Man (Anthropology)

VI. Man (Anthropology)

A. Purpose

1. We teach that man and woman were directly and immediately created by God¹ in His image and likeness.² Man was created free of sin with a rational nature, intelligence, volition, self-determination, and moral responsibility to God.

·   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 being.

·   James 3:9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.

2. We teach that God's intention in the creation of man was that man should glorify God,³ enjoy God's fellowship, live his life in the will of God and by this, accomplish God's purpose for man in the world.⁴

·   Isaiah 43:7 Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”

·   Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”

¹ Genesis 2:7; 15-25    ² Genesis 1.23-27; James 3:9    ³ Isaiah 43:7; Revelation 4:11         ⁴ Colossians 1:16

B. The Fall

1. We teach that in Adam's sin of disobedience to the revealed will and Word of God¹ the whole human race fell,² man lost his innocence,³ incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death,⁴ became subject to the wrath of God,⁵ and became inherently corrupt and utterly incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace.⁶

·        1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

·        Ephesians 2:1-3 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

2. We teach that all men, until they accept the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior, are lost,⁷ darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them,⁸ hardened in heart,⁹ morally and spiritually dead through their trespasses and sins.¹⁰ They cannot see nor enter the kingdom of God until they are born again of the Holy Spirit.¹¹ With no recuperative powers to enable him to recover himself, man is hopelessly lost.  Man's salvation is thereby wholly of God's grace through the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

·       Ephesians 4:18 …having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

·       John 3:3-5   Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ⁴ Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”   ⁵ Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  

¹ Genesis 2:16-17 1 Timothy 2:13-14   ² Romans 5:12   ³ Genesis 3:1-19 (esp. 9-11)   ⁴ Romans 6:23  ⁵ John 3:36  ⁶ 1 Corinthians 2:14  ⁷ Luke 19:10; 2 Corinthians 4:3    ⁸ Ephesians 4:18: 1 Peter 1:14    ⁹ John 12:40  ¹⁰ Ephesians 2:1   ¹¹  John 3:3-5     

C. The Sin Nature

We teach that because all men were in Adam, the consequence of Adam's sin has been transmitted (imputed) to all men of all ages,¹ Jesus Christ being the only exception. All men are thus sinners by divine declaration, by nature, ² and by choice. ³

·       Psalm 14:1-3 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good. 2 The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. 3 They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.

·       Romans 5:10-12 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. 12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—

¹ Romans 5:10-12     ² Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:9-18, 23    ³ Psalm 14:1-3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:9-18, 23; 5:10-12

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^s Acts 4:13, 29; 2 Cor. 7:4; Eph. 6:19

^t Ex. 34:33–35; 2 Cor. 3:7

^u Rom. 10:4; [Gal. 3:23]

^v Is. 6:10; 29:10; Acts 28:26; Rom. 11:7, 8; 2 Cor. 4:4

^w Ex. 34:34; Rom. 11:23

^x Is. 25:7

^[1] The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), 2 Co 3:12–16.