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whicb means one family but
more
than one mernber.
When God created the first
humans, he gave thern dorninion
over the earthbound, physical cre–
ation (Gen. l :28). But as the many
bíblica! writers recorded, the master
plan of God embraced far more
than merely a physical legacy.
The following quote from the
Psalrns illustrates this:
"Thou [God] has t made him
[man] a little lower than the angels,
and hast crowned hirn with glory
and honour. Thou madest him to
have dominion over the works of
thy hands; thou hast put all things
under his feet" (Psalrn 8:5-6).
Though King David, the author
of this particular psalm, reiterated
that man was given use of the earth,
oceans and atrnospheres at creation,
he went rnuch further to explain
that "all things" are to be put under
man's control. This startling scrip–
ture transcends the concept of do–
minion over just tbis earth.
Paul, expanding David's words,
goes on to make the picture even
clearer: "Thou hast put
al/ things
in
subjection under his feet. For in that
he put all in subjection under him,
he left
nothing
tha t is not put under
hirn. But now we see
not yet
all
things put under him" (Hebrews
2:8). This scripture speaks of the
en–
tire
universe!
Mankind's puny "conquests" of
outer space notwithstanding, we are
not now in control of the pulsating,
unlirnited, largely unknown powers
that course through the endless gal–
axies of this universe. Man finds
himself even unable to adequately
define and explain the universe, let
alone master it.
lnherit All Things
The Bible is, among other things,
a legal document. Jt is the written
record of God's personal will or tes–
tament. The Old Testament records
God's offer of a physical inheri tance
to a particular nation, Israel. The
New Testament presents the vastly
PLAIN TRUTH September 1973
greater spiritual inheritance made
available to
al/
mankind.
We realize, of course, that when a
wealthy man chooses to mention a
certain person in his will, that per–
son immediately becomes an heir to
a certain, specified portion of his
worldly goods. Thus it is staggering
to discover that God, the very owner
and proprietor of the entire uní–
verse, speaks of
human beings
as
po–
tential heirs of his wealth!
Notice Romans 8:16-18, "The
Spirit itself beareth witness with our
spirit, that we are the children of
God: and if children, then
heirs;
heirs of God, and
joint-heirs
with
Christ; if so be that we suffer with
him, that we may be also glorified
together. For I reckon that the suf–
ferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the
glory which shall be revealed in us."
Again, "He that overcometh shall
inherit
al/ things;
and 1 will be his
God, and he shall be my son" (Rev–
elation 21 :7).
" Many Sons"
"In the beginning was the Word,"
wrote the apostle John, "and the
Word was with God, and the Word
was God.
Al/
things
were made by
him ..." (John l :1, 3). Other scrip–
tures (especially Ephesians 3:9)
identify this "Word" who had rnade
all things as the very one who even–
tually carne to earth as Jesus Christ.
After being martyred for the sins
of humanity (John 1:29; 19:16-38),
Jesus was raised from the dead to
assume a new relationship with the
one known as the Father in heaven.
In this new relationship, he who had
been man was again made God and
was given power over all things in
beaven and in earth (Matthew
28: 18). Jesus qualified for a new title
of vast significance: "the firstborn
among many
brethren"
(Romans
8:29).
Returning to Hebrews 2:9- 10,
"But we see Jesus, who was made a
little lower tban tbe angels for the
suffering of death, crowned with
glory and honour; that he by the
grace of God should taste death for
every man. For it became him, for
wborn are all things, and by whom
are al! things, in bringing
MANY
soNs
unto glory, to make the cap–
tain of their sa lvation perfec t
through sufferings."
God is bringing
many sons
unto
glory. And Jesus Christ, the "first–
born among many brethren," carne
as the forerunner to set the example
of becoming perfect - as God him–
self is perfect - througb a life of
human experience wbich included
suffering (Hebrews 5:8-9).
The Questions Answered
Various tbeologians ha ve as–
sumed that man's destiny is to drift
off into beaven and be occupied
with staring intently into God's face
for all etemity. Others speculate
tbat man after death becomes a sort
of "special angel."
But the truth of the Bible is so
different, so vastly more spectacular
than that. God is a family! And he
now wants that family enlarged!
One of the great mysteries of
which the Bible speaks is tbat God,
a divine family to begin with, is now
beginning to add additional mem–
bers.
You
were created after tbe
God kind (Genesis 1:25-27).
You
were boro to be a son of the living
God! Can you now begin to grasp
tbe awesome purpose for your exis–
tence?
Where Do You Stand?
Wbat, tben, does all this involve
on your part?
Jesus Cbrist , the very captain of
our salvation (Hebrews 2: 10), carne
to show mankind the way to a suc–
cessful, abundant life which would
lead to an even more fulfilling, eter–
na! life in God's everlasting King–
dom.
Instructing his followers on the
true purpose of life, Jesus said,
"Blessed are the poor in spirit [those
who become humble, teachable]: for
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