BF&M: Man

Article 3

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.

Memory Verse:

Genesis 1:27 ESV

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

This is also called the doctrine of Anthropology.

The greek term Anthropos means “man” or “humanity”

**McArthur

The creation of human beings represents God’s crowning act in creation. According to Gen. 2:7…

Genesis 2:7 ESV

7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

The biblical view of humanity sets the Christian worldview in direct opposition to current ideologies, such as…

When the ancient Greek philosopher Protagoras declared that humans are the measure of all things, he articulated this motto what we know today as this philosophy of humanism.

secular humanism:

A phrase coined by Christians. Believed to have started in 1943 by William Temple, an Archbishop of Canterbury.

Rooted in Agnosticism (the view that the existence or non-existence of God or ultimate reality is unknown or unknowable.) It embraces non-theism.

In the words of Free Inquiry, published by the Council for Secular Humanism, “Secular humanism begins with atheism and agnosticism or skepticism (epistemological caution that rejects the transcendent as such due to a lack of evidence).”

There is universal definition, there is a general agreement - that it is a man centered system of ethics.

Google will tell you that it’s the belief that humanity is capable of morality, and self fulfillment without the belief in God.

evolution: Argues that human beings, along with all other living creature, are simply the products of a blind, naturalistic process of evolutionary development. Thus, humans are distinct from other animals only in terms of brain size or other capacities. By definition, evolution has no room for the concept that humans are made in the image of God, for evolutionary theory has no room for God.

The Bible says that we are not the measure of all things, for we are not even able to understand ourselves without God’s revelation. Instead, we should ask what the Psalmist asked in Psalm 8:4

Psalm 8:4 ESV

4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

Our frame of reference should never begin with human beings.

The Bible affirms that humans are not accidents. Human beings alone are made in GOD’S IMAGE.

Made In God’s Image

The Bible makes it clear that human beings (male and female), were created in the image of God

Genesis 1:27 ESV

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Colossians 3:10 ESV

10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Does not mean that we look like God, God is spirit.

It means that we possess a spiritual capacity that makes us moral creatures who can know and worship God.

Deuteronomy 10:12 ESV

12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

All creation declares God’s glory, BUT only humans have a moral consciousness and the ability to know God.

Romans 2:15 ESV

15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them

1 Corinthians 8:7 ESV

7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

By making us in His image, God set humanity apart from the rest of creation, and His purpose of redemption is directed specifically to the salvation of sinful humanity.

Our creation in God’s image explains why we were made for work, action, communication, and reflection.

We see where there needs to be work done on a project, in a persons life, in our own lives… we are convicted by this conscience in our hearts that tells us that something is wrong. (Animals don’t have that.)

Human beings are the only self conscious creature.

A dog may dig a hole, but it never sits back to ponder the meaning of the hole.

Birds fly through the air, but they have no idea why God made them to do so.

Fish swim across oceans, but they never write books about the experience.

The entire animal kingdom declares the glory of God, but the animals are unaware of this great fact.

MacArthur on the Conscience: The conscience is generally seen by the modern world as a defect that robs people of their self-esteem. Far from being a defect or a disorder, however, your ability to sense your own guilt is a tremendous gift from God. He designed the conscience into the very framework of the human soul. It is the automatic warning system that cries, "Pull up! Pull up!" before you crash and burn.

The conscience, Puritan Richard Sibbes wrote in the seventeenth century, is the soul reflecting upon itself. Conscience is at the heart of what distinguishes the human creature. People, unlike animals, can contemplate their own actions and make moral self-evaluations. That is the very function of conscience. The conscience has an innate ability to sense right and wrong. Everyone, even the most unspiritual heathen, has a conscience:

When Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their consciences bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them." (Romans 2:14-15, emphasis added)

The conscience entreats you to do what you believe is right and restrains you from doing what you believe is wrong

Human beings, as the only creatures made in God’s image, are made to know God. And ponder deeper things in our minds and hearts.

Image of God in human beings refers to… (choose one)

[__] Our intellectual and reasoning ability.

[__] Our dominion over all creation.

[X] Our spiritual capacity - the ability to fellowship with God.

[__] Our physical appearance and ability to walk upright.

God made us spiritual beings, so we have an innate desire for fellowship with Him.

We possess a soul, described in the Bible as our spiritual capacity and inner knowledge.

The soul is enteral, it survives death.

At the same time, we are also embodied creatures.

The body is a gift from God and is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us.

We are to take care of our bodies out of respect for God, but Christians must not worship the body.

Our bodily needs, desires, pleasures, and pains remind us of our constant dependence on God and of God’s glory and power that He wants to reveal in us.

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 ESV

7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Mark each statement T(true) or F (false).

T 1. Humans are both physical and spiritual beings.

T 2. Our bodily needs remind us of our constant dependence on God.

F 3. The soul is the inner inclination toward sin.

T 4. People have an innate hunger for God.

F 5. We should give top priority to the body.

F 6. Spirituality means renouncing physical pleasures.

F 7. The conscience and the soul are identical.

T 8. We should care for the body but not worship it.

T 9. The soul is our spiritual capacity and inner knowledge.

W.T. Conner (Professor, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary)

“There is something in man that will not be satisfied with the seen and the temporal. Something in him cries out for the spiritual and the eternal. Man thirsts for God.In the midst of the visible and the transient, he reaches out after the invisible and the abiding. The Psalmist voices the universal cry of the human heart when he says, “As the deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.” Wherever men have been found they have had some form of religion… All men of all races and climes have cried out for God.” (Psalm 42:1)

Male & Female

Human beings are created male and female (Gen. 1:27). This is a simple fact but yet, is a profound aspect of authentic humanity.

God’s glory is revealed in the distinction between men and women, as well as in our unity as made in God’s image.

Because gender reflects the goodness of God’s creation, we are to celebrate true masculinity and true femininity as gifts from God.

The biblical teachings of gender directly contradict with the secular world, which increasingly sees gender differences as nothing more than socially constructed forms of oppression.

Movements for normalizing transsexualism and transgenderism procedures represent forms of rebellion against God’s purpose in creation.

Deuteronomy 22:5 ESV

5 “A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.

Romans 1:21–28 ESV

21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

Gender chaos now prevails in much of our culture, leading to confusion and harm in the lives of individuals, families, and even churches.

MacArthur: Gender is deeply embedded in human identity and is established at conception. When a sperm is carrying an X Chromosome fertilizes the ovum, a girl is produced, while a Y chromosome brings a boy… this is not chosen by the parents… it’s chosen by God. Gender is defined permanently at conception and revealed at birth. Sexuality is OBJECTIVE… and not subjective.

The creation of human beings as male and female and God’s common affirmation of both genders demonstrate God’s love for us and His design of different roles and responsibility for men and women.

MacArthur: It really is beautiful to think about. Even down to the biological structure of our bodies… they have a purpose granted to us by God. They are not the product of evolutionary accident with no moral implications but are gifts from God to be used for His purposes and glory. Since God made male and female, He is the starting point in defining Gender.

Fallen From Innocence

In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve lived in the perfection of God’s paradise on earth. Morally innocent, they did not sin and did not have any knowledge of of sin. God commanded them to enjoy the fruit of the garden but forbade them to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:16-17). As moral beings, Adam and Eve had the power of moral agency or choice, so they could choose whether to obey or disobey God.

Then came temptation. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they disobeyed God and rebelled against His command (Gen. 3:1-7). The consequences of their sin were incalculable.

Because Adam was the head of the human race, humanity itself fell into sin and condemnation through his sin.

Now that Adam and Eve were sinners, God justly cast them out of the garden (Gen. 3:23-24). The consequences of their sin were truly catastrophic.

With sin, came sickness and death, and the earth itself became hostile to humanity (Gen. 3:17-19).

This biblical account is no myth. It is the historical account of humanity’s fall from innocence into sin.

List out the consequences of sin:

Humanity itself fell into sin and condemnation.

God justly cast them out of the garden.

Sickness, death, the earth became hostile to humanity.

Once Adam sinned, all humanity came under the condemnation of sin. From Adam, the entire human race inherits a nature that is fallen and inclined toward sin.

We are not born in a state or moral innocence; no human being after Adam is innocent. THOUGH, we still possess the capacity of moral agency, we must constantly choose between obedience and disobedience. As soon as we are morally able, we sin, break God’s law, and come under God’s condemnation for our sin. This is not a pretty picture, but it is both real and honest.

Without a clear diagnosis of our human condition as sinners, we cannot understand ourselves or realize our need for a Savior. BIG POINT IN OUR GOSPEL CONVERSATIONS>>>

“The meaning of the fall of humanity is that humanity sinned against God. Sin is not human infirmity merely, nor is it a mistake merely, nor is it ignorance merely. Sin, again, is not merely a step upward in humanities evolution towards it’s highest development. The fall was a downward and not an upward movement of humanity. It involved guild and transgression. It gave rise to the need of pardon. and grace, and redemption.” -E.Y. Mullins (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)

Restored to Fellowship with God

From the first moment of our lives, human beings are dependent creatures.

As a matter of fact, a human infant is probably the most venerable, helpless, defenseless being on the earth. Even in our maturity we remain dependent on God for health, food, shelter, and protection.

Just as we are dependent on God for the physical necessities of life, we are also spiritually helpless. (Rom. 5:6). Only God’s plan of redemption allows us to have fellowship with God.

It’s only by knowing Jesus Christ can we understand what true humanity was meant to be.

By God’s grace, demonstrated and made ours in Christ, we are restored to fellowship with God and are enabled to fulfill the purpose for which we were made.

God’s love for us is seen most perfectly in Jesus Christ, whose atonement secures our salvation (1 Thess. 5:9).

1 Thessalonians 5:9 ESV

9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

God decided to bring glory to His name by saving sinners, and He loved us so much that He gave His only son for our redemption (John 3:16). All who come to Christ by faith will be saved (Rom. 10:13).

Christ’s work of salvation includes men and women from every tribe, race, language, and people group.

Revelation 5:9 ESV

9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,

This fact should illuminate the possibility of racism or ethnic prejudice from God’s people. Human beings are united in our status as sinners who rightly come under God’s condemnation.

But all those who come to Christ by faith - draw from every race and people - are united in God’s new humanity.

—->>> Therefore, Christians should see every human being as made in God’s image and worthy of full respect and love.

Read the following scripture passages on humanity. Match each set of references with the correct summary statement.

B 1. Gen. 1:26-27; James 3:9. a. All have sinned.

A 2. Psalm 51:5; Rom. 3:10-12,23. b. People are made in God’s image.

C 3. John 3:16; Romans 5:6-8 c. God loves us, and Christ died for us.

Because you are made in God’s image, you have the capacity to know Him and worship Him.

Answer these questions:

How well does my life reflect God’s image?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Do I enjoy daily fellowship with Him? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Do I maintain a consistent prayer life? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Do I have daily devotionals? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Does biblical truth guide my thoughts and actions? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Do I spend time reflecting on my relationship with God? [ ] Yes [ ] No

How can I improve my relationship with God?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________