Cosmological Reasoning

On Wednesdays we “walk in the Word” through study & application of Biblical doctrine. Rightly understanding Biblical doctrine fuels doxology, delight in Jesus, & gospel centered discipleship. Today we continue a short series on knowing God through General revelation, focusing specifically on cosmological reasoning for a Creator.  Last week’s intro can be found HERE

God reveals Himself specially through His word and work and generally through His world, what theologians call “general revelation.” As we celebrated last week, passages such as Psalm 19:1 proclaim, 
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“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” 
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God's general revelation of His eternal power and Divine is available to all people in all places, a powerful witness leaving people without excuse (Romans 1:19-20). One way of reasoning from general revelation to God is called the cosmological argument. This line of reasoning observes that everything with a beginning exists because it has a cause. This means all creation is temporal, dependent, and contingent. The universe began to exist and therefore must have a cause outside itself, an uncaused Cause or what Aristotle called an “unmoved mover.” Thomas Aquinas developed and adapted Aristotle’s phrase in his “first way” of demonstrating God’s existence: 

“It is certain, and evident to our senses, that in the world some things are in motion. Now whatever is in motion is put in motion by another… If that by which it is put in motion be itself put in motion, then this also must needs be put in motion by another, and that by another again. But this cannot go on to infinity, because then there would be no first mover, and, consequently, no other mover; seeing that subsequent movers move only inasmuch as they are put in motion by the first mover… Therefore it is necessary to arrive at a first mover, put in motion by no other; and this everyone understands to be God.” (Summa Theologiae, I.2.3)

The cosmological argument for God affirms the reasoning of Scripture:

“For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God” (Hebrews 3:4).
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John Calvin reflects on this in the Institutes: “God, to whose will all things are subject, is the fountain of all things… He is the eternal and unchangeable source from which all springs.” God Himself is the uncaused cause of creation, the unmoved mover who is the headwaters of all things and “built” everything. This truth drives us to consider what kind of God must exist to be the cause of all things. In this way, considering creation cosmologically is a sign post pointing us to know God. Creation declares “God’s eternal power and divine nature” (Romans 1:19–20). 

The cosmological argument presses the human conscience to admit that the source of all life must be eternal, unbound by time and other limitations. The Westminster Confession of Faith agrees saying, “the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence, do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God” (WCF 1.1). God’s power is not momentary, but unchanging and inexhaustible, the same from age to age, because it is eternal. God is “the Alpha and the Omega … The One who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8).

For the believer, these truths turn the cosmological argument into a doxology. Creation’s testimony to God’s eternal power and divine nature calls us to join the Heavens in praise.
“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)
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Richly Dwelling
-Does considering creation lead you to worship the Creator? Why or why not?
-How does cosmological reasoning empower you to speak with friends who do not believe in God?
-Who, specifically, do you need to pray for?