GOD HAS CROWNED YOU WITH GLORY AND HONOUR

WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL

APRIL 17, 2023

TOPIC: GOD HAS CROWNED YOU WITH GLORY AND HONOUR

BY T. O. BANSO

“For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:5 New King James Version).

Of all God’s creatures, only man was created in the image of God. God said in Genesis 1:26, “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” (New King James Version).

There has been much discussion about what God meant by “let us make man in Our image.” But verse 27 says, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (New King James Version). Someone said that of all God’s creatures, only human beings whom He made in His own image give Him problems! All other creatures follow His command and do what He wants! God made man in His image and gave Him dominion over all His creation, yet man does not seem to appreciate this and give Him the worship He deserves.

The psalmist said in Psalm 8:3-4 “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained. What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (New King James Version). Some Bible commentators believe that this scripture has its highest fulfillment in Christ as the Son of man through whom man was redeemed and God conferred on him glory and honour.

However, the phrase “the son of man” is used in the passage, not “Son of man” – Jesus Christ. The “son of man” refers to mere man. What did God see in man that made Him make man in His image? Verse 5 says, “For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor” (New King James Version).

The word translated as angels in this verse is Elohim, which is one of the names of God but is also said to be used for supernatural beings, including angels. Some commentators understand the verse to mean that God created man a little lower than the angels, especially because man’s body is earthly. Others believe that the scripture should have been rendered as man being a little lower than God, as it also talks about the attributes of God: glory and honour. “You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty!” (Psalm 8:5 New American Standard Bible Updated Edition). What is man that God is mindful of Him and crowned Him with glory and honour/majesty, the same attributes that He has? God did that because He made man in His image.

Hebrews 2:6-7 also refers to this scripture: “But one testified in a certain place, saying: ‘What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands’” (New King James Version).

Unfortunately, man did not appreciate God’s glory and honour upon him and the dominion He gave him over all His creatures. He disobeyed God. When man fell, he lost a substantial part of the dominion God gave him. Hebrews 2:8 says, “‘You have put all things in subjection under his feet.’ For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him” (New King James Version). Sin has affected man’s exercise of full dominion over God’s creatures.

The last scripture, Hebrews 2:8, speaks of Adam but it also applies to Jesus Christ. He was made a little lower than the angels in His suffering on the cross but has regained the dominion that Adam lost. Verses 9-10 say, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings” (New King James Version).

Man’s sin shows a disregard for the glory and honour God conferred on him and made him superior to all His creatures on earth. Romans 1:21-23 says, “Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man–and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things” (New King James Version). Human beings did not glorify God as God and were not thankful. They changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man. They started worshipping other creatures instead of God.

Verses 24-25 say, “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (New King James Version).

Do you realize that God has crowned you with glory and honour, the same attributes in Him? You should be worshipping Him and not reduce yourself to worshipping other creatures that don’t have the glory and honour that God has conferred on you – the superior being worshipping the inferior creatures of God. It is evil for human beings to worship other creatures that he is supposed to have dominion over – other creatures not created in the image of God.

Genesis 2:19-20a says, “Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field” (New King James Version). Did you see man’s superiority?

How could man condescend to worship inferior creatures that God gave him dominion over? “You shall not make for yourself a carved image-any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me” (Deuteronomy 5:8-9 New King James Version).

God has crowned you with glory and honour. He couldn’t do less because He is full of glory and honour and if we were to be made in His image we must resemble Him. See what the Bible says about God’s glory and honour: “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1 Timothy 1:17 New King James Version). Honour and glory and glory and honour are talking about the same thing. Out of His glory and honour, we have received ours.

Revelation 4:9 says, “Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever” (New King James Version). This scripture refers to God. Verse 11, which also refers to Him says, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created” (New King James Version). God is supreme! Glory and honor and power belong to Him. And man should ascribe these to Him in worship, not to descend so low as worshipping other inferior creatures.

Glory and honour are also part of the attributes of Jesus Christ, as He and the Father are one (John 10:30; 17:11,22). They are also co-equal. In Revelation 5:12, the angels, thousands of them, were saying, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (New King James Version). The lamb, in the passage, refers to Jesus Christ.

Jesus is our elder brother because of the work of redemption. He is the firstborn among many brethren and the firstborn from the dead (Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:18; Revelation 1:5 ). Hebrews 2:11 says for both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren. That refers to Jesus Christ. Born-again people are the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. We are to walk in glory and honour as He did when He was on the earth.

Before the fall, God conferred on man glory and honour but which, to a large extent, was lost. However, through redemption, they are restored to us. Glory and honour are some of the attributes of Jesus. As you have seen in Revelation 5:12, worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing.

Also, Revelation 5:13 says, “And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!’” (New King James Version). This scripture refers to God and the lamb (Jesus). And Jesus is also God. Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to Him. Out of His glory and honour, He has conferred on us because of His redemptive work. Also, Revelation 19:1 says, “After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, ‘Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!’” (New King James Version).

God has conferred glory and honour on you just as glory and honour are among the attributes of God and Jesus Christ. Don’t live lower than God has made you. He made you a little lower than Himself, not lower than the creatures sinners or ungodly people worship. They have exchanged the truth of God for the lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, as Romans 1:25 says. Walk in glory and honour; give glory and honour to God.

In addition to Jesus being God and, therefore, glory and honour belonging to Him, 2 Peter 1:17, talking about what happened at the Transfiguration, during the earthly ministry of Jesus, said, “For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’” (New King James Version). Peter quoted Matthew 17:5.

In Christ Jesus, glory and honour are yours. You should give God the glory and honour that is due to Him. You should worship God, not His creatures. You have been crowned him with glory and honour. Therefore, walk in glory and honour. Exercise your God-given dominion as a child of God.

 TAKE ACTION!  

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself.  I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.

PRAYER POINTS: Father, thank You for crowning me with glory and honour. Holy Spirit, help me to give to God the glory and honour that is due to Him. I shall not become a fool and change the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like a corruptible man. I shall worship God in spirit and truth.

(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).

T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
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Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
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Website: www.cedarministry.org