For generations, much of the Western world assumed that God made the world, rules over it, and has spoken into it. Then came movements like the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, and little by little many people began to trust human reason more than divine revelation. What once sounded obvious—that God is real, that truth comes from him, and that we are accountable to him—started to sound strange to modern ears. But the Bible does not leave us guessing. It calls us back to reality. Scripture says, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). That is where truth begins—not with man, but with God. And because God has spoken, we do not have to build our lives on shifting sand. We can stand on his Word.
1. God and the World
Christian theism begins here: God is infinite, personal, holy, and unlike anyone or anything else. He is not a force, not an idea, and not a projection of human longing. He is the living God. The Lord says, Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and no one is like me (Isaiah 46:9). This God created all things out of nothing. The universe is not eternal, and it is not divine. It exists because God willed it into being. John writes of Christ, All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created (John 1:3). Paul adds, For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible… All things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things hold together (Colossians 1:16–17).
That means this world is neither random nor self-running. God rules over what he made through providence, and he is free to act in history through miracles according to his perfect will. He is transcendent—far above creation in majesty—and immanent—present and active within it. Acts 17 says, The God who made the world and everything in it—he is Lord of heaven and earth… he himself gives everyone life and breath and all things… For in him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:24–25, 28). Hebrews tells us that the Son is the one sustaining all things by his powerful word (Hebrews 1:3). And this one true God has revealed himself as Triune: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—one God in three Persons. Christianity is not tritheism and not bare monotheism in the unipersonal sense; it is biblical Trinitarian monotheism. This is not a puzzle we solve but a truth we confess because God has made himself known.
2. Mankind and Morality
Human beings matter because God made us in his image. Genesis 1:27 says, So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female. We are not accidents of nature. We are morally responsible creatures made to know God, reflect his character, and live under his authority. Because God is holy, morality is not something we invent; it is grounded in his character. There are such things as right and wrong, truth and error, good and evil. The heavens declare God’s glory (Psalm 19:1), and creation itself leaves mankind without excuse for unbelief (Romans 1:18–20).
Yet the Bible is also painfully honest about our condition. Though humanity was created good, we fell in Adam. Sin entered the world through rebellion, and every one of us has been touched by that fall. Romans 5:12 says, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned. We still make real choices, but our hearts are bent away from God apart from grace. That is why the call of Scripture is so urgent: Fear God and keep his commands, because this is for all humanity (Ecclesiastes 12:13). And Joshua’s words still confront us today: Choose for yourselves today… As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord (Joshua 24:15). The moral life is not about earning salvation, but it does reveal whom we serve.
3. History and Eternity
History is not a meaningless cycle. It is moving somewhere under the sovereign hand of God. The Lord says, I declare the end from the beginning, and from long ago what is not yet done, saying: my plan will take place, and I will do all my will (Isaiah 46:10). Every nation, every generation, and every individual life unfold before the God who knows the end from the beginning. That does not erase human responsibility; it establishes meaning. What we do matters because God is Lord over history. And where history is going, Scripture tells us plainly: It is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment (Hebrews 9:27). For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). The final judgment described in Revelation 20 reminds us that eternity is real, heaven is real, hell is real, and every person will answer to God.
But praise God, judgment is not the only word. The gospel is the good news that the holy God who made us has also made a way to save sinners through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6). Salvation is not achieved by moral effort, religious performance, or intellectual sincerity. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8–9). History has meaning because Christ came, Christ died, Christ rose, and Christ will come again. That is the Christian worldview at its center.
Conclusion
So here is the heart of Christian theism: there is an infinite, personal, Triune God who created all things, governs all things, and has spoken in Scripture with final authority. Human beings are made in his image, fallen in sin, morally accountable, and in desperate need of redemption. History is headed somewhere, eternity is real, and Jesus Christ is the only Savior. This worldview is not merely something to admire from a distance. It lays claim to life, part of life, our thinking, our worship, our relationships, our ethics, and our hope. To live as a Christian theist is to live coram Deo, before the face of God, for the glory of God.
A Closing Appeal
So, let me ask you plainly: What will you do with the God who is there? Will you go on trusting yourself, your feelings, or the spirit of the age? Or will you bow before the Lord who made you and gives you breath? Turn from sin. Put your faith in Jesus Christ. Receive the mercy of God while the door of grace stands open. And if you already belong to Christ, then do not drift with this world. Stand firm in the truth, love the Word of God, worship the Triune God with reverence and joy, and live every day in light of eternity. As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord (Joshua 24:15). May that be our confession, our conviction, and our way of life.
Comments
Post a Comment