In our Sunday morning class this morning, we unpacked and explained how the triune God creates. This is vital truth that shapes our worldview, informing us why God created. It is not because God need us to add to his glory, he is already infinitely complete in glory, love, and holiness. Instead, God created for the purpose of revealing his divine perfection complete from all eternity. Out of that completeness, the trinity created, to manifest his glory. For further info, later this week check our church website Christ Community Church to hear the message and download the notes. At the end of the lesson I unfolded the different ways the three persons in the trinity acted in creation. For sake of time I focused on the work of the Holy Spirit. Here I would like to briefly expand on the work of all three persons.
The Distinct Roles of the Trinity in Creation
Before reviewing the different manners in which each person creates, Scriptures declares that all three persons were part of creation. Stephen Wellums sums it up and says,
“Creation is the one act of the triune God. This means that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit act inseparably since they subsist in and share the one simple indivisible divine nature. As such, creation is one act of God, not three distinct acts. Thus, creation is note merely the work of the Father (Gen. 1:1-31; Isa 40:12; 1 Cor. 8:6), it is also the work of the Son (John 1:3; 1 Cor 8:6; Col 1:15-17; Heb. 1:1-3), and the Spirit (Gen 1:2; Job 33:4; cf Ps 104:30). Creation is common to the three divine persons.”1
There is no way to attribute creation to the Father, without also affirming the work of the Son and the Spirit.
The Father, Son, and Spirit
The Apostles’ Creed states: “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.” The Nicene Creed (AD 381) states, “I believe in One God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible…. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.” Clearly we see that the Father has Scripture focus when it comes to creation. “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.” (Eph 3:14–15). But remembering trinitarian agency, there is no way for one person to work without the other. As Scripture affirms creation to the Father, the agency of the Son and the Spirit correspond to that same creation.
Corresponding to the Father, the Son is both the example and efficient cause of creation. Because he is the Word and Wisdom of the Father, he is the pattern by which creation was formed. Because he is the exact image of the Father, he is the archetype for all humankind (Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3). Stephen Wellum explains that Jesus is,
“the incarnate Son, as the last Adam, is able to restore us to the purpose of our creation as God’s image-bearers (Heb. 2:5-9; cf. Rom. 8:29).”2
The Son is the means by which the Father creates “in him” and “through him” (Col. 1:16). The Son is the means and the cause of creation, even as he is the archetype for all humankind. Along the same lines, the Spirit is also working. Wellum says,
“While the Spirit, as the Lord and giver of life, is creation’s perfecting cause, “by whom created things are brought to their proper end.” Thus, originated by the Father and given form by the Word, created things are brought to life by the Spirit. In this way, “creation is a common work of the undivided Trinity: there are not three creators. But there are ‘three who create’” with respect to their eternal, immanent personal relations as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”3
This is only a brief summery of the triune work of God in creation. There is much reason for us to grow in knowledge of this trinitarian work. The world is falling headlong into meaninglessness and ignorance. Last week there was an article in the New York times that said politicians are noticeably becoming dumber. They are reading less and this is reflected in their policy and leadership. There is only one way for Christian’s to reverse this ignorance in their lives. They need to expose themselves to purposes for which God created them, to know God and to enjoy him forever.
Again, this morning’s class notes has a fuller unfolding of this. Creation finds it’s meaning in God’s infinite completeness before time began. God never has and never will need creation.
“In God’s eternal being, there was the fullness of holy love, life, and communion apart from creation. This is why Paul states in Acts 17:24-25 that God does not need us to add to the perfection of his own being.”4
The multimedia of this secular world in ever trying to convince us the opposite. Their message is that we can find meaning by living a fulfilled life. But we know better. If we believe in the completeness of God in his perfect trinity, let us give ourselves to learning about this perfect God, who is worthy of all our attention, love, devotion, and worship.
Systematic theology, Stephen Wellum, pg. 795
Systematic theology, Stephen Wellum, pg. 796
Systematic theology, Stephen Wellum, pg. 799
Systematic theology, Stephen Wellum, pg. 795
