THE CREATION OF MAN
GENESIS 1:27
A. "SO GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE"
1. These words give us the origin of the human race:
a. How noble and how awe inspiring is our being - the image of God.
b. That shows that the theory by the evolutionist, that man came from the ape, is just so much nonsense.
2. The fact that man was created in the image of God:
a. Makes us more responsible to our Maker - Eccl. 12:1-3
b. It helps us to understand the dignity and personal responsibility of man - Ps. 8:4-9
B. MAN’S CREATION
1. How he was created:
a. It is noteworthy that when God created other things, He simply said, "Let there be".
b. But when He created man there was consultation, there was a council between the members of the Godhead, "Let us make man in our own likeness".
c. We hear the language of the Godhead -
(1) The Father had a part in the creation of man.
(2) The Son had a part in the creation of man.
(3) The Holy Ghost had a part in the creation of man - Heb. 1:1-3, 8, 9; John 1:1-3; Col. 1:14-17; Eph. 3:9; Job. 33:4
2. Man’s creation is the crowning act of God’s creation:
a. Man was made on the sixth day - Gen. 1:26, 27, 31
b. The divine wisdom in creating on the sixth day is most
obvious - to take care of the Garden of Eden - Gen. 1:28, 29; 2:7-25
c. It must have been wonderful to rejoice over the creation of this present world. There was nothing, as yet, to mar the work of the Creator. Peace and heavenly serenity rested upon creation.
3. Note, please, the exalted position man was placed in by his creation:
a. He was made in the image of God. That is the highest honor God could bestow upon man made out of red clay.
b. He bears a likeness to his Maker, in appearance and in character - Gen. 1:26, 27; Eccl. 7:29
c. He was endowed with superior intelligence, revealed in his ability to name the animals the Lord brought to him - Gen. 2:20
d. He was given a mind, faculties of the power of reason - Isa. 1:19
4. It is the character image that is of special interest to us:
a. Purity of heart, affections of pure love, are some of the virtues Adam was given, reflecting the image of the Creator.
b. Satan made the character image of our first parents his main target; he created doubt in the minds of Adam and Eve, and that was a reflection on the character of God.
C. THE WONDERFUL LESSON OF OUR TEXT
1. The Bible record of the creation of man:
a. Gives us the noblest concept of man and his origin.
b. It marks the claims of infidels as untruthful - Ps. 14:1-6
c. It places human beings on a level of respectability and honor.
d. This record of man’s creation honors the Creator - Eccl. 12:1-6
2. It unfolds to us God’s love:
a. Expressed in the creation of man - Rev. 4:11
b. In the price God paid to redeem man from sin - John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:18-21
c. All these facts should lead us to a closer study of Ps. 8:4-9
d. All shows that when God made man in His image, He had great plans for him - Jude 24
