For since the creation
of the world
His invisible attributes
are seen,
being understood
by the things that
are made,
even His eternal power
and Godhead,
so that they
are without excuse.
Romans 1:20
How often do Christians apply this verse to the unbeliever? Often! It is true that this Scripture is speaking to those who will not and cannot see God in the external things He has made. Yet, Christians will also fail in seeing the Godhead and His invisible attributes that are prominently displayed for all to see. Many objections are raised against God, even the idea of a God and the theory of continued creation is just one objection; this objection is what is being discussed. The Sovereignty of God in some ways are disgusting to those who wish to be autonomous, or even antinominian, as this idea of someone else having control over our lives is repulsive. "Oh! I do believe in God, and I am glad that He allows me to be whatever I wish to be, in fact, I know that whatever I do, He will forgive." This might not be your exact statement but so often this is the way we live our lives. But God is Sovereign and He does not reduce His Sovereignty in anyway just to allow us to be what we might want to be, or do what we might want to do; God is Sovereign and any reduction in Sovereignty reduces God and makes Him ineffective. Any part of false teaching, no matter who is the teacher, (as many take their pastor as being so holy do) is wrong. We may not hold completely to the theory of continuous creation but we may have part of it in our thinking and actions. So why is continuous creation so wrong?
It destroys all continuity of existence. How? If God creates something at this moment, then, decides to recreate that something, then, that former something is no longer existent. The new is not the former and is a new thing separate and different from the former. Similarity is not the same thing between things, there is a disconnection between them, a gulf so wide that both things are not and cannot be the same, there then is no continuity of existence. What was before is only nothingness!
The Doctrine of Continuous Creation destroys all evidence of the existence of an external world. How? What if we say that the impressions upon our senses of things outside ourselves are only inward mental states of consciousness that are constantly being changed and recreated by the energy of God? This is a form of Idealism, and being so, it is logical then to see that in history that this form or theory has existed and drawn from such conclusion. Furthermore, if all necessity for the existent world be done away with, as it would be necessary if all was constantly being recreated, then, existence must be done away with and discarded as being assumed philosophically.
There is a denial of second causes. Examine this carefully and see if you can find where this theory in this case has led to false religion, especially in some countries. If this is followed then God is all there is that is. God is the sole cause of all that happens in the universe. All the changes that occur in the universe, the pulsations as seen in the heavenly bodies, and everything they contain are nothing more, then, the universal life of God. Looking upon this theory in this manner we are forced to conclude that every thought of man, every material thing that exists, every human soul, every feeling, is only a product of the divine omnipotence of God and in part, or in whole, creation. If this be true then there is no causation out of God. God is not in cooperation with the creation, and this belies the plain Scriptural references, such as when He said: "And God said, 'Let there be light;' and there was light" (Genesis 1:3).God caused light to be, therefore out of God there is causation. It is further understood from Scripture that man was given the right and ability to think, have purpose and feelings, all which is of their nature and character. This man is, this we are, and this is not caused by God, it is a second cause from man.
Continuous Creation: with it there can be no responsibility, no sin, and no holiness. Why? Because if all is from God, as He is deemed to constantly recreate all things, then, sin must be referred to God as much as is holiness, because all then is from or out of His creative energy. Man operates his life today as if this was true. In fact, most of what is to be found on the internet, or in movies, or just in attitudes, is this form of thinking that leads their lives. They hold to the belief that they are not responsible for what they do unless it hurts someone else. They suppose that they have the "right" to do whatever this wish to do. It is promoted in such things as to be found easily on the home pages of the internet, such things as; 'So and so is wearing a bikini, or so and so is showing off much skin, or so and so is getting divorced (and frankly getting much money from their spouse), all with impunity. If you don't believe in a God that is Sovereign then you are left to believe in something, and that something is far too often; "yeh! there is a god but he doesn't have a role in this life, he created then left,' or 'If he is a good god then why is there so much trouble, death, sadness, etc." There is no feeling of guilt for one's actions or sins.
One thing that this system of continuous creations causes is a belief that is Pantheistic: that is, that God is merged into the universe, and has no effect other than what nature affords. It is a removal even of, continuous creation for god, this Pantheistic god, is not personal, no has any special reference to that which exists. There is no power of God, no real existence of God, in fact for some religions all there is in the universe is this non-existent or spirit that all will one day become, therefore God has no purpose, no causality. If we hold to the fact that God preserves everything out of continuous creation then God does effect everything and the creature nothing. This can only be developed in this sense: out of God there is no causality, not out of man, in fact this causality is not even occasional. Therefore, to say that preservation by God is His continued creation leads to the conclusion that is opposed by Scripture. From Scripture it is adduced not just proposed, that there is in reality, second causes and that we are responsible and authors of our own acts. It is further shown that we continue exactly as before, there is continuation of creation and the substance that was originally created by God. We are not created out of nothing from moment by by moment.
Good news! Yes, we are responsible for our actions, but God is merciful, and does forgive us our sins. It is God who created us and gives us life, a life that we can enjoy and not by some "strings" being pulled by God so that we cannot have a will in the matters of life. God forgives, so should Christians, it is what John the apostles so aptly put: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God" (John 4:7).
We know that we
are of God,
and the whole world
lies under the sway
of the wicked one.
1 John 5:19
May Your Confidence In God Grow
Richard L. Crumb
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