There are many wavering thoughts and opinions about the purpose of mankind. To begin, let’s look at what God says.
I.Biblical Christianity
A. Created in God’s Image
God’s word tells us that man was created in God’s image. In other words, He formed us after His likeness.
“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’”
Genesis 1:26, NKJV
Triune Beings Created in His Image
We are triune beings – body, soul, and spirit. Our physical body is just one part of what people see, and while the world thinks our exterior is the totality of who we are, it goes much deeper than that. Our body houses our soul and spirit.
Our soul is comprised of our mind, will, and emotions. He gave us a mind to rationalize, process, and make choices. Secondly, we have a will to choose between right and wrong. Finally, our emotional being gives us the capacity to feel.
The spirit within us gives us life, enabling us to have a relationship with God. When someone dies, the spirit is the part of them that returns to God.
Every human being has a void inside them that yearns to be in a relationship with God. And once you connect with God, something supernatural happens; it satisfies a part of your being that nothing else can touch!
As we embrace all three parts of who we are – body, soul, and spirit, and allow God to bring restoration and functionality to every part of us, God receives glory. When this happens, our response is to worship and praise Him. This is why we raise our hands, verbalize with our mouths, clap our hands, and dance a holy dance. It is our way of celebrating that God lives within us, filling us with His mercy and power.
B. Man Sinned Against God
After God created Adam and Eve in His image, He gave them instructions and commands. But unfortunately, they chose to disobey God, resulting in their sin falling on the generations to come.
Boundaries of God
“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’”
Genesis 2:16-17, NKJV
We must remember that God provided them with a garden filled with life-giving trees. In God’s lovingkindness, He gave Adam and Eve a boundary around which they were not to eat from.
Unfortunately, we live in a culture where people don’t want to be told what to do, but saints, God has the power and authority to give you boundaries! He knows how He created us and knows all that works in our favor. There is purpose in the restrictions God has set in place; when we violate that, there are consequences.
The Fall of Man
God gave Adam the instructions, and it was his responsibility to give these directions to Eve.
“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’”
Genesis 2:16-17, NKJV
The word die here does not mean they would physically die but that they would be separated in their relationship with God. And anyone who does not have a relationship with God is dead.
Sadly, those who haven’t experienced the love of the Father are scrambling to fill the void with things that are empty of life. They are searching to be satisfied by way of drugs, sex, careers, and carnal things that will not satisfy the soul and spirit.
So the next time you feel lonely, anxious, and empty, pay attention; that yearning inside you is a desire to connect with the Father!
The Choice to Disobey
“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.”
Genesis 3:6, NKJV
Eve had a relationship with God, yet the enemy successfully persuaded her that there was something outside of that that she needed. Not only that, in her own deceit, she was able to convince her husband to partake where they weren’t supposed to!
Now, Adam isn’t off the hook; they both knew God’s instructionsand he, too, chose to disobey.
What boundaries has God placed in your own life that you have chosen to ignore as you reach for the fruit of the wrong tree?
Hidden From God
“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.”
Genesis 3:7-8, NKJV
They tried to hide from God. And let me tell you something; you cannot hide from the Lord’s presence. You can seek refuge in a valley or conceal yourself in the dark; no matter where you are, He sees you and will find you!
“Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’”
Genesis 3:9, NKJV
God did not ask where Adam was because He didn’t know the answer. The question more likely implies, “Adam, do you know where you are? And do you know that your condition has changed?”
The Blame Game
“Then the man said, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.’”
Genesis 3:12, NKJV
Adam is now putting his actions on his wife, even though he knows the boundary God set before him.
How often we experience humanity looking to place the blame elsewhere. Saints, do you know that when you are before God, you will account for each choice and action that spanned your earthly lifetime?
Just like Adam, on judgment day, we will stand before the throne of God, and we will not be able to blame anyone or anything in our life. We all make choices, and we all act, even while knowing the boundaries.
Consequences of the Fall
“To the woman He said: ‘I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.’”
Genesis 3:16, NKJV
One of the consequences of the fall is Eve’s desire to control her husband.
Throughout generations, wives have tried to control and manipulate their husbands, which wasn’t God’s design! The husband is responsible for the authority of the home and family.
“Then to Adam He said, ‘Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying “You shall not eat of it”: Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.’”
Genesis 3:17-19, NKJV
These consequences result from their choices and were not in God’s original plan.
C.Because of Adam’s Sin, We Are All Sinners
Because of Adam’s choice to sin, the generations that follow have been born in sin,causing us to be sin-natured.
“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”
Romans 5:19, NKJV
The bottom line is this; because of one man’s disobedience, we are all sinners.
Faith in Christ
You don’t go to hell because you lied, cursed, stole, or committed adultery.What sends us to eternal damnation is that we are born with sin-nature and will continue to suffer the consequences of hell until we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
Additionally, we cannot earn our way to heaven either.Eternal life is not gained from what we do but rather because of who we are when we choose Christ. Putting our faith in His death, burial, and resurrection breaks the power of sin off of us and gives us the ability to have a relationship with God!
For we all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.
D. Heaven and Hell
At death, the souls of believers will enter the presence of Christ, while the souls of unbelievers enter the eternal torment of Hades.
Because of these two realities, God made a way for you and meto have eternal salvation. And I don’t know where you are, but I am thankful to God that He made that possible for us!
“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 5:8, NKJV
God gives us the capacity and ability to be in His presence.
“And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.”
Luke 16:26, NKJV
Some people believe you can pray people out of hell into heaven. According to the words of Jesus, it’s just not true. Once you die, your eternal state is ratified or settled.
There is a little voice deep down inside us begging us to do right by Jesus; we call it the Holy Spirit.He beckons us to come to Christ and to submit to His will. He yearns for you to make the right choices.So the question is, “What choice will you make?”
II. Jehovah’s Witnesses: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society
Jehovah’s Witnesses have their own beliefs about mankind.
A.Man’s Soul is Not Separate From His Body
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that man has no soul within him that is distinct from his physical body.
They lean heavily on the physical aspect of man. However, God says that one day our soul will have a resting place!
B.Soul Sleep
They also believe that once a person dies, they cease to exist, also referred to as soul sleep. This means that there is no eternity.
C.Man is No More Mortal Than Animals
The Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that man is no more mortal than fish, birds, or animals.
Is it possible that there is no difference between us and a fish?
D.Angels are Mortal
They teach that angels are mortal and destructible.
E.Immortality is Earned
This organization believes that immortality is given only as a reward for faithfulness to Christ. And not only that, they claim that only 144,000 people can ever receive that immortality.
It is tragic and sad to think that only a set number of people will ever experience eternal life.
F.Resurrection
They claim that any bodily resurrection is a re-creation according to the “memory of God” and not the restoration of the original identical body.
In other words, if someone is resurrected, it is simply something God recalls, not the original person.
III.The Mormons: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
A. Creation
The Mormons believe the beginning of life for all created things happened at the time of their respective spirit creations.
This means they believe you existed in the spiritual world before you took your first breath.
B.Man’s Stages of Progression
They claim that man progresses in four stages:
- Pre-mortal or spirit existence
- Mortal life on Earth
- In the spirit world after death
- Immortality or resurrected state
C.Adam and Michael
The Mormons believe Adam was Michael, the archangel, in his pre-mortal state.
D.Garden of Eden
They teach that Adam was placed with one of his pre-incarnate wives, Eve, in the Garden of Eden, which is located in Missouri.
E.Punished For Own Sin
Finally, they believe that mankind will be punished for their own sin and not held under the reality of Adam’s original transgression.
As followers of Christ, we believe differently, and I want you to have clarity and confidence about our beliefs.
It is my prayer that you would have assurance in God’s Word as you declare it over your life. And I pray that you stay alert and have the Holy Spirit’s conviction whenever something does not align with who God is and what He says.
Saints, His word is infallible, and we can put our trust in what it teaches.