Paul would speak to the people of Lystra about the “Living God who made the Heaven and the Earth and the sea and all that is them.” (Acts 14:15) He spoke the Athenians on the same subject. (Acts 17:24) The gods these people had created and chosen to worship were not creators of anything more than chaos. They actually took over from the titans, who were preceded by eternal matter. It was generally believed in the pagan world that the universe had simply brought these gods into being. Interestingly, many saw these deities as removed from the wellbeing of man and using man for their own designs or amusement.
The principle of creation is crucial to opposing idolatry where people worship creation rather than the Creator, (Romans 1:23) it is also critical in establishing man’s personal values. The Biblical account emphasizes God’s great power. (Psalm 33:9; 2 Peter 3:5) The necessity of faith in the account of creation is the very first concept Christians are required to accept. It is repeated throughout Scripture. (Genesis 1; Exodus 20:11; Psalms 8:3-4; 24:1-2; 33:6-7; 40:5; 51:10; 64:9; 74:17; 95:5; 100:3; 102:25; 104:24,30; 118:24; 145:10; 148:5) God’s creative process is not relinquished to the primary aspects of the beginning of all things, but is even included in our present beings. (Isaiah 43:1)
The implications of Biblical creation are extensive and profound. 1) The creator is separate from the world He has created. He doesn’t exist within creation itself. Pantheism is a Biblical impossibility. The spiritual exception would be the inhabitence of a Christian by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:19) 2) Idolatry is result of man’s failure to recognize God through seeing the created. (Romans 1:25) 3) The world we live in, and even our own “self,” belongs to God. (Psalm 8:5) 4) Man is made in the image of God and amenable to His will and direction for us. How we view creation will have everything to do with how we view ourselves and our fellow man. 5) All people are made equal. (Malachi 2:10) Man is the offspring of God. There is no superior race or group. (Acts 17:28) 6) The God who created all of this, will call it to an end one day. (2 Peter 3:6) (Lewis, Jack. Basic Beliefs, pg. 27, 21st Century Christian Publishing)
We can’t really know where we should go, if we consistently fail to recognize our true past. We started in life with a very distinct purpose. If we will follow the will of God, we will find reward and blessing. (James 1:12-16) If we fail to recognize God, as the Creator, we will receive the reward of the faithless. (Revelation 21:8) I pray we will all be found as believers and followers of our Lord in this world. Godspeed on your journey.