Peter Jones » God Systematic Theology Biblical Theology Doctrine

In Evan Almighty, Hollywood’s cleverly titled farce about Noah’s Ark, Morgan Freeman plays God. Freeman’s incarnation of God is one part groovy yoga instructor, one part Vegas magician, and one part high-end, New Age life coach in Deepak Chopra pajamas. No part of him, however, suggests the Old Testament deity who wipes out his creation with a flood and starts again—which is the whole point of the story of Noah’s Ark. There you have it—a stark contrast between two types of God. The choice is not really between a cool God and a mean one. The issue goes deeper. The worship of creation is our attempt to fill the gaping hole made by our refusal to worship the true God, who created all things. In Romans 1:18–20, Paul makes a series of earth-shaking statements about human beings who stand before the Creator. They know God, but “by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” about him (v 18). They know God because “what can be known about God is plain . . . . in the things that have been made” (vv 19–20). They know God exists and long to connect with him, yet deliberately reject him and the evidence of his creative handiwork. G. K. Chesterton said, “When men cease to believe in God they do not believe in nothing; they believe in anything!” The Lie about God is a substitute, taken from within creation. This is One-ism, or paganism (paganus comes from the Latin word meaning “of the earth”). In Paul’s words, “they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles” (v 23). To learn more about one-ism and two-ism and see how it plays out in all kinds of ways in our church and culture, come to the Exchange conference in San Diego. Mark Driscoll, Peter Jones, Francis Chan, Kevin DeYoung, and others will teach you how to distinguish the Truth from the Lie in all of life. Exchange is June 17 & 18 in San Diego, California. Find out more.