MANKIND : GOD’S HANDIWORK

1. MANKIND: GOD’SHANDIWORK Lesson 3 for October 20, 2012

2. IN THEBEGGINING The Bible is very clear about the origin of mankind: If we say that man is the result of natural selection or of a God-driven evolution we deny the Bible and make It a lie.

3. MADE IN GOD’SIMAGE “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Génesis 1:27) What does “made in God’s image” mean? “the image of God” points to physical, intellectual, social, and spiritual endowments needed in order for humanity to fulfill God’s purpose for it.

4. SIN Is there a place for sin, suffering and death in the “Christian” evolution theory? Sin, suffering and death are clearly explained in the Creation described in the Bible. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12) Sin brought many evils. Although the most evident evil was death, sin also brought the degradation of Earth and the depravity of mankind. Sin caused the image of God in man to begin to fade away.

5. ARE WE STILL MADE IN “GOD’S IMAGE”? ““Show Me the tax money.” So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”” (Matthew 22:19-21) The coin that they showed to Jesus had the image of the one who minted it on it. We also have the image of the One who created us on us. We may be hackneyed and old coins, and the image on us may be hard to recognize. Nevertheless, God wants everyone who meets us to see His image on us. How can God’s image be restored on us if we are sinners? “The very image of God is to be impressed upon and reflected in humanity. The cold heart is to be quickened and glow with divine love—a love that beats in union with the love the Redeemer has evidenced for you” E.G.W., (This day with God, May 13)

6. RESTORATION But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18) We may think that this restoration will be done in the Second Coming, but the apostle Paul explains that it must be done while we are living in this world of sin. “that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

7. “All holy agencies,” saith God, “will I set in operation to oppose the armies of the invisible foe, to destroy his power. The eternal agency of the Holy Spirit shall rescue man from the effects of sin, and restore in him the image of God” E.G.W. (This day with God, January 20) “In this conflict of righteousness against unrighteousness we can be successful only by divine aid. Our finite will must be brought into submission to the will of the Infinite; the human will must be blended with the divine. This will bring the Holy Spirit to our aid, and every conquest will tend to the recovery of God’s purchased possession, to the restoration of His image in the soul” E.G.W. (Mind, character and personality, vol. 2, cp. 76, pg. 692)

8. A belief that humans were originally created in the image of God carries with it recognition of God-given responsibilities. While the Fall marred God’s image, He has purposed to restore His image as His children accept Christ’s merits, and cooperate with Him in resisting temptation.