In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1). Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm... (Exodus 6:6).
Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:4).
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” (Revelation 21:5).
In the 18th century, the natural sciences were exploding. At this point in history, men of science began to picture the world like a giant clock, and God as its maker. The only problem with this view was, once the clock got started, the maker was out of a job. So, deism—the view that God created the world and walked away—grew. Today, vestiges of this deism live on, even in the church.
Perhaps you don’t think so. But I think that many well meaning Christians have such a lofty view of God, that they don’t really see him as an active, living, moving being. God is static—he’s out there, somewhere. But the Bible has a very different picture of God.
In the Scriptures, we see the Lord active in a host of ways. Let’s think about three: creation, redemption, and restoration.
First, God is active in creation. He made it. But he didn’t stop there. He didn’t just construct the clock and go take an eternal nap. He’s the power source of the clock. Furthermore, he continues to keep the clock working. That is, God is active in his creation.
Secondly, God is active in redemption. God didn’t just make the world, he loves it. He loves us. He loves his people, and he won’t suffer them to be lost forever in their own sin. So, God promises to redeem, and then actually does it. Sending Moses to the children of Israel, he said, “I will redeem.” Sending Jesus to the children of Adam (you and me), he says the same. He is active to come and save. And he still is, by the way. He is still moving, acting, and saving. How do I know? Well, he’s saved me. That’s at least some proof.
Finally, God is active in restoring the world and everything in it. In his vision of the future, John looked and saw Jesus bringing a new heavens and a new earth out of the old. A heavenly city was seen coming down from the sky, and ever tear was wiped away. No one was sick, no one was sad, and all evil and injustice had been destroyed forever. Summing up all that he was doing, Jesus said, “Look! I am making all things new!”
Don’t fool yourself for a moment into believing that God is inactive. Just because you may have a hard time seeing him move does not therefore mean that he is static. You can’t see the mighty oak grow either, but its roots will displace the greatest of man made structures. God is active, and he invites your activity with him.