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What Is Man That Thou Art
Mindful of Him?
Greg Harmon
The title for this article is a quote from Psalm
8:4. What is so special about man that God is so concerned with
him?
We are going to take the time to reveal how the
Bible describes mankind as a whole, and notice the different ways
God shows His love to His creation.
Man Was Made In His Image
We are wonderfully made in the image of the Eternal and True God.
The Bible says in Genesis 1:26,27: “And God said, Let us make
man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over
the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing
that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
Is this to say that our fleshly bodies are equal to the form of
God? Jesus said, “God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him
must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24). God
is a spirit, and has no physical form. Therefore, if we are made
in His image, every human being receives a spirit that is fit to
last for eternity. Our physical flesh, will one day return to the
grave, but our spirits will never expire.
Man Was Given Dominion Over All Other Creatures
God told Adam and Eve: “And God blessed them, and God said
unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and
subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over
the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon
the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing
seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in
the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall
be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl
of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein
there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was
so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was
very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”
(Genesis 1:28-31).
Everything in and on the earth has been given to
us. We can use them for good, and however else we see fit. God has
never approved of misusing or abusing nature, but we should respect
all of God’s creation.
Man Has The Ability To Make Choices
God made us beings with a freewill. We decide what we will eat for
dinner tonight, who we will marry, where we will live, and if we
will obey God or not.
There are so many things that we can do in this
world. Many people enjoy sports, crafts, cars, etc. But what is
our purpose in life? Why are we here?
A wise man once said: “Let us hear the conclusion
of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this
is the whole duty of man” (Eccl. 12:13). Our purpose for being
here on earth is to love, serve, and worship God. Let us never get
too comfortable in this world, because its purpose is to get us
ready for the one to come.
God has never forced His will on any man. Choosing
to follow the Lord is strictly voluntary. And once we become a part
of the Lord’s family we can choose to leave at any time. But
who would ever honestly want to?
We Have Been Bought With A Price
Paul asked the question: “What? know ye not that your body
is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of
God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore
glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s”
(1 Corinthians 6:19, 20). When we choose to submit our lives to
Christ, we no longer call the shots. When He died on the cross,
He purchased the Church (Acts 20:28), and the Church is the called
out Body of believers.
Every Human Being Must Give An Account
The Bible says, “...Who (the Lord) both will bring to light
the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels
of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God...For
it is written, AS I LIVE SAITH THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO
ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL CONFESS TO GOD. So then every one of
us shall give account of himself to God” (1 Corinthians 4:5;
Roman 14:11,12).
Not only will our actions be judged by the Lord,
but the very motives which drive us as well.
Conclusion
Human beings are made in the very image of God, and have been given
power over all other things in and on the earth. We have the ability
to make choices on our own, and every one of us will give an account
to God. Meditate on these things.
Copied from an old issue of
The Evangelist
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