Adam – son of God

“But as many as receive Him, to
them He gave the right to become
children of God, to those who believe
in His name”
John 1:12

As a christian when I think of being God's child, I think of my becoming one through my salvation, not of being one by birth. Pre-salvation I consider myself more as product of his initial creation, Adam and Eve. Not that God didn't plan or want me, but I wasn't his daughter – I was just his creation. I tend to think of Adam as God's first human creation.

I saw something this morning to disagree with my thoughts. The gospel of Luke names the entire family line from Joseph (Jesus' stand in father) to Adam.

“the son of Enosh, the son of Seth,
the son of Adam, the son of God.”
Luke 3:38

Adam is given as much recognition as God's son as Seth is given as Adam's son. If you know Genesis you know that Adam was fashioned by God out of dirt. He was not born the way we were, but God considered him a child. It makes me think that God never looks at people as merely creations, just as rebellious children. Yes we must be saved to become children of God, but not because we were born something else, because our sin separates us.

On a side note: This is much like the story of Pinocchio. Adam was fashioned, but loved as a son.

We are individuals to God - Luke 1

It's easy to feel like God doesn't really pay attention to what is going on in our lives. As if God is so bombarded by information that He doesn't see us as individuals.

In the gospel of Luke it tells how God sent the angel Gabriel to Zacharias (an older man who's wife was unable to have children) and then to Mary (the betrothed virgin chosen to be Jesus' mother).

Both Zacharias and Mary were both just typical people, but God knew every specific about their lives. He chose each of them and sent Gabriel to them specifically.

“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent
by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man
whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.
The virgin's name was Mary.”
Luke 1:26-27

How amazing is that? That God sees us as more than just people – He sees our stories also. We aren't lost in the sea of faces, we are individuals to God.

What difference will your career make when you're six feet down?

The promotions you got, your accomplishments, and projects - who is going to remember? The size of your bank account, the car you drove and the toys you own won't matter. People shopping estate sales don't care about the late owner's life. All traces of us pass, and those who live after us don't feel a void in our absence.

Without God there is no lasting value.

“What profit has a man from all his labor
In which he toils under the sun?
One generation passes away,
and another generation comes;
But the earth abides forever.”
Ecclesiastes 1:3-4

“That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 1:9

“There is no remembrance of former things,
Nor will there be any remembrance of
things that are to come
By those who will come after.”
Ecclesiastes 1:11