Doctrine of Man (Part II)
Doctrinal Series • Sermon • Submitted
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· 13 viewsContinuing to detail the divine purpose for the creation of mankind
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Introduction
Introduction
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Body
Body
Man Created a Living Soul
Man Created a Living Soul
Man given two things at creation
A physical body formed from the dust of the earth
The Breath of God
We are a unique combination of both
Physical and Spiritual
Temporal and Eternal
We’re given a body
We’re given a body
Ancient Greeks held that the body was a prison of the soul and the source of all evil
Gnostics held this view to such an extent that they taught Jesus did not have a physical body
The apostle John had some strong thought concerning this
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
What do we know of the body from Scripture?
The body is mortal and will return to the dust from whence it came
The body is mortal and will return to the dust from whence it came
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:
29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: Thou takest away their breath, they die, And return to their dust.
Even though we are made from the dust of the ground, in God’s Hands becomes something wonderful
Even though we are made from the dust of the ground, in God’s Hands becomes something wonderful
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; And in thy book all my members were written, Which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
All life is impossibly complex and extremely well-organized, but human beings are especially so
We of all God’s creation have the capacity to reflect God’s image
We think abstractly
We are able to create things that did not exist hitherto
We are not bound by instinct, but have the ability to choose
We are moral creatures
We can think logically
We can perceive the beauty of God’s creation
Man’s body is only a temporary tabernacle for the real person who inhabits it
Man’s body is only a temporary tabernacle for the real person who inhabits it
14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.
1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
In the resurrection we will receive a new spiritual body which will have a relationship to our old, physical bodies
In the resurrection we will receive a new spiritual body which will have a relationship to our old, physical bodies
44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
The relationship is as a plant sown into the ground and becomes a new plant
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
The body of the redeemed man becomes the temple of the Holy Ghost, and must not therefore be an instrument of sin
The body of the redeemed man becomes the temple of the Holy Ghost, and must not therefore be an instrument of sin
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Man’s body, when submitted in service to God, becomes a living and holy sacrifice
Man’s body, when submitted in service to God, becomes a living and holy sacrifice
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
The redeemed man is able to use his body as a weapon against the enemy
The redeemed man is able to use his body as a weapon against the enemy
The enemy desires that we use this body to participate in sinful activities
It is God’s desire that we use this temple to participate in those things that are pleasing to Him
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
God has made provision whereby we can receive healing and deliverance for this body
God has made provision whereby we can receive healing and deliverance for this body
16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
The believer will be judged on the basis of those things that were done in the body
The believer will be judged on the basis of those things that were done in the body
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Keep in mind, this is a judgment of works, not of condemnation
Man’s body, which is from the dust, bears the image of Adam as well as the image of God
Man’s body, which is from the dust, bears the image of Adam as well as the image of God
In the natural we bear the image of Adam from whom we are descended.
In the spiritual, we will receive a glorified body which bears the image of the Last Adam, Jesus Christ
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
We’re given an Immaterial life
We’re given an Immaterial life
10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind.
5 Thus saith God the Lord, He that created the heavens, and stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, And spirit to them that walk therein:
25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
Nothing explains the complete human condition so well as scripture
7 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.
The immaterial aspect of our existence is described in scripture using the following terms:
Life - Mark 8:35 “35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.”
Soul - Mark 8:36 “36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
Spirit - Psalm 31:5 “5 Into thine hand I commit my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.”
Mind - Romans 7:25 “25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
Heart - Ephesians 6:6 “6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;”
Strength - Luke 10:27 “27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”
Self - I Corinthians 4:3-4 “3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. 4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.”
Will - I Corinthians 7:37 “37 Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.”
Affections - Colossians 3:2 “2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
These each refer to the immaterial self from a different point of view.
Soul and Spirit are the terms most frequently used
In Job we find that it was the breath of God that creates man
4 The Spirit of God hath made me, And the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
Man becomes a living soul
Man becomes a living soul
Man is a unified whole
Man is a unified whole
It is much more beneficial to look at man as a unified whole rather than breaking him up into his constituent parts and examining each individually
23 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.
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Our bodies seem to be a planned necessity by God
1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:
3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
We are “clothed” in our body and would be naked without it
Right now we are clothed in the inferior, but look forward to the superior
Origin of man’s soul or spirit
Origin of man’s soul or spirit
Since scripture records only one creation event where God creates man by the direct act of breathing into them, from what source do all the other souls come?
Three theories that seek to explain
Preexistence
Creationism
Traducianism
Preexistence - This theory posits that souls transmigrate from heaven or some other eternal dwelling place to an empty body.
Held by Hinduism, Theosophy, Rosicrucians and many occult religions
No support in scripture whatsoever
Creationism - In this theory, the soul is created directly by God in each newly conceived person sometime between conception and birth and only the body is propagated by the parents
Held by Roman Catholics and many Reformed theologians
Supporting scriptures are Zechariah 12:1; Isaiah 42:5; 57:16; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Hebrews 12:9.
These scriptures seem to indicate that God directly created every soul in existence
Arguments against this theory
Every one of these scriptures could also be used to support the indirect agency of God in the creation of souls
It makes God the creator of sinful souls or shows God as putting pure souls in depraved physical bodies
Traducianism - The theory that the human race was created in Adam, and from him both body and soul were procreated by natural generation.
Supporting scriptures: Job 14:4; 15:14; Psalm 51:5; 58:3; John 3:6; Ephesians 2:3.
It best explains inherited sin nature.
This does not suggest a purely natural origin for new souls, but that all souls since Adam are indirectly created by God, in the same vein as our physical bodies are naturally procreated, but ultimately fashioned by God.