yet, this state was not unchangeable. He was “under a possibility of transgressing, being left to the liberty of their own will, which was subject unto change” (Gen. 3:6).
“Beside this law written in their hearts, they received a command, not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen. 2:17). This specific prohibition was the test of their obedience. As long as they kept this covenant, “they were happy in their communion with God, and had dominion over the creatures” (Gen. 1:26, 28).
Conclusion
The doctrine of creation establishes the proper order of all things. God is the sovereign, self-sufficient Creator; the universe is His purposeful, dependent creation. We, as humanity, were made as the glorious apex of that creation, bearing His image and designed for fellowship with Him. This original state of innocence and righteousness was the perfect context for a life of joyful obedience. But the Confession’s careful wording—that man’s will was “subject unto change”—sets the stage for the tragedy of the next chapter, reminding us that this perfect beginning was not the final word in the story of God’s relationship with mankind.
Key Terms/Concepts
- Creatio ex nihilo: (Latin: “creation out of nothing”) The doctrine that God created the entire universe out of no pre-existing materials, a pure act of His sovereign will.
- Imago Dei (Image of God): The ways in which humanity reflects the communicable attributes of God. The Confession defines its original state primarily in terms of moral and spiritual capacities: knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness.
- Covenant of Works: The pre-fall covenant arrangement between God and Adam. While the Confession uses the term explicitly in Chapter 7, the concept is present here: Adam had a law, a specific command, and the promise of life (communion) upon obedience.
- Original Righteousness: The state of Adam and Eve before the Fall, where their wills were aligned with God’s will, and they possessed the ability to not sin (posse non peccare).