Mankind vs. Animals -

In movies and books lately, I’ve noticed that animals and people are considered equals. They promote the idea that animals can feel, think, go to heaven, and commune with people.

Well, from my own personal knowledge, I do believe that animals can feel and think.

One dog named Rico, from Dortmund, Germany is a very intelligent dog. He’s all the rage. I’ve seen him on the news, in magazines, just about anywhere. He is a Border collie and understands more than 250 words. Experts think that the average pet dog can understand about 20 commands. But Rico can fetch any one out of his 260 toys, as well as understand commands. However, what really makes Rico special is how he can understand new words using the process of elimination. If you placed seven items in a pile, added a new item in the pile, such as a flashlight, and then told Rico, “Go get the flashlight!” he’d run, get the flashlight, and bring it back, because that’s the item he hadn’t seen before.

But, no matter how smart a dog can be (Hey, my dog knows 10 commands already!), they’re different than humans.

1 Corinthians 15:39-41 says “All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals.” God created us with a unique flesh of our own.

The Bible says, in Genesis chapter 1:

“God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind.”
And:
“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

People are created to be unique compared to animals. The verse above tells us we were created to have dominion over the animals. Also we have qualities that separate us from animals.

Animals, such as dogs, are similar to us, because they have a physical body and a life force, or soul.

People also have a physical body and soul. But the Bible also speaks of us having a spirit. God made us in His image.

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7)

The Bible says the other creatures were created and made, but that He “formed” man. And He breathed into us His life, His breath.

God created us to worship Him. Because we’re sinful, our fellowship with Him is broken. This is why He came to earth to die for us. We have the ability to trust and believe Him as our Savior. God created us with the ability to not only believe, but to choose to believe. How great God is to give us the capability to have free choice between eternal life and death! Of course, everything works out according to His will, and He knew aforetime what we would choose. But, He decided to give us a gift. The gift of Christ, the gift of choice.

So, with such a great gift, what have you chosen? Have you chosen death? Or have you chosen life? Have you chosen eternal life with Satan? Or eternal life with Christ? God gave us such a great gift that need not be neglected, so please consider it.

God’s gift of Salvation is for all of mankind. “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” (Titus 2:11)

We’ve sinned, and can’t live up to God’s perfect expectation. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23)

We can have eternal life through Jesus. “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

If we believe and trust in Christ who died for our sins, we can have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Isn’t it amazing how God created us special, for Himself? We were created unique in our own way.

-Kitty B.

All Bible verses and references are taken from the New King James Version (NKJ)