D O C T R I N E O F M A N

CORE BELIEFS SERIES D O C T R I N E O F M A N CREA TED IN T HE IMAG E OF GOD QUOTES Man is the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God's creation. In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence whereby his posterity inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin. Therefore, as soon as they are capable of moral action, they become transgressors and are under condemnation. Only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore, every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love. Baptist Faith & Message 1 People are God s Treasure God created people in His image for His glory. They are the crowning work of His creation. Yet every person has willfully disobeyed God an act known as sin thus inheriting both physical and spiritual death and the need for salvation. All human beings are born with a sin nature and into an environment inclined toward sin. Only by the grace of God through Jesus Christ can they experience salvation. Student Life Bible Study 2 SCRIPTURE (MAIN PASSAGES) Gen. 1:26-28; 2:7, 18-25; Ps. 8; 1 Cor. 15:42-49; 2 Cor. 5:15-17; Phil. 3:20-21 KEY TRUTHS Man was created by God in His image (Gen. 1:27; 9:6; Jam. 3:9) Man sinned against God, bringing sin into the world. o Sin has impaired man s ability to know God and obey him. o Sin necessitates a Savior to redeem man from its grasp. Man is more than a mere physical being; he was also created a spiritual being o Those redeemed by Christ will be raised to glorified bodies. o Those not redeemed by Christ will be condemned to hell. 1

ORIGINAL CONDITION OF MAN 3 1: CREATED IN GOD S IMAGE Gen. 1:26-28 records the creation of man by God. We are made in God s image or likeness. Various theologians attempt to define precisely what it means to be made in the image of God, but this term encompasses several aspects: We are more than mere creatures We are unique. Great care was taken in our creation. The previous six days of creation record God speaking commands, creating by His word. But Gen. 2:7 depicts God bending down and forming man out of the dirt. We are not just another animal on this earth! We have authority Gen. 1:28-29, God gives man authority to fill and subdue the earth, and to have dominion over the animals. While we must be wise stewards, this planet has been put under our care. Giving a name was a sign of authority in the Bible (see Dan. 1, when Daniel and his friends had their names changed), which makes Adam s naming of the animals significant (Gen. 2:19). Ps. 8 describes the authority God has given us in vivid detail. We were created GOOD Actually, God called it very good (Gen. 1:31). The sinfulness we see was not part of the original package. It is because of the Fall (Gen. 3). We were made to represent God In ancient times, a king who had a large kingdom would put up several statues in remote areas of the kingdom. These statues, or images, represented the king s authority over them. We are God s image on earth, representing His authority over creation (see Ps. 8). We are able to reason Unlike God s other creatures, we have the unique ability to both reason and make moral decisions. This is also something that Ps. 8 reveals, and we see this distinction all around us every day. We are not simply a higher evolutionary form of animals; we are intrinsically different from them. We are accountable to God The creature belongs to his creator. Rom. 1:19-22 describes a rebellion against this truth. The glory God deserves is obvious, yet suppressed. Compare that with a proper acknowledgment of God in Ps. 8, where the author places this bookend around the chapter: O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! Gen. 2:16-17 records God s first command to Adam. Male and Female are Equal One gender is not greater than the other. God has given different roles to the sexes, but not different equality. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Gen. 1:27). It has been pointed out that when God made Eve, He did not use a bone from Adam s foot (implying that she was lesser than he) or from his head (implying that she was greater than he); rather, God took a rib from Adam s side, signifying their equality. This same principle of equality applies to races, too. We were created to know God God walking in the garden in the cool of the day (Gen. 3:8) appears to have been a regular occurrence. Phi. 3:10 reveals Paul s desire to know Christ more. Jer. 9:23-24 shows that our ultimate goal is to understand and know God. This is what we were created to do! 2

2: FALLEN INTO SIN With a proper understanding of our original standing before God, we can now understand what humanity has lost. Gen. 3 records the first instance of human sin, disobedience to God s command. At this point, all of the aspects above have been marred. Rom. 5:12 tells us that sin entered the world through one man s sin (Adam). In that sin, humanity inherited guilt before God 4 and corruption within themselves. Ps. 51:5 says, Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me (see also, Ps. 58:3; Eph. 2:3). There are two main results of our fallen, sinful state: SIN HAS IMPAIRED MAN S ABILITY TO KNOW GOD AND OBEY HIM Rom. 8:8 says, Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. In his letters Paul reminds people of what they were before they were in Christ Eph. 2:1-3; Col. 1:21; 2:13. For some strong language about this truth, read Eph. 4:17-19 (the word Gentiles could just as well read non-christians ). Even in Old Testament times, the stench of sin overpowered the aroma of the sacrifice. See 1 Sam. 15:22. The bottom line is this: On our own, we are dead in the water when it comes to our standing before God. In our corruption (Tit. 1:15; Jer. 17:9) we are totally unable to please God (Jn. 8:34; Heb. 11:6). SIN NECESSITATES A SAVIOR TO REDEEM MAN FROM ITS GRASP The most powerful summary verse of this truth is Rom. 5:8, which says that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Our sinful state was unchanging. Only outside intervention could solve our problem of sin. In John 15:5, Jesus says, Apart from Me you can do nothing. When man first sinned, God began to promise a coming Savior. Gen. 3:15 is called the proto-evangelion, or first gospel, because it is the first hint of Christ s coming. In our time, we have the benefit of seeing the fulfillment of that promise. Re-read the above verses from Ephesians and Colossians to see the surrounding context of our freedom from sin in Christ! 3: REDEEMED IN CHRIST Christians today are no longer under sin. We are freed from the grasp of sin through the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ. If one verse captures the hope we find in this truth, it s 2 Cor. 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Rom. 6:11 says we can consider ourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. There are three tenses of being in Christ past, present, and future. Salvation occurred at the moment of conversion (past), sanctification is the process of a Christian becoming more like Christ (present), and glorification will happen when Christ calls us to heaven (future). This section covers the first two tenses. See Col. 3:1-5 for commands related to sanctification, becoming more like Christ. That also means that for now we struggle with sin. We have a mix of the first two categories (Original creation and fallen state). We are no longer under sin, though we will sin. We are not yet restored to our original state prior to sin, but we have fellowship and peace with God now. 2 Cor. 4:16-18 speaks of us being renewed day by day, and it reminds us that we must focus not on our physical standing, but on our ultimate spiritual standing. 3

4: GLORIFIED IN ETERNITY The third, future tense of salvation is glorification. It is important to note that several Core Beliefs are interrelated. This discussion on salvation is a prime example, for it concerns humanity at its core. As believers, we have a future hope to which we can look forward: eternity with Christ! Though now we are imperfect, our bodies will one day be renewed (1 Cor. 15:42-49). Our spiritual bodies will be physical like our current bodies, but they will be much more glorious, like Christ s (Phil. 3:20-21)! Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known (1 Cor. 13:12). IMPLICATIONS Understanding this Core Belief fundamentally affects our views in the following areas: Valuing human life The people we encounter on a daily basis were created in the image of God. We treat them as fellow image-bearers. Naturalism and evolutionary theory have no basis for valuing human life, for their teachings reflect a survival-of-the-fittest mentality. We take a stand against abortion and euthanasia because God teaches the value of fellow humans created in His image. We understand the need to love our neighbor whether male for female, black or white as our self as an extension of our love for God. Responsibility to God We are not our own. Our purpose is to love, obey, and serve God. Caring for creation As stewards of this planet, we have a God-given right to use the resources on earth, combined with the responsibility to use them wisely. Glorifying God Our purpose on this earth is to glorify God. As John Piper writes, God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. 5 ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS In the course of your lesson, there may be certain questions that come up. Listed below are some possible questions, along with a biblical response. WHY WOULD GOD ALLOW US TO SIN? DOES THAT MAKE HIM EVIL? There are several passages that explain God s righteousness (Deut. 32:4; Gen. 18:25; Job 34:10; Jam. 1:13 6 ), so whatever reason God allowed it is not due to any evil on His part. Sin is not something that is outside God s control, either. Moving to the theoretical, it has been suggested that God allows certain things, like sin, to reveal to us a fuller extent of His attributes. He allows sin that grieves Him so that we can contrast it with His goodness, and so that we can see His love and sacrifice in sending Christ to die in our place. He also judges sin so we can see his justice. The Bible does not explicitly give us this reasoning, but it fully aligns with a God who created us to glorify Him. We actually have more reasons to praise Him as we see a fuller picture of His attributes. So there is no evil with God, and for His divine purposes He has allowed sin, even though He hates it. 4

But there is another side of the coin: we are responsible for our actions. God did not create a race of human robots! God made us so that we are able to choose to either love and obey Him or rebel and sin against Him. Unlike the rest of creation, we have been created with the moral responsibility toward God. That fact shows God s goodness. So it does not make God evil; rather, it shows that humanity is evil. DID GOD CREATE US BECAUSE HE WAS LONELY? No! From eternity past, God has had perfect fellowship within the three Persons of the Trinity. He was not lonely, nor did He need our company. In Ps. 50 speaks of God s transcendence (being completely beyond us), and in verse 12 He says, If I were hungry, I would not tell you God does not have needs; not hunger, not loneliness. Another passage that speaks well of God s transcendent sovereignty is Isa. 46:9-10. MORE QUESTIONS As you teach and get questions, please pass them on. Our goal is to make these notes helpful for teachers by including several questions that arise in the teaching time. Thanks! WORKS CITED Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994. Piper, John. Desiring God. Sisters: Multnomah Publishers, 2003. Southern Baptist Convention. "Baptist Faith & Message." www.sbc.net. 1999-2011. http://www.sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp (accessed February 14, 2011). Student Life, Inc. "What We Belive." www.studentlife.com. 2011. http://www.studentlife.com/what-we-believe_1308_pg.html (accessed February 14, 2011). 1 (Southern Baptist Convention 1999-2011) 2 (Student Life, Inc. 2011) 3 The headings, Original, Fallen, Redeemed, and Glorified, were adapted from the theology notes of Timothy Beougher. 4 Wayne Grudem notes that not all would agree with inherited guilt through Adam s sin, but he points out that if we have a problem agreeing with Adam s representative guilt, then we must also have a problem with Christ s representative righteousness. See Rom. 5:12-21, especially v. 19. (Grudem 1994, 495) 5 (Piper 2003, 288) 6 (Grudem 1994, 492) 5