God Is Not a Minimalist

When I say God is not a minimalist, I'm not referring to the style of art known as minimalism. Instead I'm referring to the fact that God does not do things that just barely get the job done, that just meet the minimum requirements. He is a God of generosity and abundance. The God of more-than-sufficiency. Here are two passages (NIV) that demonstrate this:

Romans 8:32 "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"

Malachi 3:10-12 "¹⁰ Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. ¹¹ I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. ¹² "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty."

These two are but a tiny portion of the passages in the Bible that support this conclusion. The specific area that I would like to focus the first part of this post on is creation. It is close in topic to one I did previously. The second part of the post will focus on God's grace.

I was thinking about this a few days ago, about how God didn't just do the minimal needed for creation. He didn't just create the earth, the sun, the moon and a handful of stars in a single solar system. That would have been enough. Life, as He designed it, would happen the way it does now. We would have our days and nights, with the sun to govern the day and the moon to govern the night (see Genesis 1:14-19). Psalm 19:1 would still be true, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Instead, God chose to create innumerable stars, planets, moons, solar systems, galaxies, comets and meteors. He created big planets, little planets, planets with thick atmospheres, planets with thin atmospheres, planets with rings, planets with no rings, planets with lots of moons, planets with no moons and planets with one moon. He created dwarf stars, black holes and supernovas. He created solar winds, solar flares and asteroid belts. It boggles the mind (at least it does mine).

Let's move on to other aspects of creation. How about the vast number and variety of life forms - fish, birds, bugs, mammals, plants and a whole slew of others. According to the birding.com web site, there are over 10,000 species of birds in this world! Think of the varieties you know - parrots, penguins, ostriches, robins, blue jays, cardinals, crowned cranes, bald eagles, sparrows, mocking birds, vultures, and the list goes on and on. And think how unique and different each one is. The same goes for all the species in the world. All so unique, different and totally creative. Just think, God could have given us omnivores just one source of meat - the humble chicken. Then everything really would taste like chicken :-). Think of the great variety of fruit there is for us to enjoy, both in kinds (like oranges and bananas) and within kinds (like granny smith and mackintosh apples).

How about geography? God could have created a big ironing-board flat island surrounded by a still, calm fresh water sea. That would have been enough. It would have met our needs for a place to live and grow plants and for water to drink. But not God. Instead he gave us oceans that roll, and mountains and valleys to break up the land. Streams, rivers and waterfalls to distribute fresh water. He gave us deserts, tropical rain forests, savannas, prairies, and polar ice caps.

The list of examples of God's extravagance in creation could go on and on. Isn't it wonderful that God isn't a minimalist? He does things super-abundantly, extravagantly!! Nowhere is this more precious than in regards to His grace to us and supplying Jesus Christ as the more-than-sufficient atoning sacrifice for our sins. Romans 5:12-21, below, says this very well. While you are reading it, look for all the words and phrases that show God's super-abundant grace.

¹²Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— ¹³for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. ¹⁴Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.

¹⁵But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! ¹⁶Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. ¹⁷For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

¹⁸Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. ¹⁹For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

²⁰The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, ²¹so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.