MANKIND: GOD’S HANDIWORK Lesson 3 for October 20, 2012

IN THE BEGGINING The Bible is very clear about the origin of mankind: Man was created by God, “male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). God brought them to life in an act of creation; He didn’t trust it to chance (1 Thim. 2:13) Adam and Eve were real persons; they were the first human beings to live on this planet. All the genealogies begin with Adam (Gn. 5:1; 1Chrn. 1:1; Job 15:7; Lk. 3:8; Jud. 4) It was not necessary that hundreds or thousands of hominids had to die for Adam to be born. Death invaded the world only after the sin of Adam and Eve (Ro. 5:12-14) Paul compares the Adam’s person with Jesus. Adam was as real as Jesus was (1Chor. 15:22, 45) 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.

What does “made in God’s image” mean? “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. Adam was free to choose and to make right decisions by his own. “Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name” (Genesis 2:19) Adam and Eve lived in an intimacy that was very similar to the one that the members of Trinity experience among themselves. “And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man”” (Genesis 2:23) Our first parents were able and responsible for having dominance over, respecting and taking care of the Earth, just as God takes care of His children. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28)

Sin caused the image of God in man to begin to fade away. 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.

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)

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)

“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)

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.