101222 Wed - Doctrine of Man
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Please take the time to look over the online bulletin and the online events calendar that you can find at southcharlottebaptist.org/hub.
Those ladies planning to attend the Mountain Retreat in November will have a meeting this coming Sunday morning right after the service.
All Staff Meeting this Sunday night.
Children’s Fellowship on Friday night, October 28, from 4:30-7 PM. If you have questions, please see Mrs. Manzoni.
Why is it important?
Why is it important?
I’ve not addressed that question recently.
One day we won’t need another Heaven song.
This morning, as Silas and I were making our way to school, we were listening to a ladies trio and they sang a medley of songs that talk about going home to Heaven. One of the songs in the medley stated, One day we won’t need another Heaven song.
And, the thought came to me that the difference in a persons life is made by what they do with the truth.
History is repeating itself.
And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
I read the following in a news article from Todd Starnes:
A Maryland public school district saw a 582% increase in students who identify as gender nonconforming in just two years, according to internal data.
The data show that in the 2019-2020 school year 35 students expressed gender nonconformity to a school counselor. Four of the students were in elementary school, 19 were in middle school, and 12 were in high school.
Just two years later in the 2021-2022 school year, a startling 239 students expressed gender nonconformity: 18 of them were in elementary school. 129 were in middle school, and 92 of them were high school students.
Some of what we will look at tonight, and in the following weeks, will be God’s truth as it relates specifically to these types of situations.
Turn to Genesis chapter 1.
What we believe about “MAN.”
What we believe about “MAN.”
We believe:
that man was created by a direct act of God and not by any evolutionary process;
that man was created in God’s own image and in a state of innocency;
that through his transgression sin entered into the world, and death by sin—not only physical death, but spiritual death, which is conscious and eternal separation from God;
that consequently, his posterity inherit a corrupt nature, being born in sin and under its condemnation, and, as soon as they become capable of moral action, become actual transgressors.
(Genesis 3:6-19; Romans 5:12; Psalms 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9)
We believe that man was created by a direct act of God and not by any evolutionary process;
We believe that man was created by a direct act of God and not by any evolutionary process;
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.
And 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.
And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and 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.
And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Some truths to consider that are contained within this part of our doctrinal statement:
God created - out of nothing!
God created - out of nothing!
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
The Latin phrase ex nihilo is used to signify that God’s creation was out of nothing.
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
It has been said - and I believe - that, if an individual does not accept the first 11 chapters of Genesis than they will be at a loss for accepting the rest of the truths of God’s Word.
If you do not accept the truths contained within the first 11 chapters of Genesis than you must create “truth” to fill the void left.
Systematic Theology Heathen Doctrine of Spontaneous Generation
Those who deny the existence of a personal God, distinct from the world, must of course deny the doctrine of a creation ex nihilo and consequently of the creation of man.
If we cannot accept Moses’ account of Creation, then we cannot - and will not - accept the word of Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself put the books of Moses on an equal plane with His own words.
John 5:45–47 (KJV 1900)
Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.
But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
While this is not a treatise on evolution, I will state that we do not believe in either evolution or theistic evolution (which is the belief that God used evolution to create or to complete His creation).
You must either accept by faith Genesis 1:1 or evolution. You cannot have it both ways.
What Evolutionists Say:
“[Creation] will present a parallel to the theory of evolution itself, a theory universally accepted not because it can be proved by logically coherent evidence to be true, but because the only alternative, special creation (Genesis 1:1), is clearly incredible.” - Professor D. M. S. Watson
Professor Dotson lived from 1886-1973 and was a Professor of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy
“Evolution is unproved and unprovable. We believe it because the only alternative is special creation (Genesis 1:1), and that is unthinkable.” - Sir Arthur Keith
Sir Arthur Keith lived from 1866-1955 and was a British anatomist and anthropologist, and was a proponent of scientific racism.
“It is clear that the doctrine of evolution is directly antagonistic to that of Creation…Evolution, if consistently accepted, makes it impossible to believe the Bible.” - Thomas Huxley
Thomas Huxley lived from 1825-1895 and was an English biologist and anthropologist specializing in comparative anatomy. He has become known as "Darwin's Bulldog" for his advocacy of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
To reject God’s Word - which includes Genesis chapter 1-2 - necessitates that the unbeliever theorize some system of origins such as evolution.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
It should not be surprising that many people accept the idea of evolution. If they were to accept Creation, then they would also need to accept the fact of their own soul’s lost condition and their future destiny in Hell.
When an individual rejects the Bible as God’s Word, he opens himself to the belief in “fables.” The tragic end is a life of hopelessness and despair.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
God created man - Adam & Eve - on the 6th day of creation.
God created man - Adam & Eve - on the 6th day of creation.
Turn to and read Genesis 1:23-2:1.
And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
God created only two genders - male and female.
God created only two genders - male and female.
Genesis 1:27 (KJV 1900)
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
We live in a crazy world. I googled the question, How many genders are there?, and came across an article entitled:
Here's Your Comprehensive Gender Identity List, As Defined By...Experts
Gender is a term that relates to how we feel about ourselves, the way we choose to express our gender through makeup, dresses, high heels, athletic shorts, sneakers, and more...Our society has convinced us that there are just two options for gender identity, "male" and "female”...
Some of you have heard of the Genderbread Person. If you were to go to the Genderbread Person website, you would find this statement:
Breaking a complicated concept into bite-sized, digestible pieces.
Breaking a complicated concept into bite-sized, digestible pieces.
The topic of Gender is not a complicated concept - as the world would like to have us think. Instead, it is a very simple, Biblical truth.
You would also find a place to sign up to receive an update whenever the Genderbread Person is improved.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
We believe that man was created by a direct act of God and not by any evolutionary process;
We believe that man was created by a direct act of God and not by any evolutionary process;
Next...
We believe that man was created in God’s own image and in a state of innocency;
We believe that man was created in God’s own image and in a state of innocency;
Mankind has been created in God’s image.
Mankind has been created in God’s image.
Genesis 1:26 (KJV 1900)
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...
What does it mean that mankind has been created in God’s image?
“God’s fingerprints are all over us!” - Unknown
As I studied in preparation for this message I came to realize that there has been a lot of debate about what it means that mankind has been created in God’s image. Throughout the years, there have been a variety of answers put forward and, at different times in history, it seems that there has always been one predominant understanding that has taken center stage.
Throughout my life - and even in my ministry up to this point - if someone asked me what it meant that we were made in the image and likeness of God I would have answered simply that, as God is three in one - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (the Trinity) - I would explain that mankind also is three in one - we have a body, soul, and spirit.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 (KJV 1900)
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Hebrew word translated by image occurs 17 times in the Old Testament; on 10 occasions it means a physical image; on 2 it compares man's existence to a shadow; and the other 5 are the Genesis references to man being (in) the image of God (1:26, 27; 5:3; 9:6). - Ian Hart
With that being said, I believe that we could/can get so bogged down in the discussion of the technicalities that we completely ignore the practicality of having been created in the image of God.
Being created in the image of God sets mankind apart from animals.
Being created in the image of God sets mankind apart from animals.
Although Adam and Eve were the last of God’s creation, in order of importance they were first. They were - as many have said - the crowning glory of God’s creation.
Because of this, God has a high regard for the sanctity of human life. God bases the institution of capital punishment upon the fact that mankind was made in His image.
Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
As one writer stated:
How ironic that the same people who legislate for a woman’s right to kill her unborn child will also picket outside a prison on the night of an execution with signs reading, Thou shalt not kill.
Mankind was made for fellowship with his Creator.
Mankind was made for fellowship with his Creator.
We see this fact in Genesis 3:8
And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
In fact, God is still walking amongst the trees seeking to have fellowship with mankind.
2 Peter 3:9 (KJV 1900)
The Lord is...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
That is what makes Romans 1:25 so tragic.
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
While God desires to have a personal relationship with mankind, mankind, as a whole has rejected God and instead would rather have fellowship with God’s creation.
That would be kind of like kicking my wife out of bed to go sleep on our God’s blanket while inviting our dog to come up into the bed with me. That’s crazy and yet that is what our world has done!
Because of sin, though, the image of God has been marred beyond recognition.
Because of sin, though, the image of God has been marred beyond recognition.
I believe that this is one of the main reasons why it is difficult for us to come to a complete understanding of what it means that we were created in the image of God.
This is also the reason why it is so desperately important that we come to Christ for it is only through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that we can hope to have that image restored.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Mankind was made to reflect and represent our Creator.
Mankind was made to reflect and represent our Creator.
“There is something about human beings where we uniquely reflect God the Creator in a way nothing else created does.” - Unknown
One of the ways in which we reflect our Creator is as we reflect His glory.
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
When Adam was given dominion over the fish of the sea, etc. in Genesis 1:26, mankind was given the responsibility to represent our Creator within the creation.
Ian Hart (whom I referenced earlier) wrote:
...the 'image of God' text in Genesis 1:26-28 could be summed up thus: man is appointed king over creation, responsible to God the ultimate king, and as such expected to manage and develop and care for creation, this task to include actual physical work.
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?
For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, And hast crowned him with glory and honour.
Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet:
Yet, because of sin, even that has been marred as Satan has been given a measure of authority in and over this world.
Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
However, as Christians, we have been made to be Christ’s representatives - ambassadors - in this world.
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
As Christians, we have been made stewards - managers - of the Gospel message.
Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
How are we doing representing Christ in this world? Are we being faithful stewards?
There’s much more that I could say here but I just don’t have the time.
Mankind has been created in God’s image.
Mankind has been created in God’s image.
Then, the last thing for tonight...
Mankind was created in a state of innocency.
Mankind was created in a state of innocency.
We see this in Genesis 2:25
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
However, as we’ll see next week…How quickly can things change!?
Prayer Requests
Prayer Requests
Please begin using the Echo prayer app. We will discontinue our printed prayer bulletin in January.
Pastor John Uit de Flesch’s grandmother, in Minnesota, has passed away.
Frank Usiak will be having surgery on Friday to remove cancer from his lung.
Mrs. Tana Christian will be having