Humanity is unique in all of creation.
Human beings are the only creatures on earth that bear the image of God (Genesis 1:27), were formed by God’s hands and breath (Genesis 2:7), have been given decision-making abilities (Joshua 24:14-15), stewardship of the earth (Genesis 1:28-30), entered into a covenantal relationship with God (Genesis 15), and been ransomed and redeemed by His one and only Son (Matthew 26:28).
David clearly lays out our unique place in the world in Psalm 8:4-9:
What is a human being that you think about him? What is a son of man that you take care of him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings. You placed on him a crown of glory and honor. You made human beings the rulers over all that your hands have created. You put everything under their control. They rule over all flocks and herds and over the wild animals. They rule over the birds of the air and over the fish in the ocean. They rule over everything that swims in the oceans. Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in the whole earth!
God has done everything possible to clearly communicate that we are His precious treasure.
Unfortunately, this relationship with God gets blurry when humanity moves out of its proper, God-ordained position. We might trip up trying to elevate ourselves above God. Adam and Eve doomed their entire family tree when they attempted to climb onto level footing with their Creator, turning a piece of fruit into humble pie. (Genesis 3) King Nebechadnezzer ate grass sandwiches for seven years after lifting himself up as a god. (Daniel 4)
Others mistakenly denigrate the position God has granted His treasure. They elevate a philosophy, worldview, institution or even inanimate object over human suffering. Some even respond by treating human beings like a commodity, with the most egregious examples being modern slavery, abortion and genocide. Any time dehumanization occurs, you have one person living out the misconception that other people are NOT God’s treasure.
That is why it is imperative that every child of God cling to this essential Truth:
God created people in His image for His glory. They are the crowning work of His creation. Yet every person has willfully disobeyed God – an act known as sin – thus inheriting both physical and spiritual death and the need for salvation. All human beings are born with a sin nature and into an environment inclined toward sin. Only by the grace of God through Jesus Christ can they experience salvation. (Genesis 1:26-30, Ephesians 2:1-22)
We must maintain a firm grasp of God as our loving Creator and us as His precious creation bearing His divine image. Otherwise, we face the threat of losing proper perspective and falling victim to the lies that swirl around us. Challenge your teens with this essential Truth so they will walk through life confident in their God given position here on earth.
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