TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MAN
We believe that man was originally and directly created in the image of God, and that he fell through sin. We believe that God’s intention in the creation of man was that man should glorify God, enjoy God’s fellowship, live life in the will of God, and by this accomplish God’s purpose for man in the world (Isaiah 43:7; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11). As a consequence of his sin, Adam was relationally separated from God in trespasses and sins, and he became subject to the power of the devil. We also believe that his spiritual death and total depravity of human nature has been transmitted to the entire human race of man, the Man Christ Jesus alone being excepted. Hence, every child of Adam is born into the world with a nature which not only possesses no spark of divine life, but is essentially and unchangeably bad apart from divine grace. Thus, man is a sinner by imputation, nature, and choice, and is guilty before God. Man has both dignity [He is created in the image of God] and depravity [He is corrupted in every part of his nature through the Fall] (Gen. 1:26; 2:17; 6:5; Psalm 14:1-3, 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; John 3:6, 5:40, 6:53; Romans 3:10-19, 23, 5:12, 8:6-7; Eph. 2:1-3; 1 Tim. 5:6; 1 John 3:8).
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