WBS.220
FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCIPLESHIP
DISCIPLESHIP 101
Part 17 – The Issue of Sin - 6
Creator vs. Creature
Genesis 1: 27 So Elohim created man in his own image, in the image of Elohim
created he him; male and female created he them.
The sin issue has been
completely resolved in our Master Yahushua Messiah; and we must embrace it
fully and walk in the power of the new life he died to give us. We are not at liberty to begin our
discipleship with gusto, only to fizzle out in unbelief or lack of heart to
continue in the grace of our Master. Consider
the cost before putting your hand to the plow; for it is better never to have
begun, than to begin only to draw back from righteousness.
Our
final post on “the sin issue” deals with our identity. Who are we?
Rather, WHAT are we?
Among
all the creatures on the earth, man is unique.
Now, some reading that last sentence might have reacted at the notion
that he or she is a creature. It is easy
to relate to the plants and animals, the land and the seas as having been
created; but because man is unique in his sentient abilities among all living
things, he generally does not see himself as also a created being. This actually forms the root of the problem
in man’s recovery from the sin issue; that, and the inherent nature of dominion
decreed upon him by the Creator in Genesis 1.
Genesis 1:26 And Elohim said, Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the
fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
When
man fell in the Garden of Eden, and his righteous nature was lost to a nature
of darkness, man did not also forfeit his right of dominion. He simply lost his
understanding of how to exercise dominion. Instead of exercising dominion over
the animals and the earth; men began to assert dominance over other men. In time, this resulted in a world-wide
mindset that man is an autonomous being, that there is no Creator, that man is
on his own and he must make of himself what he will.
Even
the Hebrews who were uniquely separated from among men to live in obedience to IAUE
eventually cried out, “Make us a king to judge us
like all the nations. (1 Samuel 6:1-7)”
IAUE told Samuel “they have not
rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.”
Without
a Creator, man cannot sin; because there is no unimpeachable standard by which
man’s actions may be measured.
If there
is no Maker whose “operator’s manual” governs how the machine must function;
the machine may function in whatsoever way it chooses.
Without
a Creator, man cannot believe in his necessity to obey IAUE; and yet, Paul
declared to the brilliant minds sitting atop Mars Hill (Areopagus) in Athens,
Greece:
Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance IAUE winked at; but now commandeth all men every
where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge
the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he
hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Paul,
speaking for the Creator, says something that would be absolutely obvious to a
creature of His. He COMMANDS them to
repent. He COMMANDS them to walk in
righteousness, for He will judge every man according to righteousness; and He
desires all of His creation to be worthy of Him. This is “Creator-to-Creature” talk. The one who made man has every right to
dictate to man what He expects of him.
By
now (hopefully), you have begun to reflect on how you, personally, relate to
IAUE. Is He someone who has deigned to
help you, autonomous man, out of a bad situation? Is He some power that comes
along side of you to be a beneficent assistant to you in whatever manner you
choose to live your life; or is he the one who created you; and you are not an
autonomous deity at all; but rather the workmanship of a Creator and utterly dependent
upon Him and utterly answerable to Him?
We
have failed to recognize a significant element of the gospel message.
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach
the gospel to every creature. (See
Colossians 1:23)
In
preaching the good news to all the world, it is essential to understand that
IAUE sees the gospel as a message to His creation. If man recognizes that he is
“a creature,” he also understands that a creature is subservient to and
answerable to its Creator. This opens
the door to repentance; especially when the Creator did all that was necessary
on his behalf to enable him to turn from darkness to light.
Once
man repents and believes the Word of IAUE and bows his knee to the Mastery of
the resurrected Messiah, Yahushua, what happens?
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in
Messiah, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Messiah Yahushua unto good works, which IAUE hath
before ordained that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after IAUE is created in righteousness and
true holiness.
Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in
knowledge after the image of him that created
him:
We
become a NEW creature. Yes, we are made
new; but we are also still a creature who has a Creator. The indisputable conclusion is that man MUST
obey his Creator. To fail to do so is to
fall under the Creator’s judgment.
Hebrew 4:13 Neither is there any
creature that is not manifest in his (IAUE’s) sight: but all
things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Yahushua the Son of Elohim,
let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet
without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we
may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
The Creator has made
provision for His NEW creation. He has
given us a High Priest who knows what man is, what he faces, what he
experiences, how he is tempted. IAUE
expects man to walk in righteousness before Him. The NEW creation is infused with the nature
of righteousness making that a vital reality, a possibility; no, not a
possibility; but an expectation of the Creator.
The Creator, however, knows that until we are separated from a body of
flesh and blood, we are going to make mistakes; so He provided us with a magnificent
High Priest who is ever interceding for us; and who ministers to us grace…the
power of IAUE that enables us to do His will.
The creature just needs to get it thoroughly established in his own
mind. He is a creature, not a
creator. He has a Creator; and thus, he
must submit to the Creator’s authority and will. We are blessed that we have a Creator who
loves us.
Kingdom
heart: a heart that offers no resistance to the
performance of the will of IAUE.
No comments:
Post a Comment