What is Man?

Subtle sins can so easily infiltrate my heart.  Pride, discontent, fear, and as I recently wrote on sloth. These things may not easily be seen with the eye but God looks on the heart.  He is faithful to point out these things to me when they spring up in my heart.  

All of mankind has a heart sickness (Romans 3:23.) Sometimes we see this when we hear of murder or other heinous crimes on the news. These are obvious outward sins, indicating heart sickness. But many sins are hidden deep within the heart. Sometimes sin in the heart can look good on the outside. A nice, friendly, giving person may be prideful inside, trying to earn or complete their salvation. Often times, because the outside looks good, we can neglect to see the sin in our own heart and/or we can struggle to believe that all mankind is in desperate need of a Savior. The Lord looks upon the heart. There are many passages in the Bible that tell us of the sickness found in all human hearts. I have included two below.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23:27-28

For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20

In Christ, we are made new. By grace, through faith, we stand justified before God (Ephesians 2:8-9.) We are given a new heart that is set free from sin. On the cross, just before he died, Christ proclaimed: “It is finished.” (John 19:30.) He paid the price for every sin of those that trust in him. He paid for the obvious outward sins, as well as the hidden sins of the heart. I have noticed that hidden sins of the heart tend to violate the first commandment: “Thou shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3.) As with outward sin, hidden inward sins are abhorrent to God. However, God is pleased to look upon his Son’s righteousness instead of bestowing the wages of sin- death, upon us (Romans 6:23.) Christ died, and rose again so that we may have eternal life in him. Ezekiel 37:1-14 also references the spiritual death within natural men and shows us that life is found in God alone. I have included verses 1-6 below. 

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 37:1-6

I wrote the following poem as I reflected on God’s grace.

The grass withers the flower fades

What is man that thou art mindful of him?

Formed by your hand- of dust to dust returns

His days are a shadow arising at noon, gone by night

Glory fades and youth turns to age

And hearts, the hearts of all are corrupt

O thou that searchest the inward being

With no regard to portraits of glory

Has found none righteous, no not one

O Holy Father, vain works of pomp and show

Have an abhorrent stench before thee

One scent alone is pleasing to your nose

The fragrant offering of Christ, thy Son

The Righteous One; the spotless lamb

The Chosen One, in him thy glory revealed

Thou art high but made thyself low

Regarding equality with God not robbery

You fulfilled a plan, purposed before time

A plan of redemption for mankind

High and Holy One, what grace, what love

That you became low, emptying thyself

To the lowest point of all- death

Death on a cross. A public spectacle

Naked and blameless there you hung

All power in your hand. No one held you there

My sin you bore in your body

Your blood washed over me

My sin and guilt were nailed to the tree

Triumphing openly you arose. This.

This is glory. Enduring shame and the essence of hell

Dying that the dead may live in thee

Forever exalted, at the Father’s right hand you reign

My perfect Elder Brother, Mediator, King of kings

What is man that thou art mindful of him?

All men have short lived glory,

Formed by you. Men glory in vanity

Lest they see you. There are no self-made men

We are fearfully and wonderfully formed-

Made in your image.

There are no self-cleansed men

Only Christ’s blood will atone

Those chosen see glory- you

As the wind blows, unseen

So you come into the hearts of men

Vile vessels made clean

Conformed to the image of Christ

In creatures, the Creator abides

Adopted sons indwelt by the Spirit of God

Adorned with garments of salvation

Robed in righteousness, Christ’s righteousness

Bestowed with grace upon grace

This poem is scripturally based and includes several paraphrases of verses.  The line “what is man, that thou are mindful of him” is a quote from Psalm 8:4 and Hebrews 2:6.