Here are the basic facts (according to the Scriptures)
1. They exist.
2. They are created beings, made by God.
3. They have the ability to make moral choices (see 2 Pet 2: 24)
4. They can speak and interact with people, e.g. when Peter was set free from prison by an angel in Acts 5: 19 - 20, he was given very specific instructions to continue his work of preaching and teaching.
5. They are invisible to us until God makes them visible.
I love this story. In 2 Kings 6, we find the king of Israel and his prophet Elisha in the city of Dotham, surrounded by a formidable army with horses and chariots. One servant voiced the fears of many as he asked, ‘what will we do’? ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them’, and he proceeded to pray for eyes to be opened. In a moment, the servant saw an even bigger army surrounded by fire. Which brings us to our next fact…
6. They have great power. They are the ‘mighty ones’ in Psalm 103: 20 and those who are ‘stronger and more powerful’ than humans in 2 Pet 2: 11.
But there is one thing more mind-blowing than all of this, something far more incredible. Are you ready for this – they serve us!
Think about it. We are the ones who have disobeyed God, we are the ones who have misused His holy name. We sinned intentionally and we drove the nails into the hands and feet of God’s holy Son. Compare that to the angels who dwell in the holy presence of God and have done nothing wrong. They have power and abilities beyond our wildest dreams - yet they work for our good and for our protection. According to the book of Hebrews, angels are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation – us!
Why on earth would we be so privileged?
The Bible does provide us with some answers. The first clue is found at the beginning. At the end of each of the first five days of creation, God steps back, surveys the scene and declares it good, but after creating humans, his approval rating has stepped up to ‘very good’ (Gen 1: 31). He has made us in his own image and given us dominion over everything else.
The writer of Psalm 8 reflects on this. We were made a little lower than the angels (v 5) – that is, we are of the dust of the earth. Yet we are crowned with glory and honour – we rule as his kingly representatives.
By the time we get to the New Testament, Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection has rendered us (by repentance and faith) new creations ‘in Christ’ (1 Cor 1: 2), ‘raised up’ with him and ‘seated with him in the heavenly realms’ (Eph 2:5). We are permanently in the place of highest authority.
We have done nothing to deserve this, of course, but next time you are tempted to look down upon yourself or live less than God’s best for you, remember who he has made you to be – children of God, made in the image of God and seated with Christ in the heavenly realms.
Even the angels serve you.
The best is yet to come. God bless – Terry ----------------------------------- Would you like to receive a new message every week? Please fill in your email address below. Please also feel free to leave your comments below (and press the red heart if you liked what you read). Your feedback is really helpful to me. Thanks