| Topic: |
Religions > Bible |
| User: |
"Peter G. Chase" |
| Date: |
07 Dec 2003 01:30:33 AM |
| Object: |
DN The Creator of the World 12/7/2003 |
DRAWING NEAR
December 7
The Creator of the World
"In these last days [God] has spoken to us in His Son . . .
through whom also He made the world" (Heb. 1:2).
Christ is the agent through whom God created the world.
John 1:3 testifies, "All things came into being by Him, and apart
from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." Jesus has
the ability to create something out of nothing (cf. Rom. 4:17), and
that sets Him apart from mere creatures. Only God can create like
that; we can't. If you could create, you'd live in a different house,
drive a different car, and probably have a different job--if you had
any job at all. You could just sit in your back yard and make money.
Fortunately, God didn't give depraved men and women the right to be
creators.
The ability to create ex nihilo belongs to God alone and the fact
that Jesus creates like that indicates He is God and establishes His
absolute superiority over everything. He created everything material
and spiritual. Though man has stained His work with sin, Christ
originally made it good, and the very creation itself longs to be
restored to what it was in the beginning (Rom. 8:22).
The common Greek word for "world" is kosmos, but that's not the one
used in Hebrews 1:2. The word here is aionas, which does not refer to
the material world but to "the ages," as it is often translated.
Jesus Christ is responsible for creating not only the physical earth,
but also time, space, energy, and matter. The writer of Hebrews does
not restrict Christ's creation to this earth; he shows us that Christ
is the Creator of the entire universe and of existence itself. And He
made it all without effort.
What about you? If you don't recognize God as the Creator, you'll
have difficulty explaining how this universe came into being. Where
did it all come from? Who conceived it? Who made it? It cannot be an
accident. Someone made it, and the Bible tells us who He is: Jesus
Christ.
Suggestion for Prayer:
Praise God for the wonder of His creation, which we can so easily
take for granted.
For Further Study:
Read Colossians 1:16-23 to discover the relationship between the
creation and your salvation.
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Romans 4:17 (NKJV)
17 (as it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations") in
the presence of Him whom he believed; God, who gives life to the dead
and calls those things which do not exist as though they did
Romans 8:22
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth
pangs together until now.
Colossians 1:16-23
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that
are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or
principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for
Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the
preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should
dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether
things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the
blood of His cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by
wicked works, yet now He has reconciled
22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and
blameless, and above reproach in His sight;
23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and
are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which
was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became
a minister.
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@gty.org
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
http://www.gty.org/Gospel/
http://www.nwbible.org/
To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
.
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