Humanity

We believe that people were created in the image of God for a loving relationship with God in His eternal kingdom.  However, beginning with the first man and woman (Adam and Eve), we have all rebelled against God and chosen to go our own independent way.  Mankind is thereby alienated from God and now suffers the corruption of our nature because of our sin.  The effects of this fall upon our intended relationship with God can only be reversed through faith in Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit and life in God’s eternal Kingdom.

 
  • So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27.
  • Then, God gave us a job.
    • God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”  Genesis 1:28
  • God even provided us with food.
    • Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.  And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food.”  Genesis 1:29-30.
  • There was only one negative command from God.
    • And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17.
  • Then, Satan came in and twisted God’s words.
    • Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”  The woman said to the serpent, “we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ “  “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman.  “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.  She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.  Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.  Genesis 3:1-7
  • And we started following other ideas in our search for meaning.
    • This only have I found: God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes. Ecclesiastes 7:29
  • Unfortunately, this search for meaning has taken us down too many wrong paths.
    • The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.  Galatians 5:19-21
  • But, God still loves us and gave us a true plan for finding meaning.
    • For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.  1 Corinthians 15:21 & 22.
  • God made us a promise.
    • Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him. Hebrews 9:27
    • For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16