The God who Creates

The God who Creates
Genesis 1-4
“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him: male and female He created them.”

The first three chapters of the Bible are pivotal to understanding the rest of Scripture and crucial in our exploration of God.  It is no wonder that these three chapters are often challenged and rejected as truth.  Under the guise of science, people seek to deny the accuracy and legitimacy of these chapters.  But why are they so critical, and how is the whole message of the Bible dependent on the truthfulness of these first three chapters?

As we begin our journey of the exploration of the autobiography of God, these first three chapters establish the basis for our understanding.  The story starts with a simple statement encompassing 10 words (7 in Hebrew).  However, this statement is the foundation for everything we believe about God and our understanding of the Bible.  In these words, we discover two essential truths that establish the basis for the rest of the Bible.  The first fundamental truth is that God is separate from creation, and He has existed from eternity past.  When writing an autobiography, one starts with the beginning of the person's life, for it is here that the story begins.  But the story does not start with the beginning of God, for God has no beginning.  He has always existed from eternity past.  None predates him, nor is there anything or anyone that brought God into existence.  He always has been, and he always will be. He stands alone, independent of all things. Instead, the story starts with what God has done.

Second, all of creation exists because of God.  From the mightiest angels in heaven to the smallest microbe on earth, everything owes its existence to God.  All things were created by Him and for Him. He is the uncaused cause of all created things. While we affirm this truth about God we often fail to recognize or accept the implications of it.  Since God is the source and creator of all things, He stands above creation and has the authority over all creation.  As our creator, He determines the purpose of all things, including all humanity.  If we are the product of the working of some chance mutation rather than the work of God, then we are accountable to no one but ourselves.  If we are not the work of God, then we are no longer responsible to him, and we can control our destiny and purpose in life.  We can live as we please. But if our existence depends on God, He has the right to govern our lives. Isaiah recognized this truth when he wrote, “Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker—An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, ‘what are you doing?’ Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?” (Isaiah 45:9).

All of scripture is based on the truth that God created humanity, and as our creator, He has the right to define our purpose and govern our lives.  As the creator, He has the authority to determine where and why we live and dictate the moral laws we must follow.  The command to Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of Good and evil is based upon God’s authority as the creator.  He has the right to establish moral laws and determine the consequences when we reject His laws.  The Bible has authority, not because it has sound principles but because the one who is the author of the Book is the Creator of all things.  Yet, God is not some impersonal force.  He is a God who is a person who desires a personal relationship with us.  He cares deeply about His creation so that even though we rebelled against Him in the Garden, He did not annihilate us to start over.  Instead, He established a plan to bring us back to Him and to restore creation to His original intent.  The first step in understanding this plan is accepting His authority as our Creator.  As you start to read the autobiography of God, take time to reflect on how God’s position as your creator governs how you respond to Him.