Anthropology
What we believe concerning man
01
We believe that man was directly and immediately created by God (Gen. 1:26-28; Col. 1:16-17). Man was created in the image of God (Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:24), free of sin, with a rational nature, intelligence (volition), self-determination, and moral responsibility (Rom. 2:14-16; Deut. 6:6).
02
We believe that God's purpose in the creation of man was that he should glorify God, enjoy God's fellowship, and live in God’s will (Gen. 1:26-31; Isa. 43:7; Rev. 4:11).
03
We believe that, because of Adam's sin of disobedience to the revealed will and word of God, he lost his innocence, became subject to the wrath of God, became inherently corrupt, and utterly incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace. Man has no recuperative powers to enable him to recover and is hopelessly lost apart from the salvation which is the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ (Gen. 3:1-19; John 3:36; Rom. 3:23, 6:23; I Cor. 2:14; Eph. 2:1-3; II Tim. 2:13-14; I John 1:8).
04
We believe that all men were in the loins of Adam and that the consequence of that sin has been transmitted (imputed) to all men of all ages, Jesus Christ being the exception. All men, thus, are sinners by divine declaration, by nature, and by choice (Ps. 14:1-3; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 3:9-18; Rom. 3:23; Rom. 5:12-14; James 2:10).