God's Ordered Creation

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or
authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16–17, ESV)

I have always enjoyed watching the way a trellis works. God provided it long ago as an object lesson for my walk with him. It becomes more meaningful as the years go by.

Let me explain.

For a time, I lived in the wine capital of the US, Napa Valley, California. Vineyards are everywhere, featuring grapes of every kind and purpose. But they all have one thing in common: they all grow on a trellis structure.

A trellis does not create grapes, let alone wine or grape juice. It does not cause a vine to sprout, stretch, flower, or bear fruit. The life is in the vine itself, not the trellis.

But the trellis gives that life structure. It plays a critical role in the success of the grapevine.

It gives the vine something upon which to climb. It gives direction to its growth. It keeps the branches from sprawling across the ground, becoming tangled, broken, or choked. It causes the fruit to be easily accessed. It provides support so that the vine can become what it was created to become.

That may be one of the best pictures I know for understanding the order of God.

God is not a God of chaos. He does not create randomly, govern haphazardly, or make up the rules as He goes along. From the opening lines of Genesis to the closing chapters of Revelation, Scripture reveals a God who brings order, establishes boundaries, creates rhythms, assigns responsibilities, and moves history toward a purposeful conclusion.

Paul says plainly:

“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.”—1 Corinthians 14:33

And again:

“But all things should be done decently and in order.”—1 Corinthians 14:40

Order is not merely something God prefers.

Order reflects something about who God is, and how his sovereignty is graciously applied.

The Trellis of Creation

“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.” (Psalm 33:6–9, ESV)

Genesis 1 is remarkably structured.

God separates light from darkness. He separates the waters. He establishes dry land and seas. He creates vegetation that reproduces according to its kind. He appoints the sun, moon, and stars to mark days, seasons, and years. He fills the seas, skies, and land with creatures that reproduce according to their kinds.

Then He creates humanity and gives us a role within creation.

We are not merely another species occupying space. Humanity is given stewardship, dominion, responsibility, and accountability before God.

And after the work of creation comes rest.

Even time itself is ordered.

There is day and night.

Work and rest.

Seedtime and harvest.

Seasons and years.

Growth and maturity.

Birth and death.

The universe is filled with astonishing variety, but it is not without structure.

Freedom exists within order.

That is important because we sometimes assume that order and freedom are enemies.

They are not.

A river without banks does not become freer. It becomes a flood.

Music without rhythm or melody does not become more expressive. Louder music does not equate to deeper meaning. It just
becomes noise.

A body whose organs refuse their proper functions does not become liberated. It becomes sick.

The order God creates is not designed to suffocate life.

It is designed to sustain it.

First the Blade, Then the Ear

Jesus once described the growth of the kingdom by pointing to something very ordinary: a plant.

He said:

“The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear [the head of the grain], then the full grain in the
ear.”—Mark 4:28

Notice the order.

First the blade.

Then the ear [head].

Then the grain.

Nobody plants a seed Monday morning and becomes angry Monday afternoon because there is no harvest.

Growth has an order.

So does spiritual growth.

Peter speaks of Christians as newborn infants who need spiritual nourishment so they may grow. Paul speaks of believers who are still immature. Hebrews contrasts milk with solid food. Peter describes a progression from faith toward virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love.

God expects Christians to grow.

That does not mean everyone grows at exactly the same speed. It does not mean every disciple follows an identical path.

But Christianity does not envision perpetual infancy.

We are meant to mature.

We should not spend forty years in Christ and still be spiritual toddlers expecting everyone else to pick up our toys.

Spiritual disciplines, Scripture, prayer, fellowship, worship, correction, service, suffering, obedience, and perseverance are part of the trellis God uses to help us grow.

The trellis does not produce the fruit.

God does.

But He often produces that fruit through the structures He has given us.

Order in Marriage and Family

God also establishes order within human relationships.

Marriage begins in Genesis with a man leaving father and mother, holding fast to his wife, and the two becoming one flesh.

The New Testament expands upon that relationship by giving husbands and wives responsibilities toward one another. Parents are given responsibility toward children. Children are instructed to honor and obey parents.

This does not mean one person possesses greater value than another.

Order is not the same thing as worth.

Different responsibilities do not imply different degrees of human dignity.

Within healthy relationships, structure creates security.

Somebody must accept responsibility.

Somebody must serve.

Somebody must protect.

Somebody must nurture.

Everybody must love.

Everybody must submit themselves to Christ.

The great danger comes when sinful human beings take God-given order and turn it into domination or something else that it was not meant to become.

Biblical leadership is never permission to become self-serving.

Jesus made that unmistakably clear.

The One with all authority washed feet.

God’s order is always shaped by God’s character.

Where biblical order exists without biblical love, humility, sacrifice, and service, something has gone terribly wrong.

The trellis is supposed to support the vine.

It is never supposed to control it.

Order in the Church

The church also has a God-given order.

Christ is the Head of the church.

That fact alone settles the most important question of church governance.

The church belongs to Jesus.

Not the pastor.

Not the elders.

Not the deacons.

Not the congregation.

Jesus.

Under Christ, Scripture establishes recognizable patterns of leadership, shepherding, service, accountability, equipping, and ministry.

Elders shepherd.

Deacons serve.

Leaders equip.

Members minister.

The body works together.

Paul told Titus:

“This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order…”—Titus 1:5

That is remarkable language.

Apparently sincere Christians can love Jesus, possess spiritual gifts, gather together, and still need things to be “put into order.”

That should not surprise us.

The Corinthian church certainly had enthusiasm. They had gifts. They had energy.

They also had chaos.

Paul did not respond by saying, “Well, at least everybody is participating.”

He brought order.

Not to suppress the Spirit.

To make sure the gifts of the Spirit actually built up the body.

This is why church structure matters.

The goal is not bureaucracy.

The goal is care.

Protection.

Accountability.

Service.

Mission.

Discipleship.

Fruitfulness.

The church needs a trellis because the church is alive.

The Danger on Both Sides

Of course, there is danger in talking about order.

Human beings love turning good structures into rigid systems.

The Pharisees did it beautifully.

They could build a rule around a rule around another rule until the original purpose of God was nearly impossible to see.

That is one danger.

We might call it legalism.

Legalism builds the trellis and forgets the vine.

But there is an equal danger on the other side.

We can become so suspicious of structure that we tear down every trellis in the name of freedom.

No accountability.

No authority.

No boundaries.

No discipline.

No responsibility.

No expectations.

No correction.

Eventually, the vine is lying in a tangled mess on the ground.

Disorder celebrates the vine and tears down the trellis.

Biblical wisdom understands that God gives us both.

Life and structure.

Grace and truth.

Freedom and responsibility.

Spirit and order.

Even Redemption Has an Order

Perhaps the grandest example of God’s order is the story of redemption itself.

Scripture unfolds with astonishing purpose.

Creation.

Fall.

Promise.

Abraham.

Israel.

Law.

Prophets.

Messiah.

Cross.

Resurrection.

Church.

Return of Christ.

New Creation.

Paul writes:

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son…”—Galatians 4:4

At the fullness of time.

Not randomly.

Not accidentally.

Not because heaven suddenly came up with Plan B.

God was not improvising.

History itself moves according to His purpose.

That does not mean everything that happens is good.

Far from it.

Human beings rebel.

Creation groans.

People suffer.

Sin destroys.

Yet even within a broken world, God continues moving history toward the day when Christ will make all things new.

The final chapters of the Bible are not chaos.

They are restoration.

Order restored.

Creation renewed.

Humanity reconciled.

God dwelling with His people.

The trellis reaches its intended purpose.

The vine bears fruit.

Do We Trust the Designer?

Perhaps, then, the real question is not whether we like order.

The deeper question is whether we trust God.

Do I believe God understands marriage better than I do?

Do I believe He understands the church better than we do?

Do I believe He understands spiritual growth better than I do?

Do I believe His boundaries are good?

Do I believe His patterns are wise?

Do I believe His timing is trustworthy?

Do I believe the Designer understands what allows His creation to flourish?

That is where this becomes intensely personal.

Most of us are quite willing to accept God’s order when it agrees with our preferences.

The test comes when it does not.

That is when faith becomes obedience.

God’s order is less like a cage and more like a trellis.

A cage exists primarily to confine.

A trellis exists to support growth.

It provides strength, direction, and stability without creating the life itself.

God has woven patterns, boundaries, relationships, responsibilities, authorities, and rhythms into creation because He delights in fruitfulness.

The seed becomes the tree.

The infant becomes the adult.

The disciple becomes mature.

The saints become equipped.

The church becomes a functioning body.

Creation moves toward renewal.

Maybe one of the most practical acts of faith is to stop asking God to bless the order we have created and begin
asking whether we are willing to live within the order He has revealed.

Because God is not making this up as He goes.

And neither should we.