Caleb LePore
Over the past few months, as we have been looking at the supposed evidence for human evolution, we have seen how the evolutionary story of our origins devalues human life by making us little more than animals. On the other hand, we have also seen how the Bible’s account of origins gives great meaning and value to our lives, since it tells us that we are made in the image of our Creator.
The psalmist expresses wonder at God’s view of humans in Psalm 8:3-5, when he writes, “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.”
The amazing truth that we learn from the Bible is that God didn’t just create us; He also cares for us deeply, so much so that He entered into His own creation to become “a little lower than the heavenly beings,” to provide a way of salvation for His beloved creatures.
As Paul wrote in Philippians 2:5-8, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
What makes human beings truly special? In addition to being the only creatures created in God’s image, the only creature that God ever became in order to redeem is…a human being! God didn’t ever take on the flesh of a chimpanzee, a gorilla, “Lucy,” or any other creature; just human flesh!
You see, although humans are truly special creatures, we also have a problem—a huge problem. We are the only creatures that were created with the ability to have fellowship with His Creator, however, that fellowship was forfeited by our ancestor Adam’s rebellion. As Romans 5:12 explains, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”
We have all broken God’s commands—we’ve lied, stolen, had hateful thoughts—all of which God has seen and will judge. The penalty for sin is having God’s righteous wrath poured out on us in Hell, but the good news of Christmas is that God has provided us with a substitute. God sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to be born as a man, to live a sinless life, and to die on the Cross as the perfect, spotless sacrifice for sin. We broke God’s law, but Jesus paid our fine. Three days later, He was raised to life again, and now He offers you the forgiveness of all your sins and the gift of eternal life.
How can you have your sins forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life? According to the Bible, you must repent (meaning to turn from your sins) and put your trust in Jesus for salvation. As Jesus explains in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Have you repented and trusted in Jesus as your Savior? If not, make this the year that you discover the true meaning of Christmas and become a member of God’s family!
~ Merry Christmas from the Genesis Apologetics team!
Top image credit: Answers in Genesis.
