man – La Vista Church of Christ

The Human Life of God

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 21:45:07 +0000

by Steve Klein
via Guardian of Truth XXXV: 14, pp. 419-420, July 18, 1991

One of the most ticklish of all religious controversies since the time of the apostles has been over the nature of the deity that Jesus possessed as a man. Historian Philip Schaff observed that in the years before 325 A.D., "the whole theological energy" of church leaders concentrated itself "upon the doctrine of Christ as the God-man" [History of the Christian Church, Vol. 2, p. 248]. In fact, from the third to the sixth centuries after Christ lived on earth, one could scarcely find a more disputed topic.

Schaff observed that in the writings of the Christians who lived just after New Testament times, "we find for the most part only the simple Biblical statements of the deity and humanity of Christ, in the practical form needed for general edification" [p. 249]. Perversions arose only when men tried to fit these simple truths into their human religious systems.

That section of early church history could be studied profitably by many today who are speculating about the divine prerogatives Christ exercised as a man. Much energy is being expended in a vain attempt to back up the assertion that "man has to sin" and still explain why the man Jesus did not sin. Suffice it here to say that in days long since past, many religious leaders lost their honor and their reputations in such vain and needless disputes. In those debates, one or both sides frequently lacked any biblical foundation for their beliefs. The spiritual carnage that resulted from those ancient factions stands as a monument of warning to any who would wish to follow a similar path in our own generation. Truly, let us "beware" lest we be "consumed by one another!" (Galatians 5:15).

Presently, perhaps as a result of some of the speculations that have been noised abroad, a question has been raised among sincere Christians across the country concerning how it was that Jesus was able to live a sinless life. Did he receive special help from God? Did he not need any special help because he was himself God and used his divine powers to resist temptation? Or did he live a perfectly sinless life, overcoming temptation as a man, with no extra edge whatsoever? We need not speculate. The Bible answers these questions plainly:

Jesus "was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). "In all things he had to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of he people. For in that he himself has suffered, being tempted, he is able to aid those who are tempted" (Hebrews 2:17-18).

Jesus was made "like his brethren" and was "tempted as we are" so that he could aid us. If it were possible for him to have been tempted as God (which it was not, James 1:13), what good would it have done you and me? Had Jesus not been tempted as a man, could he have become our helpful High Priest, blazing the pathway to God? Not according to the Scriptures. "He had to be made like His brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest" (Hebrews 2:17).

As a man, he is our example, Mediator, and sacrifice for sin. "Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow his steps: who committed no sin" (I Peter 2:21-22). "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (I Timothy 2:5). "This Man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God" (Hebrews 10:12).

When Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, he was not proving that God cannot be tempted; rather, he demonstrated how a tempted man can overcome it. After fasting for forty days and nights, Jesus "was hungry" as any man would be (Matthew 4:1-2). During that same period, he was tempted "by the devil" as all men are (Luke 4:1-2). He overcame those temptations, not by exercising divine powers or receiving special help from God, but by relying on the Scriptures. Every specific temptation recorded in Matthew 4:1-10 was met with a quotation from Scripture. Jesus demonstrated the attitude of the Psalmist who said, "Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You" (Psalms 119:11). He used the same means for overcoming temptation that you and I must use today - reliance upon God's word. There was nothing directly superhuman or divine about it. It was only after the "devil left him" that he received supernatural help; "angels came and ministered to Him" (Matthew 4:11).

Henry Van Dyke said it so beautifully nearly 100 years ago:

"The life which Christ lived on earth was a veritable human life. The person who lived it was the Son of God. But in order to live that human life He had to become man, not in a dramatic sense, but actually and entirely. . . He was subject to ignorance, to limitation, to weakness, to temptation, even as we are. The only point of difference between Him and us is that we sin, but He sinned not. The Godhood that was in Him was such as manhood is capable of receiving. . . His existence among men was simply the human life of God" [The Gospel for an Age of Doubt, 1900, preface to the 6th edition, pp. xxi-xxii].

It is interesting that Henry Van Dyke was a noted Presbyterian scholar. As such, he was supposed to be a Calvinist, but he could see that Calvinism contradicted the New Testament. He rejected Calvin's teaching on foreordination and election, saying, "I do not believe that all things that happen are determined beforehand. The soul is free" (p. xxiii). Van Dyke's writings on the nature of the divinity of Christ were "criticized as dangerous" by the Calvinistic scholars of his day who labeled them "a violent and unfair attack upon Calvinism" (p. xxii). Like some among us today, Van Dyke's critics had probably become used to de-emphasizing Jesus' humanity and over emphasizing His deity. Only in this way could they uphold the Calvinistic notion that man "has to sin" because of his polluted nature and still explain how Jesus did not sin.

In the person of Jesus, we have a Being who shows us what God is like and reveals what man ought to be. Surely, in Jesus dwelt "all the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9). He was "the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being" (Hebrews 1:3 NIV). He told his disciples, "He who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9), and yet Jesus lived a human life. He was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3). He "suffered, being tempted," but he remained "without sin" (Hebrews 2:18; 4:15). His accomplishment is one of the highest points of human history -that a weak and starving man could turn to the prince of darkness and say, "Away with you Satan!" "Get behind Me" (Matthew 4:10, Luke 4:8).

No other man has lived a "perfectly sinless life," and none ever will (Romans 3:9-23). That is not the fault of human nature but of human choice. Man simply cannot blame his sin on his humanity, for Jesus was a sinless human.

Like the early Christians Schaff wrote of, we today need to focus on those simple biblical statements of the deity and humanity of Jesus. Let us renounce human speculation and simply believe that in Jesus "dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2:9), and yet he is "an example" for humans who are to "follow his steps" (I Peter 2:21f). He is the "express image" of God (Hebrews 1:3) who was "in all points tempted as we are" (Hebrews 4:15), and yet "God cannot be tempted by evil" (James 1:13). To believe each of these Scriptures does not promote confusion, but an understanding of the human life of God.

God Was Manifest in the Flesh

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 21:24:42 +0000

by Tim Coffey
via Guardian of Truth XL: 5 p. 8-9, March 7, 1996

Paul proclaimed, "Great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh" (I Timothy 3:16). For those who saw Jesus in the flesh, the difficulty was not in believing that he was man, but in believing he was God. For those of us who read the New Testament and see the overall picture of such a tremendous life, the difficulty is not in believing he was God, but man as well. Our hope of heaven cannot stand in anything less than a firm conviction of both.

The Deity of Christ

When the Ethiopian eunuch proclaimed, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God," this statement was not only his but that which all men must make or acknowledge believing to become children of God. This statement is the very foundation of our faith, for Jesus said it was "upon this rock," or the fact of this statement, that he would build his church (Matthew 16:16-18). However, are we at a disadvantage today because we cannot see, firsthand, Jesus working in his ministry? Remember, it was Thomas who said, "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails ... and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe" (John 20:25). He was told by the others that Jesus had risen, but faith for him required firsthand knowledge.

In response to this idea, Jesus said, "Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." We can have the same faith that Thomas had when he exclaimed, "My Lord and my God," and yet, as Jesus says, we do not have to see him firsthand to believe. In fact, we are in a situation no different than the Ethiopian eunuch, yet he could state his conviction with all his heart.

We can have full assurance that Jesus is deity because Isaiah said, "A virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14). Matthew tells us this prophecy was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus, and Immanuel means "God with us" (Matthew 1:23). Jesus was God with us on earth.

In like manner, we can have full assurance that Jesus is deity because the angels worshiped him at his birth (Hebrews 1:6). The wise men who came to Herod expressed that they wanted to worship him and, upon finding him, did so (Matthew 2:2, 11). The disciples, as well as others, worshiped him on various occasions (Matthew 14:33; 28:9; Mark 5:6; etc.). These passages do not indicate that Jesus ever forbade anyone from worshiping him. However, this cannot be said of those who are only human. Peter would not accept worship from Cornelius (Acts 10:25-26), and Paul and Barnabas would not accept worship from the people of Lystra (Acts 14:8-18). Not even the heavenly angel who showed the revelation to the apostle John would accept worship from him (Revelation 22:8-9). These all knew that worship is reserved for deity only, and that is why the angel proclaimed unto John, "worship God." Clearly, this proves that Jesus was deity even while on earth.

Next, we have the witness and testimony of John the Baptist. He was sent by the heavenly Father to "bear witness of the Light" (John 1:6-7). He tells us that God told him to look for the one "upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining." John saw such "and bare record that this is the Son of God" (John 1:33-34).

Following the testimony of John, we have Jesus himself declaring his deity. Throughout the book of John, we have Jesus telling the Jews in Jerusalem, on many occasions and in various ways, that he is the Son of God. In John 8:56-58, he said, "Before Abraham was, I Am," which the Jews understood clearly to be a reference to the statement of God in Exodus 3:13-14. Jesus also affirmed that he was the Son of God to the blind man who was told to wash in the pool of Siloam (John 9:35-37). On another occasion, the Jews approached Jesus while he walked in the temple and inquired, "If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus, in exasperation, responded with, "I told you, and ye believed not" (John 10:24-25). Since Jesus was without sin, we know that he told the truth when he said, "I am the Son of God" (John 10:36).

Finally, and perhaps the strongest evidence of all, is the witness which the Father gave of his son. Jesus said, "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true . . . I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me" (John 5:31-37). In John 8:13, the Pharisees accused Jesus of bearing record of himself and said that it was, therefore, not true. Jesus responded, "It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me" (John 8:17-18). In John 10:37-38, Jesus said, "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him."

Many other Scriptures could be given to show why we can have assurance that Jesus is God, but with these witnesses bearing testimony to the fact, surely the matter is established.

The Humanity of Christ

But this is not the only thing we must believe. Not only must every Christian believe that Jesus is God, but they must also believe that this eternal one came to earth incarnate as man. John said, "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God" (I John 4:2). As the truth of the deity of Jesus is the foundation of the church, so the truth of the humanity of Jesus is the foundation of our reconciliation to God (Hebrews 2:17). Without a Jesus who is man, as well as God, we would not have a High Priest who is qualified to mediate on our behalf. Therefore, we should be able to believe with all our heart, as the apostle Paul, that there is "one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (I Timothy 2:5).

We can have assurance that Jesus was a man because he refers to himself as "the Son of Man" 82 times in the four gospel accounts. Paul not only refers to him as "the man Christ Jesus," but also told the men of Athens that God "will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained" (Acts 17:31). The Hebrew writer says that since we are all partakers of "flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same" (Hebrews 2:14).

In like manner, we can have full assurance that Jesus was a man because he became our High Priest. The Hebrew writer says, "Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest" (Hebrews 2:17). This does not mean that he ceased to be deity nor does it mean that he ceased to possess the attributes of deity. What it does tell us is that those attributes of deity did not prevent his living as a man in any way. Many have tried to explain how God could be made "in all things" like us and still be God. Many have tried to explain how God could keep the attributes of deity from conflicting with living as a man. Various words have been used to describe this (i.e., laid aside, gave up, limited, etc.), but surely, all will agree that we are not inspired writers or speakers. We risk conveying the wrong idea whenever we use our own words to describe what God has written in his word.

Finally, we can take comfort in knowing that Jesus was a man because he was tempted like us. "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). Having felt the infirmities of humanity as we feel them, he is a merciful and trustworthy high priest (Hebrew 2:17). He can help us when we are tempted because he has "suffered being tempted" (Hebrews 2:18). We can "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16) because he "ever liveth to make intercession" for us (Hebrews 7:25). What great grace was shown by Jesus, for "though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich" (II Corinthians 8:9).

Conclusion

As Moses once said, "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us" (Deuteronomy 29:29). What has been revealed is that "God was manifest in the flesh" (I Timothy 3:16). Let us believe this, preach it, and take comfort in it, as God's word tells us to.

Equal in Christ, Distinct in Roles: A Scriptural Case for Male Leadership in the Church

Jeffrey Hamilton — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 21:28:50 +0000

by Gregory Alan Tidwell

I’ve been a preacher in the church for over forty years, and over time, I’ve seen many debates rise up among us. One of the most enduring, particularly in recent decades, is the question of women’s leadership in the church. Many voices today, both from within our fellowship and the broader religious world, argue that women should be able to take on the same leadership roles as men, such as preaching and serving as elders. These voices are often passionate and sincere, but I’ve found that it’s vital to weigh these arguments carefully against what the Scriptures teach.

We All Equal

Over the years, I’ve sat with brothers and sisters who have come to different conclusions on this issue. The egalitarians—those who support women leading in the church—often begin with a verse that seems to offer a sweeping statement of equality: Galatians 3:28. They read, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” and argue that this erases any distinction in roles between men and women in the church.
At first glance, this seems compelling. After all, we believe that in Christ, all believers—men and women alike—share the same spiritual standing. But I’ve always come back to the context of that verse. Galatians 3:28 isn’t about church leadership; it’s about salvation. It addresses the spiritual equality we have before God but doesn’t erase the distinct roles God assigns to men and women elsewhere in Scripture. I’ve found that when we turn to passages like I Timothy 2:12, where Paul clearly states that a woman should not teach or have authority over a man, it becomes clear that God’s design for men and women includes different roles within His church. These instructions, rooted in the order of creation itself, guide us—not limit or diminish anyone, but to help the church flourish as God intended.

Women in Significant Roles

Egalitarians often point to the women who played significant roles in the early church—Phoebe, Priscilla, Junia—as proof that women led alongside men in the first century. These women were vital to the church’s mission, and I thank God for how He used them. But it’s important to understand what kind of leadership they exercised. Phoebe, for instance, was a servant, but that’s not the same as being an elder or a preacher. Priscilla, alongside her husband Aquila, was a faithful teacher, but we never see her standing before the church in a position of authority over men. Instead, we see her, quietly with her husband, instructing Apollos in a private setting.

The case of Junia is less discussed. Some argue that she was an apostle, but the term "apostle" in that context does not mean she held an official role like the Twelve but rather was a respected messenger or missionary. It doesn’t mean she was an elder or had authority over men in the church. While indispensable, the roles of these women never contradict Paul’s clear teachings about male leadership in the local assembly.

Cultural Instructions?

Many egalitarians today also claim that Paul’s instructions in I Timothy 2 and I Corinthians 14 were just responses to particular cultural situations. They argue that these instructions don’t apply to us today because they were meant for churches in specific circumstances—perhaps dealing with women who were uneducated or disruptive. I’ve heard this argument often, but it doesn’t hold up under closer examination. Paul doesn’t root his instructions in culture but in creation. When he explains why women shouldn’t teach or have authority over men, he points back to Adam and Eve. That’s not a cultural argument; that’s a creation argument, and creation hasn’t changed. God established the order Paul laid out at the very beginning, and we are still called to honor it today.

Using Your Gifts

There’s also the argument that because women are gifted with leadership and teaching abilities, they should be allowed to use them in every area of church life. I know many women who are extraordinarily gifted teachers and leaders. I’ve seen women with a deeper understanding of Scripture than many men. However, gifts from the Holy Spirit must always be used to honor the framework God has set in place. I’ve often told my congregation that spiritual gifts are given for the church's edification, but they must be exercised within the boundaries laid out in Scripture. This is why, even though women may be wonderful teachers, they are called to teach other women (Titus 2:3-5) and children—not to take on roles that exercise authority over men in the church.

A Breaking of Cultural Norms

Finally, some say that since Jesus broke cultural norms in the way He treated women, the church should follow His example by allowing women to lead in every capacity. I have to agree—Jesus challenged cultural norms, especially in how He honored women and included them in His ministry. But when we look at how He structured His leadership team, it’s clear that He maintained the pattern of male leadership. He chose twelve men as His apostles. After His resurrection, we see the early church following that same pattern, appointing men as deacons and overseers.

I’ve come to understand that Jesus didn’t simply bend to cultural expectations; He established a leadership model that transcended culture. It was rooted in God’s design for His people, which goes all the way back to Genesis. When we ignore that design, we don’t gain more freedom—we lose the order and balance that God intended for His church.

So, where does this leave us? In my experience, the answer is not to pit men against women or diminish women's valuable contributions to the body of Christ. It’s to recognize that God has assigned different roles for a reason. Men are called to lead the church as elders and preachers, not because they are more valuable, but because that’s how God has designed it. Women have equally important roles in teaching, serving, and leading in ways that honor God’s structure for the church.

At the end of the day, the goal is not to assert our ideas of equality but to submit ourselves to the authority of Scripture. When we follow God’s design, men and women flourish, and the church reflects the order and beauty of the gospel. That’s a vision worth protecting and passing on to the next generation.

A High Value Man Is a Worthy Man

Jeffrey Hamilton — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 15:22:52 +0000

by Perry Hall

A term used in our modern culture to describe men and women is "high value." Sadly, "high value" is not God's value. A "high value" man is judged based on income, height, looks, and other "biblically low values." Also, a "high value" woman can look very little like a "worthy woman."

Many have heard Proverbs 31:10-31 used to describe a godly woman at a wedding or funeral (Hmmm, funny how a wedding and funeral are connected!). How about using this same passage to help men be worthy of a worthy woman?

He is willing to listen to his mother’s advice on women (Proverbs 31:10-31)

• After advising her son the king about being a king, the mother moves to advice on a more personal matter - marriage. This is a mother’s description of a worthy woman.
We don't live in a culture of arranged marriages, but such cultures have a lower divorce rate. Marriage is often based upon the wisdom of parents.
Parents should train their children on how to choose a spouse.

Is Careful (Proverbs 31:10)

"A worthy woman, who can find?" If a woman worth marrying is hard to find, shouldn't a man be careful who he dates? Dating an unworthy woman leads to unworthy love and produces unworthy marriages. Worthy men are selective.

Trusts His Wife (Proverbs 31:11)

Trust is essential in relationships, and it includes a willingness to trust. Men who are always suspicious are weak and turn their trusting wives into miserable women.

Wise in His Own Right (Proverbs 31:23)

While every man needs to listen to wisdom, he needs to grow into being wise instead of relying only on others. What woman would respect a man who couldn't make a decision?

Respected by Others (Proverbs 31:23)

If others don't respect the man, then the prospective wife is asking for trouble!

Praises the Worthy Wife (Proverbs 31:28-31)

The specifics follow, but there are many ways a wife needs to hear her man's praise. It makes her secure, a woman's primary need, just as respect is the man's.

Knows True Value Is Spiritual and Not Physical (Proverbs 31:30)

Neither men nor women can keep their looks with age, but their character can become even more beautiful. Plus, "beauty only" might be unfaithful, but "character and beauty" remains faithful.

Praises His Wife in Public (Proverbs 31:31)

Women need this as much as private praise. Plus, public praise for the wife makes the man off-limits in the minds of other women!

Calls on Others to Praise His Wife (Proverbs 31:31)

A good man builds his wife up by encouraging others to build her up. Life is fuller when people encourage one another instead of viewing others as competition.

Want a worthy marriage? Before looking for a worthy woman, be a worthy man.

What is Man?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:34:00 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/WhatIsMan.mp3

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

Text: Psalm 8:3-9

I. Job faced a severe trials as Satan tried to get him to turn against God

A. It wasn’t just the suffering that Job wrestled with.

B. Trying to understand what lead to his plight also caused Job to raise other questions as well.

C. One that Job asked is “What is man?”

II. What is man that God should exalt him? - Job 7:17-20

A. Job wonders why God bothers to notice him

1. Such scrutiny is more than Job believes he can bear

2. The call to righteousness seem difficult to reach - Job 14:1-6

B. Eliphaz’s answer is that man is too dirty - Job 15:14-16

1. It is a theme that he keeps repeating - Job 4:17-21

C. I’ve known people who take that attitude. Men are too wicked. They have to be beneath the notice of God.

D. Or like Job that it is too hard to strive for.

III. What is man that God should care? - Psalm 8:3-9

A. In one sense, man is another part of God’s creation.

1. We can examine all the intricate parts and marvel at their workings - Psalm 139:13-16

2. God cares for His creatures - Matthew 6:26, 28-30

a. But Jesus’ point is that man in more than the animals and plants

B. Man shares a commonality with God

1. We are three parts - I Thessalonians 5:23

2. Unlike the animals we were made in the image of God - Genesis 1:27

3. Animals and humans return to the dust when we die - Ecclesiastes 3:19-21

a. But we can’t see the spirit. I can’t prove that the spirit continues on.

b. But we believe because God said so - Ecclesiastes 12:6-7

C. God cares because we belong to Him - Ezekiel 18:4, 20

IV. God made us to be righteous

A. God made man righteous, but they seek out sin - Ecclesiastes 7:29

B. Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the foundation of the world to be holy, so He planned for our salvation

C. In that offer of salvation we see God’s love for us - I John 4:9-11

D. He doesn’t want people to perish - Ezekiel 18:21-23

E. Nothing can come between us and God’s love, if we would just not turn our backs on Him - Romans 8:30-39

V. Given God’s care and great love for each of us, why should we seek any other but the one God?

A. We cannot put one little star in motion,

We cannot shape one single forest leaf,

We cannot fling a mountain up, nor sink an ocean,

Presumptuous pigmy, large with unbelief!

We cannot bring one dawn of regal splendor,

Nor bid the day to shadowy twilight fall,

Nor send the pale moon forth with radiance tender;

And dare we doubt the One who has done all?

S. A. Nagel

B. God wants us to believe that He will welcome us - Hebrews 11:6

C. That belief should spur us to do His works - Ephesians 2:10

D. Will you not accept that God loves you, cares for you? Will you put off your sins, and put on the Lord? - Romans 6:3-4

Creation: Necessary Biblical Inferences

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 03:26:00 +0000

by C.G. "Colly" Caldwell
via Truth Magazine, Vol. 52, No. 5, May 2008.

The points we bring to your attention in this article are clearly taught in Scripture. They are, however, also necessarily inferred or implied by the very fact of Divine Creation. When one by faith accepts that Almighty God created all things other than Himself, the resulting "worldview" (or God-view) necessitates unequivocal basic convictions concerning material things, human beings, and human response to God (i.e., worship, service, and ethical responsibility). Understanding that, we are provided answers to many of today's great social issues, which are addressed and resolved in the very first chapters of the Bible.

Again, for further consideration of this subject, I recommend that you read Jack Cottrell's chapter 4 in God the Creator, a major source (other than the Bible) for our study. In that chapter, Cottrell quotes Langdon Gilkey in Maker of Heaven and Earth: "The idea that God is the Creator of all things is the indispensable foundation on which the other beliefs of the Christian faith are based. It affirms what the Christian believes about the status of God in the whole realm of reality: He is the Creator of everything else. This affirmation logically depends on all that Christians say about God, about the world they live in, and about their own history, destiny, and hope" (pg. 143).

Inferences Regarding The Material Universe

We begin by accepting through faith that God is truly the Creator. We believe in creation, not macro-evolution. That clearly declares that all matter and the natural processes that manage it were created by God. The fact that a good God made it implies that matter itself, with regard to its basic innate nature at least, is good. "And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude" (1 Tim. 4:4).

Many philosophical and religious systems have denied that matter is good. Plato acknowledged the reality of matter but regarded it as a hindrance to man. Early "Christian" philosophies such as Gnosticism and Manichaeism contrasted matter with God. Modern metaphysical notions, such as those held by Christian Science, are similar in derivation. In Sankaran Hindu, the notion of Maya says that matter is unreal ... based on the concept that it is evil. New Testament Christians teach that matter is good as created by God.

The Bible nowhere teaches that anything God made is intrinsically evil. There is nothing evil, for instance, about the human body. When Paul talks about the "works of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16-21), he is not talking about the composition of physical flesh but about the sinful dispositions of individuals who do not follow God's Will in their lives. Even the desires and needs of the body (food and drink, sexual satisfaction, etc.) are not in themselves sinful. And things composed from the matter God created are not in themselves evil (television, computers, etc.). The purposes may be evil (as with many instruments of either torture or pleasure), but their material elements are not evil. While we may say that computers are evil because one can view pornography there, the evil is found in the corrupt mind of the user, not in the machine itself.

God's creation was designed to glorify Himself. "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork" (Psalms 19:1). Therefore, His creation announces His greatness both in terms of power and goodness. Evil proceeds from man's corrupting what God has made, not from God's physical creation itself. Men should live in the world using what God has made to glorify the Creator.

We must realize that matter is finite and limited. Matter is not eternal. Only God is eternal. The very fact that it came from nothing by the powerful hand of the Creator argues that matter depends upon God for its existence. If it could be brought into existence by His Word, it can as readily be taken away and cease
to exist.

While it exists, matter is generally reliable and predictable. We speak of the laws of nature which are also created and sustained by Almighty God. When a woman is impregnated by a man, she does not expect to give birth to a baby orangutan. We can depend on nature to act according to fixed patterns. While we admit to change within species, science itself argues against Darwinism by the very fact of predictable "laws" of nature.

If matter and the material, natural world as we know it evolved without rational planning and/or purpose, it would be capricious, unpredictable, and absurd. One could not depend on the atmosphere around him to sustain him from day to day. The recent predictable testing of RNA and DNA providing microbiological confirmations would be unreliable. When one accepts that God created from His rational, orderly, and reliable nature, he accepts that God's creation is also rational, orderly, and reliable. It is not random!

Inferences Regarding Man

If God created man, man owes every part of his existence to God. Not only did God create our bodies, but our spirits as well. "Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He Who has made us and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture" (Psalms 100:3). We are, therefore, totally dependent upon God for our being. We did not come into being on our own, and we are not sustained by our own power or effort.

Likewise, being created by God argues that we have meaning and purpose. Only human beings are made in the image of God. That implies that we also are good and not evil by nature. The fact that we are in the flesh does not argue that we must sin. I do not like to hear brethren pray, "Lord, we are only human. Please forgive us," as if that somehow justifies our sinfulness and weakness. Our obligation is to commit to righteousness and glorifying God in our bodies. We should be praying that our existence on earth is dedicated to the fulfillment of God's purposes in creating us. "What" I am explains "why" I am and provides understanding as to "who" I am.

That forces me to conclude that animals are not equivalent to man. Man is made in the image of God. Adam had animals, but he had no comparable helper until God made Eve. It is politically correct in our society to place the protection of animals on par with safeguarding the well-being of humans. At the same time, I am happy that we severely punish people who grossly abuse and sadistically torture and slaughter both domesticated dogs and wild cats. However, animals are not human beings. Further, I must conclude from the creation that I do not have the choice to kill innocent human beings. Men may not, with impunity, interrupt the continuum of human life for their own selfish purposes once it has begun in the womb. Animal rights and abortion are two more issues at least fundamentally answered in the first two chapters of Genesis.

In light of these implications, I owe God my submission. I want to be in fellowship with Him and in harmony with His Will. I can, in fact, do nothing less in light of my debt to my Creator. That leads to three other points: worship, service, and morality.

Inferences Regarding Man's Responsibility

Worship

The fact that we have been created evokes our worship. We worship because we owe it and because we are driven to it by the sheer awesome realization that the Being Who brought us into existence is far above ourselves. "By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast" (Psalms 33:a6-9). "Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker" (Psalms 95:6). "Worship Him Who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of water" (Revelation 14:7). "Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things" (Revelation 4:11).

The fact of creation also makes God the One and only object of our worship. Nothing else in our existence is worthy to be worshipped. Everything other than God is created. He alone is infinite and, above all, things made. Paul says that one is a fool who "exchanges the truth of God for a lie and worships and serves the creature rather than the Creator" (Romans 1:22-25).

Service

Creation gives the true meaning to service and the concept of stewardship. All things belong to God ultimately. "For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is Mine" (Psalms 50:10,11). The fact that God made all things provides His right to claim all things as His own. Because He made all things from nothing for His own purposes, they are His. A steward, by definition, is one who cares for by properly using that which belongs to another. All that we think of as ours is only ours to use for a time. When we pass, it is placed in the hands of others. We must remember it always belongs to God.

Look at the clear statements of scriptural argumentation on this point: "The earth is the Lord's and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it. For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers" (Psalms 24:1,2). "The heavens are Thine, the earth also is Thine, the world and all it contains, Thou hast founded them" (Psalms 89:11; 95:4,5; 100:3). "You are blessed, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as Head over all, both riches and honor come from You and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? for all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You. For we are aliens and pilgrims before You, as were all our fathers; our days on earth are as a shadow, and without hope. O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy name is from Your hand, and is all Your own" (I Chronicles 29:10-16).

The answer to the ethical questions, "What ought I to do?" and "Why ought I to do it?" is founded upon the truth that God is the Creator with the inherent right to set ethical standards. It is upon that basis that God gave the Ten Commandments: "I am the Lord thy God." Enough said. If that is not good enough, all ethical and moral responsibility is relative and subjective.

If you want happiness, you ought to do what God says. If you want certain relationships, you ought to listen to the moral Governor of the universe. If you want to extend life, you ought to follow guidelines recorded in God's Word.

When God says, "Listen to My voice" (Jeremiah 11:7), why should we? When Jesus says, "Keep My commandments" (John 14:15), why should we? When men read, "You should diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and His statutes which He has commanded you" (Deuteronomy 6:17), men ask, "Who says?" The God who made you said! God has absolute rights- not just power but moral rights- and we have an absolute obligation to obey Him. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we owe it to God to obey Him and it is rebellion to refuse.

That moral responsibility speaks volumes to the thoughtful person in today's world. First, God did not intend to create a unisex society. He created human beings, male and female. God made men and women equal in personhood but different in roles and the gender qualities to support those roles. That argues, second, that God did not intend for man to practice homosexuality. That kind of deviant lifestyle is strictly forbidden by God as opposed to nature; that is, to the way in which man was created (Romans 1:22-27; I Corinthians 6:9,10). Third, God created males and females to come together in unity, which would produce progeny. He governed that so that one man and one woman would live together for life. That prohibits promiscuity (pre-marital or extra-marital) and infers God's answer to divorce and remarriage. It also speaks to the establishment of the family as God's domestic relationship in which a male and female are responsible in their roles to provide for their children. All these social issues are addressed and resolved early in the very first book of the Bible. Jesus appealed to this exact concept when He said, "Have you not read that He Who made them at the beginning made them male and female?" (Matthew 19:4). On all of these issues, we might also say, "Have you not read" about the wonderful Creator and His masterful work?