Position Paper: Application

Devotional and Pastoral Application

All doctrines are directly tied to how we view ourselves and how we live out those beliefs. The belief on the origin of the soul is no less important. We currently live in a day where not only is the Creator/creature distinction obliterated, but Naturalism and Materialism are the predominant philosophies taught in our public schools. Racism has been a major issue for Americans.

All of mankind comes from the creative act of God on the sixth day of creation. Man is not the Creator but a creature made of body and soul. Man is made in the image of God. Most seem to argue that the soul is mainly what is being spoken of as being the image bearer of God. The practical outworking of this teaching should be obvious to all. We are not mere creatures with only a material background. We are not like dogs that seem to show much emotion. We are soulish creatures that will live long after this normal life has passed. We are to live to the glory of God. We are to live out the moral imperatives that are binding upon all of mankind by loving the Lord our God and our neighbor as ourselves.

A misnomer used in the modern vernacular is the term racism. There is only one human race. God created all men in the one race of Adam. This levels all men to being equal before God. No one is superior to another by nature.

This in turns leads us to the Doctrine of Original Sin. The Bible teaches that Adam is the Covenantal Head of the human race. When Adam sinned, because of our union with Adam, we all sinned. Adam’s sin and guilt were imputed or credited to every individual that has been propagated from him. Therefore all men die. We are sinners by nature, and God will judge all. In other words, because Adam’s nature was corrupted by his sin, he reproduces only his corrupt nature, both body and soul.

It is due to this unity in Adam that all men need a Savior, Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ that lived a perfect life in the place of sinners. It is Jesus Christ that bore in His own body the penalty of sin. By this sacrifice, the guilt of Adam’s sin has been removed forever. All who believe in Christ by faith alone have their guilt removed and receive His righteousness. At the resurrection, both body and soul will stand before God regenerated and once again perfect image bearers of God in Christ.