Paul concludes his indictment of Gentile idolatry with the doxology to

the Creator, 'Who is blessed for ever.  Amen' (Rom. 1:25), a doxology that

clearly differentiates the creature from the Creator, yet which is repeated

and even amplified when ascribed to the Lord Jesus Christ in Romans 9:5, a

truth that we must remember when seeking a form of sound words concerning the

Person of the Saviour.  Other passages which ascribe creation solely

to God are Ephesians 4:24 and Colossians 3:10, where the reference back is to

the creation of Adam, and in 1 Timothy 4:3 and 4, where articles of food,

clean and unclean, are under discussion.  The remaining reference does not

speak of creation by God apart from Christ, but says (if we follow the A.V.),

'which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, Who created all

things by Jesus Christ' (Eph. 3:9).

We would call the reader's attention to the fact that the statement

that the creation is the work of 'God the Father', is the language of the

Creeds, but not of Scripture.  If we are intent in our pursuit, and seek to

frame our convictions in harmony with the sound -inspired words uttered by

the apostle Paul, we shall be well advised to omit even the most natural

extensions of the term 'God', if only because we shall be obliged, presently,

to record that creation is very definitely attributed to the Son.  For the

moment let it suffice that Paul teaches that it is God Who is the Creator.

God is the Moral Governor.  He Who is our Maker has the right to assign

to us our responsibilities, and inasmuch as, on the one hand, man is a moral

agent, possessing a conscience, amenable to law, capable of obedience,

faith and love, and, on the other hand, alas, is capable of disobedience,

unbelief and hatred, unless the whole world is to be abandoned to chaos, God

the Creator must be also the Moral Governor.  It will be evident that here is

a theme that is too vast to present in its entirety.  Instead, we offer the

following selection from Paul's epistles, being sure that they are sufficient

for our immediate purpose, and will prepare the way for, as well as make it

necessary to consider, all features which have been omitted:

'Is God unrighteous Who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) God

forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?' (Rom. 3:5,6).

Here the apostle makes it clear that God is the Moral Governor of the

world, for the words used admit of no other meaning.  This governance must

embrace all that constitutes true moral government; there must be law, and

there must be penalty for transgression as well as reward for obedience.  All

this is implied in the question, 'How shall God judge the world?'  As Creator

and Moral Governor, God alone has the right to plan and provide for the

salvation of His creatures, on any terms and by any means that His wisdom,

love and power may dictate.  Further, His governance, whether in creation,

law or grace will finally be the outcome of His Being and attributes.  If He

is essentially holy, that holiness will be kept to the fore in all His ways.

If He is both a God of righteousness and a God of love, both must be

satisfied, and neither at the expense of the other.  To help frame a form of

sound words on this mighty subject the following is offered as a

Although, as we have already observed, the word 'God', Theos, occurs

over 700 times in Paul's Epistles, to which may be added another 100

occurrences in Acts 9 to 28, Paul nowhere discusses the absolute being of

God: He is always seen in relation to the creation, the kingdom,

the church, the believer or the unbeliever.  The nearest approach to the

absolute being of God is a series of negatives -- what God is not, rather

than what He is.