Last week we ended our talk with the discussion of angels. This week we move on to human beings. What we know from Scripture is this. Human beings did not evolve from something else but were created directly by God himself. Humans are also not just another creature on earth. We are the most important creatures that God created. In fact Scripture says that man was created in the image of God and was given a spirit or soul, which the other creatures were not given. God also gave man authority over all the earth. It is man's job to manage it. So we have the right to use its resources, but we do not have the right to abuse its resources. We are God's managers of the planet. So in other words God put us in charge of the earth and said take care of it, use it and protect it. Therefore man can eat other animals, he can wear fur coats and he can mine and cut down trees. On the other hand he also has the responsibility to see that it is done so that the earth continues to thrive and that other creatures are not abused. That is why we have agencies like the Forest Service, the Fish and Game Department and the Department of the Interior.
As I said before man was created in the image of God. So does that mean that we look physically like God? No. Remember God does not have a body. Being created in the image of God means that we thought like him and had the same wishes and desires as God. We were righteous and holy. Unfortunately that image was lost after the fall into sin. In Christians God has begun to rebuild His image, but only in the heaven will we again be perfect.
In the first article we also hold to the truth that God still takes care of us today. In other words God still provides us food and clothing and health and everything that we need for this life. Now he doesn't just drop down food and money to us from heaven, although he did do that in the past for the children of Israel. Instead he gives us talents and abilities so that we can get jobs so that we can pay for all that stuff. He provides doctors and other medical personnel to heal us. He takes care of us most time through what we would consider natural means. But we know that our intelligence and abilities are given to us by God, and that he works out everything for our good.
Many times that information leads to the question of, "Well if God is supposed to be so good to us, why is there is all this suffering in the world?" That is a very complex question with some incomplete complex answers that we really don't have the time to answer right now. But in the end no matter how much you write or talk about the problem of evil in the world it all boils down to this. Evil and suffering are in the world because of man's sin. Man brought evil and suffering into the world and God allowing man free will let it happen. So yes bad things happen all the time to all of us, sometimes it is because of something that we have done, other times we are innocent bystanders on the sidelines that get taken out because of someone elses sin. Then there are those times we have no idea why the bad thing happened. Sometimes it is just the result of sin in general being in the world. Sin exists in this life and so bad things just happen without no real explanation. That is the answer in a nutshell. But we also know this Christ came and suffered for all that sin and through his resurrection from the dead he has shown that he has power over sin and evil and that one day through our faith in Christ we will be delivered from it. Maybe not in this life, but we will in the next. God does not promise to remove us from suffering while in this life. What he does promise is that he will be with us in the midst of it. He has promised that he will guide us through it and ultimately bring us home with him where there is no more suffering. Again that is the simple answer in a nutshell and I know that simple answers are not satisfying when you are suffering, but if you want to talk about it more give me a call.
Next time we will begin the Second Article of the Creed.
Here are some Scriptures for you: Genesis 2:7; Genesis 1:26-28; Mark 10:6; Psalm 139:13; Jeremiah 1:5; Colossians 3:10; Genesis 3:8-10; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Psalm 36:6; Psalm 147:4; Romans 6:23; Psalm 145:15-16; Matthew 10:29-30; Genesis 2:15
Pastor Fred
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