For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
(Psalm 33:9 ESV)
Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. (Revelation 4:11 ESV)
"The Bible affirms, and perhaps it is the only book that does so, that all things, visible and invisible, have originated from God by a free act of creation. The Bible doctrine of creation is something more than the Mosaic cosmogony.
"For my present purpose it is indifferent how we interpret the first chapter of Genesis--whether as the result of direct Revelation, or as the expression of certain great religious truths in such forms as the natural knowledge of the age admitted of. I believe myself that the narrative gives evidence of its Divine original in its total difference of character from all heathen cosmogonies, but this is a view I need not press. The main point is the absolute derivation of all things from God, and on this truth the Scripture as a whole gives no uncertain sound. Discussions have been raised as to the exact force of the Hebrew word (bara') used to express the idea of creation, but even this is of subordinate importance in view of the fact, which none will dispute, that the uniform teaching of Scripture is that the universe had its origin, not from the fashioning of pre-existent matter, but directly from the will and word of the Almighty. 'He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.'
"Not only is this doctrine of creation fundamental in Scripture, but it is of great practical significance. It might be thought, of what practical importance is it to us to know how the world originated? Is not this a question of purely speculative interest? But a moment's reflection will convince us that it is not so. The vital thing in religion is the relation of dependence. To feel that we and our world, that our human life and all that we are and have, absolutely depend on God,--this is the primary attitude of religion. For if they do not thus depend,--if there is anything in the universe which exists out of and independently of God, --then what guarantee have we for the unfailing execution of His purposes, what ground have we for that assured trust in His Providence which Christ inculcates, what security have we that all things will work together for good? But to affirm that all things depend on God is just in another way to affirm the creation of all things by God. They would not depend on Him if He were not their Creator. They do depend on Him, because they are created by Him. The doctrine of creation, therefore, is not a mere speculation. -- Only this conviction that it is "the Lord that made heaven and earth" -- that 'of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things' -- that He has created all things, and for His pleasure they are and were created, --can give us the confidence we need in a holy and wise government of the universe, and in a final triumph of good over evil."
~ James Orr, The Christian View of God and the World.
(Psalm 33:9 ESV)
Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. (Revelation 4:11 ESV)
"The Bible affirms, and perhaps it is the only book that does so, that all things, visible and invisible, have originated from God by a free act of creation. The Bible doctrine of creation is something more than the Mosaic cosmogony.
"For my present purpose it is indifferent how we interpret the first chapter of Genesis--whether as the result of direct Revelation, or as the expression of certain great religious truths in such forms as the natural knowledge of the age admitted of. I believe myself that the narrative gives evidence of its Divine original in its total difference of character from all heathen cosmogonies, but this is a view I need not press. The main point is the absolute derivation of all things from God, and on this truth the Scripture as a whole gives no uncertain sound. Discussions have been raised as to the exact force of the Hebrew word (bara') used to express the idea of creation, but even this is of subordinate importance in view of the fact, which none will dispute, that the uniform teaching of Scripture is that the universe had its origin, not from the fashioning of pre-existent matter, but directly from the will and word of the Almighty. 'He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.' "Not only is this doctrine of creation fundamental in Scripture, but it is of great practical significance. It might be thought, of what practical importance is it to us to know how the world originated? Is not this a question of purely speculative interest? But a moment's reflection will convince us that it is not so. The vital thing in religion is the relation of dependence. To feel that we and our world, that our human life and all that we are and have, absolutely depend on God,--this is the primary attitude of religion. For if they do not thus depend,--if there is anything in the universe which exists out of and independently of God, --then what guarantee have we for the unfailing execution of His purposes, what ground have we for that assured trust in His Providence which Christ inculcates, what security have we that all things will work together for good? But to affirm that all things depend on God is just in another way to affirm the creation of all things by God. They would not depend on Him if He were not their Creator. They do depend on Him, because they are created by Him. The doctrine of creation, therefore, is not a mere speculation. -- Only this conviction that it is "the Lord that made heaven and earth" -- that 'of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things' -- that He has created all things, and for His pleasure they are and were created, --can give us the confidence we need in a holy and wise government of the universe, and in a final triumph of good over evil."
~ James Orr, The Christian View of God and the World.
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