Hey Andy, Christians believe that God is “Maker of Heaven and Earth, and of All That is Seen and Unseen”. Is this a preamble to the Gospel, or a proclamation of the Gospel?
Hi, when I first decided to take on this question, I was sure that this statement was a proclamation of the Gospel. But after coming up with some questions to answer for it, I realized that I have to change my answer. I now believe it is a preamble to the Gospel, while understanding how it could also be a proclamation.
Before asking what position this statement should be in, I believe we should first ask, “what exactly is the Gospel?”
What Exactly Is the Gospel?
The Gospel is the Good News about God’s love for us, put into action. Even though God created everything that exists, He did not create sin, for sin is separating us from God. God intended a close relationship with us from the beginning. It was not until the created (humans) disobeyed the Creator (God), hence separating them from Him. All throughout the Hebrew text, we learn of ways in which God tried bringing His creation back to Him:
- He called Abram, promising he would be the father of nations, as many people as grains of sand upon the earth
- God called Moses to rescue and give His Law to these people, hoping to teach them what it means to be the Lord’s people
- He sent prophets to call God’s people back to Him when they strayed off
- The Lord sent His One and Only Son to redeem those who would believe in Him
- Christ sent the Holy Spirit as a guide and counselor to those who receive Him.
When we tried to be like the creator, I guess you could technically say that we, the created, succeeded by creating sin. I mean, we didn’t actually “create” sin, but we did usher in its destruction to all of creation.
God’s Rescue Mission
God created us and loved us enough to rescue us from it. And He accomplished this through the death and raising of His Son, Jesus. We are all sinners, and the penalty for sinning is death. So basically, we all deserve to die. But instead of dying for our own sins, Jesus, who had no sin, (became sin) took our sins to the cross and died in our place. God then raised Him from the dead three days later. Jesus hung around for awhile afterwards, then ascended into Heaven to rule as Lord and King. This was done so that all who repent of their sins and receive Him may receive the free gift of eternal life, that is, living in God’s presence for all eternity, as it was meant to be in the beginning.
In other words, we messed things up in the beginning and couldn’t fix it ourselves. So God stepped in and fixed it for us. Now, all who wish to repent and be reconciled with God, can be…free of charge (2 Corinthians 11:7).
Can we understand the Gospel without first knowing that God is Creator?
I do not believe so, since the creation story and the redemption story are both intertwined. Without knowing them both, the gospel would have no meaning. For, it was not until God sent His Son to redeem His creation from something that it could not fix by itself. Only the creator could do this. And since God is talked about in the Gospel as the Father who sent His Son for the sake of humanity, I believe it is very important, and necessary, to know that this same Father is God, the Creator. And knowing God first as maker/creator would identify the Father in the Gospel with the God of creation.
Can we understand the Gospel without knowing who Christ is first?
I believe we need to know who Jesus is before we can fully understand the Gospel, since He is a major player in it. We can say that Jesus is God’s Son, but it is the Father’s love for His creation that is the reason for the Gospel. And in order to understand God’s love for us, and how it is connected to His Son’s actions in the Gospel, I believe we also must first understand that Jesus was in the beginning, creating with God, and that Jesus also is God, the Creator of all that exists. In other words, Jesus and God are one, and there is also a third person to God’s being, which is the Holy Spirit. By knowing this, we are also claiming Jesus as Creator / maker, and emphasizing the Gospel, for the Gospel is what God did through Jesus by means of the Holy Spirit in order to make things right again, as they were in the beginning (and better). Only our creator is capable of doing this. Another way of looking at this is, the Gospel is a story of two gardens, with Jesus in the middle. Without Jesus in the middle, there would only be one garden. Or if there was still the second, it would be practically empty. So I believe we need to know who Christ is first in order to understand what (and who) the whole Gospel is even about.
How could the original statement be seen as a proclamation to the Gospel?
As a Christian, I believe that God is “Maker of Heaven and Earth, of all that is, seen, and unseen”.
By saying this, I am proclaiming my faith in the Gospel. I am confirming and acknowledging my faith in God as the Creator of all things. I am saying that I believe in the creation stories told in both Genesis 1 and 2, as well as Joh 1. It is a declaration that is said after hearing the Gospel and accepting (converting to) the faith. I do not believe you can say this, truly believe it, and not believe in the Gospel, for it is an announcement of what God has done, is doing, and will do for us.
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