Oct 24 - Genesis 1:1-2

In the beginning God created

the heavens and the earth. Now

the earth was formless and empty,

darkness was over the

surface of the deep,

and the Spirit of God was

hovering over the waters.

Genesis 1:1-2

 

In The Truth Project, teacher Dell Tackett simply diagrams the two primary worldviews operative in our culture today. He draws a simple box and calls it "The Cosmic Cube." Actually, he draws two (or soon three) boxes, representing the two overarching philosophical perspectives operative in our world today. 

 

 

Just outside the first box (the one on the right), he writes "nothing," saying that many believe that everything that exists - matter, energy, people, etc. - is inside the box. And there is nothing (including God) outside the box. This worldview could be expressed, as an old astronomer once said, as, "The universe is all that is, all that ever was, or all that ever will be." In other words, there is nothing outside the box ... including God. 

 

Then Dr. Tackett turns to the second box (the one on the left). Outside the box, he writes the word, "God." "God not only exists outside the box," proclaims this worldview, "but God created the box!" Then, he starts drawing an arrow. It originates God himself, then breaks into box! The message - the second worldview - is that …

 

1.    Not only does God exist outside the box, but …

2.    God created the box, and …

3.    God is still active within the box." 

 

Now, a third worldview could be added (center box). Deism says God created, but is not active within the box. He’s the watchmaker. He created the watch (the world), wound it up, and let it run without any interaction or influence. We could call this an “inactive god”, and an inactive god is really not far from an non-existent God, which becomes the first step of many toward agnosticism or atheism. (Now, that philosophy is definitely worth a whole discussion. but that'll have to wait for another day!)

 

It's also critical to note that not all conceptions of reality view their god as existing outside of the box (see the box on the right again). Paganism looks for power in Mother Earth and living things. The New Age movement believes that things like rocks and stars have spiritual energy. The famous influencer of culture, Oprah Winfrey, began teaching that "god is a feeling." All of these “gods” may carry the title of a deity, but ultimately they are attempts to define reality from inside the box. 

 

But God is transcendent!

 

That's the Christian worldview. 

 

1) Not only does God exist outside the box, but 2) God created the box and 3) is still active within the box. Thus, Christians have always confessed something like Martin Luther's explanation of the First Article of the Creed. See if you can't find all three of these truths - 1) transcendent, 2) creator, and 3) active sustainer in these historic words ...  

 

"I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth." What does this mean? I believe that God has created me and all that exists; that he has given me and still sustains my body and soul, all my limbs and senses, my reason and all the faculties of my mind, together with food and clothing, house and home, family and property; that he provides me daily and abundantly with all the necessities of life, protects me from all danger, and preserves me from all evil. All this he does out of his pure, fatherly and divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness on my part. For all of this I am bound to thank, praise, serve and obey him. This is most certainly true.

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who likes to

think outside the box

(which means I like

to think about our

transcendent God!)