God created the world, the universe, and everything in it. He did this in order to allow other creatures to share in His goodness, glory, and will. While the specifics of the creation event are, as times, debated, there are several things that all Christians agree on. Let’s look at some of those things below.
- God spoke all things into existence. He created through His Word. His Word is Christ and we know that Christ does the will of the Father through the Holy Spirit. Genesis 1 shows that all the members of the Trinity are present in creation as it mentions God (referring to the Father), the Word referring to Christ, and God’s Spirit on the waters (referring to the Holy Spirit).
- The earth belongs to God. It is not ours to possess. We are called to fill it, but we are to act as caretakers of what God has entrusted to us. Creation still belongs to God. Because creation belongs to God, we must recognise that God has a purpose for all creation. His purposes include the ways in which humanity, plants, and animals all need one another. Everything in creation is interdependent. We need air, land, and water. We need insects and giant beasts. All creation points to the Lordship of God.
- While there are a number of theories regarding the processes and time in which God created the world, all Christians agree that God is the author of creation and that the process was directed by God. Creation did not happen through random chance; on the contrary, it gives evidence of great design, implying that it had a great Designer. Creation is a real event that took place as the first event in history.
- God values His creation; all He created is good (Genesis 1:31). All things are created for the glory of God (Revelation 4:11, Colossians 1:16). We are never more advanced in our concept of God than when we worship Him as Creator. Salvation is God saving what He created; His creatures should worship Him as Creator. All creation was good before the fall. Nothing was created to be intrinsically evil.
- Creation shows that God made humans to be something special. God created humanity in His image. This means that in many ways we are like God. God had a special plan for humanity. This plan involves God’s providence, sovereignty, and nature. Humans are different from animals and are to exercise dominion over them.
- Creation shows the limits of creaturehood. Humans are creative like God, but they do not create the way God creates. He creates from nothing; we only create from what He has already created. Additionally, our limits remind us that nothing other than God is self-sufficient or eternal.
- Creation requires responsibility on the part of human-kind. We are to recognise our role as stewards of the earth. We are to care for the earth because it belongs to God.
- There is justification for scientifically investigating creation. We are to love God with our minds. This includes understanding the world around us. While the Bible is not a science book, all it says about science is correct. We should not be afraid of science nor be be against it. Instead, we should study science to better understand the world and universe that God created.
