I’m Not An Animal

Sometimes I wonder why man is so adamant about wiping all mention of God out of society. We have gone so far as to equate ourselves with animals. We are told that our descendants were animals and we evolved over millions of years to be where we are now; with the idea that, given time, we will also evolve into a better species and all the wickedness and immorality of man’s heart will go away.

People usually discuss the idea of man being an animal from either an evolutionary world view or a Biblical world view.The evolutionary world view holds that, simple forms of life spontaneously arose from non-life. Through mutation and natural selection, they increased in complexity to multi-cellular animals, to invertebrates, to vertebrate fish. Next, some evolved into amphibians, then reptiles, then birds, and mammals. The standard view of evolution considers each stage more “advanced,” or more complex than its predecessors until finally, man arrived.

The fact is that, all animals, living or fossil, are unthinkably complex. They all show interdependence of functioning parts, each with a marvelous purpose to achieve. Even a single cell is more complex than a super computer. There is actually no such thing as simple life. If it’s alive it’s complex.

“When we have told our young people today that Naturalism is true – (that) we have evolved from nothing more than some primordial slime; when we have told them objective moral values do not exist – (that) you decide what is right and wrong for you … when we have told our young people that there is no ultimate designer … when we have told our young people that there is no ultimate destiny; when we have told them that man is the measure of all things, that there is no transcendent basis on which to find out what life is about and what life’s goal is, why then are we surprised when we see the hell that is unleashed by that kind of philosophy?” ~Ravi Zacharias

The evolutionary world view now places man at a lower level than animals and in the category of beast.

“First and foremost, man is an animal—but he is neither the end product of evolution nor much more than a mediocre biological success. The body he inhabits is primitive, at least 50,000 years out of date. Basically, he is one of the world’s most aggressive beasts, who, the scientists say, fundamentally enjoys torturing and killing other animals, including his fellow man in the sport known as war. ” ~ TIME.com

The Biblical world view of man is quite redemptive and gives more purpose to man’s existence. In Genesis, we see that the fish, the birds, the creeping things, the cattle, the beasts of the field, and the beasts of the earth were all created “after their kinds.” But when God created man, He created him “after His own image.”

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” ~ Genesis 1: 26

He placed man in authority over creation and placed within man, more than just instincts, but also an ability to create. Animals will instinctively do what they were purposed to do, for example a bird will build a nest or a bee will build a bee hive, but you will never see them building anything other than what they are purposed to build. An animal will never try to rule the world, because that is not what an animal was made for. Man on the other hand, was given authority over the entire planet and also the ability to create. Men, unlike animals, creates tools and dwelling places in a myriad of shapes and sizes. God created man with the wonderful ability to reason and comprehend abstract thoughts. He alone can speak in a language which communicates his inner yearnings.

Man’s fall from grace and relationship with God has brought him to the point of wickedness. Man is so cruel that he will kill his own mother, unborn children, war against each other, strip the earth of it’s resources and now, he has the ability to wipe the earth of all life. Man continues to scream for God to be removed from his memory, so that he can continue to do what he wants to do. We now consider ourselves lower than the animals, although God has placed us a little lower than the angels.

“But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: ~ Hebrews 2:6-7

Man was created in the very image of God, but now in our sinful nature, we are re-created in the image of an ape, a mere animal.

“One basis (for our true identity) is found in Psalm 8 joined to Gen. 1.27. It is the IMAGO DEI basis of identity, Christian or non-Christian, you can say ‘I am created by God and in the image of God, therefore I am significant’. The other basis is a bit more selective, it is for Christians. Remember 2 Cor. 5.17? This is the IN CHRIST basis of identity.” ~ Rev. Clinton Chisholm

Mankind on a whole need to realize that we were given the responsibility, not only to populate the earth, but to be functional and useful in it, to take care of the plants and animals and not to waste our lives away. We should ultimately place our lives in the hands of our Creator. Declare today for yourself that, you are not an animal. Realize the fact that you have self worth and most importantly, that you are important to God. You are of so much importance that He sent His Son into this world to die for your sins, you are more important to him than the entire world.

For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? ~Matthew 16:26