What We Believe Concerning The Fall Of Man And His Redemption:
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We believe that man is the special creation of God and was made in the image of God and is the crown of creation. In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by God with both the image of the Father and with the freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin to himself and into the human race. By yielding to the temptation of the enemy man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence. He now inherits a nature and an environment inclined toward sin. He is now, by reason of the fall, spiritually depraved and alienated from his Creator. Adam fell through sin, and as a consequence of his sin, lost his spiritual life. Becoming dead in trespasses and sins, he became subject to the power of the devil.
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This spiritual death, or total depravity of human nature, has been transmitted to the entire human race of man. Apart from God’s grace mankind has no ability to attain to his high calling which is to return man back into holy fellowship with the Father and fulfill the creative purposes of God. It was the choice of Adam and Eve to rebel and disobey God. In doing so they transferred their right to rule and reign over creation and the world to the enemy. Humanity was and is totally incapable of saving itself though any means and is in need of a Savior. Thus every child of Adam is born into the world with a sin nature and corruptible seed which not only possesses no spark of divine life, but is essentially and unchangeable sinful apart from divine grace. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was manifested to undo the work of the devil. Our Lord gave His life and shed His blood to redeem and restore mankind back to God and to his original status. Salvation is the gift of God to man, separate from works and the Law, and is made operative by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, which in turn produces works which are acceptable to God.
1. Therefore, Man is a created being, made in the likeness and image of God, but through Adam’s transgression and fall, sin came into the world.
2. Man is created in the image of God. Man is a “spirit”, he has a “soul” (mind, will, emotions) and he lives in a “body” (house or shell for the spirit).
3. Man does not come from an animal or one cell amoeba.
4. Man is not inherently good by nature; because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, we are alienated from God and can never measure up to God’s standard of right standing with Him.
5. This alienation is called “sin”. Sin means to transgress against God, or to “miss the mark” or not come up to the established standard.
6. We can never satisfy the established standard without intervention from God. No amount of good deeds on our part could satisfy His requirements to be just in His eyes.
7. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was manifested to undo the work of the devil and gave His life and shed His blood to redeem and restore man back to God.
8. Salvation is the gift of God to man, separate from works and the Law, and is made operative by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, producing works acceptable to God.
2. Man is created in the image of God. Man is a “spirit”, he has a “soul” (mind, will, emotions) and he lives in a “body” (house or shell for the spirit).
3. Man does not come from an animal or one cell amoeba.
4. Man is not inherently good by nature; because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, we are alienated from God and can never measure up to God’s standard of right standing with Him.
5. This alienation is called “sin”. Sin means to transgress against God, or to “miss the mark” or not come up to the established standard.
6. We can never satisfy the established standard without intervention from God. No amount of good deeds on our part could satisfy His requirements to be just in His eyes.
7. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was manifested to undo the work of the devil and gave His life and shed His blood to redeem and restore man back to God.
8. Salvation is the gift of God to man, separate from works and the Law, and is made operative by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, producing works acceptable to God.
Confirming Scriptures: Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5-7; 2:17-22; 3; 9:6; Psalms 1; 8:3-6; 14:1-3; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5-9; Matthew 16:26; John 3:6; 3:15-18; 5:40; 6:35; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-23; 5:6; 5:12-19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 8:6-7; 8:14-18; 8:29; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19; 15:21-22; Ephesians 2:1-22; 2:8-10; 1 Timothy 5:6; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11; 1 John 3:8.