NOVO 2023: What we are
My name is Mitch Kitson and I’m the pastor at St Martin’s Lutheran Church in Mount Gambier. It’s a privilege to be asked to be the speaker on NOVO this year. We’ve got a pretty enormous theme to get our heads around, but I’m sure we can give it a crack.
As you know, the theme is ‘The Bigger Picture’. We’re going to think about how God helps us to see that life is way bigger than we think it is. By sending his Son into the world to save us, God changed what we are, who we are, why we are, and where we are, forever.
Those are the four themes that we’re going to delve into in the messages over camp. So, let’s get started with the first one: what we are.
As human beings, there are certain things that set us apart from other living things. I asked ChatGPT what a human being is in simple terms, and this is what it came up with:
Explain what a human being is in simple terms.
A human being is a member of the species Homo sapiens, which is the scientific name for humans. Humans are social animals with a complex brain, capable of language, abstract thinking, and problem-solving. They are bipedal, meaning they walk on two legs, and have opposable thumbs, which allow them to manipulate objects and use tools. Humans have a wide range of physical and cultural characteristics, and are found all over the world. They are capable of experiencing a wide range of emotions, and have developed complex societies with a variety of customs, beliefs, and traditions.
How do you rate that answer out of 10?
This is a very scientific answer, which makes sense. Our brains, the way we walk, and our opposable thumbs distinguish us from other animals.
I find the last bit interesting: we have developed “complex societies with a variety of customs, beliefs, and traditions.” That just begins to scratch the surface of something a bit deeper than our physical traits, doesn’t it?
Still, I don’t find this description very encouraging. A human being is just an animal that has a more advanced brain and a habit of developing very complicated relationships.
Science helps us to explain the world. It can tell us lots about humans and the world we live in, but it doesn’t give us the bigger picture.
Let’s ask ChatGPT something else.
Explain what a human being is in biblical terms.
In biblical terms, a human being is a creature made by God in his own image, as described in the Book of Genesis. According to the Bible, God created humans on the sixth day of creation, after creating the world and all the other living creatures. Humans are considered to be the pinnacle of God's creation, and are given dominion over the earth and its inhabitants.
In addition, the Bible teaches that humans have a spiritual component, including a soul, that distinguishes them from other animals. The Bible also teaches that humans have the capacity for sin and have fallen from their original state of innocence, and therefore require redemption through faith in Jesus Christ. In biblical terms, humans are seen as both physical and spiritual beings, created by God for a specific purpose and with a unique destiny.
Alright, how do you rate this one?
I think this is a much better answer. It says that we are creatures made by God in his image. That’s true! It says in Genesis:
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.Genesis 1:26–27 (NIV)
God made us in his image, in his likeness. It doesn’t mean that we look like God. It means that we are like God in our character. It means we share his personality. Because we’re made in his image, we are capable of showing his love, his mercy, and his compassion towards each other.
It also means we share in his work. Human beings were given authority over the animals and given responsibility to care for the land. We’re not always very good at doing that, but we have that responsibility because God gave it to us.
So, there you go. We are made in God’s image.
That answer from ChatGPT was pretty good. It just started to give us the bigger picture of what human beings really are, but I think we can do even better.
Let’s ask ChatGBC (that is, Generative Bible-trained Communicator).
Explain what a human being is in real terms.
For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:17–21 (NIV)
Alright! This tells us a couple of things about what we are:
One man (Adam) sinned, so all humans are born with it
One man (Jesus) died, so all sin is forgiven
Now, before we get into the third and final point today, I want to introduce some intense theological stuff that we’re going to look at over the next few days.
About 500 years ago, a bunch of Christians decided that what the Church was teaching people was a bit off. They came up with five points that helped people to understand how God works. They’re called the Five Solae. “Sola” is just Latin for “alone.”
Sola scriptura - "Scripture alone."
Sola fide - "Faith alone."
Sola gratia - "Grace alone."
Solus Christus - "Christ alone."
Soli Deo gloria - "To the glory of God alone."
We’re going to look at each of them over the next few days, but today we’re going to focus on the fourth one: solus Christus (Christ alone).
So, that Bible text from Romans said that one man sinned and then one man died for all sin. That man, Jesus, is a pretty important guy.
What do you know about Jesus? What things did he do during his life?
Pretty much everyone, whether they’re Christian, something else, or nothing at all, knows that Jesus died on a cross. Not everyone knows why.
When Jesus died on the cross, the sin of the whole world died with him. And then, just to really put the nail in the coffin, he rose from the dead. When he came alive again, he showed us that death doesn’t have the final say anymore. It is a scientific fact that every human being eventually dies, but because of Jesus, we won’t stay dead.
Jesus was the only one that could have done that for us. Because he was God’s only Son, he had the power to take all of our sin on himself. If you or me died on a cross, we’d just die and that would be it. But when Jesus died, he saved the world.
We still sin—we’re not perfect people. But we are forgiven people. Because of what Jesus has done, we can encounter God and be in a relationship with our Creator. Our sin used to be a barrier between us and God, but Jesus’ death has taken that barrier away.
So, that’s the bigger picture of what we are.
If you want to take some notes this week, you can write these three things down. There will be three points at the end of every message.
Science helps us to explain the world
We are created in God’s image
We are imperfect, but redeemed
When Jesus died on the cross for us, he changed what we are forever. We’re much more than just animals with better brains and opposable thumbs. We are God’s most cherished creation and his forgiven people.
