--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: we are continuing God’s work of forming…" description: "\"“we are continuing God’s work of forming, filling, and subduing. Whenever we bring order out of chaos, whenever we draw out creative potential, wheneve..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29d/timothy-keller-240_creation_we-are-continuing-god-s-work-of-forming_507290.jpg" --- # we are continuing God’s work of forming, filling, and… ![“we are continuing God’s work of forming, filling, and subduing. Whenever we bring order out of chaos, whenever we draw out creative potential, whenever we elaborate and “unfold” creation beyond where it was when we found it, we are following God’s pattern of creative cultural development.” quote by Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29d/timothy-keller-240_creation_we-are-continuing-god-s-work-of-forming_507290.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29d/timothy-keller-240_creation_we-are-continuing-god-s-work-of-forming_507290.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29d/timothy-keller-240_creation_we-are-continuing-god-s-work-of-forming_507290.jpg) > ““we are continuing God’s work of forming, filling, and subduing. Whenever we bring order out of chaos, whenever we draw out creative potential, whenever we elaborate and “unfold” creation beyond where it was when we found it, we are following God’s pattern of creative cultural development.”” [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes cultural development as aligning with divine patterns of order, creativity, and expansion. **In simple terms:** Cultural work follows divine order. Key Takeaway Create, organize, expand responsibly. Themes creation order creativity spirituality Mood thoughtful inspirational Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - community projects - artistic endeavors - education reform - urban planning Key Concepts theology cultural development Questions to Reflect On - How can we discern divine intent in culture? - What responsibilities arise from shaping creation? A Different Perspective Human interpretations of divine patterns can differ, causing conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Dominion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dominion/) [Following god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/following-god/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Redemption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/redemption/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [“A major part of God’s work is his delight in continuing to sustain and cultivate creation (Pss 65:9–13; 145:21; 147:15 – 20). If God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/a-major-part-of-god-s-work-is-his-delight-in-continuing-to-sustain/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [You can make your marriage a little bit of heaven on earth by following God's plan of teamwork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-george/you-can-make-your-marriage-a-little-bit-of-heaven-on-earth-by/) [Jim George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-george/) > [“Art cannot be excused from following God’s law, and art disgraces itself by seeking that freedom. Anything that cannot be put into an image…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/art-cannot-be-excused-from-following-god-s-law-and-art-disgraces/) [Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/) > [“When we're not following God's will, our sacrifices aren't acceptable to Him. What God wants most is for us to be broken before Him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-sundin/when-we-re-not-following-god-s-will-our-sacrifices-aren-t-acceptable/) [Sarah Sundin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-sundin/) > [I was only following God's orders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-kallinger/i-was-only-following-god-s-orders/) Joseph Kallinger > [“The lesson is critical. Daniel and his friends did something counterintuitive. They trusted that their faith would intersect with God’s faithfulness. 1 They believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-lyons/the-lesson-is-critical-daniel-and-his-friends-did-something/) [Gabe Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-lyons/) > [I Believe In God, But I don't attend Church. I Beleive in following God's word but I don't read the bible. I Believe he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-greger/i-believe-in-god-but-i-don-t-attend-church-i-beleive-in-following-god/) [Taylor Greger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-greger/) > [“If then a man is not found in truth He is not found in the Holy Spirit nor being guided by Him. If he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-houge/if-then-a-man-is-not-found-in-truth-he-is-not-found-in-the-holy/) [Adam Houge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-houge/) > [The secret of following God's will, I discovered, usually is wrapped up in rejecting the good for God's best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-p-yohannan/the-secret-of-following-god-s-will-i-discovered-usually-is-wrapped-up/) [K.P. Yohannan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-p-yohannan/) > [If we are so afraid of people that we stop following God,we're not trusting Him.Its shows that we have doubted His plan.His power,and His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariane-corbito/if-we-are-so-afraid-of-people-that-we-stop-following-god-we-re-not/) [Mariane Corbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariane-corbito/) > [When a young man, I read somewhere the following: God the Almighty said, 'All that is too complex is unnecessary, and it is simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalashnikov/when-a-young-man-i-read-somewhere-the-following-god-the-almighty-said/) [Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/) > [If you’re following God and haven’t lost much of what you’ve been holding on to - follow a little closer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/if-you-re-following-god-and-haven-t-lost-much-of-what-you-ve-been/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [The end of life is to be like unto God; and the soul following God, will be like unto Him; He being the beginning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/the-end-of-life-is-to-be-like-unto-god-and-the-soul-following-god/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [“It's hard to imagine a more biblical definition of devil worship than an exaltation of the self, an exaltation of the ego, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/it-s-hard-to-imagine-a-more-biblical-definition-of-devil-worship-than/) [Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) > [“The Bible isn’t a list of requirements; rather, it’s a list of results after experiencing God’s love. Following God isn’t an action but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-haas/the-bible-isn-t-a-list-of-requirements-rather-it-s-a-list-of-results/) [Peter Haas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-haas/) ## More by Timothy Keller > [If you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice are inescapable. We do justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-trying-to-live-a-life-in-accordance-with-the-bible-the/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [The more you rejoice in your own forgiveness, the quicker you will be to forgive others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-more-you-rejoice-in-your-own-forgiveness-the-quicker-you-will-be/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Evangelism will come organically in friendship if we don’t let our pride, fears, and pessimism cause us to hide our faith and heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/evangelism-will-come-organically-in-friendship-if-we-don-t-let-our/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“The coming of the messianic King occurs in two stages. At his first coming, he saved us from the penalty of sin and gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-coming-of-the-messianic-king-occurs-in-two-stages-at-his-first/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [ “24 A few pages later, Delbanco writes the following: \[Alexis de\] Tocqueville’s detection of a “strange melancholy in the midst of abundance” has a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/24-a-few-pages-later-delbanco-writes-the-following-alexis-de/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“To stay away from Christianity because part of the Bible's teaching is offensive to you assumes that if there is a God he wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/to-stay-away-from-christianity-because-part-of-the-bible-s-teaching/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-the-preaching-of-our-ministers-and-the-practice-of-our/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“of temple, presence, and sacrifice; of covenant and faithfulness; of kingdom and victory. When we seek to communicate the gospel to a particular culture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/of-temple-presence-and-sacrifice-of-covenant-and-faithfulness-of/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Finally, you are ready to launch your church. Begin by developing action steps and goals that can be used as benchmarks to track your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/finally-you-are-ready-to-launch-your-church-begin-by-developing/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If you are a child of God, you don’t lose your status if you have a bad week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-a-child-of-god-you-don-t-lose-your-status-if-you-have-a/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [God's salvation does not come in response to a changed life. A changed life comes in response to the salvation, offered as a free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/god-s-salvation-does-not-come-in-response-to-a-changed-life-a-changed/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“When anything in life is an absolute requirement for your happiness and self-worth, it is essentially an ‘idol,’ something you are actually worshiping. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/when-anything-in-life-is-an-absolute-requirement-for-your-happiness/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Suffering is the stripping of our hope in finite things, therefore we do not put our ultimate hope in anything finite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/suffering-is-the-stripping-of-our-hope-in-finite-things-therefore-we/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Christ will do everything for you or nothing. He's either all of your righteousness or none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/christ-will-do-everything-for-you-or-nothing-he-s-either-all-of-your/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If we give God things in hope that they'll earn us blessings, we're really not doing anything for him. It's for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-we-give-god-things-in-hope-that-they-ll-earn-us-blessings-we-re/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) [Explore all 843 Timothy Keller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## More Creation quotes > [“am not suggesting that successes in academics, athletics, or vocation somehow stand outside God’s good plan. Learning and play are joys that God himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-paul-jones/am-not-suggesting-that-successes-in-academics-athletics-or-vocation/) [Timothy Paul Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-paul-jones/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this \[step by step, from humans to apes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us-with-so-extraordinary-a/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Like many other scientists who hold the Catholic faith, I see the Creator's plan and purpose fulfilled in our universe. I see a planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/like-many-other-scientists-who-hold-the-catholic-faith-i-see-the/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [And wheresoever, in his rich creation, Sweet music breathes--in wave, or bird, or soul-- 'Tis but the faint and far reverberation Of that great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-sargent-osgood/and-wheresoever-in-his-rich-creation-sweet-music-breathes-in-wave-or/) [Frances Sargent Osgood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-sargent-osgood/) > [I believe if there is a creator it will basically ask me two questions, how well did you enjoy my creation and what did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/i-believe-if-there-is-a-creator-it-will-basically-ask-me-two/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [With no other choices open to us, we'd turned our gaze seaward. The oceans were our America: they reached farther than any prairie, untamed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carsten-jensen/with-no-other-choices-open-to-us-we-d-turned-our-gaze-seaward-the/) [Carsten Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carsten-jensen/) > [In the quiet moments of your day, what do you think and do? When you are with your Self and no one else, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/in-the-quiet-moments-of-your-day-what-do-you-think-and-do-when-you/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [The creation lives as genesis beneath the visible surface of the work. All intelligent people see this after the fact, but only the creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-creation-lives-as-genesis-beneath-the-visible-surface-of-the-work/) [Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/) > [When I was in my teens I had a series of intensely religious experiences. They deepened my sense of God as the creator of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-linzey/when-i-was-in-my-teens-i-had-a-series-of-intensely-religious/) [Andrew Linzey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-linzey/) > [If you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice are inescapable. We do justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-trying-to-live-a-life-in-accordance-with-the-bible-the/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [I think that storytelling and creation are very close to what the center of what magic is about. I think not just for me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/i-think-that-storytelling-and-creation-are-very-close-to-what-the/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [To be part of the creation, I must act humbly. I'll take that over a goddess any day!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-o-hara/to-be-part-of-the-creation-i-must-act-humbly-i-ll-take-that-over-a/) [Maureen O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-o-hara/) > [The country of Iraq is somewhat of an artificial creation going back to colonial days. And so you have the Kurds and then the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clapper/the-country-of-iraq-is-somewhat-of-an-artificial-creation-going-back/) [James Clapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clapper/) [Browse all 5,225 Creation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“we are continuing God’s work of forming, filling, and subduing. 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