Ch. 6 Man Created and Fallen
I believe that Adam and Eve were created in God’s image, and they were spiritually alive because God’s Spirit dwelt within them from the moment of their creation. Adam and Eve fell into sin through Satan’s temptation and their own lack of faithfulness in God. As a result, God withdrew His Spirit from within Adam and Eve; from that moment, Adam and Eve were spiritually dead. All their offspring, which is all of humanity, are born spiritually dead and in Adam’s image.
Genesis 5:3–5
3 When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.
As a result of being born in Adam’s image, which means being spiritually dead, all human beings are alienated from God and corrupted physically, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. In their fallen, spiritually dead state, human beings are condemned to eternal death. The over-arching need for all people is to be reconciled to the God but there is nothing a person can do to reconcile them to God. Doing more good works than evil works cannot result in spiritual life and therefore reconciliation to God. Humanity’s only hope is God’s own gracious intervention. God has provided the only way of reconciliation which is the sinless life, sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In case you missed that, Jesus Christ is God in human flesh; God took on human flesh to do what we could never do; He paid the penalty for your sins and made a way for you to be reconciled to Him. But you must accept Jesus Christ’s payment for your sins to be reconciled to God.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—
John 3:16–18
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
1 Thessalonians 1:10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.
Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
I believe that man was originally created in the image of God. Man fell through sin, and because of his sin, lost his spiritual life; humans became dead in trespasses and sins. Spiritual death has been transmitted to the entire human race, except for Christ Jesus.
Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Genesis 2:17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”
Genesis 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Psalm 14:1–3
1 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds;
There is no one who does good.
2 The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men
To see if there are any who understand,
Who seek after God.
3 They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good, not even one.
Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else
And is desperately sick;
Who can understand it?
John 3:6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
John 5:40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.
Romans 3:10–20
10 as it is written,
“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”
13 “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE,
WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,”
“THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”;
14 “WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”;
15 “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,
16 DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,
17 AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.”
18 “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”
19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God;
20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
Romans 8:6–7
6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,
Ephesians 2:1–3
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
1 Timothy 5:6 But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives.
1 John 3:8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.