God as Creator

Why is it important to identify and acknowledge God as the Creator and Sustainer of the world?

This was a question I was asked recently, and it makes sense. Why can’t He simply be the God who allowed or directed the big bang to happen and everything to develop through evolutionary processes? Why can’t He just be the God of today? Why does God being the Creator matter?

In the moment, I had two answers but added a third for this post. They are essentially (1) authority, (2) dignity, and (3) accountability.

1. Authority

First is the issue of authority. God is the Creator, which means He reserves the right to make certain decisions. He reserves the right to define good and evil and right and wrong and do what pleases Him in and with His creation. Through creation His power, lordship, and authority are on display. Creation belongs to Him (Ps. 95:3–7) and affirms that He is worthy to be worshiped (Rev. 14:7) and obeyed (Mk. 4:35-41). He spoke, and it came to be (Ps. 33:6–9) and gives life to everything (Neh. 9:6). He is not only our Father; He is our Creator. There is a sense of ownership and authority. He is the Author of life, which means He has authority.

2. Dignity

The second issue is that of dignity. That God created us gives us worth, dignity, purpose, and value. We are not random products of evolution. We were designed. There is intelligence and intentionality behind our existence. We are not a mistake. He spoke into being everything else but created man in His own image (Gen. 1:27). We were created for His glory (Is. 43:7). We are not cursed to roam the earth and find or create our own meaning. Our lives are infused with purpose. As His creatures we have significance and dignity, not because of what we have done but because of who we are.

3. Accountability

As Creator, God reserves the right to make the rules—and judge those who break them. According to Acts 17:31, He has “set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” According to the Bible, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. There’s no maybe. No one likes to be held accountable. The whole reason sin entered the world was because we wanted autonomy. But God has the right, if He is the Creator.

God has the ultimate authority, He created us with dignity, and we’re accountable to Him. Even so, we can know now that if we’ve accepted and received Him (Jn. 1:12), we’ve been spared. Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God (Rom. 14:12), but our great go-between, our high Priest and perfect Lamb, was judged for our sin in our place. Because of Him, we are counted or declared righteous, not because of what we’ve done but because of His mercy (Tit. 3:5).

Knowing God as Creator should change everything. He has known us since the beginning and gives us meaning and purpose. He is worthy of worship. He is also our gracious Father who paid the price we could not. Knowing God as Creator should affect the way we see Him and ourselves. It shows us who He is—powerful, majestic, worthy, creative, great—and who we are—dignified, known, unique, valued, loved.