Anthropology
Notes
Transcript
The study of man
You have learned a lot, the basics are amazing!
ILLUST: Optical illusions, make head hurt?
READ Psalm 8 - then focus here…v. 4
What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?
The Nature of Man
The Nature of Man
1) Worldview - the world’s view vs Bible
1) Worldview - the world’s view vs Bible
Sin vs innocence
Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Culture does not corrupt people
We are born sinners, capable of disobedience
Born sinners, in need of grace and forgiveness - BIBLE
2) Created
2) Created
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Not evolved (discuss views, even with Christians)
Non-Biblical worldview has life from non-life
Evolution requires millions of years of death prior to Adam and Eve - but death is the result of sin - BIBLE
Exquisite design
Rehearse Gen. 2 and 1
Man placed in the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:8) - then Eve created to join him
Created
Male and female - period
Marriage (discussion another time)
Created with Free will - see Josh 24:15
“If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve…”
Choice to get saved, follow Jesus
Free will implies the potential to disobey - 1 Cor 10:13, disobedience is a choice
(Angels also created, with potential to disobey)
3) Imago Dei
3) Imago Dei
This is the “so what?” as well - we’ll find application here
Ties it all together
In the image of God, He created them
To be imagers of God
Humans, sinful, tend to want to image SELF
For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Believers - “God imagers”
“Yahweh-imagers”
Ancient world, many gods, many spiritual influences
YAHWEH STOOD ALONE
Created man - to be distinct, to reflect/”image” Yahweh (camera? nature image?)
OUR CHALLENGE - Make and take opportunities to “image Yahweh”
to “glorify Yahweh” - REM we discussed being doxological
How do YOU, believer, do that?
BACK TO THE PURPOSE OF OUR CREATION
Created as “Free Imagers” - Free will, according to Yahweh’s sovereignty
(Let me help you make your head hurt for a moment)
Made in His image is, in essence, “like” God
We share some characteristics, emotion, kindness, justice, etc.
BUT…
…to be “like” God is not to BE God
In order to represent God, to image God, we must be free to do so
God is free - free to be sovereign and have a plan
Again, original purpose of creating mankind
To extend Eden everywhere - Eden was distinct from the world (thus, sin caused mankind to be expelled)
To extend Eden, while being in fellowship with God, enjoying His presence
Fruitful and multiply, be stewards of creation, govern this world for Yahweh
That was the plan
All human life - varying abilities
And all human life is precious, SACRED…
…because we are on earth to represent Him!
REM - God is perfect, we are less than
So, things can go wrong
They did in Eden
There is never a guarantee that beings with free will will not stray or worship self with that self-will
There is that potential for disobedience, unfortunately
Yahweh knew that
He would never be harmed, but could be grieved
He was willing to risk being moved by sin and suffering, to be grieved, in orderr to have humanity
Big question man asks: Why doesn’t God just stop disobedience, get rid of it?
Well…to do so, all God imagers here would need to go
Meanwhile, God is patient, so that more will come to be saved
There WILL be that time when evil is gone from here, just not yet
So…mankind is capable of disobedience - right?
Adam and Eve
Created in God’s image; in Eden (but not perfect, God is perfect)
Yet still capable of disobedience; they were already capable of that
To eat of the fruit was NOT to become capable of this
It caused them to KNOW good and evil - made aware of the disobedience
Predestination and foreknowledge - hang on here a sec…
God’s divine foreknowledge DOES NOT necessitate divine predestination
They are separate
Just because He knows it will happen, does not mean He causes it
See 1 Sam 23: 9-13 as example
God says what will happen
David makes a choice based on that information
And Saul does NOT go up
Was God wrong? NO
Regarding man
Yahweh was ready for mankind to fall
Disobedience is the perversion of free will
Then God takes the evil that flows from mankind’s decisions, and uses it to produce good and glory
Even through the disobedience of loyal God-imagers! Like YOU
SEE Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
(end nap time) :)
SUMM - What we choose is important, regarding how things turn out
God knows there will be someone you can witness to today - He knows that, it is His foreknowledge
He may predestine that the person crosses your path
Your decision will be important, what you choose ids important as to howe things turn out
(Adam and Eve’s decision was important, and it was their decision)
God knows you will be tempted today - you can choose what you do about that
We are born sinners
God’s foreknowledge gives us the Word
He predestines that we have the opportunity to trust Him
And you choose
Prayer matters - it matters! (Mt. Sinai?)
Your prayer is important regarding how things turn out
God will work in and through them, to our good, and to His glory
God’s design for you was/is to IMAGE HIM
Every day you get that opportunity and choice
Your choices bring you closer to Yahweh, or create distance
His PLAN was to create humans to be in fellowship with Him
FINAL “SO WHAT?”
How are you using your abilities, your talents, your choices to strengthen your walk with Him?
To strengthen your family, your church?
Don’t beat self up for past - you are to be a God-imager, and He gives you the strength
NOT to be identified by your sin or struggle, but by Yahweh’s image!
You ARE good enough to serve Him, if you desire to
Every person in the Bible faced the same choices - some rejected, ignored the chance to follow Him
Others gave their lives to Yahweh, to Christ, to live for Him, in order to image God to the world around them
Ignoring following, or sold out for Him - no middle ground
Where are you?
CLOSE
Created by Him, for Him, and He knows us
He sees the inside, the true self (kinda like x-ray - no denying the truth
Search me, O God, and know my heart…
Trouble with the world? Disobedience, sin, pain, suffering
That is the fleshly nature of man
Thankfully, God’s nature is grace, leading to peace
Saving us, working through us, humble God-imagers
Free to choose be humble God-imagers - CHOOSE WISELY!
