What is man?

What is man?

(by Don Fortner)  Play Audio!  Download Audio

Hebrews 2:6, “What is man, that You are mindful of him?”

What is man?
In the light of God’s greatness and glory, it is an astonishing thing that God should be mindful of man–especially when we see the answer given in the Bible to the question, “What is man?”

Man is set before us in the Word of God as the particular, distinct object of God’s mercy, love, and grace. But what is man?

Anyone who knows and acknowledges the greatness of God, will also freely acknowledge the utter insignificance of man. As soon as David looked up to Heaven and spoke to God of His greatness–his heart was humbled, his pride was withered, and he cried, “What is man, that you are mindful of him?”

It is impossible for anyone to have both great views of God–and great views of man.
Those who imagine that man is great–think that God is insignificant.
Those who know that God is great–know that man is insignificant.

“What is man, that Youare mindful of him?” Here is:
  greatness, and littleness;
  grandeur, and nothingness;
  excellence, and corruption;
  majesty, and baseness;
  God, and man!

What is man?
The Word of God tells us plainly:
Genesis 3:19, “You are dust, and you will return to dust.”
Isaiah 40:6, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.”
Psalm 39:5, “Truly, every man at his best state is altogether vanity!“

What is man?
Do not ask:
  philosophers what they imagine,
  educators what they teach, 
  scientists what they see under microscopes,
  psychologists what they see in their clinics, or
  sociologists what they learn from observation.

Ask God who made us! He declares in His Word that man is fallen, depraved, sinful, cursed, condemned, helpless, dying flesh!

Men are grasshoppers before Him.
Men are the dust of the earth, nothing more.
Man is a lump of clay, a puff of smoke, a mist of vapor, the small dust of the balance, a drop in a bucket.
All the nations of all men in all the world are less than nothing before the great and infinite God!
Man is insignificant!

God, teach us to know our insignificance, that we may look to Christ for everything!

If you are unable
Ryle’s superb article on “Holiness”. You will find it profitable to listen to the audio, as you read along in the text.

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N.B. If you are unable to attend your local church today, you may want to read this most insightful article by J.C. Ryle, “HOLINESS“. You will find it profitable to listento the audio, as you read along in the text.

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