Series: Theological Foundations
The Doctrine of Humanity

Part 1: To be human is to be created by God

Genesis 1:26-27, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

• Being created by God means being created well.

Genesis 1:31, “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”

Psalm 139:13-14, “You formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

• Being created by God means created with purpose.

Ephesians 1:11, “Him who works all things according to the counsel of his will”

• Being created by God means being created for relationship

Genesis 2:18, “Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.'”

Part 2: To be human is to be created by God, in his image

Part 3: To be human is to be created by God, in His image, but suffering under sin’s curse.

Genesis 3:1-6, Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman. “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”

Romans 3:10-12, None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

Effect 1: Alienated from God

Genesis 2:16-17, And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Effect 2: Depraved

Genesis 8:21, the LORD said in his heart, “the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.”

Psalm 14:2-3, “The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.”

Effect 3: Afflicted

Genesis 3:17-19, And to Adam he said, “Cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken.”

Effect 4: Hell-bound

Conclusion: A call for somber reflection