What Is Creation?
God created the entire universe out of nothing; it was originally very good; and he created it to glorify himself (Colossians 1:16).
- Creation is distinct from God yet is always dependent on him (Acts 17:25,28).
- God is both transcendent and immanent. This means materialism (no God), pantheism (all is God), dualism (God and matter are eternal), and deism (God is not involved in the world now) are all unbiblical views of creation.
- When all the facts are rightly understood, there will be “no final conflict” between Scripture and natural science.
What Is God’s Providence?
God is continually involved with all created things in such a way that he (1) keeps them existing and maintaining the properties with which he created them (preservation); (2) cooperates with created things in every action, directing their distinctive properties to cause them to act as they do (concurrence); and (3) directs them to fulfill his purposes (government) (Hebrews 1:3, Ephesians 1:11).
- Within God’s providence humans are still responsible and their actions make a difference (John 16:24).
- A miracle is a less common kind of God’s activity in which he arouses people’s awe and wonder and bears witness to himself.
- Prayer is personal communication from us to God.
- Angels are created spiritual beings with moral judgment and high intelligence but without physical bodies (Nehemiah 9:6).
- Demons are evil angels who sinned against God and who now continually work evil in the world (2 Peter 2:4).
- Satan is the personal name for the head of the demons (Job 1:6).
*Resources Added From Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology
The Doctrine of God – Part 1 – Is There Proof Of God’s Existence?
The Doctrine of God – Part 2 – Characteristics of God
The Doctrine of God – Part 3 – What Is The Trinity?
The Doctrine of God – Part 4 – Creation & God’s Providence
