This message, delivered by Chuck Summers of Life Springs Christian Church, wrestles with a foundational question: what is man? Drawing on Psalm 8, Genesis, the prophets, the writings of Paul, and the life of Jesus, we trace humanity’s origin, fall, and the glorious restoration God has planned through Christ and the church.
Outline
- Psalm 8: The question that points us to God and our place
- The world’s view of humanity and its consequences
- God’s perspective: made in His image and given dominion
- The fall: how the image was defaced and what followed
- The power of sin and death explained in Paul’s struggle
- The promise of redemption from Genesis to the prophets
- The king and the kingdom: Jesus’ proclamation and parables
- The new creation in Christ and our calling as ambassadors
- The growth of the kingdom and the role of the church
Psalm 8: A Question That Changes Everything
We begin with Psalm 8: “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. . . . When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers . . . what is man that you are mindful of him?” The psalm frames our identity: we are creatures formed under the majesty of God, honored by His attention and placed into a stewardship role over creation.
The World’s View of Humanity
Modern culture offers many competing answers about what it means to be human: that we are accidents of physics, merely “meat machines,” or the products of social and economic structures with no transcendent source of value.
That worldview leads to confusion and despair. Without a fixed point—without God as Creator and Judge—value and purpose drift. The result can be hopelessness, the elevation of state or ideology as ultimate authority, and deep cultural fragmentation.
Consider two historical documents: the American Declaration of Independence roots human rights in the Creator, while post-revolutionary France produced a secular “rights of man” that locates rights in government. These two starting points lead to very different political and cultural outcomes.
God’s Perspective: Made in His Image
Genesis answers the question of humanity’s worth directly: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Unlike animals that the earth brought forth, God formed man with His hands and breathed life into him.
Being made in God’s image means humanity is a special kind of creature—designed to reflect God’s character, to steward creation, and to live in close relationship with the Creator. We were intended as co-regents on the earth, carrying God’s attributes as a created reflection of Him.
The Image of God Distorted by the Fall
But that dignity was marred by rebellion. When Adam and Eve chose disobedience, everything changed. Paradise became toil; fellowship with God fractured into alienation and shame. The text poignantly captures this: they were once “naked and were not ashamed,” but after the fall they hid and blamed one another.
The image of God in humanity was defaced—not erased, but marred. Romans tells us all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. We are not what God intended us to be by our own efforts.
The Power of Sin and Death
“For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing… Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
Paul’s honest wrestling in Romans 7 shows our spiritual bondage: even those who desire righteousness find themselves captive to sin’s law. This isn’t merely moral failure; it’s a fundamental spiritual problem—death and bondage that require a divine remedy.
The Promise of Redemption: From Genesis to Isaiah
Right after the fall God gives a hopeful promise: from the woman’s seed will come One who bruises the serpent’s head. Throughout the Old Testament, God steadily reveals a plan of rescue.
Moses becomes a type of deliverer, David a kingly type, and the prophets—especially Isaiah—speak of a coming ruler who is both glorious and a suffering servant. Isaiah 9 and 53 present the paradox of the Messiah: mighty ruler and suffering redeemer.
The King Has Come: Jesus and the Gospel of the Kingdom
When Jesus arrived He declared that the long-awaited kingdom was at hand. His teachings reframed human identity and destiny. Through parables he helped people see what the kingdom is worth:
- The kingdom is like a hidden treasure—worth selling everything for.
- It is like a priceless pearl—so valuable a merchant sells all to own it.
- It is like a mustard seed and leaven—small beginnings that grow to transform the whole.
Jesus humbled Himself, taking on human form and dying on a cross, yet through that humility and obedience God exalted Him. The resurrection vindicated Christ’s victory: “Christ died for our sins . . . was raised on the third day.”
The New Creation: Born Again and Adopted
Jesus taught Nicodemus that no one can see the kingdom without being born again. The New Testament declares that in Christ we are made alive—dead people brought to life, adopted as sons and daughters, and given the Spirit who cries “Abba, Father.”
Paul explains that this salvation is not the result of human effort but a gift of grace. We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works prepared beforehand. This is not a superficial renovation; it is a transformation from death to life.
We Are Ambassadors and the Ministry of Reconciliation
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ… God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”
Believers are entrusted with the message and mission to represent Christ. The church is not an exclusive club to be hoarded; it is a missionary community called to demonstrate God’s reconciling work and to proclaim the gospel.
The Growth of the Kingdom
Jesus’ parables about the mustard seed, leaven, and the scattered seed affirm a kingdom that grows—often mysteriously and beyond human control. The harvest will come in God’s timing; meanwhile, we sow, pray, and labor faithfully.
The Church as the Fullness of Christ
Paul’s vision in Ephesians lifts the curtain on God’s cosmic plan: Christ is seated far above every rule and authority, and He has given Himself to the church—His body. The church, corporately, is intended to be the fullness of Christ on earth.
Gifts were given—apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers—to equip the saints for ministry so the body may grow into maturity. When every member is doing its part, the body builds itself up in love and resists being tossed by every new doctrine.
What This Means for You
Answering “What is man?” biblically changes everything:
- You are not an accident. You are made in God’s image and dear to His heart.
- You are broken by sin, but not beyond hope. God promised a Redeemer and fulfilled that promise in Christ.
- You are called into a new identity—as a new creation, an adopted child, an ambassador, and a member of Christ’s body.
- You are part of a mission: to live out and proclaim the kingdom so that the world might be reconciled to God.
Conclusion: Live the Answer
God’s plan restores dignity, purpose, and mission. The question “What is man?” finds its fullest answer in Jesus Christ and in the community He is building. We are a people called to reflect God’s glory, to grow as a kingdom body, and to carry the message of reconciliation into a world that desperately needs it.
If you want to see this vision lived out, connect with fellow believers, embrace your calling, and invest in the growth of the church—because the kingdom is here, it is growing, and you are part of it.
