| Course Outline |
|
|
The Bible portrays man as a carefully designed creation (not a chance product of an evolution). He is distinct from the rest of creation, the pinnacle of God’s creation with a unique destiny above other creatures. Much of this original purpose has been marred by sin, but God’s plan remains intact.
1. Man, as the climax of divine thought and planning, was made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26,27). In what ways do you think man (as distinct from other creatures) is like God?
2. Modern thought sees man as an evolutionary product of nature, and thus subordinate to nature from which he derives his life. What place did God give to man in relation to the rest of creation? (Genesis 1:28-30; 2:7) What are the implications of this for environmentalism?
3. This position of authority is balanced by the fact that with it goes responsibility. Man is to steward creation on God’s behalf, not rule it arbitrarily for his own sake. How does the Bible describe man’s responsibility towards creation? (Genesis 2:8-17)
4. Do we only have to work because of the presence of sin in the world? (Genesis 2:15) Notice that work here includes hands (manual labor in the garden) and brains (naming, or identifying and understanding, animals).
5. Man was created to rule over creation on God’s behalf. As we shall see, sin ruined that prospect. In time, nearly all of mankind was swept away under the flood of God’s wrath. Noah was God’s new beginning. What similarities can you see in the the mandates given to Adam and Noah? (Genesis 9:1-7). Despite man’s sin, God did not give up on his original intention for man.
6. Read Psalm 8:1-9. As David surveys God’s creation, he is filled with awe at the place God assigns to man in it. How does he describe man’s place? (Psalm 8:4-6)
7. Does this description fit with the facts as we now see them in this sin-infested world? Given the story of Noah, do you think God has given up on his plan for man’s destiny?
8. Read Hebrews 2:5-10. The author does not think that man is currently in the place God intended. But what does he see, that gives him hope that man’s place is in the process of being restored? (Hebrews 2:8,9)
9. Jesus is crowned with glory. Where is he leading many sons to? (Hebrews 2:10). What does this mean in the context of the way the word is used elsewhere in the passage? (Hebrews 2:7,8; Psalm 8:4-6). Read Romans 8:18-25. What will be the impact on the world when Christians are restored to fulfilling the destiny God originally planned for mankind?
God never gave up on his plan for mankind. When Adam sinned, God made a fresh start with Noah. As sin continued to spoil creation, God made a fresh start in Jesus. Spend time praising God that he has not given up on you, and that he has a destiny for you personally within his creation. Pray that he will help you to discover what that destiny is.
|
|
