The Doctrine of Creation - Part 2
Notes
Transcript
Why Do We Believe That? Week 6
Systematic Theology—The Doctrine of Creation Part 2
· Where did we come from?
· Why are we here?
· Is there a purpose, a goal behind all that we see and experience?
· Or is life one big cosmic accident - directionless and purposeless?
Again, these are simple, straightforward questions to which the Bible gives straightforward answers.
Please turn with me to…
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
The earth didn’t have any shape. And it was empty. Darkness was over the surface of the ocean. At that time, the ocean covered the earth. The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light.
In the beginning, God created.
All of creation owes itself, not to chance and impersonal forces, but to God.
Origins begin with him.
He created everything out of nothing.
"In the beginning…," not "when God began to create" as if there was this timeless matter, some cosmic play dough that God stumbled across one day and decided to refashion and shape it into what we see today.
He's eternal; self-existent... everything else owes its existence to him.
He created by his word.
One of the constant refrains of Genesis 1:1-2:3 is… "and God said, and God said."
The picture is not one of God toiling over his work. It's not a picture of trial and error, like some frustrated inventor burying his head in his hands.
His words are power (they create) and perfection (they create exactly what he intended them to create).
He created all things.
That's what Genesis 1-2:3 is all about.
It's the all-encompassing account of origins - from stars and galaxies to microscopic creatures.
Genesis 1-2:3 is the google-earth view of creation… it's the big picture.
And then in 2.4ff, we able to zoom into google-street view... we zoom in on the creation of humanity and all that transpires.
Keep in mind… they're not two separate accounts, but two complementary accounts from different perspectives.
Plus, it’s important to remember that the chapter and verse numbers weren't placed in the Bible until the 16th century.
Therefore, Moses intends for the second chapter to be read closely with the first and for each chapter to be identified as part of the same event, with chapter two providing additional explanations.
Today I want us to take a step back and ask… "What's God's relationship to his creation?"
This is an essential question because our understanding of this question makes all the distinctions between Christianity and false religions.
And so first, we're going to look at four non-Christian worldviews.
Then we'll look specifically at how the Bible describes God's relationship to creation.
And to finish up, we'll look at the crown jewel of creation – humanity.
I. Four Non-Christian Views of God and Creation
There have been many philosophical worldviews put forth to explain God's relationship with his creation.
The first view is an old view enjoying a resurgence thanks to its infamous billionaire spokesperson, Oprah Winfrey.
1. Pantheism (Stoics of the first century, Buddhism, the Eastern and New Age religions of today) all teach that God is everything (pan=all and theism=belief in a god). Thus, everything is God.
Oprah Winfrey, in an interview, said this about her definition of God, "My definition of God is the all...the all in the all, through the all, above the all, in the all."
According to pantheism, what we all need to do is "get in touch" with, "become one" with the divine "in here," and the divine "out there."
According to pantheism, God has no distinct personality… he's not immutable or unchanging, proof being the universe is always changing.
God isn't, in any sense morally perfect, because the evil in the universe is also a part of God.
One of the significant challenges to pantheism is that the divine exists as much in the most morally reprehensible acts as it does in beauty or delicious food.
Even more importantly, there's no God on the outside who can break in and rescue us.
So, there's no hope of deliverance, only acceptance.
Therefore, the only viable response of many first-century stoics and today in the West is suicide.
2. Dualism – Dualism is the idea that there are two ultimate forces in the universe, good and evil, sometimes presented as God and matter.
An easy and simple way to remember what dualism is – is to think of the word with its multiple spellings.
Dual = 2 – Good and Evil.
Duel = A Battle.
Thus, dualism is a battle between good and evil, resulting in a protracted cosmic struggle for supremacy.
This is the worldview perpetuated in the Star Wars Series.
You've got the Jedi and the Sith acting as dueling forces of good and evil.
In dualism, the spirit is good, but the body is evil; thus, the desire to escape the material realm for a higher spiritual realm.
That might sound all well and good BUT… dualism denies God's Lordship of creation and the goodness of the created world.
In the new heavens and the new earth, we don't become disembodied spirits, but rather souls with newly created heavenly bodies.
That's right… ole Steve will finally get a "heavenly" body. 😊
3. Deism – Deism is the view that God is not presently involved in creation… he created it but is now distant and removed from what He made.
In other words, God is the divine clockmaker who created the "clock of creation," wound it up, and is letting it run on its own.
This, of course, runs counter to Christianity because Christianity asserts that not only is God presently acting to sustain creation, but he continues to work in creation, most notably in the Incarnation.
4. Materialism (or naturalism). The materialist view of the world is not what it initially sounds like. It's not a worldview where its followers are looking to get rich and buy big homes, fast cars, and designer clothes. Materialism is the view that the material universe is all there is.
Men like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris are contemporary advocates of this view and the late Christopher Hitchens.
Materialism says we live in a closed world, and no force from the outside, call it God or whatever you like, can enter in and disturb the physical world.
They believe our lives are governed purely by impersonal laws operating over strictly natural phenomena.
Creation is not a gift given by a loving creator, but an "epic, purposeless accident."
According to the materialist, you owe your existence to an epic, purposeless accident! Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?
Richard Dawkins was asked if such a view made him depressed. He said, "no… but if somebody does, that's their problem… the universe is bleak, cold, and empty. But so, what?"
If materialism is true, concepts like "good" and "evil" are merely human constructs.
But in the end, such a worldview is false. Eventually, it leads to the rejection of all religious and moral principles, believing that life is meaningless.
In a materialist universe, actions aren't moral or immoral… they just are.
Within this worldview, we're forced to argue that the actions of rapists, pedophiles, sodomites, and serial killers are not really "wrong" in any objective sense.
Listen, if that's all life is, then we might as well throw up our hands "eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die."
These four worldviews run entirely contrary to the Biblical account, don't you agree?
They either deny God's superiority over his creation, or they obliterate his relationship with it altogether.
So, let's move on to…
II. God's Relationship to Creation
God is distinct from creation, yet God is always involved in creation, and creation is always dependent upon God. (repeat)
As I've already mentioned, creation isn't self-created, and so it's not self-sustaining.
The stability of humanity, as well as the entire universe, depends on God's sustaining power.
Paul affirms our dependence on God in Acts chapter 17 when he says that God…
He is not served by human hands. He doesn’t need anything. He himself gives life and breath to all people. He also gives them everything else they have.
‘In him we live and move and exist.’ As some of your own poets have also said, ‘We are his children.’
The gospel tells of our God who is above all the earth and is so concerned for his creation that he sent his Son Jesus Christ into the world to save it.
And so, the traditional way that Christians speak about God's relationship to the world is in terms of his transcendence and his imminence
1. Transcendence
When we talk about God's transcendence, we're talking about his kingship, majesty, and holiness.
God's transcendence means that God is distinct from and sovereign over all creation.
“My thoughts are not like your thoughts. And your ways are not like my ways,” announces the Lord.
“The heavens are higher than the earth. And my ways are higher than your ways. My thoughts are higher than your thoughts.
Who is like the Lord our God? He sits on his throne in heaven.
He bends down to look at the heavens and the earth.
But Jesus said, “You are from below. I am from heaven. You are from this world. I am not from this world.
Or picture the scene from Isaiah 6:1-5 where Isaiah sees the LORD high and lifted up, sitting on his heavenly throne.
So, the transcendence of God is best understood as a reference to his kingship.
His transcendence means he is sovereign over all his creatures
But we don't want to make the mistake of believing that God is so "other" that he doesn't interact with creation, that'd lead us to fall into deism.
So, God is not only transcendent, but he's also…
2. Immanent
Scripture teaches that not only is God transcendent, but he's also immanent or present
Immanence refers to his presence on earth, and especially to his nearness to his people.
The Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Today you must agree with that and take it to heart. There is no other God.
“When we heard about it, our hearts melted away in fear. Because of you, we aren’t brave anymore. The Lord your God is the God who rules over heaven above and earth below.
The One who is highly honored lives forever. His name is holy. He says, “I live in a high and holy place. But I also live with anyone who turns away from his sins. I live with anyone who is not proud. I give new life to him. I give it to anyone who turns away from his sins.
Immanence then refers to God's covenant presence in his creation and among his people.
Think about the implications of this in your own life.
We sometimes think of Systematic Theology as dry or dull, but what could be more relevant, more exciting, more important than knowing that the holy and transcendent God of the universe who dwells in unapproachable light also purposefully draws close to you in unconditional love.
The Lord is ready to help all those who call out to him. He helps those who really mean it when they call out to him.
Creation is continually dependent on him for its existence and proper functioning.
He's immanent, meaning "remaining in" creation.
We see this in Hebrews 1:3 where Jesus is described as sustaining all things by the power of his word.
In the biblical worldview, heaven and earth aren't the same (pantheism) or completely separated (deism/naturalism), but God interlocks heaven with earth with his overseeing presence.
We see this in…
· Jacob's vision of a ladder coming down from heaven
· In the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night
· In the tent of meeting which served as a portable meeting place between heaven and earth
· In Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.
Transcendence and immanence.
And now, to finish up, let's look at the crown jewel of all creation – humanity.
III. God created Adam and Eve
The pinnacle of the whole creation account is when God created Adam and Eve.
Then the Lord God formed a man. He made him out of the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into him. And the man became a living person.
After that, God created Eve from Adam's body.
So the Lord God caused him to fall into a deep sleep. While the man was sleeping, the Lord God took out one of his ribs. He closed up the opening that was in his side.
Then the Lord God made a woman. He made her from the rib he had taken out of the man. And he brought her to him.
Though distinct as male and female, with distinct and particular roles, Adam and Eve first share something that makes them both equal and qualitatively different from the rest of creation.
You say what is it, preacher? They're made in the image of God.
So God created man in his own likeness. He created him in the likeness of God. He created them as male and female.
So, what does that mean, we're uniquely created "in God's image"???
Three things, we image God…
1. In our essence/nature
2. Functionally
3. Relationally
First, in our essence or nature, we're uniquely found to be intellectual, rational, moral, and spiritual.
Beavers aren't building altars to beaver gods and bowing down to them.
Though highly sophisticated socially (even having their own form of burial), elephants don't write books and build libraries that contain their growing knowledge.
Humanity is uniquely made in God's image.
Second, functionally we image God in that we're meant to rule.
In Genesis 1:28, humanity is commanded to multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it.
In Genesis 1:29 we're told to rule over it… not as tyrants who destroy it for our advantage, but as those who were given a stewardship to "work it and watch over it" Genesis 2:15.
We're God's vice-regents, exercising his good authority over what he's made and declared to be good.
Thirdly, we image God relationally.
We were created to have relationships with one another, but most fundamentally, with God.
Practically, it's because we're made in his image that human life is sacred… meaning it has great value.
We're not like pets... we don't choose to put another human being "down" when it can't function well or because we've lost our utility.
We've "found" euthanasia only because we've first "lost" what it means to be made uniquely in God's image.
Because God made us and made us to be in a relationship with him and all he's made, and because it's orderly and good, we can know much about the world and much about him.
The biblical account of creation is the foundation of our ability to know the truth about God. Critically important.
Many object and say that Genesis doesn't intend to portray Adam and Eve as literal individuals.
This is a live and hotly debated issue today, not just in theologically "liberal" denominations, but in historically very conservative denominations as well.
But what do we say? We say that the historical narrative in Genesis is understood as a faithful telling of accurate history.
Furthermore, the biblical genealogies present Adam and Eve as historical figures.
Jesus assumes a literal Adam and Eve in Matthew 19 when discussing divorce.
Paul assumes the same in Romans 5, 1 Corinthians 15, and 1 Timothy 2.
Looking at Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15, Paul affirms the existence of the "one-man" Adam, through whom sin came into the world, and bases his discussion of Christ's representative work as the second Adam, patterned after the first Adam.
Many people were made sinners because one man did not obey. But one man did obey. That is why many people will be made right with God.
Remember, last week, I said that without creation, there is no Christianity?
Here's the key... if there's no Adam, the Bible is not just wrong on creation but wrong about sin and salvation.
Conclusion
IV. Why does the doctrine of creation matter?
God of covenant is God of creation.
God of creation has the power to bring about a new creation.
Our future hope of salvation is built upon a God who has the power to make all things new.
Amen!
Let's Pray…