Doctrine of Man

2022-03-06

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

 

Doctrinal Statement: We affirm that human beings were directly created, not evolved, in the very image of God. As reasoning moral agents, they are responsible under God for understanding and governing themselves and the world. Adam, the first man, willfully disobeyed God, bringing sin and death into the world. As a result, all persons are sinners from conception, which is evidenced in their willful acts of sin; and they are therefore subject to eternal punishment, under the just condemnation of a holy God.

 

1. How we got here

Doctrinal Statement: We affirm that human beings were directly created, not evolved…

Gen. 1:26-27 (NKJV) 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.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

  • Three views
    • Atheistic Evolution – random event which produced everything
    • Theistic Evolution – Deity used evolution to bring about everything
    • Special Creation – Genesis 1; God spoke the world into existence in six literal days
      • Day – yom
      • Uses of “yom” in Genesis and in other parts of Scripture refer to a 24 hour day. (So the evening and the morning were…)
      • Exodus 20:11 – “in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them and rested on the seventh day.”[1]
      • Why does it matter? Because if God did not create as recorded in Genesis, all of the Bible must be called into question.

 

2. How we were created

Doctrinal Statement: …in the very image of God.

Genesis 1:26b …Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…

  • In God’s image – at creation, we were given similar characteristics as God
    • Ability to think
    • Emotion
    • Free will
  • In God’s likeness – at creation, we were made holy, without sin
    • We have lost this element through our sin
    • But, we retain spiritual likeness through salvation
    • We receive character likeness through sanctification
    • We will receive physical likeness at glorification[2]

 

3. Why we were created

Doctrinal Statement: As reasoning moral agents, they are responsible under God for understanding and governing themselves and the world.

Rev. 4:9-11 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11 “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.”

  • we were created for His glory
  • to reflect His image
  • and to carry out His work

 

4. How we messed it all up

Doctrinal Statement: Adam, the first man, willfully disobeyed God, bringing sin and death into the world. As a result, all persons are sinners from conception, which is evidenced in their willful acts of sin…

Gen. 3:1a Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made

  • Satan devised a plan to tempt man into sin
  • Humanity gave into that temptation

 

Gen. 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.

  • God devised a plan to redeem man – Jesus

 

5. God’s great plan of redemption

Doctrinal Statement: …and they are therefore subject to eternal punishment, under the just condemnation of a holy God.

Rom. 5:8-11 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

 

Rom. 5:18-19 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

 

What we believe about mankind?

  1. God created with a purpose
  2. Man fell to temptation
  3. God established a plan of redemption
  4. When man accepts and believes in this plan, he is reconciled to God for all eternity

 

[1] https://www.icr.org/article/meaning-day-genesis/

[2] Foundational Doctrines of the Faith, Elmer Towns, pg. 63.

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