QUOTE ON HUMANKIND

 

“The Bible is always correct and minced no words in warning every man that there is nothing good in him outside of Jesus Christ. Humankind is at best when submitted to GOD through Jesus Christ.”

– Dr. Ezra Aniebue

 

 

STATEMENT OF FAITH ARTICLE V

 

We believe that humankind was created by the special act of GOD, in His own image, and is the crowning work of His creation. In the beginning humankind was innocent of sin and was endowed by their Creator with freedom of choice. By free choice, Adam and Eve sinned against GOD and brought sin into the human race.

 

Through the temptation of Satan, Adam and Eve transgressed the command of GOD and fell from original innocence; whereby their posterity inherited a nature and an environment inclined toward sin, and as soon as they are capable of moral  action, they become transgressors and are under condemnation. All of humankind is lost apart from Jesus Christ. Only the grace of GOD can bring men and women into His holy fellowship and enable them to fulfill the creative purpose of GOD.

 

The individual, because he or she is created in the image of GOD, is responsible for his or her moral and religious decisions. Each person is competent under the leadership of the Holy Spirit to make his or her own response to GOD’s call in the gospel of Christ, to commune with GOD, and to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord. With their competence is linked the responsibility to seek the truth and, having found it, to act upon it and to share it with others.

 

Each person is competent under GOD to make his or her own moral and religious decisions and is responsible to GOD in all matters of moral and religious duty.

 

Each person is free under GOD in all matters of conscience and has the right to embrace or reject religion and to witness to his or her religious beliefs, always with proper regard for the rights of other persons. Such religious liberty is cherished not as a privilege to be granted, denied, or merely tolerated either by the state or by any religious body but as a right under GOD. The Bible also reveals that Christ died for all people. The fact that humankind was created in the image of GOD and that Christ died for them is the source of each person’s worth and dignity. We have the GOD given right to be recognized and accepted as an individual regardless of race, color, creed, or culture; to belong with dignity and respect to our community; and to have the full opportunity to achieve our potentiality. Therefore, every person is worthy of respect and Christian love.

 

 

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ON (MAN) HUMAN KIND

Read each of the Scripture verses cited. For your own benefit, on a separate paper, write notes and insights you receive from reading these verses and parallel them with the stated statement of faith.

 

• And 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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the So GOD created man in his own image, in the                       image of GOD created he him; male and female created he them. And GOD                       blessed them, and GOD said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And GOD said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing  seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is  the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so (Genesis 1:26-30).

 

• And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD GOD had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground (Genesis 2:5).

 

• And the LORD GOD formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7).

 

• And the LORD GOD said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And out of the ground the LORD GOD formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the LORD GOD caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he  took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD GOD had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man (Genesis 2:18-22).

 

• Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of GOD made he man (Genesis 9:6).

 

• When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet (Psalm 8:3-6).

 

• Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessedis the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spiritthere is no guile. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through myroaring all the day For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: mymoistureisturnedinto thedroughtof summer. Selah.Iacknowledgemysin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess mytransgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.                             Selah(Psalm32:1-5).

 

• Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me (Psalm 51:5).

 

• Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have                        seen the King, the LORD of hosts (Isaiah 6:5).

 

• Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD (JEREMIAH 17:5).

 

• For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:26).

 

• And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, for we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of GOD, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

 

And the times of this ignorance GOD winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent:

 

Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead (Acts 17:26-31).

 

Because that which may be known of GOD is manifest in them; for GOD hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and GOD head; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew GOD, they glorified him not as GOD, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became                   fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible GOD into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore GOD also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of GOD into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause GOD gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain GOD in their knowledge, GOD gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of GOD, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of GOD, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in                                  them that do them (Romans 1;19-32).

 

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after GOD. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of GOD before their eyes (Romans 3: 10-18).

 

• For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of GOD (Romans 3:23).
• For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the          ungodly (Romans 5:6).

 

• Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Romans 5:12).

 

• For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous (Romans 5:19).

 

• Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin (Romans 6:6).

 

• For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of GOD after the inward man: But I see another law in my                        members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank GOD through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of GOD; but with the flesh the law of sin (Romans 7: 14-25).

 

• Foras many as areledbytheSpiritofGOD,theyarethe sons of GOD.Forye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye havereceivedtheSpiritof adoption,wherebywecry,Abba,TheSpirit itselfbeareth witnesswith ourspirit,thatwearethechildrenofGOD:Andif children, then heirs; heirs of GOD, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be thatwe sufferwithhim,thatwemaybealso glorifiedtogether.ForIreckonthat       the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with theglory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of thecreature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of GOD. For the  creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hathsubjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall bedelivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of thechildren of GOD. For we know that the whole creation groaneth andtravaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also,which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan withinourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

 

• For                    we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of                                   GOD. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love                             GOD, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:14- 18).

 

• For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29).

 

• For after that in the wisdom of GOD the world by wisdom knew not GOD, it pleased GOD by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of GOD, and the wisdom of Because the foolishness of GOD is wiser than men; and the weakness of GOD is stronger than men.

 

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But GOD hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and GOD hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath GOD chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of GOD is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:21-31).

 

• If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable (1 Corinthians 15:19).

 

• For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive (1 Corinthians 15: 21-22).

 

• And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight (Colossians 1:21-22).

 

• Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all (Colossians 3:9-11).

 

 

 

NOTES ON STATEMENT OF FAITH ARTICLE 5

This doctrine in the tradition of the church has sometimes been called the “doctrine of man.” In today’s society, meanings change and some may mistakenly believe this is the doctrine of male human beings. To clarify any potential misunderstandings or offenses, we will use the word “humankind,” which is the meaning of the original Hebrew and Greek terminology.

 

Without Jesus Christ, all humankind are lost. It is only through faith in Jesus’ atoning death and resurrection that we have eternal life.

 

 

ASSIGNMENT

PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

 

True and False: Write a “T” for true or an “F” for false for each of the following statements.

 

1. In the beginning, humankind was innocent of sin and was endowed by their Creator with freedom of

 

2. Humankind evolved into the image of

 

3. Christ died for all

 

4. Only those who do enough good deed are worthy of respect and Christian l