Throughout my life, I’ve gone through seasons of depression, the kind that ruins a mountain view. I remember specific moments when I went to the top of a mountain in hopes of helping my downcast spirit only to see the gorgeous view and feel nothing. I could not awaken my eyes, or my heart to see glory even though I wanted to.
But there have been other moments on the mountain top when I experienced ecstatic, overflowing, exuberant joy gazing at the colors in the sky that covered the mountains. The beauty ushered me into praise towards Jesus. I saw glory not simply with my eyes, but with my soul.
In one sense, creation is empty in and of itself. It can’t heal a wounded heart. But in another sense, there’s a fullness that creation points to. Creation is a beautiful gift that can supplement our faith. What we believe about creation is important, because it’s part of our worldview.
So what should we think about creation? And what does it have to do with Christ?
Here are five truths regarding creation.
1. Creation Points to God
Creation speaks loudly of the LORD. The splendor of the sky and the grandeur of the mountains points us to an even greater beauty, God Himself. Creation tells a message about God, not about itself. The purpose of creation is God’s glory.
Psalm 19:1-4a says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.”
2. Creation is Empty Without Praise of God
Creation by itself, apart from God, is utter emptiness.
Creation is hollow, and meaningless if there is no creator. It’s like the nothingness that I experienced on top of Sassafras Mountain during my season of depression. That’s creation without giving praise to God. The unbeliever who sees creation and adores creation for what it is, instead of for who it points to, is left dead.
Those who worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator face the judgment of God (Rom. 1:24-25).
3. Creation has a Maker
There are arguments for and against the existence of God. But no one argues that you or I don’t exist. We just argue about how we came to exist. Atheists may not think that God created trees, animals, and human beings. But they accept that trees, animals, and humans exist. But we all may ask the question, “how did we get here?”
Biblically speaking we know that creation can’t exist apart from God. There isn’t a second option. He created everything, holds it all together, and owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Jn.1:3, Col.1:15-18, Ps. 50:10-12). God is the reason the sun comes up every day and goes down every night (Ps. 19:4-6). If we were thinking like Aristotle in philosophy, then we might consider Him the “unmoved mover.” For everything there must be a cause, and there must be one cause that wasn’t “caused” by anything, but just IS. In simple terms, there must be one above all and behind all.
Colossians 1:16-17 tells us who that is.
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
4. Creation is a Form of General Revelation
So then how do we, the one acted upon, know who acted upon us? In essence, how do we know how we got here? The one-word answer is: revelation.
God has revealed Himself to humankind by what He has made (Rom. 1:19-20). Everyone is responsible for their response to that general revelation. We’re condemned by that revelation when it doesn’t cause us to seek after God and give Him the glory He deserves. The general revelation of creation is sufficient for us to believe in God’s existence.
5. Creation is Insufficient Revelation for Salvation
But believing in God’s existence isn’t saving faith. Creation may cause us to seek after God, but creation alone doesn’t provide us with the knowledge of God’s redemptive work. There had to be another form of revelation, what most refer to as special revelation. The Bible, God’s Word, is that special revelation.
Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” We can’t practice faith apart from God’s Word. It’s impossible. Faith always rests on promises and the Bible gives us those promises.
But wait… there’s more.
If the Bible is that special revelation, then the fullest expression of that revelation, is Jesus, the Word Himself.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:14).
In other words, the “unmoved mover” has revealed Himself. The Maker has come down to make Himself known. The uncreated one, who’s always existed, stepped foot on the dust He made (Jn. 1:10-11).
Remember in the beginning I talked about not being able to see glory on the mountain when I was depressed. Well, through Christ we see, I mean really SEE the glory of God.
Think about that phrase from John 1:14, “We have seen His glory.” We can see some of God’s glory through creation. But we more fully see God’s glory through Jesus Christ. No, we haven’t physically seen Him with our eyes, but oh how we have tasted and seen with the heart of faith.
“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).
We can rejoice in Jesus Christ! God is Spirit, He is invisible. So, it’s impossible for us to see Him. But in His kindness and graciousness, He gave us Jesus Christ to behold, to look at. Jesus is the “image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15).
Sadly, not everyone sees the “light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:3-4).
So, how can we apply these five truths? Read part two: “The Gift of Creation: How Its Beauty Can Aid in Our Sanctification.”