ARTICLE-PRIMER OF THE TRUE BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN FAITH 78

That  Man's being in God's (ELOHIM'S) image (Gen.1:26) does not only mean that the humankind is in conformity with the character of God the Son (Gen.1:27; Col.1:15; Rom.1:29; Heb.1:8-9) but it also means that the humankind has the right, capability and responsibility to manage all of the createdkinds only from, on, in, through, with, to and for God the Son, the Lord (ADON/DESPOTEN) Jesus (YAHWEH SHUA) Christ (MESSIAH), HIMSELF; thus the cultural mandate, viz. Gen.1:27-31; 2:18-24, for the humankind was never abolished but instead it is enhanced in the new creation (II Cor.5:9-21); for by the power (dunamis) of the Holy Spirit the new man IN Christ Jesus is being transformed from glory (excellence) to glory (excellence) and every human person in Christ Jesus is called upon to overcome (I Jn.5:4-5), conquer (Rom.8:35-39) and use (I Cor.7:29-31) the world by the Biblical faith of (from, on, in, through, with, to and for) the Lord (ADON/DESPOTEN) Jesus (YAHWEH SHUA) Christ (MESSIAH);

        That the entire human person and the total stream-current-course-flow of his/her life is composed of, constituted by and having aspects pertaining to the human spirit (Zech.12:1; Job 32:8,18; Ps.31:5; 51:10; 77:6; 16:32; 20:27; 29:23; Isa.26:9; Gen.45:27; Ex.35:21), soul (Gen.2:7; 12:13; 19:20; 17:14; 34:3,8; Ex.30:12; Lev.4:2; 5:1,2,4,15,17; 5:17; 6:2; 7:18,20,21,25,27; Nu.30:2,4,5,6,7,8,10,11,12,13; Deut.4:29; 6:5; 10:12; 11:13,18; Ps.42:4; Ezek.18:4,20; Micah 6:7; Matt.10:28; 16:26; Lk.12:19-20; I Cor.15:45; Heb.4:12) and body (I Thess.5:23; Gen.2:7; I Cor.15:45);

        That the spirit, which is also the Biblical figurative heart of a person, consists of his/her (i) reason or thinking capability (to perceive [Jn.12:40], consider or intellectually address-attend to, account for [Jer.12:11], know [Prov.14:10], think [Prov.23:7; Gen.6:5], study [Prov.15:28; 24:2], imagine [Lk.1:51], remember or store in memory [Lk.2:51], ponder ["sumballo" = to put together, Lk.2:19], meditate [Ps.19:14; 49:3], argue-debate [Isa.1;18; Job 13:3; 15:3; Mk.2:6], understand or identify-differentiate-choose the true-right-good against the false-wrong-evil [I Kings 3:9; Isa.66:18] and to plan/devise/prepare [Prov.16:1,9,21-23; 19:21; 6:18]), (ii) intention-purpose-aim (Heb.4:12; Gen.6:5; 8:21; Prov.4:4,21,23; Ecc.1:13,17; Isa.6:10; 10:7; 14:12,13,14; 63:4; Jer.3:17; Joel 2:12-13; Matt.6:21; 15:8) and (iii) will or volition or self-determination (Ps.62:8; 78:8,37; 86:11,12; 94:15; 57:7; 108:1; 112:7,8; 119:2,10,34,58; Ex.35:5,29; Deut.4:29; 6:5; 10:12; 11:13; 30:6,10);

        That the soul of a person is his/her self-identity-awareness or consciousness of his/her own individuality or absolutely distinct living selfhood (Gen.2:7; I Cor.15:45; Gen.12:13 [note that in some English translations the word "soul" is replaced by the word "life" or "person" or "any one" or by some appropriate personal pronoun, e.g. "I" or "you" or "himself" or "me" etc...]; Gen.19:20; 27:4,19,25; 35:18; Ex.12:15,19; 30:12; 31:14; Lev.5:1; I Kings 17:21,22) with its affection (Deut.13:3; Gen.34:3,8; 42:21; Deut.12:15,20,21; 13:6; 14:26; I Sam.2:16; 18:1,3; 20:17; 30:6; II Sam.13:39; II Kings 4:27; Ps.116;7; Prov.13:4; Isa.26:8-9; 42:1; Acts 2:43; Heb.10:38) and attachment-engagement-doing (Lev.20:6; 23:30; 26:11,15,30,43; Nu.9:13; 15:30; 30:2,4,5,6,7,8,10,11,12,13; Deut.12:15; Ps.103:1,2,22; 104:1,35; 107:18; 146:1; Prov.11:25; Isa.53:11,12; Jer.32:41; Ezek.18:4,20; Zech.11:8; Rom.13:1) by its capability in itself and/or in its relation to any or all others;

        That the body of a human person is the organic or biophysical component-constituent of his/her individual living selfhood; this body was originally formed by the Lord Jesus Christ from the dust of the earth (Gen.2:7) and so it is of the earth, earthy (I Cor.15:47-48); it was "made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth" (Ps.139:15); then it is the Lord who did the weaving or knitting of the human body in its mother's womb (Ps.139:13); however, the human body is a totally different and unique flesh and blood from that of animals or birds or fish (I Cor.15:38-39); all of the human bodies from Adam and Eve have only one genetic source and/or one source of blood, viz. Adam (Acts 17:26); therefore, upon the First Adam's/Man's incurring of the death penalty due to his voluntary/willful/deliberate disobedience-sin-fall (Rom.6:23) the humankind in and from him became dead to God and alive in trespasses and sins; so the human body became the body of death even for those who have already repented of their sins as they believe into the Lord Jesus Christ who is their only Salvation from sin, death and hell (Rom.7:1-25; 8:1-2; Jn.3:16-17; Matt.25:14-46); but although it is already a body of death (Rom.6:23; 7:24) yet it must and can still be presented as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord God the Son, Christ Jesus (Titus 2:13-14; Rom.12:1-3; I Cor.6:12-15); because from, on, in, through, with, to and for the Lord (ADON/DESPOTEN) Jesus (YAHWEH SHUA) Christ (MESSIAH) Himself the human body is not only saved and sanctified (I Thess.5:23; I Cor.1:2,30) but it is also a temple of the Holy Spirit (I Cor.6:16-20) if the said body is truly wholly, directly and permanently addressed-committed-devoted to the same Lord Jesus Christ Himself (I Cor.6:12-15; II Cor.5:14-15);

        That, in being willed by God the Father and so directed by God the Holy Spirit, the only right direction of the entire stream-current-course-flow of all the components-constituents-aspects, viz. spirit, soul and body, of the individual human life, as freely, definitely and wisely chosen, committed to and carried out by any and/or every concerned human person is wholly/fully, permanently and directly only from, on, in, through, with, to and for Christ Jesus Himself, the Almighty Lord God the Son and the justly all-appropriating All in all even before, during and after His incarnation; 

       That the body of the First Man/Adam was directly "formed from the dust of the ground" by the Lord God the Son, Christ Jesus (Gen.1:27; Col.1:15; Gen.2:7); then the same Lord God the Son Himself directly breathed the breath of life into the nostrils of Adam and the latter became a living soul (Gen.2:7; Acts 17:25); God the Son, the Lord (Adon/DESPOTEN) Jesus (YAHWEH SHUA) Christ (MESSIAH), Himself did all of that because it is He who GIVES life, breath and all things to every living creature (Acts 17:25);

          That the First Man/Adam was originally made innocent or sinless, very good and capable not only of ruling the subhuman creation but also of maintaining his conformity with Lord God the Son, Christ Jesus; but Adam is also equally capable of sinning against God; if Adam will adhere to the gifts-calling-order of the Lord God the Son to him, then, Adam will continue being alive to God and dead to, or cut off from, sin; upon Adam's unfaithfulness-disobedience-sin he and all of humankind in, by and from him are thereby dead to, or cut off from, God and alive to sin;

           The sin of the humankind is committed-incurred not only as an act of the individual person's will but also due to the individual person's being embodied in and represented by the First Man/Adam in the latter's unfaithfulness-disobedience-opposition to, deviation from and falling short of the glory (excellence) of, the Lord (YAHWEH) God (ELOHIM) the Son, Jesus (YAHWEH SHUA) Christ (MESSIAH), who is, and who must ever be adhered to and followed through by all as the only FIRST-WAY-TRUTH-LIFE-LAST;

        Since the First Man/Adam embodies in himself all of humankind and since the responsibility for the createdkinds was given-charged to him and since he has voluntarily chosen to sin against his MAKER who is none other than the Lord God the Son, Jesus Christ, Himself, therefore, not only all of humankind but also all of the world sinned IN, BY/THROUGH and FROM the First Man/Adam; thus IN, BY/THROUGH and FROM the First Man/Adam sin is incurred-transmitted-imparted to all of humankind and the world (Rom.5:12); so it is absolutely just on the part of God to impute sin upon all of humankind; but it is also absolutely just for God the Son, Christ Jesus, to voluntarily assume, embody, take the place, bear the responsibility to redeem-save-sanctify-keep-complete to Himself the humankind in, through and upon His incarnation and assumption of Perfect Manhood;

        That since every offspring from Adam and Eve is embodied-represented-included in the First Man's/Adam's unfaithfulness-disobedience-sin against the Lord God the Son and fall into spiritual death consequently every offspring from Adam and Eve, although its spirit and soul are newly given and formed by the Lord Jesus Christ (Zech.12:1; Isa.42:5; Num.16:22; Heb.12:9) upon the fertilization of the concerned egg cell from the human mother by the concerned sperm cell from the human father (Ps.139:13; Jer.1:4-5) yet since the biophysical body where the appropriate spirit and soul are newly given and formed by the Lord (ADON/DESPOTEN) Jesus (YAHWEH SHUA) Christ (MESSIAH) is not only represented-embodied in the unfaithfulness-disobedience-sin-fall of the First Man/Adam but it is also derived and taken from the aforementioned Adam's sinful nature so the entire human person so comprised by the newly given-formed spirit and soul to the biophysical offspring of parents from Adam and Eve is already polluted-flawed-depraved in, by/through and from Adam's unfaithfulness-disobedience-sin-fall;

        All of the foregoing Biblical revelation-teaching-claim is diametrically in opposition to and absolutely negates-refutes not only (i) the Mormon's erroneous contention that the human spirit and soul were already in existence even PRIOR TO the formation of the biophysical body belonging to them and where they belong but also (ii) the Hindu-Buddhist-Spiritist-Theosophist-Occultist erroneous belief that the soul, after the death of its former body, reincarnates or take to itself another body and thereafter simply undergo an endless series and/or cycles of reincarnations, and, even (iii) the traducianist-Greek Orthodox-Lutheran unscriptural contention that the entire spirit, soul and body of every human offspring-person is reproduced by and is wholly derived from his/her human parents; for the Word of God reveals-teaches not only that the Lord (ADON/DESPOTEN) Jesus (YAHWEH SHUA) Christ (MESSIAH), the LOGOS who was already GOD IN the BEGINNING (Jn.1:1; I Jn.1:1-2), is the Eternal Life (I Jn.5:20; 1:1-2) that enlightens EVERYONE that comes into the world (Jn.1:4,9,10; 8:12) but He is also the ONE WHO GIVES to ALL life, breath and all things (Acts 17:25); for it is He who gave (Isa.42:5) and formed the spirit that is in man (Zech.12:1);

        However, all of the cosmic (worldwide) sin in, by/through and from the First Man/Adam is more than overcome by the infinite grace of the TRIUNE LORD God that nullified sin only IN and BY/THROUGH and UPON and FOR the once and for all accomplished atoning work of Christ Jesus, the Almighty Lord God the Son incarnate, (who, upon the death of His body at the cross, fulfilled His commitment before the foundation of the world to be the Sacrificial Lamb that took away the sin of the world [I Pet.1:18-20; Jn.1:29]), paid the death penalty incurred by every sinner and redeemed-ransomed-saved the world or all of the createdkinds unto Himself when He in His voluntary once and for all sacrificial offering of His Perfect Manhood unto its blood shedding death at the cross assumed, embodied, took the place, paid in full the penalty for sin, blotted out all sins and transgressions, granted pardon-forgiveness to His true (real, right and consistent) voluntary adherents to share-impart His resurrection and ETERNAL LIFE with them; so all that is required of every human person is to repent of all his/her sins-wrongdoings-transgressions-disobedience and, by faith-hope-love, to adhere to the Lord (ADON/DESPOTEN) Jesus (YAHWEH SHUA) Christ (MESSIAH) and accept-take Him as everyone of His adherent's own WISDOM, RIGHTEOUSNESS, WAY, TRUTH, LIFE, REDEMPTION, SALVATION, SANCTIFICATION, ETERNAL LIFE, EVERLASTING GLORY and the ALL-APPROPRIATING ALL IN ALL; according to the will of God the Father and by the power of God the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus Christ, in turn, has not only imputed-credited-vested but He has also imparted His RIGHTEOUSNESS-HOLINESS-PURITY to every one of His ADHERENTS who has truly, directly and permanently addressed-committed-devoted his/her all to Him;

Author:  Edilberto C. Medina

Man's being in God's Image is an excerpt from the All for Jesus Creed by Rev. Edilberto C. Medina is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Philippines License.
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