Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.
^…
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

• Genesis 1:26-27, 31

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
…
Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

• Romans 5:12, 18-19

Who can bring what is pure from the impure?
    No one!

• Job 14:4

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

• Isaiah 53:6

As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one; …
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

• Romans 3:10, 23

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

• John 3:3-5

“Q. Did God, then, create man so wicked and perverse?

No, on the contrary, God created man good and in his image, that is, in true righteousness and holiness, so that he might rightly know God his Creator, heartily love him, and live with him in eternal blessedness to praise and glorify him.

Gen 1:31.
Gen 1:26, 27.
Eph 4:24.
Col 3:10.
Ps 8.”

• Heidelberg Catechism, Question 6

Q.  From where, then, did man’s depraved nature come?

From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise, for there our nature became so corrupt that we are all conceived and born in sin.

Gen 3.
Rom 5:12, 18, 19.
Ps 51:5.”

• Heidelberg Catechism, Question 7

Q.  But are we so corrupt that we are totally unable to do any good and inclined to all evil?

Yes, unless we are regenerated by the Spirit of God.

Gen 6:5; 8:21; Job 14:4; Is 53:6.
Jn 3:3-5.”

• Heidelberg Catechism, Question 8

The Message

I only provided a few of the Scriptures, but the Bible references are provided, if you care to look them up.

There are three questions for this vespers service.  They relate to each other.

Were we created as a corrupted being? No, God created everything and called it good.  He created man in His own image; He breathed into man life itself.

So, how did man become depraved?  Man sinned and as a result, mankind must face death.  Man, woman, the serpent the woman believed, and the earth itself were all cursed as a result.

Can we put ourselves back on the right track? No, only God can do that.  We must be regenerated by the Spirit of God.

As most catechisms do, they rehash the same information we hear from a variety of sources.

But we were created to be beautiful, but we were created with a choice to make.

You cannot be free without a choice.  Some government forces want us to have a communist form of government.  Every time that this has been tried, it failed.  But one problem was that there was only one candidate on the ballot.  There was not a choice.

Adam and Eve had a choice and they failed.  They had freedom to choose.  They chose unwisely.

We have a freedom to choose.  The only wise choice is to choose God, the One who has the power to overcome the curse.  Jesus already paid the price, but we must accept Him.  Just as Adam and Eve had a choice, we do also.

And now let us sing.

Here is In Christ Alone sung by Keith and Kristyn Getty and CityAlight.

 

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord,
We believe in You.  God, we had that chance and we messed up.  You give us another chance.  You love us that much.  We need You to us turn around.  Please, Lord, You are not the Co-Pilot.  We cannot do it without You.  Please, Lord, take over the piloting of the ship, and lead us safely home.
In Thy name we pray,
Amen

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.