All for the Kingdom
Sermon Podcast
The Nature of Man, Genesis 1:26-31
Man’s nature and purpose are not according to the autonomous will of man but determined, ordained, and commanded by the sovereignty of God. A biblical worldview affirms the sovereignty of God over all of creation, including man, but the world claims that each person has total autonomy, independent of any authority.
Genesis 1:26-31 testifies to the creation of man and man’s nature and purpose.
In the sermon from Genesis 1:26-31, Pastor Ben explains that God’s creation of man demands that you honor every human life as God’s image bearer, be a good steward of God’s creation, and submit to God’s authority to create and command.
God Created, Genesis 1
Genesis chapter one is the testimony of creation. By God's authority, out of His will, and according to His command, He created all things.
As with all of scripture, Genesis chapter one is a testimony of God that reveals His authority, will, and nature. It is not a story about men but a testimony to who God is and how He is working.
Genesis chapter one does not answer every detail you may wish were included. There are many questions about how God accomplished His work that are left unanswered. Not the least of which is how God created all that is from nothing. In His perfect providence, God has given us His word to declare that He is the author and creator of all things while leaving unanswered the mysteries that the mind of man cannot conceive.
Genesis chapter one is a foundational text for a Christian worldview and many of the most fundamental doctrines. From Genesis chapter one, Pastor Ben Smith preaches on how God's creation forms how Christians understand God and all that He has made.
God is Good, James 1:12-18
Without a biblical worldview, there is no understanding of evil's real and present danger and the need to restrain it. When faced with evil, political leaders often prescribe legislative, regulatory, economic, or education remedies, believing that the undesired behavior can be overcome with better programs and laws. Or individuals speak of their own difficult situations and ascribe the blame or the responsibility to God when the cure is God, but the cause is not.
God has provided a way to be saved from this broken world. He desires your salvation and not your destruction. God has no part in sin.
From this passage, the Bible declares two fundamental truths that God does not tempt toward sin and that all that is good is from God.