MAKER OF HEAVEN & EARTH

(Photos mine)

'I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; The third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.' (The Apostles' Creed)

MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH…

According to the Apostles’ Creed God is the Maker (or source) of all things – ‘Maker of heaven and earth.’ (Though He is not the Author of evil), He is also the Author of the subscriber to the Creed’s belief (or faith) in Him. In our fallen or unredeemed condition we reject God and even refuse to believe in Him. However, when the Holy Spirit, who hovered over the face of the waters in the beginning, comes upon us and savingly works with the Word within us, we gladly believe in Him. This is reconciliation.

The Father speaks His Word and Their Spirit brings it to pass! Thus God reveals His Omnipotence and His attributes through the things He has made. He reveals His goodness through their upkeep. Flora and fauna are constantly being renewed and sustained. He reveals something of His justice in destruction and catastrophe.

As Maker of heaven and earth He works all things according to His eternal plan. He is working all things (including evil) together toward a glorious climax at the end of history. History is the outworking of God’s plan for the future.

What can thwart the Maker of heaven and earth’s plan? We see something His Omnipotence in the splitting of an atom. Whole cities can have their power supplied by the splitting of an atom. The awesome power of an atom was horribly demonstrated in WWII when cities were destroyed and hundreds of thousands of lives were lost as the immediate result. Think of all the specks of dust in the universe. Think of the Omnipotent power of the One who made it all merely by the command to ‘Let it be!’

The Maker of heaven and earth holds it all together. He controls the whirring protons and neutrons. In His goodness and justice God controls the path of every atom individually and all atoms collectively. He is working them, He is working heaven and earth and all therein towards all a glorious end. That glorious end is the renewal of this creation – a new heavens and a new earth.

God leaves us without excuse for not believing in Him and therefore worshipping and serving Him. As the Maker of heaven and earth He reveals Himself through:

a) The things He has made.

b) The things He has written (i.e., the Holy Bible).

c) Your conscience (that either accuses or excuses you).

The goodness of God is demonstrated in His saving from destruction a (large) portion of humanity. His justice is demonstrated in His by-passing some of humanity and leaving them in their rebellion toward Him. Those who are saved are saved by God’s grace alone. Those who are damned are damned by their own sins alone.

The Maker of heaven and earth is also maker of the Lake of Fire. The Lake of Fire is full of hellfire and is reserved for those angels (including the devil) who did not remain as God created them (i.e., as good angels). We too as the human race did not remain as God created us, and like the devil and his demons we chose to reject Him and go our own way. However, keep in mind that the Maker of heaven and earth ordained this to come to pass. The rebellion of His moral creatures is all part of the Maker of heaven and earth’s grand design!

Keep in mind that the Maker of heaven and earth is the Father Almighty. Almighty means Omnipotent. Therefore nothing that comes to pass comes to pass without the Father’s sovereignty. Not a hair from our head or a sparrow falls to ground outside of His sovereign control. Not one atom is misplaced. The Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth has designed all creation with an ultimate purpose in mind. Your and my rebellion against, the devil and demons rebellion against Him, is simply part of His eternal plan being worked out in time.

Space, time, and matter are creatures that work for God. Whether good or evil, believer or unbeliever, Theist or Atheist, we all work for God. He is Maker of heaven and earth. It all belongs to Him to dispose of as He pleases.

In our struggle to understand pain and suffering on earth we need to know and remember that God has done, is doing, and will do what is right. He understands all things because He is Maker of heaven and earth.