 | We become a law unto our own self since we do not believe in any universal laws. |
| We teach our children to be self-sufficient and unreliant on anyone but themselves. |
Mankind:
By Pastor Dan Kennedy, Grace Baptist, White Salmon, WA
© December 7, 2003
Also available this week at www.egracebaptist.com
We base the foundations of our life on fundamental beliefs we hold to be true. Some of these beliefs are from sound, rock-solid sources and some beliefs are based on “theories” generated by assumptions, created by certain observations which others have had, or which we have had personally.
Some of these “theories” may become “add-ons” to the foundation of the “truth” on which we continue to build life-making or life-braking decisions. For a scientist in search of the “building-blocks” of life, such as those on which he or she creates formulas for medicine, gene therapy, or nerve restoration, etc., then a proper “theory” on which to base one’s study is very important.
For a psychologist wanting to find the reason people react certain ways, it is important for him or her to have a foundational understanding of the deep motivations of an individual.
For a person seeking to establish a right foundation on which to build his or her life and his or her family, then it is imperative for the individual to find what values upon which he or she should base one’s life.
The world has been searching for “theories” which it is seeking to prove to be “true” for the ultimate understanding of our existence here on earth, together with the accurate description and comprehension of natural laws. One such elusive “theory” is the “Theory of Everything”.
Scientist and Theorist in scientific endeavors have been seeking this “theory” for some time now: a single theory on which all of life can be based. If there could be a certainty about such a theory, then scientists, astronomers, biochemists, and microbiologists, etc., constructing their experiments would have a far greater certainty of being accurate and stable when their study is completed.
Early philosophers established basis for their physical and spiritual world through their understanding of “the gods” and how these spiritual beings affected their life. Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, and others gave additional reason to the world in which they lived. Sir Isaac Newton was one of the fathers of modern science who explored and tested theories of physical life proposed by earlier thinkers, discounting some earlier observations and building on others. Newtonian Mechanics give our current science a strong basis on which to develop and grow. Newton based his laws on observable certainties, such as Newton’s three Laws of Motion: 1. Inertia: the velocity of an object will not change unless the object is acted on by an outside force (an object at rest will stay at rest unless an outside force causes it to move – and it will continue to move unless inhibited to do so) – this went directly against earlier scientific thought where Aristotle taught that everything wants to say “at rest”, even if it is forced to move; 2. Force: the measurement of an outside force exerted on an object; or 3. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Newtonian studies give modern scientist foundational principles on which to base their experiments in physics and physical matter. One area Newton could not measure or observe was that which was too tiny for anyone to observe, thus Quantum Mechanics.
When the “certainty” of the outcome became impossible to measure on smaller scales, (scales of “probabilities”), the scientific community was drawn to another theory which had its dynamic in the “probabilities” of the universe, that of Quantum Mechanics.
Newtonian Mechanics seeks to explain the larger things in the universe and Quantum Mechanics explores the explanation of the smaller things. The conclusions of these two areas of thought do not fit neatly together. Einstein then brought to us the Theory of Relativity, seeking to explain how different people can have a different observation (of mass, time and size) of the same event. The unity between these three processes is not completely compatible, so the search continues for something that would combine all three under one grand “theory”. Some believe a potential for that theory is the electromagnetic “Ring Theory”… an intriguing “theory” to some scientists, although not acceptable to others. This theory is not measurable since electromagnetic rings are so tiny they cannot be seen. Whether this theory has merit has yet to be seen.
Scientist leave out one primary part to their “theories” of life…that of the human spirit; how it interrelates to physical life and ultimately how it relates to eternal life. Physical scientists often leave this area to philosophers although the understanding of life should be related to the physical arena too, since what we believe about God profoundly relates to what we believe about our physical existence. Whatever we have as our foundational belief is manifest in every other facet of our life.
The Doctrine of Man
The Scriptural Doctrine of Man gives us an understanding about where we came from and why we respond certain ways. It also tells us the reason for death and the hope we have for eternal life. It is not based on the mythical, magical or merely intellectual. It begins with how we were created, what happened when Adam sinned and how we can regain righteousness with God.
1. The doctrine of man begins with the creation, where God, creates man originally in His own Image, perfect and immortal, but also with a will that can make us potentially sinful and mortal. Man and woman are placed in the Garden of Eden where they are to be caretakers of the earth and all that is in it. Adam and Eve have daily, personal, unbroken fellowship with the God of heaven. Genesis 1 & 2; 1:27; Isaiah 45:12; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16
2. Man breaks God's law and is plunged into immediate spiritual death (separation from God) while the individual time clock of physical death began the age-old cycle of birth and death. Genesis 3; Romans 5:12-19
3. At the same time of their fall, a promise is given of a Redeemer. Genesis 3:15
4. Mankind, whose creation was to be to glorify God, was now paralyzed by sin and sold out to Satan, the god of this world. The only recourse is for God to provide another way whereby the individual could be redeemed. This was found in the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, "Who takes away the sin of the world". The Blood of Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, can only initiate mankind’s regeneration, by God’s grace, through faith. Romans 3:23; 6:23; John 3:3-21; John 1:29
5. Those who are redeemed look forward to being reunited with God forever. 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; Romans 8:28-39; John 14:1-6
The doctrine of man establishes that the whole world is lost in sin and needs a redeemer to reestablish his lost relationship with God. The wages of that sin is not only physical death (which all must experience) but also Spiritual death (which we are born into because of the sin of Adam). Jesus Christ, our Mediator was the One who gave mankind the opportunity for Salvation and rebirth into true Spiritual life.
Man: We believe God originally created persons, male and female, in the image of God and free from sin. We further believe all people are sinners by nature and choice and are spiritually dead. We also believe that those who repent of sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 5
Introduction to primary passage in this message, on Adam and Christ
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we a have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we b rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we c also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ
[Biblical passages are italicized while comments on the passage are not italicized.]
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— 13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law.
(How fast can you go if there are no speed limit signs? – As fast as you want to; the law cannot stop you for speeding if there is no speed limit law. If the law says you can only go 65 miles per hour, then the law has the right to stop you and fine you if you go over 65…and you must pay the fine, or suffer the consequences. [Even though God’s Law had not been given until Moses, God had written it on our hearts from the beginning – Rom. 2:15])
14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.
(Death reigned before the 10 Commandments were given, because God’s command to Adam was broken through Adam’s disobedience. Death consequently was brought on all people through Adam’s sin, even on those who had not been born and had not broken one of God’s Commandments yet – such as those who inherit debilitating diseases from their parents, mankind “inherited” the infliction and curse of sin and death from Adam’s disobedience.)
15 But the gift is not like the trespass.
(God’s Gift of Eternal Life through Jesus’ Sacrifice for us is not like the sin – the trespass [including death] – that passed on all people through Adam’s sin.)
For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!
(The Gift of God’s Grace, through Jesus’ Sacrifice, is greater than even the consuming power of the horrible “plague” of sin that infected the human race through Adam.)
16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.
(God’s Gift results in the power to cleanse and justify sinful mankind before a Holy God, it is not like the result of the sin of Adam that brought condemnation and death.)
17 For if, by the trespass of the one man (Adam), death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
20 The law was added so that the trespass might increase.
(The 10 Commandments graphically pointed out how terrible our sin was – causing us to see how we had offended our Holy God. Revealing to us how much we deserve Death, because as hard as we may try, we cannot keep those 10 Commandments perfectly.)
But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. [1]
(It doesn’t matter how terrible the sin is, because God’s Grace through Jesus’ Sacrifice, is greater! …But one must still receive that grace.)
Scriptural Wisdom and Popular Philosophies Seldom Mix
Romans 5 points out the believer’s Spiritual /“philosophical” belief in several areas. Scripture is consistent with itself. If we try to co-mingle the philosophies or scientific theories of the world with the Scripture, in order to please the current philosophy of the day, we will confuse and contort the Scripture in order to make it comply with current trends.
On What Do We Base Our Understanding of Life?
v The Intoxication of Pride in Human Intelligence and Vain Philosophies
· Humanism
· Evolutionary Scientific Theories
· Humanistic Philosophies and Godless-based Reason
· Agnosticism
· Atheism
Philosophical Understanding of Who We Areand Why We Behave in Certain Ways
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Judeo-Christian Romans 5 |
Secular or Otherwise |
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By one man sin entered the world |
Learned or Acquired Behavior |
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Creation – A God-spoken physical world created with fully developed earth, mankind, animals, plants, elements, etc.
Necessary Design
Irreducible Complexity
Soul and Spirit – Reason, Thought Communication, Advancement, Complex Civilization
Spiritual Complications, Eternity
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Evolution – the transformation of one-celled ameba to the fully developed man, together with a completely functional, biologically and socially, diverse and unique, necessary, counterpart in pro-creation called woman – without both, life would cease…male and female species are consistent throughout creation, with rare anomalies of this pattern, etc.
All things rose from nothing, from nothing began the “big bang” or continuous “small bangs”, and from those…life arose on its own, male and female to give life to future generations.
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Adam and Eve, non-mythical individuals |
Mythical beings |
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The fall of mankind by disobedience to God’s Command – the reign of Death |
Mythical stories No sound explanation of origination of Death |
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All have sinned |
“Spark of Divinity or goodness” in each person |
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Need for Redeemer and Redemption |
Personal Accountability Only |
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Resurrection from the Dead |
No Afterlife |
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Eternal Life – Benefit or Punishment |
No Hope of Eternal Life |
| If we believe we came from nothing, we adjust our life
in every area to reflect our belief of non-accountability to any Creator.
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| If we believe we were Created by God, then all life flows around the belief that there is an Almighty God. |
v The Debilitation of Reason in A-Moral and/or Lifestyles given over to Substance Abuse
· One choosing to life a mentally or physically morally corrupt life
· One who is purposely living chemically dependent
If, because of one’s lifestyle, one is unable to perceive-in-fact and live-in-fact out of the reservoir of God’s power through His Word, then one’s thinking and reasoning will be skewed to accommodate one’s captivated lifestyle.
v The Delusion of World Religions in Pseudo-Supernatural Power and Spiritual Deceptions – This includes “Protestant Churches” if one’s hope of salvation is merely based on good works, church attendance, baptism or some other ritual or membership other than Salvation through the Blood of Jesus Christ.
· Islam
· Hinduism
· Buddhism
· Eastern Mysticism
· Spiritistic worship and Animism
· Ancestral Worship
· Mormonism
· Bahai
· Unitarianism
· Jehovah Witness
· Catholicism
· Protestantism or any other “form of religion”, etc., etc.
o This includes membership in a Baptist Church, such as ours, or any other church, for that matter! If one’s hope of salvation is based on good works, membership, baptism, communion, financial giving to the church, or some other ordinance or ritual in the church and not solely on the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus…through His shed Blood on the Cross, then one has their basis on the wrong foundation for Salvation and Eternal Life.
o Of course, I believe one should attend and believe doctrines from the Bible which are taught in Bible believing churches, but simply attending such a church, studying the Bible or praying to God, is not sufficient when the Scripture clearly says that one must be “Born Again” to see the Kingdom of God. (John 3:3)
Those Who Find Eternal Life in Christ, Find the “Narrow Gate”
Matthew 7:13-14
The Narrow and Wide Gates
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matthew 7:19-23
The Fruit of One’s Life Reveals Reality – One’s Spiritual Feats Do Not
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
How Does One Have Assurance of Eternal Life?
1 John 5:13
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
There will be No Baptists in Heaven!
There will be no one in heaven “labeled” Conservative Baptist, Southern Baptist, Nazarene, Pentecostal, Charismatic, Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Catholic, etc., etc. The only ones in heaven will be those who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ for their Salvation and have accepted His precious Blood as their covering for sin. There are no “denominations” in heaven! Denominations seek to “define” what we believe the Scriptures to teach; they are not our means of salvation! Those who do not believe or teach salvation in Christ are not teaching Biblical truth.
The Hope of Resurrection from the Dead through the “Last Adam”: Christ
1 Corinthians 15:42-49
42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being” a; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we b bear the likeness of the man from heaven.
The First Adam |
The Last Adam |
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Through one man sin entered the world Rom 5:12 |
Through one Man there is Redemption from sin through the “free gift” of Salvation Rom 5:15,16 |
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Death spreads on all men, because all sin Rom 5:12, 17 |
Righteousness and life are given through Christ Jesus Rom 5:17 |
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Condemnation under the Law because of sin Rom 5:13,14,16,18 |
Justification through Grace because of Righteousness Rom 5:15,16,18 |
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Through one man’s disobedience many became sinners Rom 5:19 |
Through one Man’s obedience many become Righteous Rom 5:19 |
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The Law came so that sin would increase (be completely obvious) Rom 5:20 |
Where sin increased, Grace abounded more Rom 5:20
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Sin reigns in death Rom 5:21 |
Grace reigns through Righteousness to Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom 5:21 |
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Physical body perishable 1 Cor 15:42 |
Spiritual body imperishable 1 Cor 15:42 |
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Physical body sown (in death) in dishonor 1 Cor 15:43 |
Spiritual body raised in glory 1 Cor 15:43 |
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Physical body sown in weakness 1 Cor 15:43 |
Spiritual body raised in power 1 Cor 15:43 |
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Physical body sown a natural body 1 Cor 15:44 |
Spiritual body raised as a Spiritual body 1 Cor 15:44 |
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The first man Adam became a living being 1 Cor 15:45 |
The last Adam is a life-giving Spirit 1 Cor 15:45 |
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The natural body comes first 1 Cor 15:46 |
The Spiritual body comes after 1 Cor 15:46 |
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The first man was of the dust of the earth 1 Cor 15:47 |
The second Man is of heaven 1 Cor 15:47 |
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The earthly man represents those on the earth 1 Cor 15:48 |
The man from heaven represent those who are of heaven 1 Cor 15:48 |
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Those of the earth bear the image of the earthly man 1 Cor 15:49 |
We who are born into God’s Family will bear the likeness of the Man from heaven 1 Cor 15:49 |
We are born children of this earth, but those who have been redeemed through Jesus Christ’s Blood experience new life in Christ and will also one day be transformed into their Spiritual bodies to be with Christ forever!
What is Mankind’s Purpose in Life?
“What is the chief end of man?
Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”
1 Peter 4:11
11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Corinthians 10:31
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
1 Chronicles 16
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
24 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
25 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
27 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy in his dwelling place.
28 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength,
29 ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name.
Revelation 4:11
11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things,
and by your will they were created and have their being.”
Ø God created mankind in perfect fellowship and harmony with Himself.
Ø Sin caused mankind’s fall from that fellowship and brought death both spiritual and physical.
Ø Jesus Christ brought redemption to sinful mankind through His sacrifice and death on the Cross.
Ø Mankind’s place and purpose in life is to Glorify God, our Creator, our Savior and our Lord.
Man: We believe God originally created persons, male and female, in the image of God and free from sin. We further believe all people are sinners by nature and choice and are spiritually dead. We also believe that those who repent of sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
