Creator Revealed (Part 2)

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT TODAY

In the first part of this bit we considered points 1 & 2 of 'How God is revealed in creation' from Chapter 3, God Makes: Creation from Marc Driscoll's book Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe.

Now consider how God is revealed a) generally within creation, b) specifically through the Word, and c) personally through the Holy Spirit, TO BE:

3) eternally uncaused;

4) living and active; and

5) independent

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This set of three characteristics of God speaks to His Sovereignty. That He as separate and distinct from His creation is the only One with true freedom of action. That is to say He is not compelled to action or externally motivated. Since the Lord is uncreated and eternal, His being is not predetermined by any limitation, whereas we are born into a finite existence bearing certain constraints, the most significant of these being the frailty of life in such a form and an assured physical end.

*** How does creation reveal both the eternality (unbegun/unending) of the Creator AND the temporality (definite time) of the Creation?

The Deists would have us would have us believe that such a God either once existed and now does not or that He brought the Universe into being and then by lack of concern or interest wandered off to more pressing cosmological matters. That is to say His single momentary creative act was all that mattered to His purposes.  That somehow He set in motion some great master Rube Goldberg machine of coincidence and collision which neither needs or wants for His continued involvement and then He just poofed out of existence or involvement.  Interestingly enough the underlying assumptions and key conclusions of scientific creationism are not unlike the Deist conception of this Mad Professor god rather than a living/active and Sovereign Lord over Creation. This is where the 'design requires a designer' argument ends and an encounter with the Creator begins.

*** How does creation itself reveal that God is living and active? What are some Scriptures that reveal God as a living and active being who is involved in His Creation? Listen to the Spirit, even now He speaks bringing life to you and me.

A strong understanding and combination of the first two points adds up to seeing how the independence of God is revealed.  As an uncreated, eternal, living and active being He has need for no thing.  This is true independence of existence, thought, and action.  The opposite of this is fallen man who constantly requires sustenance from the mere creation just to exist.  How then can we claim any ability of freedom in our thoughts and actions when we are bound even by the simplest of needs?  If you don’t believe this, will yourself not to eat ever again – soon enough you’ll understand my point.  Even better, as Christ said – make one hair on your head change color (without dye and gray does not count).  Even more than this limited physical form, we lack independence of will, emotion, or even coherent thought. All that we are, and in fact all that Creation is, is determined by some other thing at some level.  Why then should that other thing in our lives that determines us not be as was intended to be, the One that is not bound by any thing? 

*** Consider anything in creation and how it relies on other things for its existence.  Now consider your own life – what are you dependent on?  Do you rely on these things and/or your ability to secure these things apart from the One Will that is beyond these things?  Have you been living your life as if you alone were the determining factor of your existence or as if some thing other than God were what made you who / what you are?  Admit your dependence and then submit it to God alone.