What is mankind? Who am I?

Psalm 8 Verse 4 “Who am I?”

Genesis 2:7 We are dust plus spirit. “God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.”

We are material, physical beings relating to a material, physical world.

Funeral services: the minister says at the committal: “dust to dust.” 

Psalm103:14 God remembers that we are dust. He knows that we are frail and vulnerable. He knows us so well. He even knows the number of hairs on our heads! We can experience illness, pain, weakness, and it doesn’t escape His attention.

Let’s not forget that we are dust, but let’s not forget, either, that we are spirit also. God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life.

Implications

Number 1. We need to keep a balance between the two. We must live in relation to both the material world and to God. 

If we emphasise the spiritual to the neglect of the material, the danger is that we become “super spiritual.” We are part of the material world and we need to relate to the material world, and that includes things like culture, music, sport, work, and other people.

The danger, which is worse, is living only for dust- only for the material world. Romans 1:25 “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator.” These are the people who say, “We don’t want to have anything to do with spiritual things- just material.” In John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress there is a man with a muck rake who is looking down all the time.

We should not drive a wedge between dust and spirit, secular and sacred.

Romans 12 “present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God.” This is our true and proper worship. At work, or school, or when you are doing the dishes at home, you are going to worship.

Number 2. We need to be influenced by the spiritual when we are making decisions about the material. This is especially true in the world of entertainment. We need to remember Philippians 4:8. When you’re thinking of reading that magazine or book, or watching that TV show, remember that what we do in the material world should be governed by what we know is right spiritually. WWJD?

Number 3. We are made in the image of God. Genesis 1:27 “God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them.” 

We are moral creatures with freedom of choice. As God is holy, loving, truthful, compassionate, we can be all these things because we are created in His image. 

What are the implications of being made in God’s image?

Number 1. It is possible to have fellowship with God.

Number 2. Because everybody is made in His image we must take other human beings very seriously, and treat them well. James 3:9

Finally in Psalm 8 The psalmist is thinking about his size. “Look at little, insignificant me.Do I count?” 

You are regal! You are princely, you are princessly. Verse 5: You are crowned! Do you wear your crown every day? You “crowned with glory.” You are precious!