Expert: Cooper P. Abrams III - 5/24/2006

Question
I am United Baptist, I live in Ontario, Canada.  I have been well schooled in my beliefs.  However, I don't understand why we humans think we are not part of nature.  I see characteristics of nature in your actions, the need to rise to the dominate level (like wolves in a pack).  Even Ecclesiastes shows how everything we do is nothing new.  Our societies, homes, work, sport teams have not changed since the time of Solomon.  The world has not changed, meaning new oceans, inhaitable islands, etc and neither have humans.  Sin is the easy answer to why we have not "advanced".  Humans are egotistical in our thinking that we are the "stewarts of nature" but we are part of nature... dust to dust.  Is all we got from the tree of knowledge is a conscience about right and wrong?  We have worshiped God (and gods) for generations, we have created laws, we inherently know "thou shalt not kill" (other humans) but we go to war, we hold hatered in our heart, we use others to advance ourselves, these things are wrong also and yet we are like the young lion that waits kills or drives off the male of the pride and take over, that is nature, and we don't see it as wrong, sad but not wrong.  I feel a lack of hope as I look at the Roman world that Jesus was born to and my world today, they are not that different.  If we are not part of nature why have we not rose above it?  God wants us to, Jesus taught us how but even the most devout Christians I know are still "natural".  I am looking for some wisdom that has to be in the Bible.  Please give this your best go, I know it is not an easy question to understand...it is not easy to express either.
Thank you  

Answer
Hi Ernie,
   Yours is a difficult question to explain, but there is a clear biblical answer.   

   When God created man He said, "And God 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. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." (Genesis 1:26-27)

    Note man was made in the image of God and that is not said of animal life.    The image of God means that man has a will, intelligence, and emotion.    Animals do not have these traits.  So man is different than the animals God created.

    God put man in charge of the earth, having dominion, to rule the earth.  Therefore man is the higher creation of all life God created.   

    Are we a part of nature?    We are a part of the earth, and we have similarities with other animals.   Our bodied function in most ways like the rest of God's animal creation.   So in that sense we are a part of "nature" if you mean life that God created.   But we are not animals, we are man.   That is where the stimulates stop.   

    When God made man He made an important statement  "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."  (Genesis 2:7)   Man has a living soul.   Animals do not.  Man is responsible for his actions and animals are not.  Men will be judged for how they lived their lives and for whether or not they accepted their Creator.

    The reason for all the problems on earth...is what you referred to a simple "sin."    In Genesis 3 man sinned against God and the result was the curse that fell on all the universe, both man and animal.     Man did not eat animals before the Flood.  "And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things."   (Genesis 9:2-3)

    So after the Flood God allowed man to eat animals as well as plant life.  He put a fear into the animals of man.  I think the reason was to protect them from man who would be not hunting them for food.

    Mankind has advanced technologically, but morally man is still corrupted.   He is born with a carnal or sin nature and that nature makes him act much like an animal.   God  says that mankind and this earth will eventually be destroyed by the Lord.   So mankind apart from God is going to fail because of his sin.   However, God has a plan of salvation.

     God's provision is in Jesus Christ and His atonement for our sins on the cross.   He paid the sin debt we owe against our God and Creator.   By God's mercy and grace, He offers all men complete forgiveness of sin and eternal life if man will repent and turn from his sins and believe in Jesus Christ.    Problem is as Jesus stated in John 3:19, "This is the condemnation, that light has come into the world, but men love darkness rather than the light because their deeds are evil."    Most men like being carnal and sinners and reject God's free offer of salvation.

     Those that believe are saved, forgiven and receive eternal life.  Those that reject will be judged as Revelation 20:15-18 explains.

     So man is a part of this earth and has a physical body much like animals.   However, man has a soul, and God gave him a mind (intelligence), the ability to choose right from wrong (his will), and the ability to feel emotion and therefore so love, care and concern for others.   The unbeliever, or man who rejects God can never fully use these abilities because they are marred by man's sin nature.
     Only the believer, the Christian who is "born again" who has received the new nature that comes with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit can fulfill God's purposes and will for his life.

     I hope this helps.  IF you have further comments or question please write.

Thank you for your question.
Cooper Abrams
Bible-truth.org