In our current series we've been going through an old list of questions

and answers contained in the Westminster Larger Catechism published in

1648. In previous weeks we've started looking at how God created humans.

We've seen that God created humans male and female; with living,

reasoning and immortal souls; in God's image; with a knowledge of God;

and in righteousness. This week I want to look at how God created humans

with dominion.

In the beginning, God created humans with dominion (or power) of other

creatures in the world. We read in Genesis that God said to the first

humans Adam and Eve: 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth

and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air

and over every living creature that moves on the ground' (Genesis 1:28).

Psalm 8 also makes it clear that humans are rulers over God's creation:

'…what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care

for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and

crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of

your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and

the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,

all that swim the paths of the seas' (Psalm 8:4-8). Now the New

Testament ties this Psalm also to Christ as the ruler over the world,

but we must remember that the Psalm also applies to us humans. And if

humans are the rulers of the world, then it is not surprising that Jesus

came into the world as a human, and not a reptile like Satan did in the

garden.

But sadly we must also remember that humans do not rule creation as they

should. We regularly sin and abuse creation when we should care for it.

Or we exalt creation above people as some political parties love to do

these days, so that people seem to be less important than trees. Also,

creation itself doesn't like to be ruled: the stinging nettles sting

you, the lions bite you and the llama spits on you. We have certainly

come a long way down from the high standard given to Adam and Eve.

So how are humans to rule the world as they should? They must join

Christ, the Son of Man, in his perfect rule. How? By putting their trust

in him. Only if we trust in Christ can we start to have a right

relationship with creation.

Do you have a right relationship with creation by faith in Christ?

Joel Radford.