God is good and everything God does is good. And this especially applies to creation. God had (and has) a design that is good.

Read through Genesis 1.

Why does God say “it was good”?

Day 2 is missing this phrase, why do you think this is the case?

What is significant of the last time when it says “it was very good”?

TOV is God’s artistic evaluation of all he did… In other words, TOV is a declaration of all creation being “just as God wanted.”

Is creation still good?

And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. 18 It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. —Genesis 3:17-18 (NLT)

What impact did the curse have on creation?

Sin might distort the goodness of creation, but it can’t make what God has said untrue. Creation is still good in the hands of God, and it still serves its purpose of proclaiming His glory in the world

For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. —Romans 8:19-22 (NLT)

What is Paul saying here?

God’s design is still TOV. And this isn’t just for creation in general… but also his creation in specific. In other words… God has a TOV design for us.

In the sermon, Mitch talked about how this design applies to marriage. Look at Genesis 2:22-24 and *Ephesians 5:31-33. *

How is God’s design for marriage good?
What does this mean?

God’s ultimate design is for us to love as He loves.

“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” 37 Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” —Matthew 22:36-40 (NLT)

How is the “Greatest Commands” related to God’s good design?

We may feel like this world is falling apart… but when we bring love into the equation (with the help of the Holy Spirit), we begin to work towards the restoration of God’s TOV design in all things.

Read Revelation 22:1-3.

In what other ways do we see God’s good design?