By Practical Christianity Foundation, (PCF)
While we make every effort to give a focused attention to the specific content of each blog, we admit that there are a few foundational truths which are common to all of our posts, giving our blogs that unique and unmistakable identity of a Christian article. It would not make sense to reiterate these basic truths in every article lest we reduce them into simple cliche. So, trusting the reasonable and well-informed judgment of our readers, we simply believe that our readers understand that, these defining essentials constitute the basic assumptions behind every statement we make whether or not these assumptions are discussed. With that in view, our topic for this blog addresses the nature of our relationship to God.
Obviously, before we explore the nature of our relationship to God, we must acknowledge the truth that there is God and there is man—you and me—in existence and active, making relationship between God and man a viable reality. Both God and man are thoroughly described in the Scriptures, helping us understand that God is the unsearchable Sovereign Who transcendcs and permeates all things with His presence and Lordship. As the sole Creator and the Sovereign Owner of everything which He created including man, simply by virtue of Who He is, God created man to be the crowning jewel of His creation.
God outfitted man with a one-of-a-kind faculty, the mind! God also instilled in man conscience, the intangible seat of wisdom, discernment, and understanding. These faculties made man the crown of God's creation equiping him with all the capabilities to effectively and responsibly serve God as His steward over creation. Actually, God breathed the breath of life into Man's nostrils and made him a living soul! Imagine that! If it were not for God's breath of life, man would have been a good looking sculpture of mud. Still beautiful because God formed it, but a clay mannequin still, posing lifeless.
Oh! One more thing! God also declared to man the laws of his relationship to Him as man was given the privilege of living in God's garden and charged with the responsibility of caring for the garden. Obey you shall live, disobey you shall die. that meant, man was given the privilege and the ability to choose from the two options set before him and reap the consequences which he could not adjust or modify.
The point of all of this is that God created man to live and serve Him within the order He set for the operation and administration of what He created. Even though God created man superior to all of creation, man is still a creature of God serving His purposes. So, man is given dominion over creation to serve God under God's sovereign authority. It is man living and serving under God, not God and man on equal footing. Even though this fundamental truth has been distorted by the Chief executive officer for sin and rebellion, the order God had created and set in place has not been changed.
So, how should man relate to God? In submission! To many, the concept of submitting to God does not come easily. We all like to view ourselves as superior beings with all the capabilities of knowing good and evil for ourselves. Please remember that the essence of our independent self-advancing sentiments are rooted in the false promise which led Adam and Eve along with the entire human race out of the Garden right into the jaws of death. Now what?
If we take a moment and seriously consider the idea of rejecting our independent self-advancing sentiments for what they really are, rejecting them in favor of submitting to God is not all that bad. No, it is not all that hard! In fact, it is the right thing to do and the best thing for us. Actually, submitting to God is being who we are created to be. Then, we will use all the faculties He gave us with His wisdom, knowledge, and understanding and be blessed. Leaning on God Who is the source of all knowledge and wisdom, we can expand our mind and use our capabilities to innovate and discover the riches of His creation. With God we are the best that there is. It is not a mere possibility. It is true.
Interesting to hear us say that we are not robots. we feel good saying that God did not create a dummy. We actually commend God for creating a brilliant, intelligent, and responsible person not a dolt or dunce. We promote ourselves saying God Himself expects us to use our brains. Yes, God created a superior being as the crown of His creation in creating man. But robots do much better in obeying their maker than we do. So, it is true that we are not robots. We are a rebellious bunch.
There is complete rest in submitting to God. There is safety and security in submitting to God. To submit to God is to be in His will. So help us god.
