Viewpoint of Mark Cadwallader, Creation Moments Board Chairman

     

    Mark CadwalladerHave you ever gazed upon a vista where the colors are so incredible, you thought it looked like a painting? Or have you ever looked at nature and thought, “This is so glorious, it’s not only beautiful, it’s almost unreal”? I have – many times.

    The refraction and reflection of light through clouds, mist, atmosphere, and further interaction with created things – like the rainbow eucalyptus tree you see here – can set up some stunningly beautiful and amazing evidences of God’s workmanship! This is because light itself is a key to perfection, on its way to ever more beauty!

    Brilliant white light exposes every aspect and, therefore, every imperfection of a thing. And it can be diffused into a brilliance of colors we can’t even imagine, in surprising and ecstatically beautiful ways!

    We read in the Bible about the tremendous luminosity and brilliance of light that exists in the presence of God. From the visions of God on His throne – written by Ezekiel, Daniel and John – to the shining face of Moses returning from God’s presence on Mount Sinai – it is abundantly clear that, indeed, God is light! In fact, the Bible says as much: “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). The passage goes on to encourage us to “walk in the light as He is in the light.”

    And when God said, “Let there be light” in Genesis 1:3, Henry Morris makes this surprising point in The Henry Morris Study Bible commentary: “Light was not created, since God Himself dwells in light”. Instead, God was somehow directing, propagating, and energizing it into the creation. Just as when He abode with the Hebrews in the Shekinah glory cloud, the Bible tells us explicitly that God already dwells “in the light which no man can approach” (1 Timothy 6:16).

    In fact, theologians have debated the distinction between God’s “Divine Essence” and His “Divine Energies”. His Essence is Infinite and cannot be comprehended in words. But His Energies are how He communicates with us, how He touches us and speaks to us and reasons with us!

    God exists in an “unapproachable”, “uncreated” light in a perfection of beauty because He is perfectly good. But He reaches out to His creation in a “transmission”, so to speak. The Bible discloses God’s nature (paradoxically to our finite minds) as, “perfect justice” and “perfect love” … as when He revealed Himself to Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:4-7) … and as He revealed Himself through Jesus Christ on the cross.

    In the most wonderful resolution of the “paradox”, His perfection of both Justice and Love were satisfied! “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16) to suffer “the wages of (our) sin”, which “is death” (Romans 6:23) on our behalf! 

    This dual nature of God is also captured in the phenomenon of light – which is paradoxically at the same time both a particle and a wave. These means of transmission are physically exclusive of one another. Even with quantum mechanics, the reconciliation of particle and wave in the nature of light is mysterious.

    Furthermore, the light that we see in the creation is only part of a great spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, most of which is not visible. But God works with all of it – the visible and the invisible (Exodus 21:20). And all that is given color and beauty in what we experience is a reflection of the light inherent in our Maker. His radiance exposes, visualizes, cleanses, sterilizes, beautifies, and communicates! Spiritual eyes and ears of faith can see it and hear it.

    The truth, goodness and beauty of God will explode with all clarity before us when He fully connects with our resurrected bodies, and we fully receive His energizing Glory when “this corruptible puts on incorruption” (1 Corinthians 15:53). “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12). We will experience a beauty that will completely transcend anything we can experience here – as it will be the full illumination and luminosity of God!

    In spite of all our failings and frailties, we have been created to be an especially glorious testimony of Him, to be like Him and to be in relationship with Him forever! And in our glorified bodies, we can become pretty awesome too – shining like the stars in the heavens (Daniel 12:3)!

    Like many of us sang at Easter,
    “Soaring now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
    Foll’wing our exalted head, Alleluia!
    Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
    Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!
    -“Christ the Lord is Risen Today”, C. Wesley, 1708

    Thank you so much for your partnership with us and for your encouragement of prayer and other support in proclaiming the whole biblical truth of our Creator and Savior God!

    All photos and illustrations used in this letter are either covered by Fair Use or are the property of Creation Moments. Photo: Rainbow eucalyptus tree by Todd McKay – Pixabay.com

     

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