Hello friends, welcome to In Bolden. I'm Chris Shatter, an ordinary Christian living with and learning about an extraordinary God. Early a few days to the end of our 30 days of giving glory to God here, we're on day 28 on the In Bolden podcast. We're looking at 2 Corinthians 4, 15 today.
All this is for your benefit so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Join me in this prayer. Gracious God, this morning I rose thinking of the Son you sent to save us. I remember the pain he endured to show his everlasting and deep love for us.
You created this plan and he completed it. And remembrance of that day, I sit in awe and wonder at your glorious ways. Amen. Over the course of 30 years, a survey has been undertaken asking high school and college students if they would first try to save their dog or a stranger.
And I'm disturbed to report that two thirds have always voted against saving the person. In newer studies, adults now vote similarly. How would you vote if asked the same question? This study was posted online a while back and I went to the comment section to see what people had to say and I shouldn't have.
It was more disturbing. People condemning others for being evil, cruel and vile. Strangely enough, they didn't put themselves in those categories. The folks that would pick an animal over a human now as an aside, certainly there were the instances we all might do the same, say a person is just a tack to you when your dog.
But those that regularly would pick an animal over a human failed to see their decision makes them complicit in devaluing human life. What the surveyors have survived is the lack of Judeo-Christian values in a person's life or the watering down of those teachings increases making moral decisions based on your feelings. In addition, a belief in God elevates human worth over that of animals. Without that, we see the image of God brought down to having no more value than a squid.
Colossians 3 9-10 tells us, do not lie to each other since you have taken off your old self with its practices and put on the new self which is being renewed in the knowledge and the image of its creator. Throughout the Bible, we're reminded that humans were God's special creation, so special that he gave us dominion over the earth. The earth serves us, not the other way around, as some would say today. When this understanding of the world's creation is thrown out the window, it's no wonder the people of this world have turned everything upside down.
A number of my Christian friends have struggled with the fact that God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son once. We either secretly are out loud, say we hope God never asks us to do something so difficult. Yet every day parents see their children in the military risk their lives for us. Police officers, firefighters, lifeguards and others put their lives on the line for strangers because they believe we are worth saving.
The Bible is one of the most tested and proved documents in all history, and God's work is all around us to see proof of his ways. There's little to no dispute that Jesus walked this earth, or even that he died a horrible death of the cross. And whether or not a person believes he rose and ascended into heaven, everyone should understand that he went to the cross that day for us. He spoke over and over about the plan ahead for him.
He didn't die because he wanted fame, he didn't die to save the whales, he didn't die because of some terrible crime he committed. The father sent his son to die to save us. Because thank God he believes we are valuable. And just as our first verse reminds us, we aren't just saved to be saved, but to spread the word so that yes, even strangers are saved.
Friend, God in his glorious ways made us special. You know, I love my dog Tucker, but he won't seek justice for me, and he won't take up arms to protect me. God made us in such a way that we can even ponder these moral thoughts. He made us so in face with difficult decisions we can decide on A, B, or even A and B.
It depends on if you love God's creation as much as he does. Have a wonderful day. I hope you enjoyed this episode of The Embolden Podcast. Be sure to follow along so you don't miss any episode.
And check out my blog at Embolden.net.