Creation from Love
Did God create everything we see and touch from nothing?
From the stars to the worms and his masterpiece, man and woman, did he create
all of this from nothing? Throughout my childhood and into adult life, that’s
what I was taught – what I heard from others including teachers of the Bible. John
1:3 tells us, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made
that has been made.” I take this to mean that God created all things and
nothing that he made existed before creation. The Bible also tells us that God
is love (Hebrews 4:12), that he created everything from love. That sparks a new
question: does love have substance? If so, then God created everything from
something – not nothing.
Taking the direction of the premise that “love has
substance,” what is that substance? We know from experience that love can have
a tangible result: a birthday present given in love, an act of kindness like
helping an elderly neighbor rake her leaves or feeding a homeless family. In a
way, we create something from something when we reflect love onto others. But
is the source tangible? Does love actually have substance?
There is a similar question scientists have debated for
centuries: is light a wave or a particle? Does light have substance? (But I
won’t go down that scientific rabbit-hole.) It also reminds me of “cause and
effect.” Love has an effect. But does the “cause” of this effect have
substance?
The Bible also tells us that God is spirit (John 4:24). Then,
does his spirit have substance? This takes us into the next question about
God’s existence – his eternal existence. Since God transcends both time and
space, and space has substance, perhaps his love transcends space. We know his
love transcends time since his forgiveness is described as, “He has removed our
sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” (Psalm 103:12) [Keep in mind
that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. –
1 John 1:9.] And how is it that God is love? Love is an action. Not just a simple
ideal. A solitary person cannot love without others of which to display said
love. Prior to the creation of everything, God’s existence was (is and will be)
the “us,” as described in Genesis 1:26 when he said, “Let us make man in our
image.” He loved and loves Jesus the Christ and the Holy Spirit, and the three
equally love one another. But this still does not answer the main question of
this article: does love have substance? Even if his love transcends time and
space, could it still have substance? If so, then I repeat, God created
everything from something. Again, what is that substance? What is that
“something”? Did God actually create everything from nothing? Or if indeed love
is tangible, did he create everything from something?
God is infinite (Psalm 147:5), meaning he has no
beginning and no end – he was not created. Things of substance are finite. The
earth is finite; it had a beginning. If I say, “love has substance,” then I
would be limiting God to the finite. (Jesus is also infinite as spirit, but his
body was and is finite since it had a beginning at the time of his immaculate
conception. Nevertheless, this does not diminish his infinite existence.)
To continue, does love need to have substance in order to
be something? In the cosmic realm of God’s glory, perhaps not. Therefore God
created everything from the one “something” – love. Perhaps we can look at all this
as: he created from himself.
This could be one of those many incredible mysteries we
will not understand during our lifetime on earth. Perhaps, we will only
understand this concept – in part or in whole – when we as believers in Jesus
the Christ (John 3:16) will be with God, Jesus and Spirit in glory forever. For
now, I am content with and in the awe of God and his love. At least I know the
source of love.
And may I reflect his love onto others so they may
experience its effect.
~
"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."
- Genesis 1:1-2 (ESV)
