Worldview Assignment: The Idea Of God In His Creation

Caleb Smith February 20, 2015
Theo 201-003
Dr. Chatraw
Worldview Assignment

The idea of God being actively involved in His creation is a core, fundamental belief or doctrine found in Christianity. In fact I’d venture to say that it is one of the first things a person must realize and recognize about God in order to better understand the other aspects of Him and also our role in the world. In the very first verse of the Bible, (Genesis 1:1) we read that God created the heavens and the Earth. Over the course of the next five days, he created everything else including humans, animals, basically- everything. However, He
did not stop there, he didn’t just “wind up the clock and let it tick” so to speak, but rather he is still actively involved in his creation everywhere from a universal perspective all the way down do an individual basis.
One thing we must keep in mind though is that we will never be fully able to understand God. Erikson says in his book, Christian Doctrine “God can never be captured in human concepts.” Later he states, “There will always be a difference gap between God and human beings.” We will never be able to completely understand Him, but he reveals enough of himself to us for us to be able to comprehend some of His most important characteristics. Another aspect that is very important to consider, is that God enjoys his creation. We find in Genesis 1:31 “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” What does that mean to us as his creation? It means that He cares for us and is invested in us. Not invested in way that means he is reliant on us, however he wants best for us. God created Humans in “His image” according to Genesis. This means that we are special to Him, and even more- He wants to have a relationship with us. This further means that he created us with the intention
of staying involved. In Isaiah 43:7 it says “Everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed, even whom I have made. The first half of that verse is particularly relevant in the context of discussing why we are here and what God expects from us. In Ephesians 2:10 it says, “for good works, which God prepared ahead of time, so that we should walk in them” What this tells us is that God has actively been active and involved in His creation- even before He created it. So what does all this mean for the modern Christian?
First and foremost it means that we have a reason for being here, secondly it means that we are serving an active God, who is currently involved in our lives. As M.J. Erikson says in his book Christian Doctrine p87 “…God is present and active within his creation and within the human race, even those members it that do not believe in or disobey him. His influence is everywhere.” This means that, as Christians, we are to treat everyone as Gods creation; not just other believers. For example, I am currently in the military and would like to pursue a career in intelligence/government after I graduate from Liberty. So how does the fact that God is currently involved in my life affect me on my career? It means that I need to maintain my integrity at all times, and with everyone I come in contact with. While still attempting to be as competitive as possible in this field, I must also keep in mind that God has a specific plan for me, ((Jeremiah 29:11. 12) “For I know the plans I have for you…you will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”) and that anybody that I would be potentially fighting against for a certain position or privilege is also part of God’s creation. Which means they deserve respect and honesty from me. Just like Erikson says in his book, “By virtue of our origin, we have kinship with the rest of God’s creation, and in particular with the entire human race.” One of the most
obvious scenarios I can see myself in where respect for another human is required regardless of whether I think they deserve it or not; is if somebody with authority over me in the Army tells me to do something. Something which I know is a waste of time or pointless, but I must do it anyways because they are in authority over me. My main motivation for doing so is because I know that God placed him in authority over me, and secondarily because I will face punishment (from him, not God) if I don’t! In conclusion, we have to realize that when God created everything, he didn’t just kick back and is now just watching us do our thing for his entertainment. He is actively involved if our world and our lives. To deny so, would be to deny one of the basest principles found in the Bible. He cares about every one of us, a quote from Erikson’s book which reads “God personally cares for those who are His.” Let us try to live lives which reflect that love that we receive from him in every way possible.

Bibliography

Erickson, Millard. Introducing Christian Doctrine, 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001.