Does God Exist? - Cynthia's Corner - January/February 2014

OUR PLACE IN CREATION

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

God created the earth as a unique habitat to sustain and nourish human beings. Of all the life forms God created on earth, humans were the only ones created “in his image” (Genesis 1:26 – 27). What does that mean? That our bodies are in his image? Of course not! God is Spirit (John 4:24), and humans are created in his spiritual image. God gave us an eternal soul. What an amazing gift, and a gift he gave to none of his other earthly creations. How do I know that? After God had created all of the other living creatures on earth, he then created man specifically “in his image, in his likeness” (Genesis 1:26). The Bible does not say that about any other creature on earth (Genesis 1:20 – 26). God then gave mankind specific instructions to “be fruitful and increase, fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over every living creature” (Genesis 1:26, 28 and Psalm 8:6 – 8). This makes humans very special and unique among all of God's creations.

God created us in his image as spiritual beings with the capacity to love and the desire to be loved. He gave us the ability to appreciate beauty and art, to create, and to seek knowledge and understanding. We especially seek to know about our existence and our relationship to our Creator. “He set eternity in the hearts of men” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). God did this so we would seek him and find him (Acts 17:24 – 28). That part of us which is in God's image, our eternal soul, yearns to know God and to be with God. “My soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Psalm 42:1, 2).

We have a void within us that can only be filled by God because of our spiritual makeup and because of God's nature. “God is love” and “love comes from God” (1 John 4:7, 8, 16). “We love because God first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Only God's love is perfect, and only God's perfect love can make us complete and whole (1 John 2:5 and 1 Corinthians 13:10, 13). God created humans uniquely to be loved by him and to have a relationship with him — even for eternity. He sent his Son to save the world (John 3:17), and he gave us his inspired word to know him (Proverbs 2:1 – 6). God promises, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

— Cynthia Clayton