Human Nature

[lunamoth]

Q: What are we by nature?

A: We are part of God's creation, made in the image of God.


Q: What does it mean to be created in the image of God?

A: It means that we are free to make choices: to love, to create, to reason, and to live in harmony with creation and with God.


Q: Why then do we live apart from God and out of harmony with creation?

A: From the beginning, human beings have misused their freedom and made wrong choices.


Q: Why do we not use our freedom as we should?

A: Because we rebel against God, and we put ourselves in the place of God.


Q: What help is there for us?

A: Our help is in God.


Q: How did God first help us?

A: God first helped us by revealing himself and his will, through nature and history, through many seers and saints, and especially the prophets of Israel.


Anglican Catechism

[Faithfulservant]

Q: What are we by nature?

Carnal and dead in the body until born again by the grace of Jesus. Then made alive in Spirit.


Q: What does it mean to be created in the image of God?

God as a trinity is one being, acting with as much unity as our soul acts with our body and our spirit. Our bodies are living, and Paul emphasizes that we serve a living God, not one of gold or silver or stone (Act17:29). In fact he says that those idols cannot be God because it would take a living being to create us as living beings.

God by His nature is a rational being. He is not constrained by them they are the natural outflow of His will; they are His nature. He is as much a rational being as He is a loving being. Because only man has the true capacity for rational thinking, he is in this way also made in God's image. Also, man is intelligent; aware of his surroundings and capable of changing them. He does not act on instinct, but should be able to control his natural drives for higher purposes.

God has given man free will, which likewise reflects God's image. Every man has the ability to choose for himself his actions. He is morally aware. Man understands that certain things are good and certain things are evil.

Lastly, only man can be aware of God and is capable of fellowshipping with Him. This part of man was exercised freely in the Garden before the fall. All men still are able to comprehend God's existence, but none are able to fellowship with Him unless they have been born again in Christ.

Q: Why then do we live apart from God and out of harmony with creation?

I love this scripture btw

Romans 8: 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

All of creation groans and suffers in the bondage of corruption as we do.. creation suffers with us and holds its breath as we wait for the coming of the Lord. Thats awesome to me.

Q: Why do we not use our freedom as we should?

I agree... we are always putting ourselves on the throne. When will we learn huh?


Q: What help is there for us?

The Holy Spirit.


Q: How did God first help us?

by His plan of Salvation before the creation of the world.


Another fun one.. thanks luna

[lunamoth]

Originally Posted by Faithfulservant

Q: How did God first help us?

by His plan of Salvation before the creation of the world.

I like this one especially Faithful, and appreciated all of your answers. Thank you.

Another fun one.. thanks luna

My pleasure, glad you like them. I also thought they would be interesting and fun to do, to see how we would answer these questions. As you can tell I've taken these from the Anglican catechism. If I used my own words I probably would have also put things differently, but the meaning I think would be the same.

If others are also interested I could do a few more threads like this.

Thank you again for answering. It does give us a chance to understand each other, and sharpen our own thinking and wording too.

[Quahom1]

Q: What are we by nature?

A: We are natural and mortal. Yet we have great potential.


Q: What does it mean to be created in the image of God?

A: I suspect it means that our design is identical to that of God's albeit on a limited scale. We are physical, mental, and spiritual, which combines makes the whole of our existence.

Q: Why then do we live apart from God and out of harmony with creation?

A: We lack balance, therefore continuously go from one extreme to another. We have no guidance therefore our paths are erratic and without purpose.

Q: Why do we not use our freedom as we should?

A: We covet what we think is important, as opposed to realizing what really matters (and would actually be better for us if we took the chance).

Q: What help is there for us?

A: Our help is in God.


Q: How did God first help us?

A: He wrote the laws into our hearts (gave us a conscience).

[-James-]

Q: What are we by nature?

Our true nature is that of God. We inherited our carnal nature (Our current nature) in the garden. We were cast out in spirit when we developed/absorbed the knowledge of evil. We died a spiritual death as a result.


Q: What does it mean to be created in the image of God?

See Jesus


Q: Why then do we live apart from God and out of harmony with creation?

Because the carnal man chooses evil over good, and is dead to God’s Grace


Q: Why do we not use our freedom as we should?

Because we are spiritually dead


Q: What help is there for us?

God’s spirit “Love”, which was made fully manifest in Jesus the Christ


Q: How did God first help us?

By allowing us to lose our security in HIM, then by sending his son to give it back.

[Silas]

Originally Posted by Faithfulservant

Q: What are we by nature?

Carnal and dead in the body until born again by the grace of Jesus. Then made alive in Spirit.


Q: What does it mean to be created in the image of God?

God as a trinity is one being, acting with as much unity as our soul acts with our body and our spirit. Our bodies are living, and Paul emphasizes that we serve a living God, not one of gold or silver or stone (Act17:29). In fact he says that those idols cannot be God because it would take a living being to create us as living beings.

God by His nature is a rational being. He is not constrained by them they are the natural outflow of His will; they are His nature. He is as much a rational being as He is a loving being. Because only man has the true capacity for rational thinking, he is in this way also made in God's image. Also, man is intelligent; aware of his surroundings and capable of changing them. He does not act on instinct, but should be able to control his natural drives for higher purposes.

God has given man free will, which likewise reflects God's image. Every man has the ability to choose for himself his actions. He is morally aware. Man understands that certain things are good and certain things are evil.

Lastly, only man can be aware of God and is capable of fellowshipping with Him. This part of man was exercised freely in the Garden before the fall. All men still are able to comprehend God's existence, but none are able to fellowship with Him unless they have been born again in Christ.

Q: Why then do we live apart from God and out of harmony with creation?

I love this scripture btw

Romans 8: 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

All of creation groans and suffers in the bondage of corruption as we do.. creation suffers with us and holds its breath as we wait for the coming of the Lord. Thats awesome to me.

Q: Why do we not use our freedom as we should?

I agree... we are always putting ourselves on the throne. When will we learn huh?


Q: What help is there for us?

The Holy Spirit.


Q: How did God first help us?

by His plan of Salvation before the creation of the world.


Another fun one.. thanks luna

This was the most Biblical view so far by far.

[Dor]

Q: What are we by nature?

A: We are created beings in the image and likeness of god, for his good pleasure.


Q: What does it mean to be created in the image of God?

A: God's chief emotional attribute is love, so God created us with a capacity to love, God has the capacity to reason, so He created us with the ability to reason,God's chief governing characteristic is self determination, so he created us with the capacity of self determination, God thinks, feels, wills, speaks, so He has created us with the capacity to think, feel, will and speak,He created us with the capacity to fellowship with God, so He must have desired that we have fellowship with Him.


Q: Why then do we live apart from God and out of harmony with creation?

A: Sin. Our carnal nature.


Q: Why do we not use our freedom as we should?

A: We wont to put ourself above God because we believe we can do better than him or make things better ourselves.


Q: What help is there for us?

A: The Blood of Jesus Christ. After that the Holy Spirit.

Q: How did God first help us?

A: By planning his path of salvation before he created us.

[Silas]

Thanks for the posts Faithful Servant and Dor! Isnt it wonderful to be taught of God and not rely on your own fallen and bias underestanding?

Blessings,

Silas

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by Silas

Thanks for the posts Faithful Servant and Dor! Isnt it wonderful to be taught of God and not rely on your own fallen and bias underestanding?

Blessings,

Silas

Ah, "human nature" at it's finest...

[Silas]

Originally Posted by Quahom1

Ah, "human nature" at it's finest...

Actually, thats my new nature. I only glory in what God has done because he did a work in me. Prior to the work, I wouldnt even care about the things of God. As a matter of fact, I'd be confused into thinking that God is so loving that He sent His Son into the world that whosoever believes in Him and Allah and Buddah and Shevah and the great gods of the plains, etc., would have eternal life.

[Dor]

Originally Posted by Quahom1

Ah, "human nature" at it's finest...

Yes this is "human nature" at its finest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by Dor

Yes this is "human nature" at its finest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...and I'm from Missouri...