The New City Catechism — Week 5
Question 5— What else did God create?
Answer — God created all things by his powerful Word, and all his creation was very good; everything flourished under his loving rule.
Last week we saw that God created us in His own image and with a purpose. We were made to reflect Him and represent Him in all of His creation. Just as we are special above all other created things, God made more so that He and we might enjoy them.
The Bible shows us in the opening lines of Scripture that God made all that is made. But what is remarkable about the way that God creates, that separates Himself from the way we create things, is that He does so through the spoken Word.
The God of the Bible stands alone in power and glory and the God that we serve creates through His voice. The Bible says in Genesis’ creation account, God just speaks and matter, time, planets, stars, animals, and mankind are created. God does not need to rub sticks together to make fire, or drill in the earth to find oil to go on and create more. We are limited in our abilities, and that is how we create, but not so for God. We serve a God that can speak and galaxies exist—and also at any moment, reverse creation down into nothing.
But another awesome observation we find through the lenses of the New Testament is who the spoken Word is.
John 1:1–3 (ESV)1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
John though the inspiration of the Holy Spirit helps us see that the spoken Word is actually a person, and that person is the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus made the matter that makes up the universe and created time itself. Jesus made the planets and stars—he filled the earth with animals and water. Jesus, the Son of God who came down to earth and died on a cross for us is the one that made and designed all that we observe in the universe and it is all good in his eyes.
So this week, as you reflect on Question 5 and its answer, rejoice in the truth that our God is the one who has all power. Our Savior is the one who created you and the matter that makes up the screen you are reading on now. And He is the one who holds all things together by His powerful Word.
Genesis 1:31 (ESV)31And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good…