In Romans chapter 1, Paul tells us our central problem as fallen people is a worship disorder. We have exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator. Suppressing the truth in our unrighteousness, apart from Christ we worshiped a lie – we worshiped ourselves. The essence of our Fall into sin is the denial of the true God.
Doubting Him. Denying Him. Deriding Him.
Enamoring ourselves. Embracing ourselves. Exalting ourselves.
The creatures usurp the Creator. We need a return to reality; a return to the real us. We are creatures, living in the Creator’s world, in need of His recreating power to work a work of grace in our hearts. In essence, we are but men.
Even now, the followers of Christ need this same reminder daily. Though Christ has brought us to our senses. We are prone to forget our creatureliness. The old desire for god-status and its accompanying autonomy relentlessly fights within us. So we need this reminder daily: we are but men.
During a bedtime reading of Psalm 9 with my daughters, my attention was captured by the final prayer of David, in verse 20.
Let the nations know that they are but men. – Psalm 9:20
This is a prayer I need. I need to pray this, with David, for the nations of the world to fear the Lord and submit to His sovereign reign. But I also need to pray this for myself. “Lord, make me to know I am but a man…a creature and not the Creator…a sinner and not the Savior…a worshipper and not the Worshipped. Make me to know I am but a man.”
Let me encourage you to make this prayer your own, as well – for the nations and for yourself.
Questions to Ponder:
1. What are ten differences between creatures and the Creator?
2. How have you failed to live as a creature, always wanting for more?
3. What are three ways you can learn to feel your creatureliness?