The Creator of Heaven and Earth – Genesis 1-3
At the dawn of Creation, God’s space (Heaven) and Human’s space (Earth) were united in a Garden called “Eden”. Genesis 1 introduces a story of God’s efforts to prepare a beautiful place in which he may dwell and partner with those made in his image. The human race was entrusted and expected to share in God’s work of creation.
Summary of the Apostles’ Creed.
The Apostle’s Creed is a summary of the Christian faith that depicts the full story of scripture. The Apostle’s Creed contains one of the most concise summaries of the Christian faith in straightforward scriptural language. It follows the narrative arch of scripture from creation to incarnation, crucifixion to resurrection, and Pentecost to life everlasting.
The Apostle’s Creed reminds us that our story and church are rooted in an ancient faith. There is no singular author by which this creed can be traced, rather it is the work of the Western Catholic Church. Though, it seems to have grown out of Peter’s confession in Matthew 16:16. Its origin is as a baptismal confession, those that are laying down their life to join Christ in his death and resurrection (Romans 6:4) confess this as their new reality and guiding story.
The Apostle’s Creed is not simply a routine repetition of doctrine but rather our pledge of allegiance to one God– Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is not a routine repetition of doctrine. It is a liturgical poem meant to move our heart as a pledge of allegiance to the triune God revealed in the person of Christ.
“CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH”
The Apostles' creed rifts on the first words of scripture, as well as many other text throughout the biblical narrative;Exodus 20:11, 31:17, 2 Kings 19:15, 2 Chronicles 2:12; Psalm 115:15, 121:2, 124:8, 134:3, 146:6; Isaiah 37:15-16; Acts 17:24-25; 2 Peter 3:7; Revelation 14:7.
ANCIENT GNOSTICISM
“Gnostic” can literally be translated as “knowers”, and it was a diverse school of philosophy; but it generally describes a dualistic conviction that the material world (earth, stars, water, grass, animals, people, and coffee) is evil and the “spiritual” is good.
MODERN GNOSTICISM
Modern Gnosticism takes the form of a separation between our Sunday convictions and our Monday vocation. It takes many forms, but one of the most pervasive is a philosophy that our theology is of little consequence to the rest of our lives; and that the rest of life is of little consequence to our theology.
AN GNOSTIC TELLING OF CREATION AND CHRISTIANITY.
CREATION: THE KINGDOM BEGINS
Earth= human space
Heaven= the sky, God’s space
“2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness” –Genesis 1:2-4 (ESV)
The testimony of Genesis 1 challenges any idea that the material reality doesn’t matter; our environment, our planet, our possessions, our body, and our neighbors matter.
CREATION PT 2: PARTNERS FOR THE KINGDOM
“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” – Genesis 1:26–28.
Genesis 1 is not primarily about the creation of the universe– it is primarily about God's creation of humankind– and his efforts to prepare a beautiful place in which he may dwell and partner with those made in his image.
“The LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. 8 And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed… 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it”. – Genesis 2:7-8,15
DECREATION: A RIVAL KINGDOM BEGINS
The central features of the Creation story become the central motifs of the biblical narrative.
God moves toward humanity in loving kindness.
He invites them into relationships and partnerships.
And humanity ruptures the relationship by choosing to do what was right in their own eyes.
“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” – Romans 8:20–23.
RECREATION: THE KING ARRIVES
“1, In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:1-5
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 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. 17 And he is before all things, and in him, all things hold together.” – Colossians 1:15-17
“17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 4:17
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… [he is] making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth”. – Ephesians 1:3,9–10
“13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” – 2 Peter 3:13.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” –Revelation 21:1–4.
ALIGNING OUR STORY WITH HIS STORY.
This is the hard work of properly framing our view of scripture not as a reference book to my life, but as the story that I am joining.
“[We are invited] to see Scripture as the narration of the unfolding drama of the God who acts. We are called to be characters in this story, to play the role of God's image bearers who care for and cultivate God's creation, to the praise of his glory. To learn this role is to become what we were made to be. This is not playacting or pretending: it is the role we were born to play. In becoming these characters, we become ourselves. To assume this role is to find our vocation.” – James KA Smith
SPIRITUAL PRACTICE–
We must recapture the understanding that what we spend most of our time doing whether that is welding, accounting, writing, cleaning, or parenting matters.
And it matters how we show up to these things.
The obvious question is how do I show up in the way Christ would want me to?
“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
–Colossians 3:17
I think a simple rubric is asking; Am I advancing the cause of (1) Beauty, (2) Justice, or (3) love?
