Man

We teach that man, male and female, was directly and immediately created by God in His image and likeness. Man was created free of sin with a rational nature, intelligence, volition, self-determination, and moral responsibility to God (Genesis 1:26-30).

We teach that God’s purpose in the creation of man was that they should glorify God, by enjoying God’s fellowship, by living in the will of God, by multiplying and filling the world with faith-filled image bearers, and by reflecting God’s benevolent kingship (Genesis 1:26-28; Isaiah 43:7; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11).

We teach that in Adam’s sin of disobedience to the revealed will and Word of God, man lost their innocence, incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death, and became subject to the wrath of God. Because all were in Adam, a nature corrupted by Adam’s sin has been transmitted to every individual in every age, Jesus Christ being the only exception. All are thus sinners by nature, by choice, and by divine declaration (Psalm 130:3; 143:2; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:9-23; 5:12-21), incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace, and therefore saved wholly by God’s grace through the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-19; John 3:36; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 Timothy 2:13-14; 1 John 1:8).