MORE ON THE MEANING OF MAN

November 27, 2015

“Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” – Genesis 2:7

Picking back up from the devotion on Wednesday about the meaning of man, the first two chapters of the Bible explain:

  • Man is distinct from the animals. We’re made in the image of God. We can think abstractly like God. We can reason, create, and appreciate beauty and moral order.
  • We’re to be fruitful and multiply in the context of marriage. Sex is a great gift invented by God for mutual enjoyment and procreation, but for marriage only.
  • We’re called to rule over creation. We are to care for the environment and all of God’s creation. We are His managers, with a great responsibility.
  • We’re to maintain balance between work and rest. Work is a gift–a key to fulfillment–to be done for God’s glory. But God initiated a day of rest as well.

And most importantly, we are created to have a relationship with God through trust and obedience. When we don’t, we mess it up big time.