For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus: “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.” God also said, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son.” And when he brought his supreme Son into the world, God said, “Let all of God’s angels worship him.” Regarding the angels, he says, “He sends his angels like the winds, his servants like flames of fire.” But to the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice. You love justice and hate evil. Therefore, O God, your God has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.” He also says to the Son, “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands. They will perish, but you remain forever. They will wear out like old clothing. You will fold them up like a cloak and discard them like old clothing. But you are always the same; you will live forever.” And God never said to any of the angels, “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.” Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation. Hebrews 1:5-14
There is an orderliness to the universe as surely as you put the ice cream
on top of the pie, as opposed to the other way around. Scripture tells us accordingly that we humans
are created just a little lower than the angels. God’s Word also informs us that
order includes Jesus as being co-equal with Father God, and the Spirit. So, the order is God, three-in-one, angels, humanity,
and the rest of the creation. There is a
sovereignty that is unquestioned in Scripture (as well as creation; what storm
has ever just ceased to rage, just because a man, woman, or mosquito told it to
hush?). And, in that order, God has seen
fit, or proper, to allow us a measure of autonomy, free will to make decisions
about our existence and relationships.
From the account of Adam and Eve we learn the wrong use of that autonomy,
and the resultant effect it has on the quality of our existence, foremost in
importance, our relationship to He who is author of time, space, and life,
eternal God.
The dictionary definition of autonomy is self-directing freedom and especially moral
independence. Freedom is a
dangerous commodity; it implies no restraint.
When granted, it places incredible power for good or evil at the hand of
the free agent. Moral independence is a
mixed bag; we are free to explore and choose how we will act towards the
creation, including our fellow human beings, and whether we will acknowledge,
by our obedience, the Sovereign benevolence of God.
There is an old sermon illustration of the wise sage sitting atop a
mountain being approached by a young man with a question. The question for the sage is youthful
arrogance that attempts to unmask the foolishness he supposes accompanies one
who sits on a mountaintop, when he could be down in the city partying. The young man extends two hands, cupped together,
and asks the sage, I am holding a
little bird in these two hands; you cannot see this tiny bird, but tell me, is
it alive or dead? Sizing up the
challenge, the sage replies, as you will, my son; as you will.
For You Today
The privilege of a
measure of autonomy God has granted to each of us also carries a responsibility
to choose well. The owner’s manual,
Scripture, is the place to understand what an appropriate response to that
privilege is…not what our friends think, or culture has declared. When you get your advice for living, it’s wise
to start at the top of the food chain, not third in line.
Title image, Pixabay.com and W Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©
For other posts on God’s Sovereignty see: How Was Your Weekend? and
God
Sovereign – Part 5
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