Created Relationships

Romans 1:18-20 “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

This last Wednesday evening, our topical small group bible study continued in the video lecture series by Focus on the Family. This week, church teacher Michael facilitated the session and associated discussion around the presentation by Dr. Del Tackett. From the opening Bible verse, it is a fact that we can appreciate the beauty, intricacy, balance and amazing order of God’s created universe.

Psalm 19:1 “ The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

God has elaborately designed and created the anatomy and the physiology of our bodies for speech and hearing, so that we can communicate with each other and so that we can experientially hear and understand His Word and His created world. Sometimes, God shows us things from nature to declare the beauty, awe and wonder of His handiwork. The whole creation is in relationship according to His design and purpose. From the ecosystems to the systems of the body, and even to the social realms, God created everything for relationships.

Job 12:7-10 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.”

The biblical recorded account in Genesis Chapter One of God’s creation of everything we sense, including ourselves, and even beyond our senses, was, at the end of the day, good, except for one thing. In the midst of the creation story is a divine pause. Genesis 2:18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Up until that time, aloneness had never existed. Our sovereign triune God has always existed in unity (father, Son and Holy Spirit). Only by understanding the nature of God can we understand the nature of relationships, including the marriage and family relationship. Relationships, like the physical world is created by God. A relationship, like nature itself, shows the handiwork of Creator God. In relationships, we find the nature of the social order.  

Romans 1:20-23 “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God.”

The Word of God does not give a detailed blueprint for the physical relationships in the natural realm. Holy Scripture does not give detailed instructions about form and function of biology and physics because God set up observable physical laws to govern the behavior of the physical realm. The physical realm obeys God by His natural order according to His sovereign will. It is only mankind, with free will, that disobeys God.  At the fall of man, the relationship between God and mankind was severed by sin. God created all relationships and God created His plan of salvation to reconcile and restore that severed relationship between God and man through the finish work of Jesus Christ at the foot of the Cross. When we follow God’s blueprint for relationships in unity, found in the Word of God, the blessings will follow. To live, we must die to self and live in the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

In Christ, Brian