Chapter 5: Man and Sin

IN THIS CHAPTER, you will discover:
·   Man as created in the image of God.
·   Man as constituted body, soul, and spirit.
·   The origin of sin.
·   The nature of sin.

AS A RESULT, you will be able to:
·  Know why God made you and your place in His creation.
·  Understand how your body, soul, and spirit interrelate.
·  Define sin and trace its root to Satan's temptation.
·  Recognize the components of sin and how they can operate.

Key Scripture: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" (Gen. 1:27).

We begin our lesson by reiterating that man means generic man, humanity as both male and female. Our previous lessons have dealt largely with God; we now move into an area with which we can personally identify. Society, the media, our family - these have often defined our self-existence. Divine revelation is needed to show what God thinks about man. This lesson will provide a theological understanding of who you are.

Man, as our Key Scripture states, is made in the image of God. This foundational fact needs affirmation, because our modern world has demeaned man's status as that unique creature between God and His creation. Man is above the animal world. In the lessons on creation we saw the uniqueness of man in relation to the rest of the created world. Once again we deny evolution and its mistaken view of man. There is a qualitative difference between man and all animal life, although the two continually interrelate. Man - above the animals - is still under God. Psalm 8:5 declares that man is "a little lower than God." Humanity, despite its uniqueness, is still not divine. Man is to be ruled by God and is thus not a totally free creature. He is privileged to serve the Creator of the universe.

God created man to reflect His likeness and image. Humanity is to mirror God in several key areas. First, man is to reflect God’s dominion. In Genesis 1:26 God states the province of such dominion: over the fish, the birds, the animals, and the reptiles of the earth. In fact, man is vice-regent of all created life. God brought the animals to man in the beginning to be named. Humanity names newly discovered planets or stars, which evidences a continuing dominion. A common misunderstanding of dominion suggests that man is thus free to abuse the earth. The opposite is true. Dominion implies responsible stewardship. Biblical subordination - whether Jesus to the Father, a wife to her husband, or creation to man - has its basis in love and mutual respect. Pollution and pesticide poisoning are sins against our creation that must be corrected. Ecology is a divine prerogative that man must maintain.

Man is to reflect God's being. He has duality as both male and female. Eve was created because Adam needed a partner. Within the Trinity there is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God within Himself has relationship and mutuality. Both God and man are composites, having both unity of being and distinction of persons. The marriage of male and female is the closest human reflection of God's triunity. The relationship of man and woman is an example for all human relationships. Man is a social being; he is his brother's keeper in the human community. The church is the supreme earthly community. Christ with His church fully reflects God. There is a mutual sharing between Christ and His church. As the wife is the bride of her husband, so the church is the bride of Christ. God is the third partner in all human relationship. Even as He was present with Adam and Eve in the garden, He is present to unify all human relationships.

Like giant telescopes whose mirrors reflect distant planets, man is to reflect God's character of holiness, love, and truth. In our lesson on God we studied these fundamental aspects of His character. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, man's reflection of God was blurred. Humanity's intuitive sense of right and wrong, the conscience, became distorted. Man, however, was essentially holy and righteous at creation. The man Christ Jesus was perfect love. He restored love and goodness to a humanity torn by hate and division. Such love is once again possible in our relationships with others. As the God of truth, He desires that man put away all falsehood. We can now be true to ourselves as well as true to other people. To reflect God's holiness, love, and truth is the epitome of self-realization and human growth.

Personal Application: Do you reflect God's character at home, work, and with friends? How can you "unblur" the mirror to better reflect God's love?

Group Application: Discuss the issue of man's dominion of the earth. What is our responsibility to this planet considering the Bible's teaching on stewardship?

Key Scripture: "May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:23).

Key Word: Dualism

Man is not only created in the image of God, but his life results from the breath of God. Genesis 2:7 tells us: "The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." Using this verse as our guide, let us examine man's constitution.

Like the birds and the animals, man is created from the dust of the ground. Because man resembles animals in his constitution does not mean he came from animals. The two share a common biology; both have bodies, hence are corporeal. A chemical analysis of the human body reveals man is composed of many common elements.

In an earlier lesson we discussed dualism, which viewed the body as only an evil shell for the soul. Consequently, the Greeks believed it was desirable to be delivered from the body. Death finally meant escape from the body. The biblical view of the body is quite different. God declared it was "very good" (Gen. 1:31 ). If the body was evil, why would Jesus have taken on a body at His Incarnation? Granted, the body can be used for sordid activities - adultery, gluttony, and homosexuality, to name a few. Paul, however, described its primary purpose: "Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 6:19). Given this fact, he exhorted Christians to "honor God with your body" (v. 20). The body is a marvelous gift of God and is to be used for His glory.

Man shares the breath of life with other creatures. His respiratory system functions like most animals. Breathing both commences and sustains life. Life concludes with a person's last breath. God, through a special act, directly breathed life into man's nostrils. Such respiration was not only physical but spiritual as well. Man derives his spirit from God, but it is not identical with God's Spirit. Sometimes it is said that man is a spirit with a soul in a body. This is an inaccurate and unbiblical view of man's constitution. Let us examine the proper role of spirit and soul.

The spirit is the area where God deals with man. The Spirit of God communicates to man through his spirit. With the spirit, man prays to and praises God. Such spiritual activity transcends the intellect, will, and emotions, though each is involved. Spiritual worship is on a deeper level. Only through the spirit can man realize his true dominion over the earth. The spirit is the essence of man's nature. It operates through the mind, the will, and the emotions, yet is distinct from them. Since man derives his breath from the immortal God, his spirit is also immortal. Though the body dies, the spirit lives forever. Death is simply the spirit's departure from the body. At death the spirit returns to God from whom breath originated.

Man is a living being or soul, a combination of body and spirit. Although animals are also called "living souls" in Scripture, man again is qualitatively different. Soul is not a separate part of man. It encompasses the whole of life whereby the spirit functions through the body. Soul and spirit are closely linked in the Bible. According to Hebrews 4:12, they can be distinguished as the Word of God pierces them. The soul is related directly to the conscious life. Here resides the intellectual, emotional, and volitional capacities. Man's mind is superior to that of other creatures. His soul represents the peculiar quality of human life, in which he thinks, acts, and feels. The soul is not preexistent; it did not exist before human conception. Yet it is immortal. At death the soul joins the spirit to return to God.

Genesis 2:16 states that man could freely eat of any tree in the garden. Adam and Eve were thus made in positive freedom. God created man to fellowship with Him. Adam was also created with the freedom to labor joyfully and productively. Eve was to gladly "be fruitful and increase in number" (Gen. 1:28). This beautiful world was given to them to enjoy freely. This freedom existed before the entrance of sin. Yet it portrays what God's intentions were at creation. There was communion with God, harmony with creation, and a relationship between man and woman. Man was free to do God's will. Real freedom has sometimes been imagined as a freedom from God. This is far from the truth. True freedom is liberation from sin and self in order that we may serve and obey God.

Man originally had the freedom of decision. God gave man the choice whether to obey His command regarding the tree of life. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve succumbed to temptation and disobeyed. By giving humanity a free will, God granted the right to make genuine decisions. Man is not an automaton or a rubber stamp. God desires that man willingly serve and be conformed to Him. To establish character, man must have the freedom to walk in the truth. God's original intention was that man be ignorant of evil. After the Fall, evil dominated the hearts of humans. With Christ, purity of heart is restored. The book of Revelation promises a time when evil will no longer be a reality. The tree of life will once again stand in the midst of the heavenly city. All evil wil be forever banished outside its gates (22:15). Joshua's injunction to Israel is a fitting close to our discussion of human free will:

"Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD" (24:15).

Personal Application: Reflect on the freedom that God has given you. Will you freely serve Him today with your spirit, mind, will, and emotions?

Group Application: Discuss the relationship of body, soul, and spirit. Note the distinctive aspects of each as well as how they interrelate.

Key Scripture: "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned" (Rom. 5:12).

The basic problem of human nature and society is sin. Man, made in the image of God, is now a fallen sinner. Christianity teaches that man needs repentance and salvation from his sin. Several years ago the title of a prominent book asked this question, "Whatever happened to sin?" A theological perspective on human problems has largely been discarded in favor of sociological, political, psychological, and economic views. In the next several lessons we will fully explore the topic of sin.

Sin is the deliberate disobedience of God and His will. To sin is to transgress divine law. When we sin, we disobey God's commandments and deviate from His will. This disobedience may either be by consent or by action. Like an arrow that overshoots the target, we miss the mark established by God's law. Sin is also direct rebellion against God. Humanity violates its sacred relationship with God and spurns His love. It has instigated a mutiny on Planet Earth against God the Creator. Until men and women acknowledge their deviation and rebellion, the situation is hopeless. Alienation, guilt, and anxiety are the results of sin's poison. Such is the universal condition.

How did sin originate? If God made a "very good" world, where did evil come from? The answer to the question of "original sin" is suggested in Scripture. There is a definite relationship between the first sin and "continuing sin." As we understand sin in its origins, we will understand its ongoing power in the world today.

In Genesis 3 we encounter Satan working through the serpent. Satan's appearance is the prelude to sin's entry into the world. Scripture provides little information on Satan's background and identity. Wherever he is mentioned, however, deception, accusation, and craftiness characterize him. John 8:44 calls him "a liar and the father of lies." Satan makes his final appearance in the book of Revelation. Along with the beast and the false prophet, he will be thrown into the lake of fire to "be tormented day and night for ever and ever" (20:10).

First John 3:8 provides this clue concerning Satan's origin: "The devil has been sinning from the beginning." "From the beginning" does not mean that he is eternal like God. Rather, Satan is a created being like the other angels. The Bible states that at some primeval time Satan, with other angels, rebelled against God (Jude 6, 2 Peter 2:4). He continues as an adversary of God and the people of God. Paul in 1 Timothy 3:6 suggests that pride was the cause of Satan's downfall. Before the appearance of Adam and Eve, evil did exist in the heavenly realms. However, evil was not originally a part of God's earthly creation. The origin of sin does not rest with human freedom or God's permissive will. A third party - Satan - injected his venom of sin into Eve through subtlety and deception. Our planet was polluted by sin through a villain more nefarious than any archenemy of fantasy or science fiction.

Adam and Eve could have resisted the serpent's temptation. Satan only insinuated; he could not compel them to disobey God. Temptation did not need to result in an act of sin. After their sin, this couple also sought to deny responsibility for their actions. Adam pointed the finger at Eve, and Eve at the serpent. How can we hold Eve responsible if the serpent was so deceitful? She freely conversed with the serpent about matters already decided by God. She failed to turn away from the serpent's lies and thus allowed herself to be deceived. Finally, she failed to call upon God to deliver her from the temptation. Adam's sin was perhaps more grievous than his wife's. Whereas Eve was deceived, Adam willfully disobeyed God by taking the fruit from his wife and eating it. He thus compounded Eve's sin. Adam and Eve bear a responsibility for sin's entrance into the world with its continued tragic consequences today.

Satan's temptation and man's fall could never have occurred outside God's permissive will. Why did God permit both to take place? Whether angelic or human, God gave His creatures free will. He desires to be praised and worshiped without coercion. Within such freedom must exist the freedom not to worship and obey Him. Thus Satan, along with Adam and Eve, chose rebellion. God, however, used their disobedience to accomplish a higher purpose later on - to save humanity from sin's pollution. What a paradox!

God could not will man's sin lest he be the author of evil; yet through the Fall His purposes were fulfilled. Without sin, there would be no Incarnation, Resurrection, or Ascension. Jesus in amazing grace and love came to defeat the devil and to reverse the effects of Adam's sin.

Thus, in relation to salvation, these three factors continue at work today: Satan's temptation, man's freedom, and God's permissive will. We can resist Satan's temptations to disobey God our Creator. We then can freely choose to eat of the gospel of Jesus Christ. By partaking of it, we are saved. Such is the positive choice we can make toward God.

Personal Application: What is your earliest remembrance of sin? Did you commit it because of outward temptation, inward desire, or both? Was confession and forgiveness necessary for restoration to occur?

Group Application: Discuss the role of Satan in the temptation of Adam and Eve. Have his tactics changed much? Share some ways that Satan tries to tempt you personally.

Key Scripture: "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" (Gen. 3:6).

Now that we have examined the origin of sin, let us next look at the nature of sin. Genesis 3 describes three of the key components of sin: unbelief, pride, and disobedience.

The serpent's words "Did God really say...…?" (v. 1) were intended to shake Eve's faith in God and His word. Suddenly God's fairness and justice were called into question. Eve's defense of God introduces misstatement and confusion. The forbidden tree, instead of the tree of life, now receives center stage. The serpent contradicts God's previous warning of death by stating "you will not surely die" (v. 4). Neither man nor woman refute this lie. The root of the Fall then is unbelief. Adam and Eve could have withstood the temptation had they affirmed their belief in God's word.

They accepted the lie, however. The forbidden fruit became more important than that of every other tree in the garden. They were compelled to be near the tree. Satan turned their own desires into an easy conquest. The existence of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil gave Adam and Eve the opportunity to believe God. Instead, they succumbed to temptation and their own appetites. Why did God impose such a terrible penalty for this transgression? Death is the inevitable consequence of turning away from God. Obedience to God is the only way to live. All sin is fundamentally unbelief in God and His word. Paul writes, "Everything that does not come from faith is sin" (Rom. 14:23). Each of us stands at our own crossroads of sin or faith. Forbidden fruit beckons in one direction; obedience to God and His word in the other. Which will be your response: to obey God and trust His goodness or to give in to temptation and follow fleshly desires? An eternal death awaits those who persist in unrighteousness.

Satan promised that upon eating the forbidden fruit "your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (v. 5). This is man's ultimate temptation -- to be like God. Instead of contentment to be God's crown of creation, humanity sought to be divine. Satan touched this raw nerve of ambition and pride. Man failed first to trust God; now that same unbelief exposed an impossible desire to be God. The Bible often speaks about the human propensity to pride and always condemns such an attitude. Because of sin, humanity is self-centered and egocentric. As a result, service to God is not seen as a welcome freedom but rather an unpleasant bondage.

The humanistic teaching on the cult of self-realization, heard both in and out of the church, stresses that humanity's greatest need is to fulfill its potential. Sin is little mentioned in such preaching and teaching because it is negative and thought to inhibit growth. Positive thinking, self-esteem, and successful living are slogans of this school of self. Granted, you must "love yourself" to be successful in the Christian life. However, we must guard that this "be all that you can be" mentality does not become the whole gospel.

John draws a remarkable parallel to our Key Scripture in his description of sin as "the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does" (1 John 2:16). Eve found the fruit pleasing to her eyes and saw an opportunity to gain divine wisdom. She selfishly desired the fruit and coveted the promised results of eating it. Adam and Eve became like God in the sense that then they knew sin and evil. God had sought to protect humanity from evil. He knew the tragic consequences of angelic rebellion. However, human innocence of sin was not to be. The wisdom man so eagerly sought turned out to be double-edged. Adam and Eve came to know the very evil of which God had intended them to be ignorant.

The Genesis story tragically concludes with Eve eating the fruit and then giving some to her husband. Through this act of disobedience, sin entered the human race. The progression, begun with unbelief and pride, is finally fulfilled in disobedience. During her beguilement Eve was accompanied by her husband "who was with her." Eve's disobedience resulted from deception; Adam's was willful participation. Adam's deliberate disobedience was the greater evil because of his conscious decision to partake.

Obedience to God is a theme that permeates Scripture. The Gentile nations, in spite of having the natural or moral law written on the conscience of their hearts, were unable to obey God. Israel throughout her history was a rebellious people. The Ten Commandments, which publicized the natural law and summarized the Old Covenant, were repeatedly violated. Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount declared that heart obedience was also mandatory for true righteousness. Such a standard is impossible for the natural man to obey. Despite humanity's efforts, unbelief, pride, and disobedience stand in the way of obeying God. Finally, sin against God's laws is a sin against God Himself. Sin is the ultimate betrayal of God's love for His creation.

We conclude our study on sin with this dark portrait painted by Paul: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). The human predicament is surely a hopeless one. Such a desperate situation provides the contrast for the great and glorious answer to follow in a later lesson.

Personal Application: Have you ever had, like Eve, a forbidden fruit that tried to lure you into sin? Were you able to resist the temptation? If so, how did you do it?

Group Application: Humanity throughout history has desired to be like God. How do we today express the desire to be divine?