Hi RC,
I understand your point about the Glory of God and I agree. I do not believe man has intrinsic worth, but we are given worth because God loved us enough to create a redemptive plan for us (and not angels.) To say "Because He chose to" does not answer the "why?" God did not create angels in His image. Nor did He walk in the garden with them. Angels long to understand the mysteries of the gospel given to us. The angels only know a king-subject relationship.
I think Calvinists focus so much on the king-subject relationship, that they underplay the father-child, brotherhood (with Christ), husband-wife, family, lover imagery of the Bible. God has angels to glorify Him. He created man to live in loving fellowship with him.
Jesus loved us enough to die for us, all of us. And since I believe He died for all mankind, while we were yet sinners, all mankind has value in God's eyes (hence the Lucado quote.)
This view, Calvinists would say, is man-centered.
It is, but only in the sense that God chose to make it so. I mean, the whole universe as we know it is anthropocentric, created to sustain human life. Perhaps God has a billion other worlds, and a billion other plans of redemption being played out. But as far as we know, we are it. Mankind on Earth is not a sideshow, it is in the center ring. And that is humbling, awe-inspiring and love- inspiring.
That being the case does does not cause me to boast, because I certainly did not create the universe or plan it. And it certainly is not the way I would have done it. (Which of us would think of grace? Which of us, being God, would allow ourselves to be crucified?) But it causes me to love and glorify God all the more to think that He would do all this for us.
I understand your point about the Glory of God and I agree. I do not believe man has intrinsic worth, but we are given worth because God loved us enough to create a redemptive plan for us (and not angels.) To say "Because He chose to" does not answer the "why?" God did not create angels in His image. Nor did He walk in the garden with them. Angels long to understand the mysteries of the gospel given to us. The angels only know a king-subject relationship.
I think Calvinists focus so much on the king-subject relationship, that they underplay the father-child, brotherhood (with Christ), husband-wife, family, lover imagery of the Bible. God has angels to glorify Him. He created man to live in loving fellowship with him.
Jesus loved us enough to die for us, all of us. And since I believe He died for all mankind, while we were yet sinners, all mankind has value in God's eyes (hence the Lucado quote.)
This view, Calvinists would say, is man-centered.
It is, but only in the sense that God chose to make it so. I mean, the whole universe as we know it is anthropocentric, created to sustain human life. Perhaps God has a billion other worlds, and a billion other plans of redemption being played out. But as far as we know, we are it. Mankind on Earth is not a sideshow, it is in the center ring. And that is humbling, awe-inspiring and love- inspiring.
That being the case does does not cause me to boast, because I certainly did not create the universe or plan it. And it certainly is not the way I would have done it. (Which of us would think of grace? Which of us, being God, would allow ourselves to be crucified?) But it causes me to love and glorify God all the more to think that He would do all this for us.
