“The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains,
The world, and those who dwell in it.” – Psalm 24:1 NASB
Does God have any claim on humanity? Indeed, he does. To begin with, he made the universe we live in, so we owe him gratitude for the world around us. He also created the human race, so we owe him thanksgiving for our very lives and every breath we take. Those two things are very foundational claims.
Unfortunately, however, our earliest ancestors (Adam and Eve) did not have sufficient gratitude and appreciation to follow the very minimal rules that God had set for them. Their disobedience set in motion a number of disastrous consequences, and all of their descendants inherited a tendency to rebel against God and commit moral wrongs (or sins). This tendency is known as the “sin nature,” “carnal nature,” or “fallen nature.” God therefore withdrew partially from his relationship to Adam and Eve. In the very next generation, one of their children (Cain) murdered his brother (Abel), and warfare was introduced to the world. As a result, God withdrew even further from his relationship to all humanity.
Fortunately, because of his great love, God did not give up on humanity altogether. Rather, he sent his son (Jesus), who died on a Roman cross to pay the sin-penalty for everyone who has ever lived. What Jesus accomplished was to provide an alternative path for us all, a path that leads to God and eternal life. Because Jesus suffered and died for us, he has “redeemed” us, meaning that he has purchased our lives from the way of sin and death inherited from Adam and Eve. That is a towering claim, to be sure. And because of that, we owe him our thanksgiving, our heartfelt devotion, and our obedience. He is good, and he loves each one of us.
