Yesterday we had a doctrine class where we started talking about the doctrine of creation.
One thing that really got me thinking was the statement that 'we should not separate our doctrine of creation from our doctrine of salvation'.
This was new to me in some ways, but not in other ways.
Clearly Jesus is central to God's purposes. It is where all things are headed. "[God the Father] made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He planned in [the Messiah] for the administration of the days of fulfillment — to bring everything together in the Messiah, both things in heaven and things on earth in Him" (Eph 1:9-10). All things will come under Jesus.
But Jesus is not just involved at the end of time. He was also involved in the beginning. He was not plan B because we screwed up. "[The Father] chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world" (Eph 1:4). God always planned to save us. He planned it even before any of us had done anything we needed to be saved from. The fact that we would to be saved - and how it would happen - was inbuilt into the way God created the world.
So salvation impacted creation.
But creation also impacts salvation. As the Son sought to saved humans, he needed to become human. "Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death — that is, the Devil — and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. For it is clear that He does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring. 17 Therefore, He had to be like His brothers in every way, so that He could become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people" (Heb 2:14-17).
So creation impacts salvation.
Furthermore, creation impacts salvation in another, more abstract, way as well. The Bible often describes salvation using creation language. Salvation is cast as a new creation. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come" (2 Cor 5:17). "You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator" (Col 3:10b). One of things we looked at in class was how the language of salvation and creation is intertwined Isaiah 40-55. This was my favourite part of the class. We saw how salvation is described using the language of creation. Darkness to light, barrenness to fruitfulness, order to chaos. Furthermore, God's ability to create gives him the ability to save, and gives assurance to his people that He will save.
What a delight! The intermingled plans of creation and salvation. This God is powerful and trustworthy.
One thing that really got me thinking was the statement that 'we should not separate our doctrine of creation from our doctrine of salvation'.
This was new to me in some ways, but not in other ways.
Clearly Jesus is central to God's purposes. It is where all things are headed. "[God the Father] made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He planned in [the Messiah] for the administration of the days of fulfillment — to bring everything together in the Messiah, both things in heaven and things on earth in Him" (Eph 1:9-10). All things will come under Jesus.
But Jesus is not just involved at the end of time. He was also involved in the beginning. He was not plan B because we screwed up. "[The Father] chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world" (Eph 1:4). God always planned to save us. He planned it even before any of us had done anything we needed to be saved from. The fact that we would to be saved - and how it would happen - was inbuilt into the way God created the world.
So salvation impacted creation.
But creation also impacts salvation. As the Son sought to saved humans, he needed to become human. "Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death — that is, the Devil — and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. For it is clear that He does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring. 17 Therefore, He had to be like His brothers in every way, so that He could become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people" (Heb 2:14-17).
So creation impacts salvation.
Furthermore, creation impacts salvation in another, more abstract, way as well. The Bible often describes salvation using creation language. Salvation is cast as a new creation. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come" (2 Cor 5:17). "You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator" (Col 3:10b). One of things we looked at in class was how the language of salvation and creation is intertwined Isaiah 40-55. This was my favourite part of the class. We saw how salvation is described using the language of creation. Darkness to light, barrenness to fruitfulness, order to chaos. Furthermore, God's ability to create gives him the ability to save, and gives assurance to his people that He will save.
What a delight! The intermingled plans of creation and salvation. This God is powerful and trustworthy.
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