Ok, this is gonna be stretching. And if you’re new to the world of theology, this is going to be super stretching. Just like physical stretching helps you to be more flexible, recover, and perform better, so it is with intellectual stretching. And when we add theology to the mix, we’re all about to become contortionists. So let’s lean into this stretch, friends.
Recently, our team gave ourselves the gift of some sustained time to list out all the ways we could think about how God has shown or continues to show His innovational prowess either in Scripture or daily life. And keeping in mind our definition of innovation—creating something new that adds value to people—we tried to expain exactly how God’s specific activity brought newness and value. We then debated which ones we thought were the Top Ten (gutsy, I know), tried to figure how they could fit into our iZone framework (see “What is Innovation? Part 2”), and even ranked them. But the goal of this was not to show God our scorecards on His efforts, but to deepen our understanding of innovation.
Here’s a quick snapshot of what we are discovering.
Don’t get derailed by our prioritizing or ranking. Remember, it’s an exercise meant to stimulate discussion and learning. But to help us better grasp how God indeed innovates, let’s briefly unpack our Top Ten. (Do you need me to say that these quick summaries are NOT intended to be exhaustive?)
GOD AT HIS INNOVATIONAL BEST #1: OUR JUSTIFICATION.
The newness created by God’s innovative activity of our justification is our new identity, new positional standing in grace and righteousness before God, and our adoption into God’s family (Rm 4-5; Jn 1:12). The value generated by our justification is that we have been declared righteous, God’s removal of guilt and sin and shame and judgment, the propitiation of our sins, our atonement, the fulfillment of the Law, the nullification of the sacrificial system, our full and forever forgiveness, our peace with God, our hope, our calling, the New Covenant, and the gift of direct access to and relationship with God through Jesus. Without our justification by God, enjoying the benefits of the rest of these would be impossible.
GOD AT HIS INNOVATIONAL BEST #2: THE INCARNATION.
The newness created by God’s innovative activity of the Incarnation was the reality of God in human flesh—literally, and the direct participation of divinity with humanity through the virgin birth of the Person of Jesus Christ. The value generated by the Incarnation is the gift of Immanuel or “God With Us,” being able to see Jesus as fully God & fully Man, understanding God’s infinite value of humanity (He loves and values us enough to come and rescue us), the fundamental need for our redemption by supernatural means alone, and to see our model and seize our mandate as the Church.
GOD AT HIS INNOVATIONAL BEST #3: THE RESURRECTION.
The newness created by God’s innovative activity of the Resurrection is the reality of the death-conquered life (i.e., life without fear of death and without the sting of death), the defeat of Death itself, and Jesus being the “Firstfruits” of new life (1 Co 15). The value generated by the Resurrection is the proof of the Father’s acceptance of the Son’s sacrifice, the apex moment of human history, the evidence that the power of Sin and Death are forever destroyed, the achievement of our salvation, the promise of renewal, the victory of sacrificial love, the overcoming power of hope over despair, our victory, our confidence, and the gift of eternal perspective with our own future resurrection to eternal life.
GOD AT HIS INNOVATIONAL BEST #4: THE CHURCH.
The newness created by God’s innovative activity of creating the Church is the fact that the Church is the continued incarnation of Jesus Christ in the world today (1 Co 12:27), the beautiful potential and power of the Acts 2 church, the existence of a Holy Spirit-empowered and Jesus-led community, an organizational expression of God’s love, the priesthood of all believers, the collective presence of God manifest through us, and the expansion of God’s Kingdom mission. The value generated by the creation of the Church is the spread of the Gospel, the divine mechanism of spreading hope in our world, the ability to BE Christ to the world, the invitation to God’s perichoresis (being invited into the Trinity’s “circle dance”), relationship and partnership with Jesus (Bride & Bridegroom), being the most powerful and influential movement for good in human history, the beauty and impact of multiplication, to enjoy new purpose, gifts, growth, and community, etc., etc.
GOD AT HIS INNOVATIONAL BEST #5: HUMANITY.
The newness created by God’s innovative activity of creating Humanity is human beings created in God’s image, the family, gender, relationship, races and ethnicities. The value generated by the creation of humanity is our ability to reflect the Imago Dei (image of God), community with God and each other, work, love, civilization, etc., etc.
GOD AT HIS INNOVATIONAL BEST #6: CREATION.
The newness created by God’s innovative activity of Creation is all the matter, life, time, and space in the universe. The value generated by Creation is life, love, community, creativity, God’s multifaceted beauty, general revelation, the reality that love creates, etc., etc.
GOD AT HIS INNOVATIONAL BEST #7: SCRIPTURE.
The newness created by God’s innovative activity of provision of Scripture is the God-breathed revelation of God’s mind, heart, and plan for us. The value generated by Scripture is the ability for humanity to consider and apply God’s special revelation, commands, promises, principles for living, to grow closer in relationship with Him, to gain supernatural guidance, to grasp a moral code, to discover how to be human, to understand “our place” in His story, to find comfort and hope, and to grasp His infinite value of humanity.
GOD AT HIS INNOVATIONAL BEST #8: OUR SANCTIFICATION.
The newness created by God’s innovative activity of our sanctification is our transformation and new gradual growth into the likeness of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit (Rm 6-8), our new and progressive holiness, and the indwelling power, guidance, and assistance of the Holy Spirit. The value generated by our sanctification is conformity into the image of Jesus Christ, the promise of a lifelong process of surrender and spiritual renewal, a cooperative relationship with the Holy Spirit, being set apart to do God’s work with God, being prepared to be with God forever, our purification, the gift of the indwelling Spirit of God, the promise of supernatural guidance and comfort, etc., etc.
GOD AT HIS INNOVATIONAL BEST #9: OUR GLORIFICATION.
The newness that will be created by God’s innovative activity of our glorification will be our imperishable body (1 Co 15), the Spirit’s culmination of our sanctification process, and the fullest expression of the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Co 6). The value that will be generated by our glorification will be the greater valuing of our physical bodies as beautiful and sacred creations of God, the fulfillment of God’s orginal intent for our existence, and the gift of our eternal and immortal bodies which will be the strongest, healthiest, and most perfect physical versions of ourselves—no more illness, death, entropy, atrophy, fatigue, pain, sadness, intellectual or space limitations (1 Co 13, 15; Jn 20:19).
GOD AT HIS INNOVATIONAL BEST #10: THE NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH.
The newness that will be created by God’s innovative activity of the new Heavens and the new Earth will be the promised renewal of all things, new matter, new time and space, and an incorruptible existence and environment for us to ever live with Him and one another. The value that will be generated by the new Heavens and the new Earth will be the joyous privilege of being with God and each other forever in true paradise, the rush of our final victory, the enjoyment of our eternal reward, the gift of our eternal peace, the restoration of God’s paradise, as well as eternal joy, celebration, meaning, work, purpose, praise, all-around awesomeness (love wins—notice love theme throughout all these)(Rv 21).
Certainly, this Top Ten List of divine innovation is but a starter. We just don’t have time to look at God’s Top Trillion List just yet. But suffice to say for now that we could also talk about the creation of time, free will, the family, prophecy, Babel (creation of languages), Israel (as salvation prototyping), servant leadership, miracles, the Crucifixion, regeneration, Heaven, and hundreds of others acts of supernatural innovation which all bring about breathtaking newness and infinite value to humanity.
We’ll look at the implications of this theological lens on innovation in our next post. But for now, let this one make your heart skip:
God doesn’t just innovate. God invented innovation.
Thoughts?
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