God and Creation

The Bible opens with the words, “In the beginning God created.”

This dramatic statement declares God to be the eternal source and foundation of all that is. The Bible proceeds to reveal the person, nature, and character of the triune God who forever is — Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Nature of God

We believe in one sovereign, true, and living God, creator and preserver of all things. God knows all things, is all-powerful, and transcends time and space. God is a personal being, revealing His righteousness, truth, and grace to all people. He calls everyone to respond to Him in reverence and obedience. God is perfect, just, and good. God is holy, calling us to righteousness. God is love, bridging the distance between Himself and us, reaching out in redemption to draw us to Himself.

God’s self-disclosure has been progressive. Even though God transcends human perception and language, He has revealed Himself in Scripture, entered human history in the person of Jesus Christ, and comes to live in us by the Holy Spirit. As God opens our understanding by the Scriptures and by the Holy Spirit, we gain knowledge of Him. Thus, as believers, we bow before Him in worship.

Creation and Providence

God created all things, visible and invisible, including all spiritual beings. All creation is finite and dependent upon the Creator, who was before all things and will continue forever.

God’s work of creation was good, both physically and morally. God blessed creation with His loving-kindness. Although God upholds and governs creation by the power of His will, God has given humanity the role of caretaker of the earth. Therefore, we are responsible for its cultivation and preservation, and our use of its resources.

Creation was marred as a result of human disobedience. However, evidence of creation’s original order remains, and the earth now awaits restoration in God’s redemptive plan.

Relationships in Creation

God established order and relationships within His creation, uniting it in all its parts. God created and sustains all things, yet remains distinct from what is created. God does not depend on the creation for His being.

A moral order exists in the universe. The human conscience senses this order, which is more fully revealed in the Scriptures. The moral principles set forth in the Scriptures provide direction for our conduct and relationships.

The Creator has built a cycle of work and rest into the creation, one day in seven being designated by God for worship and renewal. By observing Sunday as the Lord’s Day, we honor this divinely ordained cycle, testify of our trust in God’s provision, and witness to the Lord’s resurrection.

Made in God’s image, each human being is of infinite value and is to be cared for and nurtured. We should relate to others in love and justice — opposing that which destroys, oppresses, demeans, or manipulates, and fostering that which restores, upbuilds, and affirms. God’s plan for the human family calls for wholesome, growing relationships among all persons; it forbids abusive and destructive behavior.

God gave human sexuality a good place in creation. Being either male or female is integral to who we are and in a complementary way provides for the full expression of our humanity. God has given standards for expression of our sexuality that are necessary for proper relationships among people. Human sexuality is affirmed within the chaste, single life or a lifelong marriage between a man and a woman.

Supporting Scripture

God and Creation
Genesis 1-2; Psalm 24:1-2; Hebrews 11:3 

Nature of God
Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:3-4; 33:27; Psalm 45:6; 48:14; 100:5; Daniel 6:26-27; Matthew 3:16-17; John 14:16-17, 26; Acts 14:15-17; 1 Corinthians 2:11-16; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 Timothy 1:17; James 1:17; Revelation 16:7

Creation and Providence
Genesis 1-3; 1 Chronicles 29:11-12; Nehemiah 9:6; Job 26:7-11; Psalm 19; 102:25; Romans 5:12-19; Hebrews 1:3; Revelation 19:6

Relationships in Creation
Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:1-17; Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 16:20; Psalm 104:24; Proverbs 21:3; Isaiah 58:13-14; Micah 6:8; Malachi 2:16; Matthew 12:8; 19:1-12; 25:40; Mark 2:27; Romans 2:13-15; 14:5-6; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 18-20; 13; Ephesians 4:29-5:2; 5:21-6:4; Colossians 1:16-17; 1 John 3:14