Further Study: Man: God’s Handiwork
Read Ellen G. White, “The Creation,” pp. 44-51, in Patriarchs and Prophets.
“In the beginning, man was created in the image of God. He was in perfect harmony with the nature and the law of God; the principles of righteousness were written upon his heart. But sin alienated him from his Maker. He no longer reflected the divine image. His heart was at war with the principles of God’s law. ‘The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.’ Romans 8:7. But ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son,’ that man might be reconciled to God. Through the merits of Christ he can be restored to harmony with his Maker. His heart must be renewed by divine grace; he must have a new life from above. This change is the new birth, without which, says Jesus, ‘he cannot see the kingdom of God.’”-Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 467.
“The true object of education is to restore the image of God in the soul. In the beginning God created man in His own likeness. He endowed him with noble qualities. His mind was well balanced, and all the powers of his being were harmonious. But the Fall and its effects have perverted these gifts. Sin has marred and well-nigh obliterated the image of God in man. It was to restore this that the plan of salvation was devised, and a life of probation was granted to man.”- Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 595.
Discussion Questions
- In what way does the teaching of evolution fit into the great controversy scenario? How has Satan used this doctrine to undermine faith in the Bible?
- Go through the New Testament and look up all the texts that talk about Adam. How clear is it that the New Testament writers all believed Adam to be a real person? Why is that understanding so important to our understanding of who we are, how we got into the situation we are in, and the hope that we have in Jesus?
- Dwell more on the idea of being restored into God’s image. In what way are we meant to understand that, especially as beings who are subject to decay, death, sickness, and disease?
- The two most foundational teachings in physics- quantum theory and general relativity-directly contradict each other. What should that tell us about how careful we need to be when accepting something as “fact” merely because science says it is so?
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What a wonderful lesson this lesson bears
Indeed culture is subservient to the will of God and may never be used as an excuse for deliberate indecency. However, it is so amazing how the often volatile debates with regard to dress and adornment, suddenly become immaterial when we all view this from the perspective of the cross.