God owns us by virtue of creation & by virtue of redemption. He made us and He bought us. You know those truths. However, it is important to remember that accepting the truth of creation must precede accepting–or even understanding–the truth of redemption.
In his book Real Worship, Warren Wiersbe writes the following:
"If the twenty-four elders [in Revelation 4] symbolize God's covenant people–twelve tribes of Israel plus the twelve apostles–then we have the glorified saints in heaven falling down at God's throne and worshiping the Creator. In Revelation 5 you will find this same group worshiping the Redeemer, but the book begins with their worship of the Creator. Why? Because until man admits he is a creature who is answerable to a Creator, he can never confess that he is a sinner who needs a Redeemer. That explains why Paul, when addressing Gentile audiences, began with God the Creator (Acts 14:5-17 and 22-31). To the Jews, Paul's emphasis was on God's covenant with Israel; to the Gentiles, his emphasis was God's covenant with creation. We need this same emphasis today both in our witness and our worship." (p. 52-53, emphasis mine)
Though Wiersbe touches on a variety of issues, his point that an acceptance of creation is a prerequisite to an understanding & acceptance of redemption is of particular importance. Whether or not the order of the two themes in Revelation 4-5 is actually emphasizing this point is debatable. There is no question, however, that Scripture emphasizes creation as the foundation of every other spiritual truth. It seems that Paul follows this order in the book of Romans, as well.
This is no theoretical matter, for it impacts how we present the Gospel to a generation for whom creation is not only not a given, but is not even a viable option. Nix creation & you nix both the authoritative Creator and the accountable creature. In fact, you nix the whole idea of sin. You have nothing left to talk about. Speaking of being "saved" to a person whose understanding of the world places him at the top of the universe's "food chain" is pointless. Saved from what…by whom…and for what?
Acknowledging the Creator is prerequisite to receiving the Redeemer.
Filed under: Devotional Thoughts, Ministry Musings, Notable Quotes
