Biblical Creation Identifies Who God Is

Who is God in your life? You believe in God, but do you understand who God is? What attributes are most important to God’s identity? Do you believe that God is the Creator of all things? This article presents the second of three reasons why it’s important for Christians to believe in Biblical Creation; because it is fundamental to God’s identity. If you would like to start the series from the beginning, please see, “Why is Biblical Creation Important?”

If you would like immediate access to a more in-depth study on the importance of Biblical Creation to Christian faith, you can get “Why Creation Matters” on Amazon as a Kindle eBook or paperback.

This article discusses the importance of believing in Creation based on the teachings of Scripture in the Bible. It will not address scientific arguments. For science-based articles on why you should believe in Biblical Creation rather than evolution, please see: “Is Evolution Science or Religion?” and “How Evolution is Like a Fairytale”.

Creation and the Attributes of God

This section will briefly discuss some of the attributes of God that identify who God is. It will then examine the importance of Biblical Creation to God’s identity.

Attributes of God

The “Attributes of God” refer to characteristics of God’s being that help us understand who God is. A few of God’s attributes include:

• God is Omnipotent / All-Powerful. God can do anything consistent with his nature.
• God is Omniscient / All-Knowing. God knows everything; past, present and future. God knows our hearts and thoughts, motives and intentions, and all our actions including everything we will ever do in the future.
• God is Omnipresent / Everywhere Present. God’s Spirit fills the universe. There is nowhere you could go to escape God’s presence (Psalm 139:7-12).

All of God’s attributes are important in explaining His identity, but people sometimes refer to one truth about who God is as being His most important attribute. For example:

Love

Many people say God’s most important attribute is love. After all, the Bible says, “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). It also says that God sent His Son into the world that those who believe in Him (Jesus) should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

Holiness

Others say Holiness most defines God’s character. After all, we are commanded to be holy because He is holy (Lev 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:26; 1 Peter 1:15-16). In Isaiah 6, the prophet describes a vision of God sitting upon His throne, high and lifted up, with the seraphim crying to each other saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isa 6:3). The apostle John also records angels in heaven declaring God’s holiness in Revelation 15:3-4.

Sovereignty

Some say “Sovereignty” is God’s most important attribute. After all, the Bible describes God as the King of kings and Lord of lords (Deut. 10:17; Psalm 136:3; 1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 17:14; 19:16). The Bible says God is in control of everything and speaks of His foreknowledge and predetermination (Acts 2:23; 1 Peter 1:2).

Self-Existence and Creation

While holiness, love, and power are important aspects of God’s identity, I believe God’s eternal self-existence is the most essential element of who HE IS (Exodus 3:14). Second would be His creation of the heavens, earth, and all life. After all, if God had not created the material universe, life, and people, we would not be here to know of His power, love, or holiness. And if God did not pre-exist, He would not have been able to create everything.

The very first thing God reveals to us in His Word is, “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). There is a lot packed into this verse.

1. It introduces God as The Creator.
2. It declares God’s pre-existence.
3. It precludes a “Big Bang” or any other kind of evolutionary theory.

First, Genesis 1:1 defines God as The Creator. We are told nothing about God’s love, mercy, forgiveness, holiness, judgment, etc. The first thing God wants us to know about Him is that He created everything in the beginning. This demonstrates God’s infinite power, His control, and His ownership of everything.

Second, Genesis 1:1 declares God’s pre-existence because He already had to exist in order to do the creating. In Exodus 3, when God told Moses to go to Pharaoh to set His people free, Moses asked who he should say sent him. “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you” (Exodus 3:14). By His very name, God declared that HE IS eternally self-existent.

Third, Genesis 1:1 precludes a “Big Bang” or any other kind of evolutionary day-age theory because God created the earth “in the beginning,” on the very first day. The “Big Bang” theory teaches that the material universe is about 14 billion years old and that the earth is only about 4.5 billion years old. So according to the “Big Bang” cosmology, the earth was not created at the beginning or any time near the beginning. It came much later. So, from the very first verse, the Word of God cannot be reconciled with the evolutionary theories of man.

Some may ask, “If God created the world, then where did God come from?” I used to ask that question myself. People may think this question provides an excuse for unbelief, but that is an incorrect and dangerous assumption.

One of the most fundamental laws of science is the first law of Thermodynamics, the law of the conservation of energy. This law states that matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed, but only changed from one form to another. So, the physical laws of science prove that the material universe could not create itself through a “Big Bang” or by any other natural means.

A larger first cause was needed to bring the mass, energy, space and time of the universe into existence. This cause needed to pre-exist outside of space and time. The Bible declares that the infinite, eternal, all-powerful God, Who is Spirit (John 4:24a), is that first cause. Because we live in a cause-and-effect universe, our finite minds want an explanation of where God came from, but if there were a cause for God then we would just want a cause for His cause, and a cause for that cause, ad infinitum.

We must accept by faith that God is the sufficient first cause and the creator of all things. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3). And “without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that HE IS, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Creation Demonstrates God’s Wisdom and Creative Genius

The earth is perfectly designed to support life. From its distance from the sun, the speed of its rotation, the size and orbit of its moon which creates the tides, the tilt of its axis which creates the seasons, its magnetic field, the abundance of water, to the composition of the atmosphere, everything is perfectly suited to support life.

The abundant varieties of life, which all reproduce after their own kind, also manifest God’s creativity. The more we learn about DNA, genetics, epigenetics, the complexity of cellular processes, and the interdependence of different organisms upon each other, the more apparent God’s genius becomes.

God’s Identity as the Creator is the Reason We Should Fear Him

More than 120 Bible verses make reference to the fear of God and/or the fear of the LORD. Thirteen of them contain direct commands to fear God.

For example, the psalmist said:

“He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD. By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: He layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.”  (Psalm 33:5-9)

Some people say this just refers to a godly reverence and respect for God, and the word “fear” can have that meaning. However, the primary meaning of the word refers to actual fear, terror, being afraid. In general, the primary meaning of a word should be chosen unless the context demands a secondary meaning. But actual fear, dread, terror, and being afraid usually best fit the Biblical context.

Why should we be afraid of God? The fact that God is the Creator gives us the reason.

Creation demonstrates God’s power. God created trillions of trillions of stars in hundreds of billions of galaxies in a universe that spreads out beyond what man can see or imagine. God created the laws of nature and the physical forces by which the material universe operates. This shows the immensity of His power and control.

As the supernatural Creator, God has absolute authority, ownership, and control over His creation. As the Creator, God owns everything. He therefore has the right to make the rules and judge His creation by those rules. And our Creator knows everything we think, say, and do.

As the Creator, God has the power, wisdom, and right to intervene in the affairs of men. God has the authority to dictate right and wrong and how we should live. Our Creator has the right and power to punish disobedience and condemn people to eternity in Hell. As Jesus said, “fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

God’s Identity as the Creator is the Reason We Should Trust Him

God’s creative power provides not only the reason we should fear Him, but also the reason why we should trust Him. God’s infinite power and wisdom should provide reassurance to those who love and obey Him.

Prayer – God’s identity as the Creator gives us reason to pray. As the Creator, God has infinite knowledge and power, so He can hear and answer our prayers.

Our Creator knows everything we think and say, so He knows when we pray. Even if we pray silently in our hearts, God hears us (1 Samuel 1:12-13). There are reasons why God may not answer our prayers the way we want, but we can rest assured that He always knows when and what we pray.

In addition, our Creator has the power to answer our prayers. “With God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26; Mark 10:27; Luke 1:37; 18:27). When the prophet Jeremiah questioned something God told him to do, God replied, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27).

Healing – As the Creator, God has the power to heal. God’s infinite creative power is the reason we can pray for physical healing. The gospels contain many examples of Jesus healing people through His power. The Bible gives other examples of miraculous healings as well.

As David said in Psalm 103, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases” (Psalm 103:2-3). 

At the waters of Marah, God spoke to the children of Israel, “and said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee” (Ex. 15:26).

Resurrection – He who created Adam from the dust of the earth and made Eve from Adam’s side has the power to raise the dead. Jesus demonstrated His resurrecting power by raising Lazarus from the dead after he had been in the grave four days (John 11:38-43). 

Christ Himself was resurrected on the 3^rd day by the power of God. Because He lives, we too can live through faith in Jesus Christ. Christians need not fear death because Christ has conquered death. Our Creator has the power to raise us from the dead and give us eternal life.

Christ’s Identity as the Creator is Why He can Save You

The Bible Identifies Jesus as the Creator (John 1:1-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; Ephesians 3:8-9; Colossians 1:15-17).

Long before Jesus was born into the world to be our Savior, He was the Creator. John 1:1-14 introduces Jesus as the eternal Word of God made flesh. He was in the beginning with God and is God. It also declares that everything was made by Him, which makes Jesus the Creator.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.” (John 1:1-3)

“He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and his own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:” (John 1:10-12).

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

Hebrews Identifies Jesus as the Creator

The book of Hebrews also opens by introducing Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the exact image of God’s being, through whom He made the world, and who continues to uphold everything by the Word of His power.

Paul declared that Jesus created all things:

“Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:” (Ephesians 3:8-9)

“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son: In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:12-17)

The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is not only the Son of God born into the world as our Savior but is also the Creator of everything. It is therefore questionable whether one can genuinely believe in Jesus as their Savior without believing in Him as their Creator, because to deny the truth of Biblical Creation is to deny the identity of Christ.

Creation is the Reason for Our Hope

In summary, God’s identity as the Creator of all things is the reason for our hope as Christians. Being the Creator is one of the most important attributes of God. Biblical creation demonstrates God’s power, wisdom, and absolute control.

God’s identity as the Creator means that He owns everything and can do whatever He wants with His property. It means God has the right to define what is right and wrong. This makes God the judge and gives Him the right to punish sin. This is why everyone should fear God and seek to please Him.

Being the Creator means God has power over life and death. God can control our circumstances, heal disease, raise the dead and give new life. This is what gives us hope to pray. And this is what gives Christians hope to be resurrected to eternal life.

The identity of Jesus Christ as the Creator gives us reason to trust Him as our Savior. Jesus is the eternal Word of God who was born into His creation as a man through a virgin birth. Being the Creator gave Jesus the ability to perform miracles, live a perfect life without sin, and pay the penalty for every sin of all people.

Confident faith in the truth of God’s Word, the deity of Jesus Christ, Christ’ s sacrificial death on the cross, and His resurrection is what gives Christian hope. Denying the truth of Biblical Creation is a denial of God’s identity and Christ’s power to save.

If you have not already done so, you might like to read the first article in this series, “Why is Biblical Creation Important?“

Or the second article in the series: “Creation and the Authority of the Bible“

If you would like immediate access to a more in-depth study on the importance of Biblical Creation to Christian faith, you can get the book on Amazon. “Why Creation Matters” is available both as a Paperback and as a Kindle eBook.

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If you liked this, you may like:

• Is Evolution Science or Religion?
• How Evolution is Like a Fairytale
• God’s Answer to Atheists and “False Knowledge”
• 1 Peter 3:15 – Are You Ready to Answer Evolutionists?