WORSHIPPING THE CREATED RATHER THAN GOD THE CREATOR

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

WORSHIPPING THE CREATED INSTEAD OF GOD
THE CREATOR.

"…who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and
worshiped and served the creature rather than the
Creator, Who is Blessed forever…" ( Romans 1:25).

Mankind by nature worships, if not the One Uncreated God, then something created. Amartia (Sin) is the result of our failure to know God because we refuse to "GLORIFY" Him and to be "THANKFUL." Refusing to worship God, men first turned inward to their own spiritual center wtrithout regard for God, cutting themselves from light and true wisdom. They lifted up, created things as objects of worship. In our Holy Orthodox Faith, this refers to idolatry and placing anything other than God–like wealth, pride, nature, or even powerful people–in God’s place. Holy Apostle Paul describes humanity’s turning away from Almighty God, leading them to idolize things like animals, nature, and worldly things instead of the Divine blessings and commandments.

Saint John Chrysostom stresses that mankind’s turning away from the Creator to worship creation (the "lie") leads to a most significant spiritual degradation where people exchange natural, God-given desires for unnatural ones, becoming enslaved to a debased and corrupt mind, making them inexcusable for their rejection of the God the Creator. He focuses on how this exchange of truth for falsehood corrupts life, making doctrines and actions diabolical.

Worshiping nature and creatures rather than God the Creator is a fundamental error, a spiritual blindness, and idolatry that replaces God’s glory for finite things, leading to moral decay and a severed relationship with God, as the human race is designed for communion with the transcended Creator, not the created world itself. We are expected to respect and protect God’s handiwork, but not a substitute for Him, seeing the universe as a reflection of the Creator’s eternal power, which humanity today foolishly ignores.

"We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker (Creator) of Heaven and Earth, and of all things visible and invisible." These opening words of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, the central Doctrinal statement of Christianity, affirm the One True God is the Source of everything that exists–both physical and spiritual, both animate and inanimate. The Holy Fathers of the Church also consistently affirm that each species of the animate creation into existence instantaneously, after the command of God, with its seed within itself. Saint Basil the Great wrote, "We must still remain faithful to the principle of true origin and recognize that all that exists is sustained by the Creator’s power."

The repeated affirmation "and God saw that it was good" Genesis I underscores the intrinsic, fundamental GOODNESS of matter and the whole created order, even after the Fall. This understanding is the basis for a sacramental worldview–that the created order not only is good, but also can be a means FOR COMMUNION WITH GOD, BY VIRTUE OF BEING CREATED BY THE ALL-GOOD GOD. Moreover, the astounding beauty, intrinsic order, and sublime harmony of all aspects of Creation, as well as the tremendously vast expanse of the universe, are intended to draw mankind TO AN AWARENESS OF AND APPRECIATION FOR OUR GOD AND CREATOR, AND TO THE WORSHIP OF HIM–AND HIM ALONE.

King David affirms this very fact when he writes: "The heavens DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD; The firmament shows the creation of His hands. Day to day utters speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voices are not heard. Their proclamation went to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world." (Psalm 18:1-5). And Saint Paul writes: "For since the creation of the world His invisible ATTRIBUTES ARE CLEARLY SEEN, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:20). All mankind knows "natural revelation," that is God’s energy (power) and His transcendence (Godhead), revealed through the order of the universe and in humanity. But all thwart the truth. In their hardness of heart, the ungodly despise the goodness of God revealed in creation.

There are those of course that refer to themselves as "naturalists." But what is a naturalist? "A naturalist is a person who studies the natural world through careful, first hand observation, focusing on organisms and their environments. Also, one who promotes appreciation and conservation, using senses and scientific principles to interpret natural phenomena. This includes ecologists, park rangers, environmental educators, wildlife biologists and cruarators." There is a difference between believing in stewardship and caring for nature and of worshiping nature. The Orthodox Christian view supports its caring for all creation (Genesis 1:28) as responsible stewards, but this care is rooted in obedience to God, NOT nature worship. In Genesis 1:28 we hear God saying to Adam and Eve: "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it , and have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of heaven, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Our planet earth is our "oikos" or "house" and it can refer to one’s immediate family and all the people in their relational sphere, such as friends, neighbors, and co-workers. In the context of environmental movements, "oikos" is used to refer to the Earth as the shared home of all living beings (our "common home." The theme "Renewing the Oikos of God" emphasizes the responsibility of humanity to care for creation as part of God’s Household.

However, there are those who seek to live in peaceful and tranquil nature rather than a noisy and air-polluted city life. There also are others who homestead in forests and other secluded places and make their life in nature permanent. It takes courage, knowledge, preparation and commitment for anyone to choose this type of life. There are those who truly are inspired by God’s very beautiful nature and glorify Him for the blessing of His divine gift of creation to us. Others, however, who do not believe in God see only the beauty of nature itself as though it appeared by accident or coincidence and do not feel the need to offer thanksgiving to the Creator of that beauty. How foolish and tragic is that? They say that they want to become one with nature rather than to be one with the Lord our God. I have heard them refer to domesticated and undomesticated animals as brothers but who are not; and ignore their true brothers and sisters, their fellow human beings who too need love and compassion.

Unfortunately there are those who have no respect at all for God’s earth. Instead they exploit all of nature for profit. Corporations that pollute and poison lakes, seas, rivers and even the oceans of the world. Sea mammals, fish, birds, land animals of all kinds and sizes are being killed at an astounding number. Many species are already extinct. Then you have the enormous problem or disaster of deforestation. Deforestation is a critical global issue where pristine forests are cleared for agriculture, logging, and development, severely threatening humanity itself and our unique planet. By destroying the forests throughout the world the people and governments are responsible for destroying habitats, causing soil erosion and even impacting food security. Because of their greed, corrupt people destroy something essential to human existence, the trees. The trees offer much more than beauty, shade, fruit, or shelter for birds and various other animals. The Trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), a major greenhouse gas. Deforestation releases this stored carbon and eliminates future absorption. Trees release oxygen necessary to all life, human and animal. Forests are home to over half the world’s terrestrial species.

Mankind needs to come to its senses and to immediately turn to the All-Wise and All-Merciful God and Creator for guidance before it reaches its own demise. Psalm 13:1 [14] states "The fool says in his heart, There is no God." This foolishness stems from a moral depravity and spiritual illness and corruption which eventually leads to a rejection of God’s plan of man’s salvation.

Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ exhorts us, "Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand," a core message found in the Gospels of Saint Matthew 4:17; and Saint Mark 1:15, that calls for a fundamental change in thinking and behavior (turning from sin) because God’s commandment, revealed by Christ is necessary in order to be saved and enter His heavenly Kingdom. There can be no reconciliation with God unless one is willing to repent of his/her sins. Our Lord Christ’s first word, like that of Saint John the Baptist, is "repent," because repentance is necessary to enter and continue in His new way of life. Repentance is man’s turning from himself to God. "The Kingdom of heaven" is synonymous with "the Kingdom of God; it is present in Christ our Savior.

Repentance, which always accompanies belief, is a total about-face. It is a radical change of one’s spirit, mind and heart, a complete reorientation of the whole of one’s life and being. It is the necessary first step on "the way of the Lord" and is followed by the confession of sins, the decisive act of baptism, and an actual change in one’s life-style.

_________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George