With the Protestant Reformation in the early 16th Century, a new quest for God’s truth was sought to the greatest extent in the modern era. By careful study, the Protestant Reformers determined that God revealed Himself through General Revelation (creation) and by Holy Scripture (the final rule for faith and practice) also known as Special Revelation. By revelation they saw the best and worst of man. Resulting from the fall, man became completely corrupt in his entire being. With this corruption, came a desire to only disobey God continually. Genesis 6:5 sheds some light on our natural disposition to rebel against God and forego choosing Him: “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Adam’s original sin left all his posterity with a death sentence as they were born with a conscious bearing his guilt. Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death…”
However, it also became obvious why God wanted to redeem man and His creation for that matter. In Genesis 1:26 we’re told, “And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness…” This shows that we have God’s thumb print on us from conception. In fact, Psalm 139:13-14 tells us, “For you created my inmost being you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well.” Striking is the acknowledgement from the psalmist that glory goes to God for his creation and all his works.
Genesis 1:26 concludes, “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 creeps upon the earth.” Ephesians 2:10 tells us, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. It’s evident by these scriptures that God has a plan for each person while they are here and desires us to give glorify to him by serving Him. This runs contrary to what many theologians assert when they claim that God created man and all creation then departed the scene. Philippians 1:6 counters this notion by showing that God did not give up on His people, And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
This view of man prevailed throughout the 17th and 18th centuries and is embraced now. Revivals, including the Great Awakenings led by the likes of George Whitfield and Jonathan Edwards had this underlying view of man. Without it, they and other preachers wouldn’t have had the incentive to spread the Gospel and converts without knowing their condition and the love God bestowed on them would not come to Christ.
This view shows a meaningful existence and substance to man, despite his outrageous rebellion against the creator God going back to original sin and now with the disregard for human life, God’s institutions, and most of all pointing people away from His message of saving Grace. However, once again we wrestle with God’s favor towards men as we see in Colossians 1:17 that Jesus holds ALL things together including sinful man. In Jeremiah 1:5 we find, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart…”
While these beliefs on God and sinful man prevailed in the proceeding centuries following the Reformation, they began to be challenged. In the early 1800s like in centuries past man traded the truth for a lie. So, instead of viewing man as being made in God’s image man began to be viewed in relative terms instead of holding intrinsic worth. Instead of the worldview held by the likes of Jonathan Edwards that all humans have equal footing before the cross, man’s value became based on performance and were taught to seek after things that could never quench their ultimate desire only found in Christ. can.
We’ve been lied to through fictitious science that denies creation brought about and sustained by God. Since many scientists have pushed away the truth in this matter, they’ve devised explanations such as the Big Bang Theory and macro evolution. These explanations are no different than pagan religions who derive their own gods and explanations for why we’re here. This stands in direct contrast to Christianity in which God not only reveals himself to man through creation but also meets with man directly as evidenced in the Bible.
It’s no wonder, knowing the corruptness of man’s heart, that God gave us the first and second commandments which focus on idolatry of the heart and physical idolatry. God meant for our treasures to be with Him and for everything created to be in His honor. However, because of our pride, we create, and it becomes for our glory. Through mechanisms such as gambling people look towards quick fixes thinking that material wealth will provide satisfaction when only Christ is capable of meeting our greatest need.
Pagan science has had negative consequence throughout time. If people have evolved from random chance without the hand of a creator, they are nothing but stuff that has happened to coalesce over time initiated by a Big Band which has unfolded through millions or possibly of billions of years also contradicting Biblical truth.
These notions affect the way we view one another. If an attractive woman can be valued by virtue of her outward appearance, is it surprising that the pornography is so rampant? What about abortion and physician assisted suicide? If the meaning of life is that we evolved from a species other than our own what reason is there to value life at all stages? Then there’s promiscuity. If our existence boils down to cosmic dust and we’re not accountable for our free will actions, then why not use one another? Since people have no intrinsic worth what reason is there to regard their well being and refrain from schemes such as gambling that seek to profit from their downfall?
In His Image 