We Know Who The Creator Is But Why Do The Skeptics Deny Him Who Lives Forever?
The Truth of God: We were made from dust in the image of our Creator. The Lie of the world: But in rebellion, our culture tells us that we are the creators now.
What is the connection between climate alarmism, abortion, and transgenderism? Or between feminism, critical race theory, and postmodernism? In fact, what is the connection between the whole host of anti-biblical social issues and philosophies we’re concerned about in modern America? When we consider all the ideologies and trends rising around us, it can be bewildering to work out what real problem lies behind it all.
The answer begins with an important truth about human beings, revealed in Genesis 2:7: “"The Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground."” That might seem like an obscure reference because when we answer the question “what is a human being?” we usually turn our minds to Genesis 1:27. There we learn that God created humans in his own image and likeness. This truth teaches us that men and women were made to reflect God’s glory in creation.
Yet being made in God’s image and likeness is only one truth. The other truth is this: we were made from dust.
This truth tells us that we are not gods. It tells us that we are only creatures—part of the stuff that God created. This humbling, constraining truth tells us that there are limits on how we can image, or reflect, God. We could image his holiness, and therefore his love, goodness, mercy, justice, truth, and so on. However, a whole other side of God’s nature is totally inaccessible to us, such as his infinity, omnipotence, self-existence, omniscience, and so on. God will always be the great and mighty Creator. We will always be his dependent and finite creatures.
Our world hates this truth. Remember, the serpent tempted Eve by falsely promising, “"You will be like God"” (Genesis 3:5). The first humans wanted something more than mere creatureliness. They wanted to be like the Creator himself. In Genesis 3, they tried to imitate his creation power by refusing to submit to his definition and deciding for themselves what was good and evil. They started acting as if they were God, with power over right and wrong.
This account captures something that connects the sins of our day. In so many cases, the basic problem is rebellion against God as Creator. Human beings are seeking to redefine what he has already defined by his creation power.
by Martyn Iles on December 17, 2023
Featured in Answers Magazine
More on this topic, next Sunday.
What is the connection between climate alarmism, abortion, and transgenderism? Or between feminism, critical race theory, and postmodernism? In fact, what is the connection between the whole host of anti-biblical social issues and philosophies we’re concerned about in modern America? When we consider all the ideologies and trends rising around us, it can be bewildering to work out what real problem lies behind it all.
The answer begins with an important truth about human beings, revealed in Genesis 2:7: “"The Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground."” That might seem like an obscure reference because when we answer the question “what is a human being?” we usually turn our minds to Genesis 1:27. There we learn that God created humans in his own image and likeness. This truth teaches us that men and women were made to reflect God’s glory in creation.
Yet being made in God’s image and likeness is only one truth. The other truth is this: we were made from dust.
This truth tells us that we are not gods. It tells us that we are only creatures—part of the stuff that God created. This humbling, constraining truth tells us that there are limits on how we can image, or reflect, God. We could image his holiness, and therefore his love, goodness, mercy, justice, truth, and so on. However, a whole other side of God’s nature is totally inaccessible to us, such as his infinity, omnipotence, self-existence, omniscience, and so on. God will always be the great and mighty Creator. We will always be his dependent and finite creatures.
Our world hates this truth. Remember, the serpent tempted Eve by falsely promising, “"You will be like God"” (Genesis 3:5). The first humans wanted something more than mere creatureliness. They wanted to be like the Creator himself. In Genesis 3, they tried to imitate his creation power by refusing to submit to his definition and deciding for themselves what was good and evil. They started acting as if they were God, with power over right and wrong.
This account captures something that connects the sins of our day. In so many cases, the basic problem is rebellion against God as Creator. Human beings are seeking to redefine what he has already defined by his creation power.
by Martyn Iles on December 17, 2023
Featured in Answers Magazine
More on this topic, next Sunday.
61-69, M
