Creation

Christians believe that God created the world. The universe was given birth by his will and he sustains it.

In saying that God made all things, we assert that the universe had a beginning: matter has not always existed. God brought it into being by his all-powerful will.

‘God said, ‘Let there be…’ …And it was so.’ Creation came from nothing but the word of God.

The universe and all it contains possesses dignity and meaning because it is not the result of chance or accident. It is the expression of divine intent and authority. The creation account in the first chapter of the Bible portrays a progression from dark chaos to harmony and an ordered sequence of events, which included the creation of human beings, male and female, made in the image of God.

God’s creation is not confined to the visible and material. All spiritual powers, even those presently opposed to God, owe their existence to him. All is the creation of the one God.

The Christian distinguishes between God and his creation. God is present in all, but all is not God. We believe in the God who is both involved with his creation and distinct from it.

Preserver and governor

God has not ceased his creative activity. Creation is changing and the universe is developing. The New Testament witnesses that through gradual and traumatic changes, we are being prepared for a new Heaven and a new earth.

In this sense God is both preserver and governor of all he has made.

In our plans for the future, we are all accountable to God. This is a source of confidence and hope. We can be secure in God’s loving care, even when there is so much that seeks to harm us. In the face of unexplainable evil or suffering, we know that we are firmly in the hands of a loving creator God.

Caring for God’s world

God’s authority does not mean rigid control, but rather a caring, interactive relationship with his creation. He is in control, but invites us to share responsibility for his world.

The relationship of God to his creation is one of loving care and concern. Our creator has given us responsibility to care for his creation. We have the freedom to take the raw materials of the universe and work them into good for present and future generations. That freedom should not be abused. Our challenge is to treat the earth well in the light of increasing population and diminishing resources.

The world was made to praise God and reveal his glory: taking care of it furthers that end.

• Source: abridged from ‘Salvation Story: Salvationist Handbook of Doctrine’, Salvation Army International Headquarters, London 1988