The first way God reveals Himself to us in His Word is as our Creator.  Here there are a number of key truths:

(1) God exists.  We are not the only ones living in this world in which we find ourselves—or even the most important One.  There is a great and sovereign God responsible for and behind every aspect of this universe.

(2) God created everything.  This world did not originate by itself.  Each and every part of creation has a cause, and that cause is a Person—the Triune God of this universe.

(3) God has created us as human beings in His own image and likeness.  In other words, God is a Person who has created us as persons in such a way that it is possible for Him to relate with us and for us to relate with Him.  We are hardwired to know Him.  The author of Ecclesiastes describes how God has created us as human beings in such a way that “he has put eternity into man’s heart” (3:11).  The Psalmist David reminds us of this common human awareness of God in Psalm 58:11, “Mankind will say, ‘Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.’”  In other words, we can’t help but realize that there is more to life than this present earthly life.  God has made us in such a way that we find ourselves inevitably wondering about God and the life to come.

(4) God has taken the initiative to reveal Himself to us not only through how He has made us, but also specifically through His Word, the Bible.  God is great enough that He is able to speak our language, and thus He can communicate clearly with us.  It is possible for us to know at least some things about God and His greatness through how He has created this world, but many other truths, including how He wants us to relate to Him, require His written communication in the Bible.  We can know Him not exhaustively because we are finite and He is infinite, but we can know Him truly all the same.

(5) God is still at work as the God of this universe.  He hasn’t left.  Although God’s original work of creation took place at the beginning of human time, God continues His work in this universe through what is often described as His providence.  God’s providence simply describes His continuing sovereign control over everything that happens, including all people and all events.  His control over all people and events continues throughout this present life.  He is the One responsible for making us as He did, for placing us in our families of origin, for choosing the countries and time period in which we live, and for all the other details of our lives.

The Bible is clear about how God reveals Himself through His creation.  David tells us in Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”  In similar fashion, the Apostle Paul tells us that God’s “invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (Romans 1:19).  Thus, most people down through history have believed that this world did not come into existence by itself, but it must have had a Creator.

Yet God also warns us that even this truth of knowing God as Creator can be resisted and rejected, as it often is in our present day.  Paul tells us specifically that it is possible for human beings to “suppress the truth” that creation inevitably points us back to a Creator (Romans 1:18).  The reality of God as Creator is there for all to see; but at the same time this truth can be resisted and spurned.  Consequently, not everyone acknowledges God as Creator.  God tells us in Hebrews 11:3 that we can recognize God as Creator only by faith: “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible” (italics added).  It takes eyes of faith to see the Creator behind everything He has made: the heavens with their countless stars, the majestic mountains, the powerful ocean storms, the tiniest and most delicate flowers and birds—as well as you and me.

The first step in the process of knowing God is to recognize the existence of a great and mighty God who: (1) created this world, (2) sovereignly governs all the details of everyday life, and (3) actively reveals Himself to us through His creation and Word.

Pause and Reflect

(1) Why is the doctrine of creation so essential to our knowing God? 

(2) Why do you think this doctrine of creation is so under attack in our day? How should we respond?

(3) What truths can we learn about God through His creation of us and this world around us?

(4) What truths about God and His ways can we discover only through His written Word, the Bible?