The Engine That Drives the Universe
God's Love for Himself. God is God-centered to the core of His being, and that is the foundation for our understanding of the world. When we bring the lens of creation as far back as it goes, we can see that everything begins with God. “From Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever” (Rom.11:36). Thus, God loves God more than he loves anything, and His glory is the driving force behind everything He does. He is infinitely more glorious, beautiful, and desirable than anything that can be imagined. Creation is, then, designed to demonstrate and reflect His glory and beauty in all its manifestations, so that He can receive maximum delight in Himself.
"God is glorified within himself these two ways: (1) by appearing or being manifested to himself in his own perfect idea, or, in his Son, who is the brightness of his glory; (2) by enjoying and delighting in himself, by flowing forth in infinite love and delight towards himself, or, in his Holy Spirit."
-Jonathan Edwards, Miscellanies #448
The Greatest News You'll Ever Hear
God's Image Displayed. After creating the heavens and the earth, God created mankind in order to reflect and display the fullness of his immeasurable beauty and holiness. He did so by giving them intelligence, creativity, and a pure relationship with Him that brought them unending joy and satisfaction.
God's Image Trampled. Although they delighted in God and his ways for a while, mankind foolishly fell under the temptation of the evil being Satan to abandon their Creator. They were enticed to become their own gods, and in doing so, they dissolved their relationship with God. In this act, their motivations and actions irrevocably became corrupted, plunging themselves and their descendants into unending judgment.
God's Image, Par Excellence. Upon judging mankind for their open rebellion, God promised to overcome their judgment through a new Man. God fulfilled this promise by coming in the flesh himself, as the person of Jesus Christ. He was miraculously conceived and born of a virgin, and he enjoyed a complete and pure relationship with God. Although he maintained moral perfection, the mission of Jesus was to experience the judgment that mankind deserved. Therefore, he was crucified on a Roman cross, were he suffered the abandonment of God to infinite pain and wrath as a sacrifice. God raised Jesus from death three days after he died on the cross in order to restore him to the unending pleasure of His presence.
God's Image Restored. There is no amount of good things a man or woman can do to cleanse themselves or rid themselves from their own corrupt nature. Therefore, if left to ourselves, we stand only to expect the judgment of God for our continual rebellion against Him. However, God has been merciful not to destroy us, but He has been gracious to come to the earth himself in Jesus Christ, to absorb the judgment we deserve. God has seen fit to save people from His wrath as he causes them to believe in the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ. He invites people from every tribe, language, and nation to believe this good news and enjoy the unending pleasure of His presence.
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him,though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the Man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
-Acts 17:24-31 (TNIV), the Apostle Paul preaching in Athens