Apr 22
3
Baptist Catechism 13
Q. 13. How did God create man?
A. God created man male and female, after His own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures. (Gen. 1:27; Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:24; Gen. 1:28)
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:17–24
“Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:17–24, ESV)
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Introduction
Our catechism is presenting to us what the scriptures teach about God.
We have learned about what God is. God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. God is one. God is Triune.
And now we are considering God’s works. In eternity, God decreed all that comes to pass. And we know that he accomplishes his decree in creation and providence. We will eventually talk about providence, but for now, we are talking about God’s work of creation.
We confess that “the work of creation is God’s making all things of nothing, by the Word of His power, in the space of six days, and all very good.” And now we turn our attention to the pinnacle of God’s creation, which is mankind.
The question before us is, how did God create man? That is a very important question. In fact, two of the most important questions we can ask are, what is God? And what is man? If we are to understand what man is, we must understand how God created man in the beginning.
Again, the answer: God created man male and female, after His own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.
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God Created Man Male And Female
First, we say “God created man male and female…”
Sometimes we use the word “man” to refer to a human who is male. But at other times we use the word “man” to refer to mankind, or to humans in general. When I say that man is sinful, I do not mean that males only are sinful, but females too – mankind. That is how the word “man” is being used here.
How did God create man? Listen: “God created man male and female…” The human race consists of two genders. Within humanity, there are males and there are females. This is by God’s design, and it is good. Male humans and female humans are different in some very important ways. They are different physiologically and biologically. This is clear to all who have eyes to see. But as it pertains to their nature, they are the same. Men and women are human. They have human bodies, and they have human souls. They both possess a mind, a will, and affections. Though each and every human male and human female differ slightly from all others as it pertains to physical appearance and personality, all belong to the same species. They are human. Together, Adam and Eve, and all of their male and female descendants, are mankind. Both are essential. With the male and without the female, there is no humanity. This is one reason that God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (Genesis 2:18, ESV). And we know that the woman was taken from the man’s side. This indicates two things. One, she is of the same substance. And two, she was made to correspond to him.
Frankly, this is beautiful. But you know that fallen humanity has wared against this beauty from the time of man’s fall into sin. Men have suppressed and abused women. Women have hated men. Men have attached themselves to men, and women to women. And now, in our day and age, the very idea that there are two genders determined by God and given to individuals at the moment of conception is under assault. Lord, have mercy upon us.
Those in Christ must confess that in the beginning, “God created man male and female…” We are to see the beauty in the diversity and in the unity. Men are to strive to be godly men, and women are to strive to be godly women. We are to do so in humility, showing honor to one another as we appreciate the differences between us. Again I say, in the beginning, “God created man male and female…”
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After His Own Image
Secondly, we say, “…after his own image.” “God created man male and female, after His own image…” Note this: both male and female humans were made in the image of God.
What does it mean that men and women were made in the image of God? Many things.
Humans were made in such a way that they can relate to God. We have the capacity to know him, worship him, and serve him. The other earth creatures cannot do this in the way that humans can.
Humans were made in such a way that they can imitate God. God is holy, and humans can be holy. God is love, and humans can love. God is good, and humans can do good, etc. We volitional creatures, and we are also moral.
Humans were made in such a way that they could represent God on earth by doing his will.
Being made in God’s image has little, if anything, to do with our physical makeup. It has everything to do with our spiritual capacities.
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In Knowledge, Righteousness, And Holiness
Thirdly, we confess that God created man male and female, after His own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness…” These three descriptive words are very important.
What was man’s condition when God first made them? Did God create Adam and Eve ignorant so that they could not know God? No, he made them in knowledge. They had the capacity to know their Creator from the beginning, and they did know him, for he revealed himself to them in the garden.
Did God make Adam and Eve unrighteous so that were at enmity with him from the beginning and in need of his saving grace? No, they had the capacity to do what was right and to do what was wrong, but they were right before God in the beginning and were not in need of his grace.
And did God make Adam and Eve impure or corrupted? No. He made them holy. Again I say, they were made with free will so that they could choose the right path or the wrong path (and we know where this went). But they were not made impure. They were holy.
The righteousness and holiness of man in his original state are communicated in the Genesis narrative with the words, “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day” (Genesis 1:31, ESV).
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With Dominion Over The Creatures
Lastly, we confess that “God created man male and female, after His own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.”
That little phrase, “with dominion over the creatures”, is more important than you might realize. It points to the purpose for which God created man. Man – that is to say, the man and the woman together – were, in the beginning, given dominion over all the creatures. That is what Genesis 1;/26 says: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Genesis 1:26, ESV).
Notice the close connection between God making man in his image, and God making man to have dominion. In brief, God made man in his image so that man would be able to exercise dominion on earth.
“Dominion” is kingdom language, isn’t it? To have dominion is to rule. And no, to exercise dominion does not imply harshness. Some rule harshly, but it is possible to rule in a benevolent way too. And that is what Adam and Eve were created to do. They were to rule on earth as God’s vassal-kings, or vice-regents. They were to exercise dominion over God’s garden-temple. They were to keep it and expand its borders as they filled the earth through procreation. In short, man was to function as God’s prophet, priest, and king on earth seeking to expand and establish God’s eternal kingdom.
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Conclusion
You know where this story goes. God created man male and female, after His own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures, but man fell into sin. The image of God was not lost, but it was badly marred by sin. Now, by nature, man does not know God. Man is not righteous or holy. The image remains, but man’s state of being has changed. He is not perfect, but fallen and sinful.
The good news is that God is gracious and kind. He has provided a Redemer, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He lived for sinners, died for sinners, and rose again for sinners. Salvation is available through faith in him. And listen to this: not only is the forgiveness of sins available through faith in Christ along with the hope of life everlasting. In Christ, the image of God that was marred and corrupted by sin is renewed.
I read from Ephesians 4 at the start of this little sermon. In that passage, Paul reflects on who we are in Christ Jesus and urges us to live holy in him. Listen to the last portion of that passage again and see that in Christ the image of God is renewed in us. “But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” In Christ, our minds are renewed so that we might know God truly. In Christ, we are made righteous. In Christ, we are made holy. The knowledge, righteousness, and holiness of man were lost when Adam fell into sin. In Christ, the second and perfect Adam, they are restored. We must be found in him.
