A Creation That Shows God’s Love / Part 1

A Creation that Shows God’s Love

From Creation To The Flood – Part 1
AN ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM OF EVIL

We are going to look at a jigsaw puzzle that only has three pieces. This sounds easy to solve. The three pieces of the puzzle are: God created everything; there is evil in the world; yet creation is very good. Let’s see how these pieces fit together.

1. God Created Everything
The first piece of the jigsaw is the statement that “God created everything,” which comes from the first verse of the Bible: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1 NIV). He is the great Creator. But what has He done since creation?

Some believe that God rested after creating the universe and became a distant spectator of a creation that exists without Him. Others have a similar idea, but will acknowledge that Adam’s sin prompted God to get back to work and launch a rescue mission. They think that God wanted to stand back and watch, but found Himself forced into further action.

But what does the Bible say? Jesus said, “My Father works until now, and I am working” (Jn. 5:17). And Paul wrote, “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it” (Phil. 1:6). These verses show that God is still intimately involved with His world. He is not distant; He knows everything in detail. God’s creatorship is a present and on-going reality, not just something in the past. His creative work is not yet finished.

This on-going aspect of God’s creative work is called by several names; in His routine maintenance work – like keeping the planets from bumping each other, and sending rain and seasons – He is called “Sustainer” (Heb. 1:3). In His work within the Church He is called “Savior,” “Redeemer” and “Sanctifier.”

This latter-day work did not come as a surprise to God, as He was aware of sin entering the world. God did not have to regain control of a situation that had gotten out of hand. He knew from the very beginning what would be needed, and what He would do about it (Isa. 46:10). This extends to the finest details of what each person will do in every circumstance (Eph. 2:10). God makes sure that His plans are not just wishful thinking. He not only plans everything, He makes sure it comes to pass (Rom. 8:28-30).

God is totally in control, and always has been. So the different names for Him are really only different aspects of the one creative work. Creation is all one – from Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning,” through to the final judgment of Revelation 22:12 – and God is Sovereign over all of it.

2. There Is Evil In The World
The second piece of the puzzle is not a pretty one. It is the statement that “there is evil in the world.” Paul describes it graphically in Romans 1:18-32, showing that there is terrible evil in this world. We will see below that the presence of evil and suffering in the world is no surprise to God. While God is not the creator of evil, it was foreknown by Him, and will ultimately achieve His purposes.

3. Creation Is Very Good
The third piece of the puzzle is the statement that “creation is very good.” Genesis 1:31 puts it this way: “God saw everything He had made, and indeed it was very good.” Traditionally, this verse has been interpreted to apply to the creation before the fall into sin. But there is another possibility, that it applies to everything God made, spread over all of time and space. After all, God can see the future as well as the past, and the verse does say “God saw everything.” But it really doesn’t matter which interpretation you apply; both have the same problem when we try to fit the pieces together.

So these are the three puzzle pieces: 1. God created the whole show, from the introductory music to the credits at the end. 2. It is full of evil. 3. And yet, God says it is “very good.” Everyone seems to think that these pieces can’t possibly fit together. It’s usually referred to as “the problem of evil,” and non-Christians often throw it at us in one form or another.

We’ve all heard some version of it. The most common is, “How could a loving God let innocent people suffer?” They conclude that either there is no God, or He isn’t powerful enough to help, or He isn’t loving enough to help. What exactly is God guilty of: absence, impotence, or negligence?

The most common answer comes in two easy steps. The first is, “It all started with Adam’s sin, so blame him!” This is true, but it doesn’t cover all the facts. After all, God knew Adam would sin, and made him anyway. The same applies to Satan. This answer avoids the question and also makes God look as though He is trying to blame someone else. The second is, “It’ll be all right in the end. One day God will wipe away every tear!” But if He’s going to wipe away every tear, then why allow people to cry in the first place? This is just another way of saying the creation isn’t “very good” so it doesn’t solve the puzzle. This answer is not good enough.

Why Is Creation Very Good?
These answers aren’t good enough because we are answering the wrong question. Perhaps the question is not, “Why is there evil in the world?” but, “Why does God say, ‘It is very good’?” Perhaps we need to look at the third puzzle piece more closely. What does it mean to say something is good? We refer to a good meal, a good friend, and a good kick for goal. For something to be “good” it must fit its intended purpose, do what it’s intended to do, and achieve the desired result.

Why do some people say the creation is not “very good”? Aren’t they really saying that creation does not do what they want? Aren’t they making the assumption that if something doesn’t suit their purposes, if it doesn’t do what they want, then it’s “not good”? The whole created universe is in front of them, but because some small piece isn’t arranged to suit their demands they say it’s not good. Now isn’t this a bit arrogant?

Perhaps creation was arranged to suit someone else’s demands. Perhaps this someone arranged it that way because this someone is more powerful and wise. Perhaps it was God who arranged it to suit His purposes!

So when God calls His completed creation “very good,” He means that it will do what He intends it to do, whether we sinful creatures happen to agree with Him or not. When He created, was it just to keep us happy? Or was there something more important on His mind? Many Christians just assume that He created the world for our benefit. After all, didn’t He tell Adam and Eve to “have dominion over the earth”? Didn’t He also say, “I give you every herb which yields seed, and every tree”? The earth is very much God’s gift to us.

God does love us, and He did create the world for us. But why did He create us? We are part of creation, not the purpose of it! If we want to be center stage in the great drama of creation, if we want everything arranged to suit us, then we should take our place in line behind Satan, because he had the same wish – but he was there first.

The main reason for God’s creation is much bigger than humans! Creation is by God, for God and about God. We are part of the celebration, but we are not its reason. The fundamental reason for creation is to declare God’s glory (Ps. 19:1; 106:7-8; Isa. 43:7; 60:21; Ezek. 36:22; Eph. 1:4-14). God created to show forth His character and make obvious His glory. All other purposes are subordinate.

At this point, many people will say: “How does a creation with evil in it show God’s glory? Wouldn’t it do this better without evil? It doesn’t make sense.” Then they will conclude that creation isn’t good. But they’re looking at it as if it were meant for their comfort, not for God’s glory. They’re looking at creation from below. To have God’s perspective, we must look at it from above. We need to keep in mind God’s character, as revealed to us. Above all else, God is love. To begin to understand God, we must start here: How can a loving God tolerate suffering from sin and evil?

Had there been no sin and no evil, God’s nature would still be loving and sacrificial. Nothing can change God’s character. But only in a fallen world could it be made manifest. Only in a fallen world could there be redeemed humans, praising their Redeemer’s love for them. He could have made a world that didn’t fall into sin, but He deliberately chose to make this world – a world in which His Son would suffer and die for us – for our benefit, not His! We, whom He has saved, are far better off for knowing the extent of His love for us!

Yes, the innocent do suffer in this world. How else can an innocent Christ suffer crucifixion for us? Every pain, grief and loss that anyone has ever suffered, God has suffered as well. God’s glory is precisely this love – so great that Christ will suffer for those who torture Him, and die for those who kill Him, because He loves those who hate Him.

This world, in which innocent people suffer, is also a world in which the innocent God Himself suffers. And it is a world where we undeserving humans can know God’s love in a way that not even angels can imagine.

Putting It All Together
At first, the problem of evil seems to be a direct contradiction to God’s words, “It was very good.” But that’s only a problem if we forget why God made His creation in the first place. God is not here to make us happy apart from Him. He is here to show His glory. The greatest joy, happiness and fulfillment that any creature could possibly know is to be one of the ways in which God’s glory is demonstrated.

Paul prays this for us: “That God would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen” (Eph. 3:16-21 NKJV). Notice that Paul links God’s glory with our blessing. God is glorified, and we are blessed. Our greatest blessing is also the greatest demonstration of God’s character.

Certainly, a perfect world that never fell into sin would be very pleasant. It’s the sort of thing even pagans long for. But it falls short of the hope that Christ gives us. From God’s point of view, it wouldn’t show the depth of His love. And from our point of view, we would never know the fierce passion and extent of that love.

Which would you prefer? To share the sufferings of Christ and also His risen life, or not share them? Paul makes his preference clear: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18). Notice that he doesn’t say the glory that will be revealed “to” us, but “in” us. God’s glory and our blessing are one and the same.

Living In God’s World
First, let’s be confident in our Lord’s love and wisdom. When non-Christians throw the “problem of evil” question at us – accusing God of being either unloving or incompetent – remember that they stand condemned by their own argument. All the suffering in the world has been suffered by God’s Son – not for His own benefit, but to demonstrate His love for us. If our accusers will listen to this, we might lead them to Christ; but if not, remember that this false accusation is just one more in the long history of false accusations made against our Lord.

Second, let’s be strengthened in humility – a two-sided strength. Humility is not thinking of ourselves as worthless, but rather having a realistic assessment of self. On one hand, we need to accept that we are not the centerpiece of creation – God is. We were created to serve Him, not for Him to serve us. On the other hand, this Son of the Almighty God, Lord of hosts and King of kings, came in the form of a Servant, to die for us – as He did for all brothers and sisters in His family. He is God in a body, and we are but worms (Job 25:6). But God loves worms, and makes us His sons and daughters!

And third, let’s do what we were created to do – praise the Lord with all our heart, all our mind, all our soul, and all our strength. By doing all we were created to do, we will become all we were created to be.

By Bob Springett

Next month look for a Part 2 of this series.