The Nature of Man

 

By Dr. Tony Smart

1-23-2008

    Genesis 1:27-28 

 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

 

Man was directly created by God and did not evolve from a lower form of life. This teaching is a cornerstone of the Scriptures and a grain of sand in the eyes of the secularist-evolutionist. Man was created for the purpose of filling the earth with people and ruling over it. It is evident that God created Adam with intelligence, moral freedom, and the ability to have fellowship with his Creator. From the book of Genesis we learn that man was created with a body (Genesis 2:7) and he was also given a soul.  Thus, man was created as a physical entity and also a spiritual entity. Humans have the capability to interact with the physical universe and also make contact with the invisible spiritual universe. Man was given the privilege of exercising “dominion” over all the other living creatures that inhabit the land and the seas. This mastery would have been perpetual had it not been for the introduction of sin.

 

Sin is a principle, as well as an action. Adam’s disobedience brought sin into the human race. From that point in history people lost the ability to refrain from sinning. When Adam sinned it introduced death with its accompanying sinister effects. Now every descendant of Adam carries corrupt genetic information within the cells of our body.  The human soul which was created to have daily fellowship with God has become hostile towards God and must be regenerated by means of the new birth.  Sin affected the body by bringing on susceptibility to disease, and the aging process; Adam’s genetic codes were adversely affected guaranteeing that his offspring would be imperfect. Sin also affected man’s spiritual nature in the following ways:

 

A-   The mind became capable of generating evil, ungodly thoughts and these wrong thought patterns became common.

B-   The will succumbed to unlawful lusts and the ability to resist evil was weakened. Wicked actions did increase.

C-   The affections were stolen away from God the Creator and given to things and people, namely HIS creation.   This is the foundation of idolatry.

 

Sin in the human race accounts for the vicious and vile acts committed by men against other people. It accounts for greed, pride, lust, theft, blasphemy, false religion, and even murder.  

 

Man has used his intellect for good and for evil deeds. Mankind has given its affections over to serve many false gods and has used violence, oppression and deceit to further its selfish goals. However, there is hope for all of us.

 

Men can be redeemed and the sin nature can be changed. God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and by HIS death on the cross HE condemned sin in the flesh (Romans 8:3). Any person, man or woman, can have their sin debt forgiven. When you are forgiven of your sins by God you are saved for eternity. As a saved believer in Jesus Christ not only is your future secured, but you can look forward to the full, rich, and happy fellowship that God intended for you to enjoy with HIM FOREVER.