We are now in the season when we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. This historical event, which happened in accordance with the Lord’s eternal plan, provides hope for all genuine believers worldwide. The Christ died for our sin and rose again from the dead so we might have eternal life and peace with God. The resurrection of our Lord Jesus has secured for us certainty regarding our eternal destiny. “We are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8, Legacy Standard Bible). 

The resurrection of Jesus was part and parcel of the gospel message of the apostles and the First Century Church. Paul declared the death and resurrection of Christ as a matter of first importance (1 Cor. 15:3-11). Scripture teaches that apart from the resurrection of Christ we would still be dead in our sin (1 Cor. 15:12-20). Since he is raised and seated at the right hand of the Father we have guarantee of our salvation (Rom. 6:1-11). Since Jesus is raised we have guarantee of our own resurrection. Brothers and sisters, the finished work of Christ (i.e. his death for sin and resurrection from the dead) is our hope, security, and joy. Give the Lord thanks and praise for redemption through Christ!

I am sure that you are aware of the tragedy that occurred at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee on March 27, 2023. Six people were tragically murdered on that day. We should continue to pray for those who have been affected by this senseless loss of life. When tragedy occurs people tend to react emotionally rather than rationally. Others capitalize on such events to push their favored agenda. As Christians, we must resist getting caught up in unthinking, emotionally charged rhetoric or responses. As Christians, we must hold fast to Scripture and sound doctrinal convictions. In our day the biblical doctrine of Anthropology is under attack. Anthropology is the biblical doctrine of man, that is, what the whole of Scripture teaches about mankind. So, what do we need to know and remember? What follows is not an exhaustive study of the subject, or we would be here for a while. This is an examination of what God says is fixed, unalterable truth regarding mankind. 

• God created mankind personally in his own image (Gen. 1:26-27; 5:1). We are not God, but there are things that are true about God that are also true about us (i.e. God’s communicable attributes). Thus, there are things that are true about God that are not true about us (i.e. God’s incommunicable attributes). 
• God created mankind with one of two genders – male or female (Gen. 1:27; cf. 2:21-25). Gender is established by God. It is immutable, that is, unchangeable. 
• God created mankind without sin (Gen. 1:31). Thus, at creation, mankind was in perfect union with God and was not a sinner. 
• Mankind chose to rebel against God and sin entered the human race (Gen. 3:1-11). Sin is passed down to all humanity because we inherit it from Adam (Rom. 5:12-21). We are born sinners and are totally depraved. Total depravity means every aspect of our person is affected by sin. It doesn’t mean we are as evil as we could be. It does mean that every part/aspect of who we are is polluted by sin (ex. emotion, intellect, will).
• Since mankind is created in the image of God, life is sacred (Gen. 9:5-6). God as Creator has determined when life begins and ends. The Lord has established that life is a divinely bestowed right because he is the author of it and sovereign over it. Murder is wrong because mankind bears the image of God. God holds murderers accountable via the sphere of the Civil Government. God uses the Civil Government to restrain evil and uphold justice (at least when they are functioning properly, according to God’s design). Apart from this divinely established order in society, violence would fill the earth.
• Mankind is given responsibility and he is held responsible for his actions (Eccl. 12:14; Matt. 12:33-37). This is known as the sanctity of personal responsibility. Each person is accountable for his or her own actions. God will evaluate each individual’s life and actions. Each person will be responsible for what he or she has done.
  • Adam was accountable for his actions (Gen. 3:17-19, 22-24).
  • Eve was accountable for her actions (Gen. 3:16, 22-24).
  • Moses was accountable for his actions (Num. 20:10-11; Deut. 32:51-52).
  • David was accountable for his actions (2 Sam. 11:1-12:23; 24:1-25).
  • Saul (i.e. Paul) was accountable for his actions (Acts 9).
  • Cain was accountable for his actions (Gen. 4:1-16)
  • Esau was accountable for his actions (Gen. 25:29-34; 27:30-41)
  • Pharoah was accountable for his actions (Exod. 7-14).
  • Nebuchadnezzar was accountable for his actions (Dan. 4:4-33).
  • Judas was accountable for his actions (Matt. 26:20-25).
  • Alexander the coppersmith was accountable for his actions (2 Tim. 4:14-15).
  • The citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah were accountable for their actions (Gen. 18:20-21; 19:1-11).
• In holding individual human beings accountable, God does not blame the actions of others for an individual’s sins. Those other people may be guilty of sin, for which they will be held accountable, but the individual is still responsible for his or her actions. 
• In holding individual human beings accountable, the Lord does not blame the instrument or tool of wrong/evil. The individual, created in the image of God, is accountable for his or her actions. The blame cannot be conveyed to the tool by which the evil was carried out.
  • God did not blame the stones that were used to kill Stephen (Acts 7:54-60).
  • God did not blame the spear that King Saul used for the attempted murder of David (1 Sam. 19:10) or the attempted murder of Jonathan (1 Sam. 20:32-33). 
  • God did not blame the sword used to murder the priests of Nob (1 Sam. 22:16-21). 
  • God did not blame the sword used to murder James the apostle (Acts 12:1-2).

When the Lord instituted capital punishment (post-flood), he does not address the instrument or mode of murder (Gen. 9:5-6). He does address the person guilty of shedding another person’s blood (i.e. murder). Thus, God holds the individual accountable for his or her actions. 

We live in a society that has adopted a mindset of radical individualism. This has been accompanied by a victim mentality. If someone disagrees with me then I am being attacked or victimized. The logic follows that whatever a “victimized” person does cannot be helped because he or she is a victim. This perverse and unbiblical logic is being promoted at the highest levels of our Civil Government. Our culture has taken the blameshifting approach modeled by Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:12-13). Adam’s sin was not his fault, it was Eve’s. Eve’s sin was not her fault, it was the serpent’s. These individuals sinned against God. They did what was wrong but it was not their fault (according to them). It was someone else’s fault. Yet, God held each of them individually responsible for their personal sin.

Our society has also adopted the attitudes of Cain and Esau. These men sinned against God. Cain murdered his brother Abel because Cain’s sacrifice was not acceptable and Abel’s was (Gen. 4:1-16; cf. Heb. 11:4). Esau despised his birthright (given to him by God) and traded it for a bowl of soup (Gen. 25:29-34; cf. 27:30-41; Heb. 12:15-17). Yet, they believed that they got a raw deal and shouldn’t be accountable for what they did because they are really victims of their own circumstances. This does not fly with God. The Lord holds each of these individuals accountable for their actions. 

We are not unreasoning animals or machines which have no control over or responsibility for our actions. Francis Schaeffer wrote, “Because of his rebellion man chooses to go lower rather than return to his proper place as a creature before the absolute Creator… he moves down from being man into the lower existence of the animals and the machines.” This is a rebellion against the Lord who made us in his image. We are not unreasoning animals. We are not impersonal machines. We are human beings. We are given life and responsibility by God. He is the Creator and Lord of all. He is the one who has established the principles of the sanctity of human life and the sanctity of personal responsibility. Thus, these principles stand whether they are popular or not, whether they are rejected or not. Brothers and sisters, hold fast to the truth of God’s Word and do not be conformed to the unbelieving world (Rom. 12:1-2).