Man holds a special place in creation,
not because he has intrinsic worth and value of his own, but because he
was created for a purpose and he was created in the image of God.
We believe that the first man, Adam, and the first woman, Eve, were
created by God supernaturally and directly. The entire human race has
descended from Adam and Eve by procreation. Adam and Eve were created with
a holy nature, but not a confirmed holy character. They were created in
the image and likeness of God. This involves three areas. One is that man
is capable of having relationships with others - with God and with fellow
humans. Another is that he is to be a physical representative, ambassador,
for God on Earth. The final area is that man has a substantive likeness to
God - personality, spirituality, and morality. All of these
aspects--relationships, man's imaging of God, and his likeness of
God--have been distorted by the Fall. Man has a physical and spiritual
part, material and immaterial. He also has a conscience that passes
judgment on his own deeds in reference to an internal moral standard. Man
has a free will, within certain parameters, and is responsible for the
decisions he makes.
This information is also available in a
detailed outline suitable for study.
