Man is without excuse

Have you ever gazed at this world’s beauty? Not just give a quick glance and then continue with your busy, never-ending schedule. No, have you ever just sat down and stared at it? A small worm resurfacing from the damp ground. A blade of grass in the middle of a vast field. A droplet falling into a glassy pool of H2O. A majestic sun set that transforms the whole sky into a fiery masterpiece of art.

In a way, I feel like Disney’s princess Pocahontas asking with a background tune, “Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon?...” I want to go deeper than that though. I want to ask your heart a question. If you have ever gazed at this breathtaking world, has it ever caused you wonder, “How did all this come to be?”

One of my best friends once shared with me that looking at nature is what convinced him that there is a God. He told me that, when he looked at the world and all that was in it, he knew none of it appeared by chance. All of it was designed, orchestrated, and set into motion by a Creator with a purpose. Gazing at creation, he realized that there was a God who loved him and made everything including him out of love and purpose. I find that story beyond beautiful.

In scripture, we see numerous accounts of God and humans describing the awe found in nature. Here are just a handful:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth... God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” - Genesis 1:1, 31a

"Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place... Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep?... Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this." - Job 38:13, 16, 18

"By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,their starry host by the breath of His mouth." - Psalm 33:6

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord,the Maker of heaven and earth." - Psalm 121:1-2

"Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You." - Jeremiah 32:17

"He builds His lofty palace in the heavens and sets its foundation on the earth; He calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land— the Lord is His Name." - Amos 9:6

So, let me ask you again. Have you ever gazed at this world’s beauty?

There is a song that I heard for the first time about a month ago that I love and appreciate due to its powerful words of truth. It is called So Will I (100 Billion X) by Hillsong United. Here are some of its lyrics:

“God of creation There at the start Before the beginning of time With no point of reference You spoke to the dark And fleshed out the wonder of light

And as You speak A hundred billion galaxies are born In the vapor of Your breath the planets form If the stars were made to worship so will I I can see Your heart in everything You’ve made Every burning star A signal fire of grace If creation sings Your praises so will I

God of Your promise You don’t speak in vain No syllable empty or void For once You have spoken All nature and science Follow the sound of Your voice

And as You speak A hundred billion creatures catch Your breath Evolving in pursuit of what You said If it all reveals Your nature so will I I can see Your heart in everything You say Every painted sky A canvas of Your grace If creation still obeys You so will I So will I So will I

If the stars were made to worship so will I If the mountains bow in reverence so will I If the oceans roar Your greatness so will I For if everything exists to lift You high so will I If the wind goes where You send it so will I If the rocks cry out in silence so will I If the sum of all our praises still falls shy Then we’ll sing again a hundred billion times…”

Yet, despite the unbelievable grace throughout all creation, not everyone in this beautiful world believes in God… It tears me apart that there are people across the global who have either never heard of or refuse to believe in Jesus. I can see Christ in every glance of His creation. Why cannot everyone else?

This thought bothered me for an extremely long time. I would suffocate under the pressure that, unless I shared the gospel with everyone, some people would never hear Christ’s message of grace. What I came to later realize was, while I am commanded to “go and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19a), it is not my job to change everyone’s heart. I cannot do that; only God can. I am simply here to unconditionally love everyone I come in contact with, just as Christ has unconditionally loved me.

But what about those who will never hear the Name of Jesus? As my friend experienced, creation itself declares to mankind that there is a God Who made everything and everyone. Paul even writes in one of his letter that, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities- His eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (Romans 1:19-20). This world we daily live in was formed to prove to us that Jesus is real and that He loves us dearly. That is mind-boggling to me.

The lyrics I previously shared are just half of the song. I think the last half is also worth sharing because they reveal how God, the Mastermind behind every single detail in the universe, incorporated mankind into His grand scheme of life, how He loved us enough to humbly surrender to His own creation just to have the chance to have a relationship with His children once again. With that kind of God, there should be no space for doubt of His existence. Man IS without excuse.

“…God of salvation You chased down my heart Through all of my failure and pride On a hill You created The light of the world Abandoned in darkness to die

And as You speak A hundred billion failures disappear Where You lost Your life so I could find it here If You left the grave behind You so will I I can see Your heart in everything You’ve done Every part designed in a work of art called love If You gladly chose surrender so will I I can see Your heart Eight billion different ways Every precious one A child You died to save If You gave Your life to love them so will I

Like You would again a hundred billion times But what measure could amount to Your desire You’re the One who never leaves the one behind”