“For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities– all things have been created through Him and for Him.” Colossians 1:16 (NASB)
OK Scripture Diggers, I’m so excited! I wish I could sit down with you all – coffee in hand, Bible and study books spread across the table – because I really want you to see this with me! We all know that it is foundational to our faith that we were created by God. But the Lord structured His Word in such a way that we could never attribute our existence to anyone or anything but Him.
In Genesis 1:1, we find these words, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” And in Genesis 1:27, the Bible says, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
The very first verb we come across in the Word of the Living God is the word , “created.” But, because the English language does not convey the complete essence of this word, we can’t really fathom its magnitude. Go with me for a minute, because I think this will blow your mind! I know it did mine. :-)
The original word for created (Gen 1:1) is the Hebrew word bara’. It means exactly what you think it does…to create, to form, shape or fashion. But the beautiful surprise is that in the 40+ times this specific form of the word create is found in scripture, it is not combined with any other subject but God. If grammar isn’t your thing, let me clarify it. God (subject) created (verb) man (direct object). Whenever you find bara’ (created) – God is the One doing it.
Think about that! God’s choice of words leaves no room to doubt the nature of our existence. Only God can bara’ (create). Don’t you just love how God makes Himself known to us in ways we have yet to discover! There is no mistake about it – He is our Creator! He is THE Creator! (Oh, please tell me that rocks your world like it does mine!)
As the world tries desperately to deny the creation of you and I, the Living God made sure we knew it could have happened no other way.
We did not just ooze from a jillion year old slime pit, nor did we morph from a monkey into a man. We were created by God – and we were created for God.
Knowing we were created by God reminds us that we are so much more than some random cosmic collision of molecules. We were the intentional, well-thought-out masterpiece of the Creator of the universe. He personally fashioned each one of us and placed us on planet earth the exact time and the exact way He wanted to – and that defines our lives as significant while also holding us accountable to the One who created us.
There’s comfort and confidence in knowing we were created by and for the Living God. But there is also the sobering realization that we will one day stand before our Creator and give an account for our time here on planet earth.
You see, if He created us for Himself – for His good pleasure, then He is also our Judge and He makes the rules. We can’t just pass our time on earth and acknowledge Him as our Creator if we never submit our lives to His plan. So, what are His rules? What’s His plan?
RULES: Absolute Perfection – Pure & Holy “but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” 1 Peter 1:15-16
PROBLEM: Sin – We’re all sinners by nature and by choice – “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23 – “For the wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:23a
PLAN: The Cross of Christ – The Perfect Sacrifice of His Son on the Cross to Pay for Our Sins – “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 – “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” 1 Peter 3:18
PERSONAL APPLICATION: Trusting Christ as Our Savior, Surrendering to Him as Our Lord – “For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” Romans 10:13 – “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” John 1:10-12
I really am so excited by the way God reveals Himself to us in His Word! I love how He loves us and longs for us to know Him personally.
He is our Creator. He is our Savior. He is our Lord.
We were created by Him. We were created for Him.
Do you know Him? Have you ever called upon your Creator to save you, forgive you of your sins and help you live your life to please Him? Have you surrendered to Him as Lord of your life? If not, will you do that today? If you have, will you share a word of testimony in the comment section?
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 4:11 (KJV)