Tuesday, May 29, 2012

What makes Mankind special?

God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

What makes mankind special?  Many people put us on the same footing with animals.  Teach children about heaven, and they ask if a favorite pet will go there when it dies.  Believers in evolution teach that humankind is just another species of animal, albeit a sophisticated one.  Animal rights activists want legislation passed that guarantees various species rights similar to human beings.  Eco-terrorists see mankind as a plague on the world, a dangerous enemy of the environment. 

When God created the universe, mankind was singled out for special treatment.  The Bible says that the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7).  No other living creature was made this way; man was special, unique.  The creation of the first woman reinforces that point: the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man…But for Adam no suitable helper was found.  So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh.  Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib (Genesis 2:19-22).  Then God told the first family, be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground (Genesis 1:28).  God made a world full of wonderful living beings, but mankind stood above them all.

What makes us special?  The soul that gives us spiritual awareness.  Animals don’t compose poetry.  Animals don’t wrestle with questions of morality.  Animals don’t think about the afterlife.  Animals can be nurturing and courageous when it comes to their families, but they don’t have souls.   The Bible says God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27).  God designed humanity to share His values and priorities, to love generously and rejoice in goodness.  Sadly, that image of God was horrible distorted by human sin, ruined so completely that God’s Son had to visit earth and give up His life to restore our damaged souls.  And that’s the other way mankind is different from animals—Jesus did not come to save dogs or cats from being punished for doing wrong, He came to save you and me.

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