Two Lies and the Truth
Two lies and the truth.
Have you ever played the game two truths and a lie? Depending on who you’re playing with, it can either be pretty easy or a challenge. We know someone very well; it’s probably pretty easy to pick out their lie and to know what is true.
God has given us truth in his word, and the same way that it’s easy to know when your friend is telling the truth, God makes it easy for us to understand the truth. Our world and culture, however, don’t always make it that easy. There can be points in arguments on either side of things that may make us feel confused.
One of the areas in which it does, this is the area of nature in its relation to God. There’s a pervasive lie in our world today that God and nature are one.
Romans chapter 1, after introducing himself and expressing his desire to make it to Rome, Paul gives us the truth about nature.
It’s important that we understand that God is creator, and everything else is creation, and the truth of God’s word is that we are called to steward the created and worship the creator.
There are several common lies when it comes to us understanding a God-honoring relationship with the natural world around us. The first is that nature is neutral. There is an idea that we can treat the created world however we want. Or that it is only for our advancement. There’s a lie that nature is not important or valuable.
God made our world and said that it is good (Genesis 1). God designed our ecosystems with intention and knit together our universe with purpose. As believers in the one true creator, God, we should care about the world in which we live.
After creating our world, God placed humanity as the caretakers of his creation. This means while we have authority over the world in which we live, we also will be accountable to God for how we have treated it.
So don’t believe the lie that nature is neutral. The created world is part of God’s divine plan. Which ends with him creating a new earth on which we will reign with him.
Another lie in our culture today is that nature is divine. People have been worshiping nature or creation for a long time. You see it in many of the religions of the world. These ideals creep in to pervert God’s intention.
It’s important for us to know that nothing created is greater than the creator. As followers of the one true God, we need to be clear and make sure that we don’t confuse the product with the producer.
The truth is that nature is made by God, stewarded by us, and for God’s glory.
Psalm 104: 5-8 He established the earth on its foundations;it will never be shaken. 6 You covered it with the deep as if it were a garment;the water stood above the mountains. 7 At your rebuke, the water fled; at the sound of your thunder, they hurried away—8 mountains rose and valleys sank—to the place you established for them.
Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands.
Revelation 4:11 Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will, they exist and were created.
Jeremiah 32:17 Oh, Lord God! You yourself made the heavens and earth by your great power and with your outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for you!
The message of Scripture is clear: the point of creation is that it points to the creator. So how do we live this out as followers of the way?
First, steward the gift of nature. Christians should be people who care about our environment in our world. Doing simple things like not littering and caring about bigger problems like waste and overconsumption.
Second, is that we spend time in nature. God has given us the gift of the natural world that he created. It tells the story of God’s glory, power, and majesty. Don’t miss it.
Last, see God’s glory and everything created. We need to open our eyes and recognize that God is speaking and showing his power and greatness through everything he made. Every person, every animal, every created thing is a testament to the glory. The wonder, the power, and the majesty of our God.
