What Is Man?

LOOK AT THE IMAGES ABOVE AND BELOW AND ASK "WHAT IS MAN THAT GOD SHOULD NOTICE HIM?"

What titles are ascribed to man in the scriptures?

Children of God - Are all human beings the children of God? If not, what does it take to become a child of God? Can anybody do it?

Children of Men – At least sixteen scriptures in the Old Testament use this phrase concerning man. What do you think this description of man means beyond the fact of our physical heritage? What can be said of our sons and daughters?

Children of the devil – I find at least seven instances of this term in both Testaments. What do you think this description of man means? What does this image bring to your thinking? Other titles applied to the wicked are children of disobedience, children of wrath and/or children of darkness. How do you think God views these people daily in light of the scriptures?

Children of God – I found six specific references to this phrase. In addition, I found God's children called children of light, little children, children of the Most High and children of the day.

Scripture Comparisons – The scriptures offer some comparisons between God's children and those who are not his children. These are only a mere sampling of the scripture verses on this subject.

Matthew 13:30, Luke 16:8, Romans 9:8, Ephesians 2:2-3, Ephesians 5:8 and 1 John 3:10.

The Psalmist David speaking of man had this to say; “When I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained, what is man, that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you visit him? For you have made him a little lower than the angels, and have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, yea and the beast of the field, the fowl of the air and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passes through the paths of the sea, Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” Psalms 8:3-9

What is Man? Part 2

Psalms 39:5b - "Every man at his best state is altogether vanity." What an indictment! Man apart from God is evil, but we don't fully understand evil's depth in us!

Let's examine the negative side of a human being that is separated from Christ because of sin. We can see the descriptions definitely are not flattering, and in those who reject the Bible's assessment of them reject, and even hate it!

Man is dust - Genesis 2:7 and Psalms 103:14. So don't be angry if you're called a dirtball!

Man’s days are as grass - Psalms 103:15

Man’s life is a vapor James 4:14

Man is vain Psalms 39:5

Man is sinful - Ecclesiastes 7:20, Isaiah 53:6, Psalms 14:2, and Romans 3:10-12 and 3:23

Man is insignificant - Job 7:17, Job 25:6, Psalms 8:4, Isaiah 40:17 Isaiah 40:22 and Isaiah 41:14

Man is spiritually ignorant - Isaiah 59:8, Amos 3:10, Romans 10:3 and Ephesians 4:18

Man is ignorant of God and Christ - John 15:21 and 16:3 and John 1:10 and 1:26

Man is willfully ignorant - Job 21:14 and 11 Peter 3:5

Man is not to be trusted - Psalms 118:9 and 146:3 and Jeremiah 17:5

Man is weak - Jeremiah 10:23, John 3:27 and 15:5 and 11 Corinthians 3:5

NOTE: These apply to every man whether he is a born-again Christian or not. Our sinful nature doesn’t suddenly disappear after salvation, but we have been given power over that nature if we choose to allow Christ to work the changes in us that will lead us to a strong and victorious and useful life of sacrifice and love. If we see ourselves as we really are, then the reality of our total helplessness to do any genuine good apart from the work of God in and through us will awake us to the deep need of maintaining a strong relationship with him of trust and faith that he will complete the work he began in us. That will, in turn, enforce within us the powerful truth that it is only in complete submission to him that we will find the freedom that all mankind longs for. It is a paradox that runs contrary to our human nature and the teachings of the world!

On one side we see that the scriptures say that "If the son shall set you free you are free indeed" while the scriptures also declare, over and over, that apart from Christ we can do nothing. In addition, those who are to be followers of Christ must be servants of all! If you were ministering to someone about the joy of being a Christian and had to explain this to them; what would you tell them about what seems to be another contradiction? You must learn to think of these things through and be sure to prepare to answer such questions!

What is Man? Part 3

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son" - Man's redemption was expensive! It cost the Son of God brutal beating and his death. So we can rightly sing; “Jesus paid it all; all to him I owe.”

Consider the man with a heart washed in the blood of the Lamb.

John 3:16 is an open declaration that God believes man, in spite of his rebellion and great wickedness, has so much value that God would sacrifice His "Only begotten Son" to redeem those who would put their faith and trust in Christ alone!

Man is made in the image of God - Genesis 1:26-27, 5:1, 9:6 and 1 Corinthians 11:7 Many people make the mistake of thinking this is a physical image but God is Spirit and we are spirit as well.

Man is Immortal - John 8:51, 11:26, Romans 2:7, 1 Thessalonians 4:17, and 11 Timothy 1:10

Man's spiritual - Job 32:8, Proverbs 20:27 and James 2:26

Man is given dominion and pre-eminence over all creatures Genesis 1:26 and 28, 9:2 and Psalms 8:6

Man is of great value to our God - John 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 1 Peter 1:17-18 and Revelation 1:5

Man is redeemed through Christ - Romans 3:24, 1 Peter 1:18-19 and Revelation 5:9

Man is a new creature in Christ - 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 6:15, and Ephesians 2:15 and 4:24

Men are sons and heirs of God - Romans 8:16-17, 11 Corinthians 6:17-18, John 1:12, 1 John 3:1-2, Hebrews 1:14 and 6:17 and Galatians 3:29

Man is dead to sin and alive in Christ - Romans 6:2 and 11, Galatians 5:24, and Colossians 3:3

NOTE: The first five could apply to all men whether they are Christian or not. The other four can only be applied to those who have trusted Christ as Savior and live to love and serve him forever.

It is wonderful that God looked upon wicked and sinful mankind and valued us enough to send his Only Begotten Son to die a horrible, painful, brutal death for those who would place their trust in the atoning work of Calvary. It should humble us and make us deeply grateful and cause us to want to love and serve him with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength, and should make us desire to share that love with everyone. We must give Jesus the reward of his suffering! Christ died that all who would put their faith in him might receive the GIFT of eternal life! WHAT COULD ANY OF US DO TO REPAY HIM FOR HIS SACRIFICE? One thing we can do is reach the lost before it is eternally too late! Such a great gift granted to unworthy sinners should forever be the most important message anyone could receive from God's children.

THERE IS A COMMENT BOX BELOW. - I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR CONSTRUCTIVE INPUT.