Last week we studied the Creation chapter in our Doctrine book.
Instead of focusing in on the whole evolution/ creation debate, which most of the chapter does, I wanted to focus more on one that in particular.
Why is it that we only think of the past whenever we think of God as creator? Obviously, at one point in time God created all of the things in the universe. But for some reason, we forget that God is still in the business of creating, and some of the most important creations are yet to come.
For example, several places in the Old Testament and New Testament talk about the "New Heavens and New Earth," as if God is going to completely redo the previous ones or, at the very least, give heaven and earth a huge makeover one day.
The Bible is also very clear that one day we will be given new bodies at the resurrection, bodies that are not just spiritual or material, but are both spiritual and material, just like Jesus' was after he rose from the tomb.
So, we find ourselves stuck in between the old creation (earth and the heavens) and the new creation (new heavens, new earth, new bodies.) What about right now, though? Is there anything that God seeks to create right now in 2011?
David would have said, "Sure there is!" Let's read Psalm 51:10
"Create in me a pure heart, oh God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
In light of the coming New Creation, God desires to begin the New Creation project in us here and now!
So, we don't just have to wait around until after we die to experience the eternal life that is in Jesus, but we are blessed enough to experience it here and now.
It's also important to note that David only believes that a pure heart can be gotten through the work of God. In other words, there is no other way to get a pure heart...God has to give it to us. If you read on in the Psalm, David also says that joy can't be found in anything or anyone else than God.
Basically, David is telling us that the only way to feel whole, complete, joyful, peaceful, and pure is by asking God to give us those things. David asks, "Give me a pure heart...renew a steadfast spirit within me...restore to me joy...grant me a willing spirit." He know that he'll never get those things on his own and that the only way to feel "whole" as a person is if God builds peace, purity, joy and wholeness into him.
So, what does God want to create today? You, from the inside out.
