Recently I took part in a seminary project that had each participant trying to boil down, to as simple of terms as possible, an introduction to Christian belief about God’s role and power of creation.  Ideally the introduction would include several Scripture references that would point the listener/reader to places for additional study.  The idea was not to create a polemic against other views, but rather state in a simple, straightforward way the Christian view as an introduction.

I thought that perhaps you might enjoy the short read of what I put together, with the hope that it spurs on further thought, and serves to edify you in future conversations.

A Short Introduction to Christian Belief on Creation

As a Christian, I believe that God is the creator of all things – that means the trees and sky and stars, and also animals and human beings.  My confidence in God as creator is grounded in my confidence in the Bible as the authoritative and accurate word of God (2 Tim. 3:15-17, 2 Pet. 1:20-21). In fact, Moses, who wrote the creation account in the book of Genesis, often said that his words were not his, but God’s (Ex. 24:4, Ex. 34:27-28, Num. 33:1-2, Deut. 31:9).

The Bible begins by telling us about how we began, and how the world came into being (Gen. 1-2).  In these early chapters we find details that amaze us, and also leave us asking questions. We aren’t given all the answers to the questions, but rather we are given everything we need to know to live our lives in a way that pleases God (2 Peter 1:3). And because the Bible says we are created in God’s “image” (Gen. 1:26-27), we also have creative abilities (of a much lesser order!), a desire for beauty, and an appreciation for science and art.  Most importantly, we were made for fellowship with our Maker – which Jesus came to restore (Jn. 10:10).

The ramifications of God being the creator of all things can be see both in nature and in our daily lives.  Nature shows us the intricate and amazing depth of knowledge that God has (Job 38-41, Is. 55:8-11) and reveals a lot about His character (Ps. 19:1-6).  And knowing that God created all things – including you and me – helps us know that we are here for a reason, and that our lives have purpose in His sovereign plan (1 Sam. 2:6-7, Prov. 16:4).  It also reassures us that the One powerful enough to create everything is also in control of everything (Is. 45:6-7, 55:8-11, Dan. 4:35), and rules over all that He created (1 Chron. 29:11, Eph. 1:11).

In the New Testament we learn that Jesus (like the Spirit and the Father) was involved in creating the world (John 1:3, Col. 1:15-20), and maintains an intimate relationship with His creation, which He sustains simply by the power of His word (Heb. 1:3). It is an assuring thought that Jesus both understands our pain (Heb. 4:15, Matthew 4:2, John 19:28 etc.) and what it is like to live upon the earth (1 John 1:1-4, 2 John 7 etc.), yet also created us (Ps. 51), knows every hair on our heads (Luke 12:7), and has a great purpose for our lives (Eph. 1:3-14).