Prepared with a Reason: Lesson 3

Overview

Anthropology: What Is a Human Being, and Why Do We Exist?

Anthropology asks two questions every worldview must answer: what is a human being, and why do we exist? The world offers two prevailing assumptions—that humans are the product of evolution, and that human identity is principally defined by sexual preference, orientation, or gender choice. Scripture answers both with clarity and good news.

We Are God's Special Creation, Not the Product of Evolution

Humanity is not a random assemblage of atoms shaped by millions of generations of death and mutation. We are the crown of God's creation, made in His image. Genesis 1:26-27 declares that God personally fashioned humankind, male and female, in His likeness. Before the fall, Adam and Eve were perfect—physically, rationally, spiritually—holy and righteous, fully able to follow God's will, created to live forever.

The fall changed everything. As Genesis 5:1-3 signals, Adam fathered Seth "in his own likeness, after his image"—no longer the unspoiled image of God. Humanity lost that image and fell under God's wrath. A key contrast with evolutionary thinking is the place of death: Scripture treats death not as the engine of progress but as a terrible enemy. We did not evolve upward; since the fall, we have been de-evolving. Yet by grace, God is restoring His image in those justified by faith—not perfectly this side of heaven, but truly.

Identity Is Given by God, Not Self-Constructed

The second worldly assumption—that we form our own identity through sexual preference, orientation, or gender choice—collapses without God. As Paul says in Acts 17:28, "In him we live and move and have our being." Deny the Creator, and the framework for self-understanding falls apart, leaving people to manufacture identities of their own. But Genesis 1:27 is clear: God created us male and female. Jesus Himself reaffirms this binary creation in Matthew 19:4-5 and Mark 10:6. For a creature to declare himself or herself something other than what God made is to act as one's own god.

The faithful response is gratitude. Psalm 139:14—"I am fearfully and wonderfully made"—and Romans 12:1's call to present our bodies as a living sacrifice teach us to receive ourselves as God made us. Each person is an unrepeated miracle; God broke the mold with each of us.

Our True Identity Is in Christ

A Christian's identity is not rooted in self-definition but in Christ. Romans 6:1-4 anchors that identity in baptism—we have died with Christ and been raised to walk in newness of life. Scripture also names us sheep, utterly dependent on the Good Shepherd for life and salvation, and priests, all believers called to proclaim the gospel in their vocations. According to Ephesians 1, God called you "beloved" before the foundation of the world.

Pastoral application: Our callings as men and women are not social constructs that shift with majority opinion or personal feeling. We cannot accept a worldview that reduces humanity to evolved matter, nor an ideology that denies universal truth. Resist language that turns sin or brokenness into a fixed identity, and instead receive with joy the identity God has given: created male or female, baptized into Christ, shepherded by the Lord, called as His priests, chosen and beloved before the world began.

Transcript

Heavenly Father, you created us in your image. 6s

Though we humans fell into sin, you chose to redeem us through your Son. 10s

As we study your Word and your world today, open our eyes to the truth of who we are and 16s

who you created us to be. 23s

In Jesus' name, amen. 26s

Well, we continue examining worldly assumptions and then seeing what the scriptures have 29s

to say to these worldly assumptions. 35s

Last week, we talked about the subject of ontology, which deals with the questions of what 38s

exists and where did it come from. 45s

We took a look at three assumptions that the world can make in terms of this subject. 49s

One is that there is no God. 57s

That's an ontological assumption that the world makes. 61s

That there is no God. 64s

That God is simply the invention of human beings' imagination. 66s

We took a look at another worldly assumption that said that all matter in the universe 71s

has always existed. 77s

There was a big bang and all of this matter turned into what it is today. 81s

This pre-existent matter that was simply there. 89s

We also took a look at an ontological assumption that the world makes in terms of that the 94s

universe will balance itself out. 100s

You might hear it in phrases that people will say, I think the universe is guiding me to this. 104s

The universe has brought this about in my life. 113s

Associated with that understanding is the understanding of karma. 118s

Karma comes from Hinduism and Buddhism. 124s

The understanding there in this worldly assumption is that karma is this supernatural force that 128s

balances out the universe. 137s

We saw, as we looked at scripture, how God intimately creates human beings. 140s

We took a look at the scriptural record that nothing existed. 147s

There was no pre-existent matter. 151s

There was God who always existed. 153s

We talked about reject that term karma. 157s

Don't use it. 162s

In fact, we see that Jesus warned about making connections with difficulties that people experience 164s

or hardships that people experience and their relationship with God. 171s

Jesus warned with regard to making that assumption. 174s

Last week was ontology. 179s

What exists? 181s

Where did it come from? 182s

We know how to answer those questions because God gave us the answer. 183s

We turn to holy scripture. 188s

Today I want to talk with you about the subject of anthropology. 190s

Look at two assumptions associated with anthropology. 196s

Anthropology is the study of human beings, ancestors through time, physical character, environment, social relations, 202s

and culture. 212s

It has to do with the questions of what is a human being and why do we exist? 214s

Anthropology looks at what's a human being and why is it that we exist? 224s

There are two assumptions. 232s

I want to examine with you. 233s

The first assumption that the world can make associated with the topic of anthropology, assumption number one, 234s

is that we are the result of evolution. 244s

We are the result of evolution. 251s

Let's look at the biblical response to that. 259s

Let's go to Genesis 1. 262s

There we read in the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth. 269s

This NRSV is fine, of course, but I like the translations where it says in the beginning God 283s

because it punctuates the existence of God and that everything that flows out of scripture here comes right from that opening statement. 289s

But in the beginning when God created, let's go to chapter 1, verse 26, chapter 1, verse 26. 300s

Then God said, let us make humankind in our image according to our likeness and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the wild animals of the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. 312s

So God created humankind in his image. In the image of God, he created them. 331s

Maiden, female, he created them. God blessed them and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth as a duet, have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth. 338s

God said, see, I've given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth and every tree with seed in its fruit. 353s

You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life I've given every green plant for food. 361s

And it was so. God saw everything that he had made and indeed it was very good and there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. 376s

Another great passage to look at, we won't look at it for the sake of time, is Psalm 8 that talks about how God creates, it's just soaring, majestic and beautiful song. 388s

We see from Holy Scripture that human beings are God's special creation, the crown of His creation, and that we were made in the image of God. 401s

So that means then that when God created our first parents, Adam and Eve, their physical condition was perfect. 415s

You see, prior to the fall, Adam and Eve never caught a cold. Right? Their physical condition was perfect. Their rational powers were perfect. 426s

Their spiritual relation between themselves and God was perfect. In other words, they had a blissful knowledge of God. 443s

They had perfect righteousness. They were holy in their living. There was no evil. There was no sin. 456s

They were perfectly able to follow the will of God. So when you look then at Adam and Eve before the fall, it's perfection. 468s

In their bodies, their minds, spiritual, righteous and holy, there was no evil, sin, 484s

and they could conform to the will of God. Adam and Eve were created to live forever. There's this perfection. 511s

And then the fall. Immediately as our first parents fell into sin, there was the loss of the image of God. 527s

It was the loss of it. And they fell under the wrath of God. 541s

Let's turn to Genesis the 5th chapter. Genesis chapter 5, verse 1. 549s

This is the list of the descendants of Adam when God created humankind. He made them into likeness of God. 570s

When Adam had lived 130 years, he became the father of a son. 585s

In his likeness, according to his image and named him, Seth. 593s

That's the Bible here telling us that when Adam and Eve fell into sin, humankind that was created in the image of God. 605s

And they were before the fall, perfect, physically, rationally, spiritually. They were righteous and holy. There was no evil. There was no sin. 615s

They could follow the will of God perfectly, created in the image of God. But when there was the fall into sin, they lost the image of God. 623s

And so biblically, then, we say, we were created in the image of God and we lost the image of God. 639s

But God in His grace has begun in the Christian a restoration of that image, a restoration of that image. 653s

That's not going to be perfect this side of heaven. Nope. But God is at work restoring the image that we had lost. 665s

So we then say we were created in the image of God, God is restoring then for those that are justified by faith. He is restoring that image. 679s

A key distinction between pure evolutionary worldview and the Christian worldview is the issue of death. 693s

Now ponder this with me a little bit. Evolutionary theory requires millions upon millions of generations of death and destruction. 707s

That's what evolutionary theory is. Is built upon millions upon millions of experiences of death and mutation for life to develop. 723s

Scripture teaches that death is not the mechanism of evolution. It's not. 739s

Instead, death is a terrible enemy. It's a terrible enemy. 749s

I had a seminary professor. He was, if you heard my sermon, he was actually the professor of the book. 758s

I'm reference in my sermon today. And I quickly learned first day in that class. 767s

I was sitting right in the front row and I quickly learned that this particular professor really got into it when he was lecturing and the spindle would fly. 774s

And so after the very first lecture, for those of us in the front row, word got around. 789s

And so the next day, everybody's back. A couple of rows. 797s

But I remember him with a spindle flying there and he was lecturing and he would put his arms on the desk there that you were at the table that you were sitting at and he would lean into you. 803s

So it's kind of like this invasion of space if you were in the front row. 815s

But I remember his clear as day when he was talking about people talk about that we evolved here. 820s

Read the Genesis account. We didn't evolve. We're de-evolving. 827s

Now think about that. That's really true, isn't it? God made Adam and Eve. They're perfect. 834s

They're not on some kind of evolutionary kind of line of millions and millions here of deaths that occur until finally this life then emerges here. 843s

No, Adam and Eve is a special creation of God. Human kind is a special creation of God. The crown of his creation. 855s

We didn't evolve. We're de-evolving when you compare ourselves to our parents in the prefall. 863s

Sumption number two. So assumption number one then has to do about where all the result of evolution and we see scripture address that. 876s

Second is how is identity formed? How is identity formed? 888s

What we see increasingly in our world today. 901s

What we see increasingly is that human identity is principally defined by sexual preference, orientation, gender choice or how one wants to identify themselves in those categories. 910s

That's a worldly assumption there. That human identity is principally defined by individual sexual preference, orientation, gender choice, how one simply wants to identify themselves. 932s

Let's go to Acts the 17th chapter. Matthew Mark, Luke, John and then Acts. Acts chapter 17 verse 28. 952s

And here we read, for in him we live and move and have our being as even some of your own poets have said. 973s

We too are his offspring. Notice the phraseology. In him we live and move and have our being. 987s

If one denies the existence of God, one's own identity collapses. If one denies the existence of God there is a collapse of identity. 1001s

For we were created to understand ourselves as creations of God that are to glorify God. God told us to serve one another and that is a form of serving him. 1017s

So if one denies the existence of God then the very framework out of which their identity is to come it collapses. 1031s

And that results then in having to form your own identity. 1046s

So what we're seeing, what we're seeing increasingly in the world is people trying to form their identities under the banner of sexual preference, orientation, choice, or this is how I simply want to self identify. 1053s

We're also seeing people that acknowledge the existence of God doing the same thing. 1074s

And we must say to that born a scripture that's wrong. It's wrong. God created us male and female. 1083s

He created us with a sexuality that only takes one of two forms. Male or female. 1096s

Take a look with me please. At Genesis chapter 1, once again, Genesis chapter 1, verse 27. 1106s

So God created humankind in his image. In the image of God he created them. Male and female he created them. 1126s

Let's go to Matthew the 19th chapter, first book in the New Testament. Matthew the 19th chapter, verse 5. 1139s

For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. 1161s

So they're no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together let no one separate. 1169s

When you go farther up in that, verse 4, he answered, have you not read that one who made them at the beginning made them male and female. 1179s

Let's go to Mark the 10th chapter, Mark the 10th chapter, verse 5. 1192s

Verse 6, rather. But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female for this reason. 1206s

The church must not relinquish this teaching. It must not relinquish this teaching that views humans in a binary fashion. 1232s

Because that's the witness of Scripture that we were created male and female and the church must not relinquish that teaching. 1247s

The idea then that humans can or ought to remake their sexual identity as something other than male or female is simply contrary to Scripture. 1260s

And for a creature to determine that he or she is not really the individual that God made them is nothing less than that person acting as if they are their own God. 1278s

And acting as if they are the creator Luther said it simply God has made me he's made me. 1295s

So should we form our own identity as the world is talking about forming our own identity in terms of sexual orientation and gender choice and identification etc. that is going on? 1311s

No, we must give thanks for how God created each one of us. For when God created each one of us he broke the mold. 1329s

We are unrepeated miracles of God. 1343s

Look at Psalm 139, please. Psalm 139, verse 14. 1347s

I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works that I know very well. 1367s

Or let's go over to Romans, please, in the New Testament Matthew Mark, Luke, John, Acts and then Romans. 1379s

Romans chapter 12, verse 1. 1389s

I appeal to you therefore brothers and sisters by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice wholly and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship. 1399s

God made you. You can delight in how God made you and we are to present ourselves to God as God has made us. 1414s

So applying some things here from the first two classes. 1425s

First, our callings as men and women are not social constructs. 1430s

Remember we talked about social constructs where truth is determined by whether or not a majority of people will believe something. 1439s

No, our calling as a man or as a woman, a boy or a girl is not a social construct. 1450s

In other words, we can't change that by human will, desire or feeling. 1458s

Secondly, we can't accept a worldview that assumes humanity is simply a random assemblance of atoms, of evolution. 1468s

So it's not an issue of social construct, it's not an issue here of evolution. 1478s

Third, we can't accept an ideology that says there are no universals where we simply say, okay, you've got your truth, I got my truth but there are no universals. 1487s

Because if we do, that starts to shape us into the mold of a fallen humanity rather than letting Christ's identity that he places upon us in how he created us as male and female, 1501s

how he creates us anew through the waters of baptism. 1524s

We must not let the fallen world shape our understanding of our identity. 1529s

Language them, such as gay, lesbian, transgender, non-binary, that turns which is not God's plan into an identity. 1538s

And that must be avoided and the church must not give up her teaching with regard to this subject. 1561s

For a Christian's identity is not rooted in how one self-defines with regard to their sexuality, it is rooted in terms of our identity that is in Christ Jesus. 1573s

Let's take a look at Romans, the sixth chapter, please. Romans chapter 6. 1594s

What are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound by no means? 1609s

How can we who died to sin go on living in it? 1617s

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 1622s

Therefore, we have been buried with him by baptism into death so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 1628s

Here then is the identity that God gives us. It is a baptismal identity that we've died and we've been raised unto new life, that we belong to God Almighty. 1642s

Secondly, we see in Holy Scripture the identity that we are sheep, sheep, several passages that lift that up. 1663s

And this is an interesting of all of the animals and all of God's creation that God would identify us with. He identifies us with the sheep. 1677s

As we've talked about sheep or one of the dumbest animals on the planet, they can't defend themselves. 1687s

If you've got two spots of water, you've got great water here, but it takes an extra step for the sheep to get to the great water and they're closer to the polluted water. They'll drink out of the polluted water. 1694s

I mean the examples are amazing here that we can learn from sheep and how they are and their behavior. And God says, my sheep, my sheep. 1705s

See that's our identity. That means that we are absolutely then dependent on the shepherd. 1717s

We're dependent on the shepherd for life. We're dependent on the shepherd for eternal life. 1727s

We see also in Holy Scripture that we are priests. 1734s

In other words, all of us are called to proclaim the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. 1744s

Those that are called to the office of ministry in the pastorate, their responsibility is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. 1751s

And we're defined all of us are priests. I remember a fellow one time in my first call. He came to me one day and he said, you know, I envy you. 1761s

He said, you envy me. Why do you envy me? He goes, because you get to work for the Lord full time. 1771s

So we started to talk about his vocation and how he worked for the Lord too and how the Lord had planted him in that vocation. 1782s

We talked about the priesthood of all believers. Those are strong images that God gives us. This is your identity. 1792s

You know, form your identity. Your identity is given to you. And it's given to you in Jesus Christ. 1801s

We've died and raised that we're his sheep, absolutely dependent upon him and that we are his priests. 1809s

We have the identity that we are his chosen ones that God has claimed you in the waters of baptism and has called you his own. 1819s

That before Scripture says in Ephesians chapter, the first chapter before God ever said let there be, before God ever created. 1835s

He knew that there was going to be a you, a unique you. And he called you beloved before the very foundation of the world. 1843s

To the worldly assumptions then we say we are special creations of God. To the worldly assumptions we say our identity is in Christ. 1855s

Well, there's no class next Sunday. I hope you enjoy a wonderful breakfast. And this class will resume two weeks from today. 1871s

We're going to take a look at the subject of axiology, axiology. And that deals with the questions of what is important and what is it that we should value and why? 1879s

What's important and what should we value and why? That'll continue in two weeks. 1890s

Thank you. 1903s