Saturday, March 20, 2010

THE DOCTRINE OF MAN--GENESIS 1:26-27

THE DOCTRINE OF MAN
GENESIS 1:26-27
Introduction:
In every normal individual, there is an innate desire to know something one’s ancestry and ancestral history. The study of the creation of man gives us great insight into our nature and purpose here upon the earth. It is interesting to note the difference in the creation of man as compared to the creation of every other creature upon the earth. In this study we will not cover every area of man’s history, but, rather, his creation and God’s purpose in that creation and beyond as the Lord leads.
This is the second part of creation, the creation of man, and the study of our creation helps us to know ourselves.

I. THE CREATION AND ORIGINAL CONDITION OF MAN.


A. Man’s creation, v. 26, “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.”



1. In the first part of Creation, God had said, “Let there be light,” and “Let there be a firmament,” and “Let the earth, or waters, bring forth.”

2. But now the word of command is turned into a word of CONSULTATION.


a. In the former he speaks as one having AUTHORITY.

b. In this second as one having AFFECTION, Proverbs 8:31, “Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.”



3. Man was to be a creature different from all that had been made before him.



a. This was to be the work of the entire Godhead, “Let us make man.”

b. Man was to be dedicated and devoted to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

c. After salvation man is baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.



4. Man was created in God’s IMAGE and after His LIKENESS.



a. Two words to express the same things – image and likeness.



1) Man was not made in the likeness of any creature.

2) The “theory” of Evolution is a godless philosophy that cannot be tested and is, therefore, not a theory at all, but a hypothesis (a proposition or principle which is supposed or taken for granted, in order to draw a conclusion or inference for proof of the point in question; something not proved, but assumed for the purpose of argument).



b. Man was made in the likeness of his Creator.



(1) However, there is an infinite distance between man and God.

(2) Only Christ is the express image of God’s person, having the same nature, Hebrews 1:3, “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”



B. God declared the creation of man, v. 27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”



1. God’s image upon man consists of three things:



a. In the nature and constitution of his soul, Genesis 2:7, “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.”



(1) The soul of man is the part that bears the image of God. It is the personality of the being that identifies him.

(2) The other part of man is his spirit. The spirit of man has fellowship with God for God is a Spirit, Romans 8:16, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” John 4:24, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”



b. In his place and authority, Genesis 1:26b, “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.”



(1) Man is God’s representative upon this earth.

(2) God has placed man in the position of Governor of the earth.



c. In his purity and rectitude (uprightness of character); God’s image upon man consists in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, Ephesians 4:24, “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Colossians 3:10, “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:”



(1) He was upright, Ecclesiastes 7:29, “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.”



a. In his created state he habitually conformed to God’s power.

b. “ “ “ “ he readily complied with the will of God without reluctance or resistance.

c. In his created state his affections were all normal, and he had no inordinate appetites or passions.



(2) Thus our first parents were holy and happy having the image of God upon them.


THE DOCTRINE OF MAN CONTINUES WITH THE DOCTRINE OF MAN 2

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