Sat, Jan 12th - 6:46AM

 


4What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.


Man is indeed the crown creation of God's universe. The King James translates the Hebrew word "elohim" as "angels", which is a carry over from the Greek translation of the Old Testament that translated this word "angels or heavenly beings". Elohim is most commonly translated "God". The real meaning of this passage is not that we are created a little lower than angels, but rather a little lower than God Himself. Genesis declares that we are created in the very image of God. We are the only part of God's creation that God sent His Son to redeem. Jesus did not die for the angels in heaven. He did not die to redeem creation. Jesus died so that we as His children might have life and we might have it more abundantly.


David writes that God has crowned us "with glory and honor". What a blessing indeed we have been given. When the prodigal son returned home, the young man's father ran out to greet him and he ordered that his son who once was lost and now was found was to be cleaned up and a robe was to be placed on his back and the family ring was to be put back on his finger. In other words, this young man was still his son!


Paul writes in the 8th chapter or Romans that as believers, we are "heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus". When we accept God's free pardon for our sin, we are adopted into His forever family in heaven and we become heirs to all that God has and joint heirs with Jesus! That means that everything that God has planned for His Son Jesus for all eternity, He has planned to share with us! There is no greater privilege to share than that!


David writes that we have been crowned with "glory". God's glory is our glory. There are two aspects to this that are very important. First of all, we receive God's glory as we allow Him to do for us the things that we cannot do for ourselves. God's glory is the expression of His love for us, which He gives to us. We receive His glory as we give Him the opportunity to give Himself to us.


The second aspect of this crown of glory is reciprocal in that we are to do for others as God is doing for us! We receive blessings from God as He gives us His glory and as we are blessed; we are then to be a blessing! God's glory is to be received by us and then shared with others so that the world around us might know that God is real and that He is the reason that our lives are full of joy and peace and happiness!


God wants to share His glory with every man, woman, boy and girl. He gave His Son for "whosoever would believe." No one is excluded. As He is able to share His glory with us, it opens the door for His glory to be shared with those around us! That is why our obedience to His will and His way is so important. Our obedience is the key to the cycle. God has done His part. Obedience is our part. God's blessings and His glory and Honor are worth the effort!  


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"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you."


Visit Westside Baptist Church in Daytona Beach's website at
www.daytonawestside.com

Sincerely,

><> Pastor Bob