Sin and Adam

7/27/2019 Sin and Adam

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The Doctrine of SinByLehman Strauss

http://bible.org/article/doctrine-sin

Introduction

Any treatment of Christian doctrine would be incomplete if the biblical statement concerning sin

were omitted. Modern Philosophy denies the existence of sin, but any such denial is part of a

false philosophy. All refusal to admit the existence of sin can neither be controverted norchallenged. The Bible declares sins existence and the human heart displays it. Sin is not a myth,

it is not a figment of the mind; sin is a fact.

The Explanation of Sin

What is sin? When one seeks the answer to this question in the many and varied definitions ofmen he is left somewhat confused. There is a difference between the way God describes and

explains sin, on the one hand, and the way, on the other hand, that men describe and explain sin.A certain minister excused bad behavior by accounting for it in terms of infantile environment,

traumatic experiences, psychological complexes and the like. And then he added, After

preaching for fifty years I cannot help feeling that the church harps far too much on sin.

Now where does a man get such ideas? Certainly not from Gods revelation to man as we find itin the Bible. This same minister, who calls himself The Christian Agnostic, also said, Pauls

words that through one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin (Romans 5:12) can be

dismissed as nonsense. Well, to such blasphemy I can only reply that God knows the thoughts

of men and is able to answer their questions before they are asked. God tells us in His Word whatsin is. But when any man exalts the human mind to the place of deity and goes so far as to rule

God out altogether, that man is on the brink of destruction. The Bible condemns human intellect

as the supreme court.

Dr. Charles Ryrie has given a listing of Hebrew and Greek words which describe sin. He says

that in the Hebrew there are at least eight basic words: ra,bad (Genesis 38:7); rasha,

wickedness (Exodus 2:13); asham, guilt (Hosea 4:15); chata, sin (Exodus 20:20); avon, iniquity(I Samuel 3:13);shagag, err (Isaiah 28:7); taah, wander away (Ezekiel 48:11);pasha, rebel (I

Kings 8:50). The usage of these words leads to certain conclusions about the doctrine of sin in

the Old Testament. (1) Sin was conceived of as being fundamentally disobedience to God. (2)

While disobedience involved both positive and negative ideas, the emphasis was definitely onthe positive commission of wrong and not the negative omission of good. In other words, sin was

not simply missing the right mark, but hitting the wrong mark. (3) Sin may take many forms, and

the Israelite was aware of the particular form which his sin did take.

The New Testament uses twelve basic words to describe sin. They are: Kakos, bad (Romans13:3);poneros, evil (Matthew 5:45); asebes, godless (Romans 1:18); enochos, guilt (Matthew

5:21); hamartia, sin (I Corinthians 6:18); adikia, unrighteousness (I Corinthians 6:9); anomos,


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lawlessness (I Timothy 2:9);parabates, transgression (Romans 5:14); agnoein, to be ignorant

(Romans 1:13);planan, to go astray (I Corinthians 6:9);paraptomai, to fall away (Galatians

6:1); and hupocrites, hypocrite (I Timothy 4:2). From the uses of these words severalconclusions may also be drawn. (1) There is always a clear standard against which sin is

committed. (2) Ultimately all sin is a positive rebellion against God and a transgression of His

standards. (3) Evil may assume a variety of forms. (4) Mans responsibility is definite and clearlyunderstood.

This is a valuable listing of the words and their root meanings; however, I would like to expand

one or two of the ideas.

The word that is used most frequently is hamartia, missing the mark. It is the mostcomprehensive term for explaining sin. Paul used the verb hamartano when he wrote, For all

have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). God has a high and holy

standard of what is right, and so long as man follows the Divine standard he will see himself as

he truly exists in Gods eyes. The flat statement of the Almighty is that all men have fallen far

short of Gods required standard. It is the popular and common practice of men to create theirown standards; however, God has established His standard of perfection for entry into Heaven,

and all men have missed the mark as an archers bow would fall to the ground because it fellshort of its target.

Let no man ever think that he comes anywhere near the standard set by God. God has demanded

absolute perfection, and no matter how one measures himself, he falls far short. Some men

measure themselves on the basis of human intelligence, some by educational attainment, someby financial success, some by cultural environment, and others by religious performance. But

God refuses to accept man on any of these grounds. He has established His perfect standard, and

by that standard He measures every man. The Divine verdict in every instance has been the

same, You have come short, you have missed the mark. And when the best of men have donetheir best, our Lord would challenge each with the words, Which of you by taking thought can

add one cubit unto his stature? (Matthew 6:27). However much the difference that is lacking, noman can by himself raise himself to meet Gods moral standard, For all have sinned, and come

short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Yes, all without exception, for, says God, We have

before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin (Romans 3:9); that is, both Jew

and Gentile have missed the mark.

The Book of Judges contains the record of 700 men in the Tribe of Benjamin, all left-handed,

and everyone could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss (Judges 20:16). The word

translated miss is chata, rendered sin in Exodus 20:20 and so translated about 200 times in

our English Bible. The left-handed marksmen in the Tribe of Benjamin rarely if ever fell short oftheir target. They were known as men of the sling, with a deadly accuracy which never missed

the bulls eye. On the other hand, the Bible contains no record of a man, save Jesus Christ, who

never missed the moral standard of Almighty God

Every man has failed to do what he ought, therefore the term is fittingly applied to sins of

omission. Every man can be charged with the sin of the Pharisees whom our Lord charged with

leaving undone the things they ought to have done (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42). The Bible says,


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Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin (James 4:17). You

see, sinning is not limited to the doing and saying things that are wrong, but it extends to our

failure to do what in Gods standard is perfectly right, missing that mark, falling short of thehonor and worth of Almighty God.

This first word, then, namely harmartia, which means missing the mark, suggests inability, theabsolute inability of man to measure up to Gods moral standard. Actually God has placed the

standard so high so that none can ever reach it. You see, God, because of Who He is, could notstoop to the human standards of mans sinful heart. Frankly, I believe God set the target out of

mans reach by a deliberate act. And why do I believe this? I believe it because I know the pride

of my own heart, and I am but one member of a fallen and depraved race. Now suppose that wewere able to meet the demands of God. Those who made it would never cease to boast about

how they did make it, and the unfortunate one who could not make it because of inability or

some special inferiority on his own part would be lost forever. But God is not so cruel andcompassionless. He tells us that we all have sinned, all have missed the mark, and that if we

confess to this fact, admitting that we have sinned, He will forgive and cleanse our sin and

guarantee salvation in time and for eternity.

Another word that is used for sin is anomia, translated in the Authorized Version iniquity andin the Revised Version lawlessness. Peter used the adjective anomos (lawless) when referring

to the men of Sodom and Gomorrha and Lots association with them, when he wrote, For that

righteous man (Lot) dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul fromday to day with their unlawful deeds (II Peter 2:8). The thought here is not merely that of doing

what is unlawful according to the standard of men, but of a flagrant defiance of the known law of

God.

This explanation of sin is given clearly by the Apostle John in the words, sin is the transgression

of the law (I John 3:4). The Greek New Testament has the word anomia, and simply reads, sinis lawlessness. It is a condition of being without law, contrary to law, the violation of law, the

rejection of law, the refusal to submit to law. Ryrie says in his Biblical Theology of the NewTestament, It is the negation of that which is inherent in the very character of God Himself. Sin,

then, is that which is contrary to God Himself. Any attitude or action that holds the law of God

in contempt is sin. Jesus said that the approaching end of the age will be marked by the increase

of lawlessness--iniquity shall abound (Matthew 24:12).

How easily we deceive ourselves and our friends! While we impress others with our

righteousness, we are lawless in Gods eyes. Our Lord said, Even so ye also outwardly appear

righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (Matthew 23:28). Our age

will come to an end with the appearing of that man of sin (lawlessness) (II Thessalonians 2:3).Man by nature has a lawless heart, but we Christians can rejoice in Jesus Christ Who gave

Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity. . . . (Titus 2:14).

In concluding this brief explanation of sin, let us look for a moment at the statement whichbrings to a close Romans chapter 14, namely, . . . for whatsoever is not of faith is sin (Romans

14:23). Both the philosophy and morality of this statement are alike sound and rational. The man

who does not decide his actions on the basis of that which he knows is right is deserving of


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condemnation, because he did not act according to his conviction. The word damned in this

verse is not final judgment as to the loss of salvation, but the judgment which results in the

believers loss of reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Romans 14:23 is an excellent guideline for young Christians and all Christians who are faced

with a decision when confronted with questionable amusements, dress or other practices. Thedecision of a growing or mature Christian is based upon his love for an obedience to the Lord

Jesus Christ. The actions and attitudes which do not proceed from faith in Christ are accountedas sin. If one has doubts about a certain matter, he should abstain from it, but if he goes on to do

it anyhow, he acts out of faith, and such an action is sin. We commenced the Christian life by

faith, and so we should proceed by faith. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord(by faith), so walk ye in Him (Colossians 2:6). All our motives and actions should be prompted

by our faith-union with Christ, For we walk by faith, not by sight (II Corinthians 5:7).

Are you wavering between two decisions, to eat or not to eat, to drink or not to drink, to go to a

certain amusement or not to go, to say certain things or not say them, to conform to a style of

dress or not to conform? If you do something despite strong scruples and convictions against thatthing, this is sin which you must judge as sin, for surely God will judge it as sin. What is not

done by faith cannot be done to the glory of God. Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, orwhatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31). Even though there is no law

which says we may not do a certain thing, we may be fully persuaded that the thing is not right,

and consequently by doing it we will offend God. In such a case we sin against God and selfwhen we do it. This I understand to be the meaning of the statement, whatsoever is not of faith

is sin.

The Entrance of Sin

With respect to the entrance of sin in the human race we are confined to Gods revelation to us inHis Word. Philosophers and some theologians have no reliable explanation of sins entrance into

the world. One well-known preacher wrote, It may be that there are evil entities in the universewho have mysterious access to the lives of men. But the Word of God leaves no room for doubt

in this matter of sins origin.

According to Scripture sin first made its appearance in the world in the angelic creation. Peterwrote, God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them

into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment (II Peter 2:4). To this Jude adds, And the

angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in

everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day (Jude 6). The obvious

deduction is that the sin of these fallen angels was a free act on their part, arising from theirdissatisfaction with the place God assigned to them when He created them. Lucifer, who became

the Devil, appears to have been the leader of the rebellion (Isaiah 14:12-14), so that the Deviland demons were not created by God as such. They were angels who rose up in rebellion against

God. Exactly how such dissatisfaction and rebellion could arise in beings whom God created is

not revealed by the sacred writers. We assume that they possessed personality and freedom ofwill and thereby had the capability of making right or wrong choices.


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At this point in our study the chief concern is with the entrance of sin in the human race, and this

receives a different explanation from that which applied to angels.

The Scripture is clear in its declaration that by one man sin entered into the world . . . (Romans5:12). Sin is a very real and terrible fact of human life. The problem as to its earthly origin is

solved in Romans 5. It came through the sin of one man, Adam, and thereby passed to allmen. I am not now discussing the ultimate origin of sin when disobedient angels rebelled

against God, but the yielding of Adam and Eve to the temptation from without, and the resultanttransmission of sin to Adams posterity.

The most tragic chapter in the Bible (Genesis 3) contains the inspired account of how sin came

into the world. So important is this account to human understanding that God preserved it for allmankind. It is not to be found in the traditions and writings of the various races and antiquities

on the earth. The critics of the Bible have referred to the early chapters of Genesis as Babylonian

myth, and yet no one has ever found a Babylonian version of the entrance of sin into the human

race. Genesis 3 is a divinely inspired account of the facts related to the Fall of man as they

actually took place, and this historical record is approved in the New Testament (See IICorinthians 11:3; II Timothy 2:13). When Paul wrote, Wherefore, as by one man sin entered

into the world, he meant that sin began with the first man Adam and that Adam was the cause ofall men becoming sinners.

How did it all happen? Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the

Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every

tree of the garden? (Genesis 3:1). The chief agent in the Fall of man was an evil spirit ofunusual power and cleverness, no other than Satan himself (Revelation 12:9; 20:2 cf. II

Corinthians 11:3). Satan did not appear to Eve as one writhing, slithering, hideous creature, but

as a creature of grace and beauty with the power to appear as an angel of light (II Corinthians

11:14).

Satans initial approach was in the form of a question which suggested to Eve that possibly God

had placed an unwelcome restraint upon her and Adam. He suggested that God did not mean

what He said. God had given His Word, and now Satan appears on the scene to sow his tares.Our Lord exposed this method of Satan in His parable in Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43. And the fact

remains that men today still reject the plain teaching of Gods Word while they accept the lies of

Satan. The fact that Adam and Eve had access to all of the trees except one was minimized bySatan, and the fact that they were restricted from partaking of the one tree was magnified as a

harsh and unwelcome restraint imposed by God. With the seed of doubt now planted in Eves

mind, Satan waxed bold to deny what God said. Thou shalt surely die (2:17), God had said.

Ye shall not surely die (3:4), Satan responded. The temptation involved a direct attack againstthe Word of God. Our Lord said of Satan, He is a liar, and the father of it (John 8:44), and here

we see him introducing sin into the human race by perverting the very Word of God.

Today Satan still uses the familiar suggestion that to obey God is to take out of life all of thepossible joy and happiness. And then he boldy asserts his lie that one can break Gods laws and

sin without reaping suffering or punishment. All the while he knew that he was leading the

human race to death. Our Lord called Satan a murderer (John 8:44), meaning a killer of men.


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Thus we see the killer at work in Eden luring the human race to its death by means of his lie.

Speaking of the Devil, Dr. Basil Atkinson said, Indeed it is impossible to conceive of the

entrance of moral evil into Gods creation apart from the existence of such a personality.

Of course, there are unanswered questions and unsolved problems connected with the entrance of

sin and the Fall of man. Did God know that Satan would deceive Eve and the disastrous resultsthat would follow? Certainly He knew, because He is omniscient. Could God have prevented

Satan from entering Eden and deceiving Eve? Of course. He could, because He is omnipotent.There is no doubt that the whole experience in Eden was a part of the pre-determinate counsel

and fore-knowledge of God. Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the

world (Acts 15:18). As we pursue this series of studies in Biblical Doctrines, it will becomeclearer that, evil being already present in the universe, the creation and fall of man might have

been steps toward the final defeat of Satan and the redemption of man and the earth. But

whatever view one takes of the foreknowledge, purposes and permissions of God, we are leftwith the indisputable fact that Adam and Eve made a wrong moral choice. They disobeyed God

and chose to follow evil, knowing full well what the consequences would be.

The Extent of Sin

The Bible teaches that sin entered the human race with Adams transgression. Wherefore, as by

one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for thatall have sinned (Romans 5:12). Adam was the doorway through which sin entered to all of his

posterity because the one man in Pauls statement is Adam. Adam was the first man and the

father of all men, so by virtue of the solidarity of the race, when Adam sinned the entire race

sinned in him. Imputed sin is not the only basis for judgment, but the idea of the imputation ofAdams sin to all mankind is a clear part of the teaching of Pauls statement. It is true that we all

are sinners by choice, but this is not the point of discussion here. Our concern is with the

entrance of sin into the human race and to what extent it affected Adams posterity. God hasmade it clear in His Word that this all came about through the disobedience of the first man who

stood and acted as the representative of his entire posterity.

That Adams fall entailed disastrous consequences upon himself and his descendants is the plain

teaching in both the Old and New Testaments. David said, Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, andin sin did my mother conceive me (Psalm 51:5). Now we know that David is not so much as

suggesting that the sexual relation between his mother and father, whereby he was conceived,

was a sinful act. In substance he is saying the same thing that Paul is saying in Romans 5:12,namely, the natural depravity of the parents is transmitted to their offspring. The connection is

natural and real. The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they are

born, speaking lies (Psalm 58:3). The account given in Genesis 3 is the basis for the wholeargument, so that David and Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit as was Moses, are in agreement

that sin entered the human race through the one man Adam. Sin entered through the disobedience

of one man and thereby penetrated to all men. All men commit sins because all are infected with

the sin principle. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us(I John 1:8). That which is born of the flesh is flesh (John 3:6). What is man, that he should

be clean? And he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? (Job 15:14).


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Only those who repudiate the authority of the Word of God will challenge the fact of transmitted

and inherited sin. None can deny that every individual is free to sin or not to sin, but all choose to

sin. Why does every member of the race choose to do wrong? Certainly one person could befound who obeyed God in everything if that person existed. I have studied some of the

arguments against the biblical teaching that by Adams sin the race became guilty and corrupt

and deserving of punishment, and I have concluded that it is so because God judicially declaredit to be so. It was God and not a man who imputed the guilt of Adams sin to the whole race.

Now many men, because of this, will blame God for mans sin and try to make the Almighty

responsible. Adam and Eve did this after the Fall. Adam said, The woman whom Thou gavest

to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat (Genesis 3:12, 13). This kind of excuse-making is typical of all mankind. Questions are still being asked such as, Why did God create

man with the ability to sin? Why did God put restrictions on Adam and Eve in relation to the

one tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Why did God allow man to be tempted? Whydidnt God restrain the Devil from deceiving Eve? I would not refuse to discuss such questions

as these, but I do believe that they tend to confuse the point under consideration, namely, the

effect of Adams sin on the whole race.

The sovereignty of God and the seduction by the Devil do not eliminate the fact that manperpetrates and perpetuates sin, therefore he cannot be relieved of the responsibility for it. Adam

and Eve were beguiled by Satan, yet they were pronounced guilty and punished by God (Genesis

3:16-18). In the end of the age those persons who are deceived by Satan and Antichrist are heldresponsible to God and judged by Him (II Thessalonians 2:9-12). The seat of sin is in man

himself. Our Lord said, For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries,

fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies (Matthew 15:19). The heart of man is the

birthplace of all sinful thoughts, words and actions. The heart is deceitful above all things, anddesperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9). In each of us there is sin for which each

is accountable. The hidden capacities for evil are present in even the best of men.

Mans antagonism becomes aroused when the subject of original sin is brought up for discussion.He resents the idea that he is born with hereditary guilt and depravity. The Scriptures state

clearly, Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, and

by one mans disobedience many were made sinners (Romans 5:18, 19). These are the plain

facts as given to Paul from the Holy Spirit, and yet one theologian wrote, We firmly deny thatthe sin of Adam is imputed to his descendants. Another declared, Neither Scripture nor human

wisdom will permit any man to say that Adams sin has been imputed to Adams descendants.

Human wisdom and sentiment may cause the natural mind to rise up in protest against thedoctrine of original sin, but this is due to the blindness of their heart (Ephesians 4:18). The

natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him:

neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (I Corinthians 2:14). But noamount of unbelief can change the truth that all men are constituted sinners judicially by God.

We must take our stand on the Word of God which silences all opposition. That which is born

of the flesh is flesh (John 3:6).

In 1909 Dr. Thomas Whitelaw of Scotland said, It is extremely doubtful whether any intelligentperson whose moral intuitions have not been completely destroyed or whose mental perceptions


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have not been blunted by indulgence in wickedness, can successfully persuade himself

permanently that sin is a myth or a creation of the imagination, and not a grim reality. Sin is a

quality or condition of soul which exists in every child born of woman, and not merely atisolated times but at all times, and at every stage of his career, though not always manifesting

itself in the same forms of thought, feeling, word and action in every individual or even in the

same individual. It has affected extensively the whole race of man in every age from thebeginning of the world on, in every land beneath the sun, in every race into which mankind has

been divided. Scripture utters no uncertain sound on the world-embracing character of moral

corruption, in the prediluvian age (Genesis 6:12), in Davids generation (Psalm 14:3), in Isaiahstime (Isaiah 53:6), and in the Christian era (Romans 3:23). Solomons verdict holds good, There

is no man that sinneth not (I Kings 8:46). There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good

and sinneth not (Ecclesiastes 7:20). If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and

the truth is not in us (I John 1:8).

The Effects of Sin

The consequences of sin are doubtless more numerous than we will attempt to consider in thisbrief study. We will ponder only two at this time. Look first at the matter of guilt. I mean real

guilt, that feeling of having done wrong because I know I did wrong.

Sometimes a person is plagued withpseudo guilt, a guilt feeling arising from emotional causes.During my twenty-five years of pastoral counseling I interviewed young people and older people

who were depressed and at the same time condemning and punishing themselves for having done

wrong and shameful things. In some instances the person was not able to name any particular act

or sin that produced the guilt feeling. In such cases I tried to learn the cause of the false guiltfeeling. One case in particular comes to mind. I will not burden you with the many details but

concentrate on the essential.

The young woman who sought help was twenty-two years of age, unmarried and living at home

with her parents. Both her mother and father were unhappy and had found it difficult through theyears to tolerate their daughter. They had scolded her indiscreetly with repeated threats and

warnings all throughout her childhood. She grew up with a guilt complex and a growing fear that

her next words or action would provoke another scolding or even punishment. She was made tofeel unworthy and in need of punishment when all the while she was doing nothing so wrong

whereby she needed scolding or punishment. She had a fine job as a secretary for General

Motors, earned good wages, but she anticipated disapproval and condemnation. She wassuffering from pseudo guilt caused by emotional maladjustment.

Later I learned that her parents were college graduates. They began dating in their senior year,committed adultery which resulted in pregnancy. They kept the matter to themselves for several

months, but by the time of graduation it was no longer a secret. Both of their parents learned thetruth before the marriage ceremony. And now for all of those twenty-two years they lived in

remorse over their sin in sexual behavior. They had a problem which they never solved, and so

their repeated warnings and threats with domineering overtones awakened in their only child asense of false guilt. They vented their feelings on their daughter, and so intuitively the child grew

up with the unjust burden of guilt and anxiety. She suffered from guilt because it was put into her


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mind by the bad behavior of her parents. Thus it is possible to feel guilty without being so. (In

time she overcame her problem through counseling in the Bible and prayer.)

But now let us direct our thoughts to the matter ofreal guilt. Not that pseudo guilt is not real tothe sufferer. Freud believed that guilt feelings are born in the mind of a child when his parents

scold him and are nothing other than the fear of losing the love of his parents. No one will denyFreuds belief nor his conclusion that human beings need to feel loved. But this functional guilt-

feeling aroused by our social and domestic contacts and environs is not all there is to guilt. Weacknowledge the problems connected with neurotic or unreal guilt, but we must face the fact of

genuine guilt which springs from the known violation of Gods laws.

Genuine guilt toward God arises from illumination we receive from the Bible. It appears as theresult of a breakdown in mans obedience to God and his utter dependence upon God. It is a truly

genuine guilt when the sinner knows in his innermost heart that he has disobeyed God, and that

all such disobedience is sin. If a person is gripped with guilt-feelings which are a result of sin

and the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, there is one solution, and only one. He must turn to

God, trusting the redeeming work of Christ, and he may be veritably assured of forgiveness andcleansing. To all such the Bible says, Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:

though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson,they shall be as wool (Isaiah 1:18). The New Testament adds its word, If we confess our sins,

He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John

1:9).

Many present-day counselors attempt to dispel the guilt-feelings of their subjects byrationalizing. This is a non-Christian approach and is dangerous. The Scriptures cannot be

bypassed when dealing with the subject of guilt and guilt-complexes. Now we know that what

things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be

stopped, and all the world become guilty before God (Romans 3:19). For whosoever shall keepthe whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:10). There is a great gulf

between modern mentality and biblical revelation when it comes to the subject of guilt. Tosidestep the plain teaching of Scripture and fail to turn to God with our guilt can only bring to

pass upon the guilty one the inevitable judgment. Psychology and psychiatry, apart from the

Bible, have no way of freeing the guilty sinner of his guilt.

When a person feels guilty because of sin, he does so because God has disapproved of that sin.He knows he has transgressed Gods law and therefore deserves to be punished. The guilt-feeling

grows out of the fact that his fellowship with God has been marred. Every sin is an offense

against God and stands in opposition to the holiness of God. We should be thankful to God that

He has provided in mans make-up and constitution the genuine and real guilt-feeling wheneversin enters. And praise be to God, the Lord Jesus Christ is able to free us from enslaving sin. If

the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed (John 8:36).

Another consequence of sin is the punishment imposed upon the sinner by God. Since sin is acapital crime against God, man is guilty of death. The Scriptures repeatedly tell us that sin and

death are inseparably linked together. Before the Fall God had warned Adam and Eve, In the

day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die (Genesis 2:17). And then there follows a series


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of statements which seem to remind man all through human history of this solemn effect of sin.

The soul that sinneth, it shall die (Ezekiel 18:4). Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into

the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Romans5:12). For the wages of sin is death . . . (Romans 6:23). For sin, taking occasion by the

commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me (Romans 7:11). Then when lust hath

conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death (James 1:15).The guilty sinner cannot escape the Divine sentence, As it is appointed unto men once to

die . . . (Hebrews 9:27).

The Bible teaches that there are two kinds of death. The first kind, which is the separation of the

soul from the body, comes to all men except those living on the earth when Christ comes to takeHis own to Heaven (I Thessalonians 4:16, 17). This was certainly included in Gods warning to

Adam, In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die (Genesis 2:17).

There is a second kind of death, called in the Scripture, The second death (Revelation 20:6, 14;

21:8). This is the final and eternal separation of the whole man from God. Eternal death is not a

cessation of mans existence, not the annihilation of man, but his eternal punishment in the lakeof fire (Matthew 25:46; II Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 21:8). There can be no doubt about

what Scripture means by these awful consequences of sin. This is solemn truth that should serveas a warning to every man.

The Expiation For Sin

Expiation is the act of making satisfaction or atonement for a crime or fault. God, because of His

nature, not only demands that sin be punished but He also has provided for the sinners

restoration to fellowship with Himself. It is at this point where the death of Christ enters thescene. God could not be satisfied until sin had been fully atoned for. The Bible teaches that by

the sufferings and death of Christ, the acceptable Substitute was provided for the sin of man,thereby making His sufferings and death to be vicarious, that is, in the room and stead of the

sinner.

There could be no expiation for sin apart from the sacrifice of blood, the reason being that God

so declared it. Without shedding of blood is no remission (Hebrews 9:22). It is the blood that

maketh an atonement for the soul (Leviticus 17:11). Christ was the sinners bleeding sacrifice.Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy

place, having obtained eternal redemption for us (Hebrews 9:12). . . . now once in the end of

the world (age) hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Hebrews 9:26).

Caiaphas said, It is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole

nation perish not (John 11:50). Paul wrote, One died for all (II Corinthians 5:14). For Hehath made Him to be sin for us . . . (II Corinthians 5:21). Peter added, For Christ also hath

once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death inthe flesh, but quickened by the Spirit (I Peter 3:18). These are but a few of the many passages

which show us how the death of Christ was Gods way of providing an expiation for our sins.

Expiation means that our sins were laid upon Christ. The LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity

of us all (Isaiah 53:6). This is what the nation Israel will acknowledge when Christ comes to


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earth, but it is true of the whole human race. Man substituted his own will for Gods will when

he sinned; God substituted His own Son to atone for mans sin. So Christ was once offered to

bear the sins of many (Hebrews 9:28). Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on thetree . . . (I Peter 2:24).

The chief purpose of the Incarnation of Christ was to offer Himself a ransom for sinners. Evenas the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom

for many (Matthew 20:28). For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which waslost (Luke 19:10). This too is the fundamental theme of the Christian Gospel, that Christ died

for our sins according to the Scriptures (I Corinthians 15:14), and is therefore essential to

Christianity and mans salvation. Our Lord repeatedly said that He must suffer, be killed, and beraised from death the third day (Matthew 16:21; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22; John 12:32-34). Even in

Heaven Christs expiation for sin is the grand theme, for there the redeemed will sing a new

song, . . . Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, andtongue, and people, and nation (Revelation 5:9). His death was neither an accident nor a mere

incident, but rather it was a divinely planned death in the sinners stead.

Christs death satisfies the holiness of God. By the holiness of God we mean that perfection of

God whereby He is absolutely separate from all moral evil. It is the attribute of holiness bywhich God was especially known in Old Testament times. He said to His people, Be holy, for I

am holy (Leviticus 11:44, 45). Because of His holiness, there is a great gulf between God and

the sinner. The prophet wrote, But your iniquities have separated between you and your God,and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear (Isaiah 59:2). Before sin

entered, God and man enjoyed fellowship, but when sin entered, the fellowship was broken and

there was an estrangement between God and the sinner. The sinner cannot come near to God

because he lacks the sinlessness that is required in order to appear before His Holiness. ThoughAdam did not die a physical death for 930 years after he disobeyed God, he died spiritually the

instant he sinned, and he felt himself estranged from God Who was holy.

Fortunately for us sinners, God met the demands of His own holiness by providing Himself anatonement, a satisfaction, an expiation. Christs death on the cross was not a compromise but a

holy Substitute, a satisfaction. God is love, but true love is conditioned by holiness so that it can

be said that the most fundamental attribute of God is not love, but holiness. Because of the very

nature of God He must maintain His own moral excellence. God could not forgive sin without anatonement. Human sin could not go unpunished because of Who and What God is. The tendency

among modern liberal theologians is to assume that a God of love can pardon sin without an

atonement. But that kind of easy-going optimism cannot possibly understand either the holinessof God or the heinousness of sin. The love of God was never more fully demonstrated than in

His self-giving, self-sacrificing passion at Calvary when God so loved the world, that He gave

His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlastinglife (John 3:16). Nothing less than the atonement of Christ could rescue the sinner from the guilt

and penalty of his sins and at the same time satisfy the infinitely holy and just God.

Please see the study, The Doctrine of Salvation [2], also by this author.
http://bible.org/article/doctrine-salvationhttp://bible.org/article/doctrine-salvation


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http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/peoples-new-testament/romans/5.html

Reconciliation Through Christ.

SUMMARY.--Justification by Faith. Peace, Hope and Joy. Christ Died for the Ungodly. His

Surpassing Love. Death Through Adam's Sin. Life Through Christ's Righteousness. Law andGrace.

1-5. Therefore being justified by faith. Paul has just shown that men are counted righteous

before God, not through obedience to the law, but through faith in Christ. Not law, but faith

justifies. The faith that justifies is (1) a faith in Christ; (2) a faith of the heart ( Rom. 10:9 ) whichbrings the whole life into obedience ( Rom. 1:5 ). Peace with God. While sinners, we are rebels

against God. When our rebellion ceases and we are forgiven we are at peace. This blessed peace

with God, which brings peace to the soul, is through Jesus Christ.2. By whom also we have

access by faith into this grace. Two things are essential before one can enter into the state of

peace ("grace"): (1) Christ, our Mediator; (2) a living faith in him. Having entered into this

covenant relation, we can rejoice in hope of enjoying the glory of God in heaven. 3. We gloryin tribulations also. The peace of Christ is so sweet, and the hope of the saint so glorious, that

the Christian can even exult in present sufferings, since he has assurance that even these minister

to his eternal joy. Various steps of progress are named here in order. Affliction works out

patience, and patience secures approval. Such is probably the meaning of the word rendered inthe Common Version "experience." So Macknight and Schaff render it. Patient endurance of

affliction secures the divine approval. 4. Experience, hope. The sense of the divine approval fills

the soul with hope. 5. And hope maketh not ashamed. A hope disappointed would fill withshame, but that we will not be put to shame is shown by the fact that the love of God is shed

abroad, diffused in our hearts, by means of his Spirit given us. This may mean that our hearts

are filled with the love of God; or it may mean that our hearts are conscious of the love of God.

What follows seems to point to the second meaning.

6-11. For when we were without strength. Were powerless to save ourselves. In due time.

In God's own chosen time. Christ died for the ungodly. For sinners. He came to save, not the

righteous, but to "save his people from their sins." 7. Scarcely for a righteous man will one

die . The great love of Jesus is now set forth. If "scarcely for a righteous man will one die," who

would die for the ungodly? Yet peradventure. One might die for a good man. The world had

instances of those who would die for their friends. The "righteous" man is one who is regardedjust; the good man is benevolent. 8. But God commendeth his love. His love is not like human

love. Christ died, not for friends, but for enemies. It was while we were yet sinners, that he died

for us. 9. Much more then. The argument is: If while we were yet sinners, God loved us so well

that Christ died for us, much more now shall we, having been justified, freed from sin, by hisblood, be saved from the displeasure of God. By his blood. By dying for us. The keynote is

"Christ died for us." 10. For if . . . we were reconciled. As sinners, we are the enemies of God,

rebels, under his divine displeasure. Through the gospel of the Crucified Redeemer, we obtainpeace with God. We turn to him, and are reconciled to him, obtaining forgiveness through faith.

God is not reconciled to us, but we to him. His love ever shines, and is shown in his gospel. He is

ever ready to pardon, and when we cease our rebellion, and come to him, through Christ, formercy, he receives us. Shall be saved by his life. He who gave his blood for our reconciliation,
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will not leave his work incomplete. He died, has risen and ascended on high, and he will not

leave us in the grave, but we shall rise with him ( 1 Cor. 15:22). 11. We also joy in God. The

ground of rejoicing is the reconciliation with God which has been effected through Jesus Christ.

Atonement, in Common Version, is rendered, as it should be, in the Revision, "reconciliation."

The same Greek word is found also in Romans 5:10Romans 5:11. The thought is the same as

that ofverse 1, when "peace with God" is spoken of. The steps of the divine plan, as shown inthese verses, are (1) The death of Christ for us. (2) The satisfaction thus made to the demands of

justice. (3) The propitiation, or God's acceptance of Christ's sacrifice for us. (4) Reconciliation.

Our acceptance of Christ. "We love God because he first loved us" ( 1 John 4:19 ). (5)Forgiveness of sin, or justification. Our sins are blotted out. (6) Our redemption from the grave.

(7) Our glorification in heaven.

12-14. Wherefore. The section which now follows is one of the most difficult in the Bible to

explain clearly in the compass of a few words. It opens up one of the profoundest questions oftheology. The "wherefore" refers to the reconciliation (atonement) of Christ spoken of in verse

11 . Christ's work of atonement and the effect of Adam's sins are contrasted. As by one man's

sin. By the sin of Adam. Thus sin entered into the world. The world of mankind is meant.Death by sin. Death was led in by sin. Had there been no sin, there had been no death. "The tree

of life stood in the midst of the garden." So death passed upon all men. As the result of one

man's sin. For that all have sinned. The personal sins of responsible persons are not now

spoken of, but all the race sinned in Adam, its representative, infants, idiots, and all. Hence alldie. 13. For until the law. Paul now shows that all must have sinned in Adam. Until law is given

sin is not imputed. Yet sin must have been in the world from the time of Adam until the law of

Moses, because death, which is due to sin, reigned. The prevalence of death proved the existenceof sin. 14. Death reigned from Adam to Moses. None could escape his universal dominion. He

reigned, (1) although law had not come; (2) and those over whom he reigned had not repeated

Adam's sin. (3) Unconscious infants could not have sinned against natural law. Hence the

inference is that all had sinned in Adam. Hence, again, Adam is a representative man, arepresentative of all the race, a figure of him that was to come. A type of Christ, likewise a

representative of all the race. Through the one all have sinned; through the other all are made

righteous, as far as the sin in Adam is involved.

15-19. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. While Adam is a type of Christ, there

is a great difference. One kills, the other makes alive. "If through the sins of the one the many

(the world of mankind) died," through the gracious gift of God, through one man, Jesus Christ,life has been given to the many. All will be raised at the last day. 16. And not as through one

that sinned, so is the gift. A second difference between Adam and Christ is pointed out. One

offence of Adam caused condemnation to be sent on Adam and all his race. All have been under

death. But the free gift, through Jesus Christ, not only pardons the connection of our race withAdam's sin, but provides a way for the pardon of many offences, all our offences, so as to secure

justification. One sin of Adam destroyed all, but the atonement of Jesus Christ provides

conditions for forgiveness of all sins. 17. For if by one man's offence. The superaboundinggrace of Christ is still further shown. As a result of Adam's one offence, death reigned over men.

So, on the other hand, those who accept Christ's grace, and enjoy his righteousness, shall,

through him, reign in life. The life spoken of is the resurrection from the grave, and the privilege,not the guarantee, of eternal life that is offered through the gospel. 18. Therefore as by the
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offence of one. By Adam's offence, which brought the sentence of death on all our race. Even soby the righteousness of one. Jesus Christ. The free gift came upon all to justification of life.

This passage shows that Christ's death brought for all men all that had been lost by Adam's sin.Adam's sin brought (1) Natural death. (2) Spiritual death to all who continued in sin. Christ's

death brings (1) Life for all. All shall be resurrected from the dead. (2) Therefore it brings the

full pardon of the sin of our race in Adam. (3) Therefore all infants and irresponsible persons arenow sinless. (4) It brings eternal life to all who are freed from Adam's sin, and have no personal

sins of their own; and (5) It brings the opportunity of forgiveness of personal sins through the

gospel, and hence, of securing eternal life. 19. For as by one man's disobedience. By Adam'sdisobedience, all disobeyed and were counted sinners. So by the obedience of one, all are

counted obedient, and hence, righteous. That is, all inherited penalty for Adam's sin is blotted out

for the whole race. All who have not personal sins are held to be justified. Hence all infants are

sinless. The basis of infant baptism is removed. Baptism is for those who have personally sinned.

20, 21. Moreover law entered. Not the law, but law. The reference is not only to the law of

Moses, but to all divine law, the law written on the hearts of the Gentiles. The effect of its

entrance was that offences abounded. Law was continually broken. The reference here is not toAdam's sin, but to the personal sins of each man. Grace did much more abound. The grace of

the gospel offers a free pardon to all who have broken law if they will come to God through

Christ. 21. Thatas sin hath reigned. Hence, with this gracious gospel of mercy for every

penitent believer, even as sin once reigned and caused universal death, so might grace reign. Allmight accept the gospel, and enjoy the divine favor, and thus secure eternal life through Jesus

Christ. The scope of God's plan of salvation is wide enough for all. If there are those who are

unsaved, it is because they will not come to Christ that they might have life.


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http://www.biblestudyproject.org/Doctrine-of-Man-messianic.htm#1._Image_and_Likeness

THE DOCTRINE OF MAN

by Norman Manzon

- a messianic Bible study -

*

"The Doctrine of Man" is one study of a compendium of extensive and detailed biblicalexpositions of the doctrinal statement of The Association of Messianic Congregations.The full compendium may be accessed at:A Key Doctrinal Overview and Exegesis.

TABLE OF CONTENTS*Each item is linked for your convenience *

DOCTRINAL STATEMENT: MANI. STATEMENT SENTENCE 1: "WE BELIEVE THAT MAN WAS CREATED IN THEIMAGE OF GOD."A. "MAN"1. Why Not "Humanity"?2. What's the Problem?B. "MAN WAS CREATED"C. "MAN WAS CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD"1. Image and Likeness2. Was Man's Body and Spirit Created in the Image of God?

3. How, Then, Does Man's Spirit Resemble God's?4. Distribution of Key Features of Spirit Across the Classes of Beings that are Spiritor Have a Spirita. Lifeb. Emotionsc. Instinctd. Wille. Intellectf. Future Eternalityg. Moral choiceh. Capacity to Engage in Worshipi. Capacity for Communion or Fellowship in the Spirit5. The Purpose of the Image of God in ManII. STATEMENT SENTENCE 2: "ADAM SINNED AND CONSEQUENTLY EXPERIENCEDNOT ONLYPHYSICAL DEATH BUT ALSO SPIRITUAL DEATH, WHICH IS SEPARATION FROM GOD."A. "ADAM SINNED"B. "AND CONSEQUENTLY EXPERIENCED NOT ONLY PHYSICAL DEATH BUT ALSOSPIRITUALDEATH, WHICH IS SEPARATION FROM GOD."1. Physical Death2. Spiritual DeathIII. STATEMENT SENTENCE 3: "ALL HUMAN BEINGS ARE BORN WITH A SINFUL,CORRUPTED
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NATURE, AND SIN IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED."A. WHAT IS SIN?B. "ALL HUMAN BEINGS ARE BORN WITH A SINFUL, CORRUPTED NATURE"C. "AND SIN IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED"1. All Humanity Sins2. All Jews Sin

3. All Gentiles Sin4. All Christians Sin5. All Sin in Thought, Word and DeedIV. STATEMENT SENTENCE 4: "MAN'S STATE OF SIN HAS SO INFECTED HIS WILLTHAT HE IS UNABLE TO CHOOSE GOD'S PROVISION OF REDEMPTION IN MESSIAH

YESHUA WITHOUT THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN HIS UNDERSTANDING."

*AMC STATEMENT ON MAN

Man

We believe that man was created in the image of God. Adam sinned andconsequently experienced not only physical death but also spiritual death,which is separation from God. All human beings are born with a sinful,corrupted nature, and sin in thought, word, and deed. Man's state of sin has soinfected his will that he is unable to choose God's provision of redemption inMessiah Yeshua without the work of the Holy Spirit in his understanding.(Genesis 1:26,27, 2:16,17, 3:6, 6:5; 8:21; Exodus 33:19; Psalm 14:1-3; Isaiah53:6, 64:6; Jeremiah 17:9, 31:33; Mark 7:20-23; John 2:24,25, 3:3-5, 6:44;Romans 3:23, 5:12-19, 9:1-18; Ephesians 2:1-10)

Each of the four sentences in the Statement will serve as a major division in our study.

I. STATEMENT SENTENCE 1:"WE BELIEVE THAT MAN WAS CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD."

A. "MAN"

1. Why Not "Humanity"?

The AMC has chosen to entitle the above section of its beliefs statement, Man, a titlewith a plainly male connotation. This goes against the grain of many, particularly sincethere are perfectly acceptable synonyms, such as, HumanityorThe Human Race. Thisis a social issue; but how does it stand in terms of biblical accuracy?

The issue revolves around the Hebrew word adam, which, until recently, was almostuniversally translated as man in Genesis 1:26, and Man orAdam in Genesis 5:2:

Genesis 1:26:And God said, Let Us make adam in Our image, after Our likeness. Andlet them have dominion over the fish of the sea....
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Genesis 5:2: He created them male and female, and blessed them. And He called theirname Adam (Man) in the day when they were created.

In both scriptures, male and female corporately are called adam. In these andnumerous other Hebrew scriptures, adam is used in reference to the entire humanrace.

(Adam is also used often to refer to individual people when the designation of male orfemale is irrelevant to the thrust of the statement. For example, in Numbers 19:11, weread, He who touches the dead body of any man [adam] shall be unclean seven days.Of course the statement does not just refer to the bodies of dead men, but of deadwomen, also.) Without a doubt, then, as far as English usage is concerned, adam maybe translated humanityorthe human race as well as man in Genesis 1:26, andHumanityorThe Human Race as well as Man or Adam in 5:2. However, a theologicalproblem arises when people try to avoid or eliminate the translation man altogether.

2. What's the Problem?Genesis 3:20:And ha-adam - the man - called his wife's name Eve, because she was

the mother of all living. In this verse, adam refers to the man only, not the woman.Furthermore, in Genesis 4:25 -And Adam knew his wife again - and other scriptures,adam was recognized as the proper name of the first man in that the definite article ha(the) does not precede adam.

To sum up, adamis used1) to designate or name the entire human race;2) to designate any individual in the human race;3) to distinguish the male from the female;4) as the first male's proper name.

The man and the woman were corporately called adam, andAdam was retained as theman's proper name when the woman's name was differentiated from the man's. This isunderstandable on at least two counts:1. The man was created first, and then the woman was created from a part of the man.Genesis 2:21-22: 21.And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and heslept. And He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh underneath. 22.AndJehovah God made the rib (which He had taken from the man) into a woman. And Hebrought her to the man.2. Because the man was the source of the woman, the man, not the woman, is viewedby God as the federal or representational head of the human race. This is seen in atleast two ways: Even though it was Eve who was the first to sin,1) judgment did not fall until after Adam sinned (Genesis 3:6-7); and2) death came upon the race via Adam's sin, not Eve's: For as in Adam all die, even soin Christ all will be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22).

To sum up:1. God created the first human to be a man, not a woman.2. The man was the source of the woman.3. Therefore,


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a. adam is the word used to designated the entire human race;b.Adam was retained as the proper name of the male when the names of the male andthe femalebecame differentiated;c. The first man, Adam, is viewed as the theological head of the human race.

It is clear, then, that God wants the human race to be viewed as proceeding from,theologically headed up by, and represented by, the male. This has nothing to do withmale chauvinism or abuse or suppression or lack of respect or appreciation or love ofthe female in any form, but with the established order of God; and in this day and age inwhich the enemy of our souls seeks to blur the distinctions between male and female,and has virtually destroyed the concept of male headship in the family and in much ofthe church in the West and other parts of the world, the spiritual attack against the useofman in reference to the human race must be resisted. Man is a perfectly legitimateway of referring to the human race, and conveys a biblical truth that must be supportedand strengthened in the thinking of many.

B. "MAN WAS CREATED"

Adam and Eve were created by direct acts of God, not by any evolutionary process.(For a refutation of the Evolutionary Fantasy, see Section II E of the author's " Evidence"study.) Two major differences between the Evolutionary Fantasy and the creationaccount are:1. Evolution requires uncountable intermediary stages, but Genesis 2:7 says,AndJehovah God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils thebreath of life; and man became a living soul.2. According to evolutionists, the evolution of man from dust would require hundreds of

millions of years; but according to Scripture, God created Adam within the confinesofone literal 24-hour day. Gen 1:27:And God created man in His image.... 31. ...Andthe evening and the morning were the sixth day.

The Hebrew forthe sixth dayis yom ha shi-shi'(literally, day the sixth).

Dr. Fruchtenbaum writes, "The word yom or"day" by itself can refer to a long period oftime, in fact, more than twenty-four hours.... However, when the word yom is used witha numeral, it can mean only twenty-four hours.... [T]he numeral following the word yomautomatically limits the time period to twenty-four hours, a literal day. One would needto read evolutionary hypothesis into the text to interpret it as a longer period of time. Theadditional phrase evening and morningmerely re-emphasizes the fact that this is limitedto twenty-four hours." (Fruchtenbaum, Dr. Arnold G. Radio Manuscript # 186, "TheSeven Days of Creation,"San Antonio: Ariel Ministries Press. Pp. 14-15.)

Man was created 1. directly from the dust of the ground, and 2. within the confines ofone literal twenty-four hour day, two facts that render evolution a falsehood.Furthermore, there is no indication in Scripture that the creation account is to beinterpreted any way other than literally.
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To round out the picture of the creation of man, God created the man to be a bipartitebeing, having a body and a soul. Genesis 2:7:And Jehovah God formed man of thedust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became aliving soul.

C. "MAN WAS CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD"

1. Image and LikenessGenesis 1:26-27. 26.And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Ourlikeness.... 27.And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him.He created them male and female.

God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness. The question arises as towhat the difference is between image and likeness.

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (God, Image of) states, "In Genesis 1:26,

Genesis 1:27, the truth is declared that God created man in His own 'image' ( celem),after His 'likeness' (demuth). The two ideas denote the same thing - resemblance toGod."

Strong's Concordance also gives resemblance as a common definition of the two words.

The Hebrew words forimage and likeness, then,each have as their root meaning theidea of resemblance, and mean virtually the same thing. Note that in Genesis 1:26,image and likeness are used, and in the very next verse just image is used. Image andlikeness appear to be used interchangeably in Scripture, and when they are pairedtogether as in 1:26, it is simply for emphasis.

2. Was Man's Body and Spirit Created in the Image of God?We've seen that God created man a bipartite being, with a material component called abody, and an immaterial component designated in Scripture as soul or spirit. (There ismuch overlap and interchange in the use of the two terms.) Now, God is a Spirit(John4:24), and does not have a material part. It therefore stands to reason that it is in therealm of spirit, not body, that man was made in the image of God.

To summarize, thus far,1. Image and likeness each convey the idea of resemblance.2. God created man's spirit, not man's body, in His image and likeness.

To put the two together, God created man's spirit to resemble His own. It must bepointed out, however, that the resemblance goes only so far. God exists from eternitypast, is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent, and man never has and never willresemble God in these ways.

3. How, Then, Does Man's Spirit Resemble God's?Though the human spirit is separate and distinct from God's, it is in the realm of spirit


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that man shares common ground with God. But animals have spirits (Ecclesiastes3:21), and angels are spirits; yet Scripture never indicates that either of them wascreated in the image of God. There are also other features that animals, angels andman have in common with God, yet it is only man who is said to have been created inthe image of God.

What feature or features, then, does man have in common with God that renders himalone created in God's image? Let us do a study of key features of spirit and see howthey distribute across the four classes of beings that either are spirit or have a spirit.We'll discuss them and then chart them out.

4. Distribution of Key Features of Spirit Across the Classes of Beings that areSpirit or Have a Spirit

Life.All beings with spirits possess life.

Emotions.It's obvious that some of the more complex forms of animalsexhibit emotions. Dogs, for example, exhibit a wide variety of emotions.

Angels, men and God exhibit emotions as well.

Instinct.Webster defines "instinct" as an innate, automatic impulse, inhumans and animals, to satisfy basic biological needs, leading to behaviorthat is purposeful and directive. By this definition, animals and menpossess instinct, but not angels or God, who have no biological needs.

Will.Animals may seem to possess a will, but they do not: They possess

instinct. Persons possess a will, which Webster defines as the faculty or

power of conscious, esp. of deliberate action. The conscious anddeliberative faculties of will differ radically from the automatic impulses ofinstinct. Angels, men and God possess wills, but animals do not.

Intellect.Whereas animals are said to have varying degrees ofintelligence, their intelligence does not rise to the level of intellect, which isthe capability of dealing with concepts in the abstract. Animals do notpossess intellect, but angels, men and God do.

Future Eternality.The spirits of animals are never said to have futureeternality, but the spirits of angels and men are; and God who is Spirit,

has future eternality.

Moral Choice.Inasmuch as animals function solely by instinct and notwill, and are not endowed with intellect, they do not have the capacity tomake choices based on moral convictions. God, of course, has thiscapacity, and men and angels were created with this capacity.


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Capacity to Engage in Worship.Animals do not have the capacity for

worship. Angels and men have the capacity to offer worship, and God hasthe capacity to receive worship.

Capacity for Communion or Fellowship in the Spirit

Animals do not have the capacity for fellowship in the Spirit either withGod or with each other; and although angels appreciate the works of God(Job 38:7), and were created with the capacity to worship Him and arecalled "sons of God" as are men (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:6-7), Scripture neverintimates that they have ever entered into communion or fellowship withGod or with each other, or were intended to. Harmony with God, yes; butnot fellowship with Him. Worship of God, yes; but not fellowship with Him.Not so with man. John 17:3 speaks of fellowship between believers andGod, and 1 John 1:7 of fellowship among the saints. In John 17:3, Jesusprayed that those whom God had given Him would know intimate spiritualcommunion with the Father and with Him: that they might know thee the

only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent(John 17:3). TheGreek word forknowhere is the same word used in Matthew 1:25 of theintimate conjugal union that Joseph entered into with Mary after she hadborne Jesus. In 1 John 1:7, John says,But if we walk in the light, as he isin the light, we have fellowship one with another....

Let's see visually how the above attributes of spirit sort out among the four classes of beings that either

have spirits or are spirits:

ANIMALS ANGELS MAN GOD

LIFE X X X X

EMOTIONSAT LEAST SOME

ANIMALS X X X

INSTINCT X X X

WILL X X X

INTELLECTINTELLIGENCE, BUT

NOT TO THE LEVEL OFINTELLECT

X X X

FUTURE

ETERNALITY

X X X

MORALCHOICE

X X X

WORSHIP X X X

CAPACITY X X


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FORCOMMUNION

Only one creature was created with the capacity for communion or fellowship in theSpirit, and only one creature was said to have been created in the image of God: man.Man's capacity or potential for fellowship in the Spirit is a reflection of the divine imagein that God, who is Spirit, is capable of intimate fellowship.

It seems conclusive that the distinguishing feature that renders man, aloneamong creatures, created in the image of God is his capacity for intimatecommunion or fellowship in the Spirit.

5. The Purpose of the Image of God in ManNot so coincidentally, as we have seen in John 17:3, the actual knowing of God incommunion of the Spirit is the very essence of eternal life. That bears repeating: Theactual knowing ofGod in communion of the Spirit is the very essence of eternal life.Therefore, although Scripture does not succinctly declare it, it certainly does seem to bethe case that

God created man in His image and likeness so that we might knowHim foreternity in that holy and blessed state called eternal life.

It is because of man's capacity or potential to knowGod and one another in eternalintimate spiritual communion that God sent Messiah to die for his sins (John 3:16); and

it is as man enters into Christ at salvation, who is the uncorrupted image of God (2Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15), that his capacity for intimate communion with Godand other believers is activated and realized, having been renewed in knowledgeaccording to the image of Him who created him (Colossians 3:10).

II. STATEMENT SENTENCE 2:"ADAM SINNED AND CONSEQUENTLY EXPERIENCED

NOT ONLY PHYSICAL DEATH BUT ALSO SPIRITUAL DEATH,WHICH IS SEPARATION FROM GOD."

A. "ADAM SINNED"

The sin of Adam consisted of breaking a direct command of God. God forbade Adam toeat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and he ate (Genesis2:16-17; 3:6).

B. "AND CONSEQUENTLY EXPERIENCED NOT ONLY PHYSICAL DEATH BUTALSO

SPIRITUALDEATH, WHICH IS SEPARATION FROM GOD."


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1. Physical DeathOne consequence of Adam's sin was that he and the entire human race (with theexception of Enoch and Elijah and those to be raptured) were to experience physicaldeath. God pronounced this curse upon Adam in Genesis 3:19: For dust thou art, andto dust you shall return. That he would have lived forever had he not sinned is brought

out by the fact that God drove him out of the Garden so that he would not partake of theTree of Life (Genesis 3:22-24), lest he... eat, and live forever(v. 22). That Adam's sin isthe root cause of all human physical death is brought out in Romans 5:12: Therefore,even as through one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death

passed on all men inasmuch as all sinned, and also in 1 Corinthians 15:22: For as inAdam all die, even so in Christ all will be made alive. It is true that Eve was the first tosin (Genesis 3:6); but death passed to the human race through Adam because he, theman, was the theological head of the human race.

2. Spiritual DeathAnother consequence of Adam's sin was spiritual death, the separation of man's spirit

from God in the context of time (as opposed to eternity, when spiritual death takes onthe aspect of eternity after physical death, and is called eternal death).

What characterizes spiritual death is the absolute absence of fellowship with God. Godwarned Adam that this would happen in the day that he sinned: Genesis 2:16-17: 16.

And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, You may freely eat of every tree in thegarden, 17. but you shall not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. For in theday that you eat of it you shall surely die. Adam did not die physically on the day that hesinned, but he did experience a terrifying breaking of communion with God: Genesis3:6-8. 6. ... She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7. And the eyes of bothof them were opened. And they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves

together and made girdles for themselves. 8. And they heard the voice of Jehovah Godwalking in the garden in the cool of the day. And Adam and his wife hid themselvesfrom the presence of Jehovah God in the middle of the trees of the garden. The fact thatspiritual death came upon the entire human race is seen by the fact that not only Adam,but Eve, as well, went into hiding from God. It is also brought out in Ephesians 2:1, inwhich Paulreferred to the previously unsaved Ephesians as having been dead intrespasses and sins.

III. STATEMENT SENTENCE 3:"ALL HUMAN BEINGS ARE BORN WITH A SINFUL,

CORRUPTED NATURE, AND SIN IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED."

A. WHAT IS SIN?

Sin is not a physical or spiritual substance or any other kind of substance. Sin is anyspiritual condition, thought, word or deed that is contrary to the moral perfection of God.

B. "ALL HUMAN BEINGS ARE BORN WITH A SINFUL, CORRUPTED NATURE"


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Some of the clearest statements in Scripture to this effect are:

Jeremiah 17:9: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperatelywicked; who can know it?

In Romans 7:23, Paul speaks ofthe law of sin being in my members.

In Ephesians 2:3, he spoke ofthe lusts of the flesh, and offulfilling thedesires of the flesh and of the thoughts.

Galatians 5:19-21: Now the works of the flesh are clearly revealed, whichare: adultery, fornication... hatreds... jealousies....

Jeremiah 17:9 identifies the sin nature in the immaterial part of man. In regards toRomans 7:23, many translations, including the Analytical-Literal Translation, rendermembersas body parts,showing that the sin nature is locked into man's very body, as

well. In regards to Galatians 5:19, Albert Barnes comments, "It is evident here that theword sarx, 'flesh,' is used to denote corrupt humannature, and not merely thebody; since many of the vices here enumerated are the passions of the mind or thesoul, rather than of the body." (Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible). These few scripturesindicate that man's sinful, corrupted nature is universal among men, and is implanted inboth body and soul. Inasmuch as man has a body and soul from the moment ofconception, it is from the moment of conception that he possesses the sin nature. KingDavid said, Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceiveme (Psalm 51:5).

Though the scriptures immediately following have a different focus, there are elements

in them that also reinforce the points made herein.

C. "AND SIN IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED"

This statement is true of the believer as well as the unbeliever as the sin nature isretained in the believer even until death. In Romans 7, it is Paul the believer whospeaks ofthe law of sin being in my members (v. 23). The believer has been givenpower over the sin nature, but he retains the sin nature, nevertheless.

The scriptures in the preceding section focus on the sin nature itself. The followingscriptures are among the many that focus on the outworking of the sin nature in man's

thoughts, words and deeds.

1. All Humanity SinsPsalm 14:2. Jehovah looked down from Heaven on the sons of men, to see if therewere any who understood and sought God. 3. All have gone aside, together they arefilthy; there is none who does good, no, not one.


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Romans 2:1: Therefore you are without excuse, O man, everyone who judges; for inthat in which you judge another, you condemn yourself, for you who judge do the samethings.

Roman 3:9 ...we have before charged both Jews and Greeks all with being under sin.

Romans 3:23: ...all have sinned....

2. All Jews SinIsaiah 53:6:All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, each one to his ownway; and Jehovah has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 64:6: But we are all as the unclean thing, and all our ri

Sin and Adam

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