In The Beginning and The End

Christians are regularly accused of looking for "pie in the sky," and the accusation is often justified. Too many Christians treat their Christianity as fire insurance, something that will protect them from loss in the final fire. While there may, in fact, be "pie in the sky" the sky is not necessarily where man will end up.

In the first chapter of Genesis we find the creation story. Most interpretations focus on the seven days and from there attempt to establish some sort of factual history. An evaluation of evolution is not the point here. Instead I'd rather look at the other group of seven in chapter one.

Along with the seven days, there are also seven goods. Seven times during creation God says "it is good", the seventh time He says "it is very good." The word good is significant. Unlike current usage which is more the equivalent of "acceptable," good means "as it should be."

A quick scan of the text will show that each time God said "it is good," He completed a phase or category of creation and never returned to that phase or category. When God said "it is good" He was done with it. This is significant because while land animals and man were both created on the sixth day, they were created in different phases. Thus, man is not a continuation of land animals, but something distinct.

After God had created man He was finished with creation and He declared His creation "very good," or more precisely, "emphatically as it should be." This is important because after this we find that God "rested" from His creating.

Rest is not something God needs or does in the way we think of rest. A more literal interpretation would simply read "God ceased creating." He was done and in all the scripture we have, we never again find God creating anything new. In other words, on the seventh day creation was exactly what God intended it to be.

But then came "The Fall."

Adam and Eve became dissatisfied with their situation and decided to change it. As a result God's creation was altered (read Genesis chapter 3 for details). From that time forward, God has been working to put things back to the way He intended. God could have destroyed everything and started over, but instead, He determined to put things right.

Throughout the rest of the Bible we are given insight into God's work of salvation. The theme throughout scripture is redemption and reconciliation. This can be seen in God's selection, teaching and treatment of the Israelites and is quite explicit in the writings of Paul in the New Testament.

I am convinced that when all is said and done, we will not spend eternity in a placed called heaven. We were created for earth, and it's here we will stay. Our beginning that God declared emphatically as it should be is our end.

Now, you may be asking, "so what?" and I'm going to tell you. The "pie in the sky" accusation has nothing to do with where Christians will spend eternity. Rather it is an indictment of the attitude that many Christians have that they have no obligation to this world. Too many Christians use their Christianity as an escape, a way to avoid interacting with the world around them in any substantive way. Too many Christians are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good. Rather than reclaiming those things that were once the province of Christ, such as art and science, they have abandoned them to usurpers. Rather than striving for excellence, they settle for cheap and adequate.

Man was created to be the caretaker of the earth. It was his first command. How can we be trusted with responsibility in eternity if we cannot be trusted with the stewardship we have now. There is more to being a Christian than singing, praying and preaching.