Hi Friend,

The most incredible concept of life is that God created man in His own image. Cows and horses are just animals.  What the creator of the universe imparted to no other species He freely gave to homo sapiens, which is the Latin term for “wise being.”

The Apostle John declares that we are “children of God.” (1 John 3:1)  He continues with a revelation even more astounding. “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2-3). To be like the resurrected Messiah is simply beyond comprehension. These biblical statements lead to the inevitable conclusion that man has a special place in the universe—unique from all other creatures.

This uniqueness of man is illustrated by the Flood when God chose to save Noah and his family. If man was so bad, and it grieved God that He had made man, why did He choose to save Noah? The answer is as profound as it is instructive. Man is God’s highest creation. The world He made is anthropocentric, which by definition assumes man is the center or ultimate end of the universe.

If further evidence is needed of the importance of man, it is that all land-dwelling animals died. Why? Mankind deserved to die because of his wickedness, but what fault was there with the animals? Again, the answer is profound. God created the world for man, and without man there is no reason for animals to exist. Animals do not have a mind to worship God, or know good from evil, or engage in a philosophical discussion about the meaning of life. Nor will animals be like Christ in the resurrection.

Without human existence there would be no significance to the world itself. The planet is made to serve the needs of man, not for man to serve the planet.

In the very first chapter of the first book of the Bible God instructs the first humans, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” (Genesis 1:28-29)

Such a lofty place leads to another conclusion. The One who creates is greater than His creation. He alone gives meaning to man’s existence. Man was created to become like God, that is, to worship God. Therefore, if mankind stops worshiping his Creator, the God of the Bible, there is no need for the continued existence of man. That was the reason for the Noachian Flood.

When politicians want to diminish the population of the world to sustain the earth, they have a problem. It isn’t just that they are arrogant. They are, but that isn’t the biggest problem. It isn’t just that they are misguided—they are, but there is still a worse problem. They don’t know the Creator of the Universe and therefore lack an appreciation for the value of man.

When a person discards the “way of God” he fills the vacuum with his own way. He becomes his own god and seeks to impose his way on the rest of the world. He ought to know that he did not create the world, he did not initiate life and therefore he has no right to determine how many people should populate the planet nor does he have the authority to make such a determination.

Such people devalue human life. They abort humans in the womb because human life means little to them. They enslave humans because human life means little to them. They empower governments to take the properties and assets of citizens because those citizens mean nothing to them. They don’t value human life because they don’t worship God.

They have no respect for whether a person is male or female because they attach no value to the body. Worse, they teach innocent children not to value themselves. As a result of that deception, far too many children grow up with mental problems because they were never taught the immense value inherent in being born human.

It will not always be like that. The Prophet Isaiah wrote about a time in the future—a time the world has yet to see—when the value of man will be restored. He quotes God saying, “I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.” (Isaiah 13:12 KJV) Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.  And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)

Until next time,

Jim O’Brien