THE ORIGIN OF MAN
Again, the following was gleaned from my quiet time notes.
Q. What is the origin of man?
A. "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 soul." (Gen. 2:7). This is the way God created the first man, Adam. The first woman was created in a different manner. "And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man." (Gen. 2:21,22). The first woman was named Eve. The Bible says that God created man and woman. They are not the by-products of millions of years of evolution.
Man was also created in the image of God: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." (Gen. 1:26,27).
Q. What do we mean when we say that man was created in the image of God?
A. Of God's creation, only man was made in His likeness. This means that man, unlike animals and other creatures, was given with some attributes similar to God's such as intellect or reasoning, self-will, moral values, creativity, etc. Above all, God gave man the desire to seek the Lord (Acts 17:27). Paul also said, "That which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them." (Romans 1:19). Also, as God has authority over all things, man was also given the task of caring for and ruling over every living thing and plants. Man was also given the privilege to know God, have an intimate relationship with Him, and to be like Christ Who is the exact likeness of the invisible God.
Q. If man was created in the image of God, how can we explain the corruption that is so common in human society?
A. Adam's fall introduced sin into the world and the punishment that goes with it is corruption and death. The worse thing is that Adam's children and grandchildren inherited his sinful nature (Romans 5:12-19). The image of God in Adam is inherent in him and in every man but it was corrupted when he sinned. It was not removed when man sinned but it was marred by sin.
The sinful nature in man was not part of the image of God in man. It came about only after Adam's fall. Because of his sinful nature, man filled the world with corruption and every evil thing: "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient." (Romans 1:28). "None calleth for justice, nor any man pleadeth for truth... They conceive mischief" (Isaiah 59:4).
Q. What are the other results of man's sin?
A. The major effect of sin is that man was alienated from God. Because God is holy and man is sinful, man is driven away from God's presence. Man's privilege (before he fell) to have an intimate relationship with God was taken away because of sin. "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God; and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." (Isaiah 59:2).
Because of sin man is hopeless: "Therefore is judgement far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: We wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we have no eyes: We stumble at noonday as in the night; We are in desolate places as dead men. We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: We look for judgement, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us." (Isaiah 59:9-12)
Because man was hopeless, he sought to reach God by his own effort. This explains the proliferation of futile religions. "When they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they become fools. And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things." (Romans 1:21-23,25).
Not only that. Man also corrupted every aspect of society. He perverted sex: "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves... For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet." (Romans 1:24, 26,27). That explains the emergence of homosexuality and the illnesses associated with their lifestyle that is the due reward of their perversion.
Sin was also the cause of crimes, prostitution, greed, murders, proliferation of war weapons, breakup of families, and every evil thought that men have conceived. "Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful." (Romans 1:29-31).
Q. What is the effect of sin on man?
A. Man died spiritually, and was alienated from God (Genesis 2:17). He was also cursed to die physically (Gen. 3:19). The physical death of man is a consequence of man's spiritual death. For man having fallen into sin became corrupt and this may have caused the human body to function improperly that became imperfect because of sin.
Man is spiritually dead because of sin and is destined to die physically according to the time set by the only wise God (Heb. 9:27). "There is a time to be born, and a time to die" (Eccl. 3:2). "As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Romans 5:12). No one is exempted from the curse of sin: the rich and the poor, the wise and the fool, the free and the slave are all dead in sins and shall taste the physical death and eventually spend eternity in hell (Rev. 20:12-15).
Q. Is there anything man can do to escape from the curse of sin?
A. Man is unable by himself to remedy his lost condition and cannot reverse the destiny God has set for those who have sinned. Even our righteousness cannot atone for our sins. "But we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities" (Isaiah 64:6,7). "Not by works of righteousness which we have made..." (Titus 3:5).
Man is hopeless because of sin. There is nothing he can do to bring a ray of hope in his darkened world and gloomy destiny.
But thanks be to God for Jesus Christ who gave us freedom from the curse of sin! (Romans 6:22-23)
Q. What is the origin of man?
A. "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 soul." (Gen. 2:7). This is the way God created the first man, Adam. The first woman was created in a different manner. "And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man." (Gen. 2:21,22). The first woman was named Eve. The Bible says that God created man and woman. They are not the by-products of millions of years of evolution.
Man was also created in the image of God: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." (Gen. 1:26,27).
Q. What do we mean when we say that man was created in the image of God?
A. Of God's creation, only man was made in His likeness. This means that man, unlike animals and other creatures, was given with some attributes similar to God's such as intellect or reasoning, self-will, moral values, creativity, etc. Above all, God gave man the desire to seek the Lord (Acts 17:27). Paul also said, "That which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them." (Romans 1:19). Also, as God has authority over all things, man was also given the task of caring for and ruling over every living thing and plants. Man was also given the privilege to know God, have an intimate relationship with Him, and to be like Christ Who is the exact likeness of the invisible God.
Q. If man was created in the image of God, how can we explain the corruption that is so common in human society?
A. Adam's fall introduced sin into the world and the punishment that goes with it is corruption and death. The worse thing is that Adam's children and grandchildren inherited his sinful nature (Romans 5:12-19). The image of God in Adam is inherent in him and in every man but it was corrupted when he sinned. It was not removed when man sinned but it was marred by sin.
The sinful nature in man was not part of the image of God in man. It came about only after Adam's fall. Because of his sinful nature, man filled the world with corruption and every evil thing: "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient." (Romans 1:28). "None calleth for justice, nor any man pleadeth for truth... They conceive mischief" (Isaiah 59:4).
Q. What are the other results of man's sin?
A. The major effect of sin is that man was alienated from God. Because God is holy and man is sinful, man is driven away from God's presence. Man's privilege (before he fell) to have an intimate relationship with God was taken away because of sin. "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God; and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." (Isaiah 59:2).
Because of sin man is hopeless: "Therefore is judgement far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: We wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we have no eyes: We stumble at noonday as in the night; We are in desolate places as dead men. We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: We look for judgement, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us." (Isaiah 59:9-12)
Because man was hopeless, he sought to reach God by his own effort. This explains the proliferation of futile religions. "When they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they become fools. And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things." (Romans 1:21-23,25).
Not only that. Man also corrupted every aspect of society. He perverted sex: "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves... For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet." (Romans 1:24, 26,27). That explains the emergence of homosexuality and the illnesses associated with their lifestyle that is the due reward of their perversion.
Sin was also the cause of crimes, prostitution, greed, murders, proliferation of war weapons, breakup of families, and every evil thought that men have conceived. "Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful." (Romans 1:29-31).
Q. What is the effect of sin on man?
A. Man died spiritually, and was alienated from God (Genesis 2:17). He was also cursed to die physically (Gen. 3:19). The physical death of man is a consequence of man's spiritual death. For man having fallen into sin became corrupt and this may have caused the human body to function improperly that became imperfect because of sin.
Man is spiritually dead because of sin and is destined to die physically according to the time set by the only wise God (Heb. 9:27). "There is a time to be born, and a time to die" (Eccl. 3:2). "As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Romans 5:12). No one is exempted from the curse of sin: the rich and the poor, the wise and the fool, the free and the slave are all dead in sins and shall taste the physical death and eventually spend eternity in hell (Rev. 20:12-15).
Q. Is there anything man can do to escape from the curse of sin?
A. Man is unable by himself to remedy his lost condition and cannot reverse the destiny God has set for those who have sinned. Even our righteousness cannot atone for our sins. "But we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities" (Isaiah 64:6,7). "Not by works of righteousness which we have made..." (Titus 3:5).
Man is hopeless because of sin. There is nothing he can do to bring a ray of hope in his darkened world and gloomy destiny.
But thanks be to God for Jesus Christ who gave us freedom from the curse of sin! (Romans 6:22-23)
posted by Pids Nogales | 7:39 AM
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