Gary North

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Gen. 1:1).

The first verse of Genesis establishes the starting point for every biblically based discussion of God and the creation.

The Bible is clear that God created the heaven and the earth at the beginning of time. It is sometimes said that God created the universe out of nothing. It can equally be said that God created the universe into nothing. This is inconceivable for men, but the rival theories of the origin of the universe are equally inconceivable.

The New Testament says that the Second Person of the Trinity, was the agent of creation.

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist (Col. 1:12-17).

The universe is not impersonal. It is personal. It is personal because the Son of God created it and sustains it.

The starting point of Christian economics -- and every other field of thought -- is the doctrine of creation. This doctrine establishes that God is the only creator. Because God is the only creator, He is the original owner.

We read in the Psalms that the cattle on a thousand hills belong to God. "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills" (Psalm 50:10). This does not mean that the cattle on the hill 1,001 belongs to somebody else. God owns the cattle, and God owns the hills.

Because God is the original owner of all things, he has a legal claim on the output of all creation. Because God owns the raw materials and the capital, He owns the output of this capital. The entire universe provides the raw materials of productivity.

EVERYTHING HAS PURPOSE

Later in Genesis 1, we read about the creation of the sun, the moon, and the stars. We are told explicitly that this took place on day four. We are also told that these heavenly objects have a purpose, and that purpose is to serve mankind. God said that the lights of the ferment of the heaven should divide the day from night. They are to be for signs and seasons, four days and years (v. 14).

Both night and day existed before the sun, moon, and stars (v. 3). There is no way that this fact can be reconciled with any doctrine of the origin of the universe that is proclaimed by modern science. We must be very clear about this. The Bible's account of creation is in radical opposition to all modern astronomy. The earth preceded the stars, including the sun.

We are specifically told that the sun, moon, and stars were created as signs of the seasons. They let us see the difference between day and night, between one year and another. We are specifically told in verse 15 that these lights are to give light on the earth. Before their creation, both light and darkness were independent of the sun and the rotation of the earth.

We are specifically told that the purpose of the heavenly orbs is to inform mankind. Animals do not study the signs in the heavens. Men alone use the signs in the heavens to guide them. If some animals do, they do not do this self-consciously, as a matter of scientific observation.

This means that the earth has always been more important than the rest of the universe. There is a hierarchy of importance: God> mankind> earth> stars.

The entire universe is purposeful. Not only is it purposeful in relation to the earth, it was originally purposeful in a future- oriented way. Man was not created until the sixth day. The heavenly orbs were created on the fourth day.

This doctrine of cosmic purpose is in opposition to all forms of Darwinism. Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection was self-consciously opposed to all varieties of cosmic purpose prior to the appearance of man.

There is purpose in the universe. God is in charge of this purpose, and He directed this purpose toward mankind, who is made in His image (v. 26).

This may sound like needless theoretical speculation, but it applies to our daily affairs. The Bible tells us that man, as the image of God, is placed in authority over the earth. I will discuss this in greater detail in my comments on Genesis 1:26-28. For now, the important thing to understand is that man is so important that the entire universe centers around him. When I say that it centers around him, I refer to cosmic purpose. Of that which was created, man is the center. He is the center because he is the image of God. He is responsible to God, and the universe is responsible to mankind.

Mankind is not an afterthought. God created the stars in the heavens for man's purposes. This was before mankind even existed.

WHY YOUR FINANCES ARE IMPORTANT

To understand the importance of whatever it is you own, it is mandatory that you also understand the important role you play in the cosmos. You are important as a member of the human species. You are important because what you are reflects what God is.

You are responsible to the Creator of the universe. This is a major responsibility. If you look at the magnitude of the universe, you might think that you are not particularly important. This would be an error. The Bible says that mankind is more important than any other aspect of the universe, and you are a member of the human species.

To put it bluntly, you cannot get off the hook. Your responsibility is inescapable, precisely because you are human.

This is why anyone who says that economics is morally neutral is incorrect. Economics reflects the creation, and the creation is not neutral. It was originally designed to serve the purposes of mankind. This is because mankind is obligated to serve the purposes of God.

Any discussion of your finances should begin with a self- conscious realization that you are made in the image of God, that the entire universe centers around the human species, and you have responsibilities as a member of the human species.

This is a powerful doctrine. This is central to your finances because it is central to the doctrine of creation. Anyone who tells you that it is neither here nor there as to how you handle your finances is either completely uninformed about the Bible, or else he is lying. You have enormous responsibility to God because you are made in his image, and the entire universe centers around mankind. It centers around mankind because mankind is responsible to God for everything the human species possesses.

There is no ownership apart from responsibility. You are responsible for whatever you own. The only way to escape this responsibility while you are still alive and mentally competent is to give away what you own, or to waste what you own, or to have what you own repossessed by the original owner when you cannot pay your debts.

Any time that you put at risk whatever you own, because you use it as collateral for debt, you are risking the loss of personal responsibility. This does not mean that it is always wrong to be in debt, but it does mean that the only justification for being in debt is that you believe that this debt will enable you to achieve even greater responsibility in the future.

With this in mind, you should read lesson two, which deals with mankind's responsibility.