About the Creator
July 31, 2020If you find yourself tarrying here and wondering why I make so much of the Creator, it’s because I believe God created the heavens and earth — in fact all things, as Holy Scripture reveals (Revelation 4:11). When I look at His creation it points me to Him and confirms for me what Scripture says. I consider His handiwork and marvel at the kind of God He is. Every created thing speaks, saying, “Oh look, and consider the One who has fashioned me for your delight! Consider His attributes, consider His ways, consider His tender affection; praise Him, enjoy Him through His handiwork.”
The beauty of a garden or any element of nature’s realm is one way of learning about God. But His complete story for us is contained in His word, the Bible. It reveals all we need to know about who He is, a living and loving God; it exposes Him as the good, compassionate, merciful, eternal, and holy Creator and Savior. His message to us is a loving invitation from a faithful Father God to His children. It is a story of rescue. It clearly lays out our need and the good news of His solution. The unfolding of it from the beginning to the end discloses two ways to live.
The Bible explains our beginning right away by saying God created us (Genesis 1:1). The reason He created us was for His glory; we are to reflect His character. This is what we were made for, and we do this by loving, trusting, and thanking Him; we also follow His instructions and treasure Him above all things as we live and work in the world He created for us (Isaiah 43:6-7 and Genesis 1:26-27).
But none of us has glorified Him as we ought. Instead, we reject Him as our loving ruler — everyone has done this (Romans 3:10-12). We try to run our lives our own way, without Him. We don’t like someone else telling us what to do or how to live, so we rebel. We ignore Him, disobey His instruction, follow our own desires, and seek other treasures. God defines this as sin (Romans 3:23).
This points to our dilemma and our greatest need — God is holy and we aren’t. Scripture explains that because of our sin, we are separated from God and deserve eternal punishment (2 Thessalonians 1:9). His response to our “Go away,” is that He does, and we are separated into everlasting destruction. Because we all sin, it’s a prospect we all face (Romans 3:23).
Yet in His mercy, God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to provide for sinners the way of eternal life (John 3:16). Jesus never rebelled or followed his own desires instead of God’s way. He chose to suffer and die in our place. Taking the full force of God’s judgment, Christ took our punishment and provided us with pardon. His death was substituted for ours, the righteous one dying for the unrighteous, to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18).
God accepted Christ’s death as payment for our sin and raised Jesus from the dead, making Him judge and ruler of the world. Christ offers us new life, now and eternally. His offer provides forgiveness for our sin; it provides a fresh start in which we’re no longer rebels, but now His friends and children of the faithful Father God (1 Peter 1:3).
These are the two ways of life Scripture relates (John 3:36). In one, we continue in our way. We reject God as ruler, and attempt to run our own lives and rely only on ourselves. In this way of life we face His judgment: life without Him now and separation from Him for eternity. In the other way we accept His offer, His undeserved offer, and live God’s way. This means we place our faith in Jesus as our living Savior. We rely on His death and resurrection and ask for His mercy. Jesus forgives us freely. He completely wipes our slate clean and gives us new life now and forever (Ephesians 2:8-9).
This is His good news and why I make much of the Creator! If this is good news for you as well and you want His way, go to Him; confess how you’ve sinned and acknowledge you want to change direction. Ask for help to follow Him instead of your own way. He waits for you with open arms. If this news is not of interest right now, ask God to continue to show you His goodness and to illuminate His way to you.
In the Tool Shed is a page with resources to help you on your way.