Weekly Devotional 4-27-15 Unique and Significant
According to the Population Reference Bureau, the latest calculation of the number of people who have ever been born is set at 107,602,707,791. Even if that number is only close to being accurate, the number is staggering. But more staggering is that there has been no duplication. Every person ever born is unique. No one is exactly like another, physically, sociologically or emotionally; not even the closest of twins (so called). Each person has his own body, his own soul, and has been endowed with his own spiritual nature; a nature that makes him aware of, and able to communicate with God, his Creator (Genesis 2:7; Hebrews 4:12). Because man has a spiritual nature, every person is personally responsible to God and will someday stand in front of Jesus Christ and give an account of his life (Romans 4:11-12). In that all 107,602,707,791 persons will give an account of their lives it carries that there is also significance to each life.
When creating man, “26 God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ 27So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:26-27 NKJV). Only man was created in the image of God, this certainly makes him unique.
When extolling the glory of God, David the Psalmist was led to write of man, “4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 All sheep and oxen— Even the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the air And the fish of the sea That pass through the paths of the seas” (Psalm 8:4-8). Even though much of this authority has been lost for a time, because of sin, yet this authority will be restored to man when Jesus Christ sets on the throne of David (Hebrews 2:5-8 NKJV).
[In Psalm 8 David was marveling over the glories of the Lord of heaven, and that He would graciously use people in the earth’s dominion. The passage considers the dignity of mankind as God’s representatives on earth, without noting the consequence of Adam’s sin, which is chaos. The writer of Hebrews picks up on that theme, writing of the restoration of that dominion. Both passages look beyond man to Jesus Christ, but the point is, man was God’s premier creation and therefore every person is of God’s premier creation.]
Having shown therefore that all 107,602,707,791 persons are unique and significant, including you and me, the next logical question must be, is it possible for some to become even more unique and of greater significance?
In answer; Adam was created to glorify God in his management of the earth, in his obedience to God, and his fellowship with Him. This was to be carried on by his offspring (Psalm 8). But, when Adam fell in sin these things ended, at least for a time. But God, because of His great love of Adam and his offspring had, before He created the world, made provision by which He could and would overcome this separation. It is in this work that we who turn to God become truly unique and significant.
Continuing; He called us out of the spiritual darkness in which we were held captive, having predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son. Not only is He conforming us to that image, but he has justified us, and He has glorified us (Romans 29:-30 NKJV). This makes us unique and significant. However, this is not true of the entire 107,602,707,791 persons born into this world. It is only true of those who have believed God and turned to Him, repenting of their sins and seeking His forgiveness.
Earlier in his letter to the Romans Paul wrote, “1There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1). In another of his letters Paul wrote, “10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10 NKJV ). Thank you Lord for your work!
All of the 107,602,707,791 persons born into this world are unique and significant, but only those of us who have turned to God for forgiveness of our sin, seeking His righteousness, are able to become more unique and significant.
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man
www.gbchurch.us