What Shall We Think of Man?--Who is he? What is his place on the
earth and in the universe? What is his destiny? He is of necessity an
object of thought. He is the subject of natural laws, instincts and
passions. How far is he free; how far bound? How is he linked with
the physical and the spiritual worlds? These and a host of other
questions press upon us for answers, when we begin to think about man
and his destiny.
Taken in detail the inquiries lead investigators in many different
directions and result in many contradictory systems of thought. Taken,
however, in a general practical way all questions about man may be
considered from two standpoints; the physical and the spiritual. The
danger is in making the physical alone interpret the spiritual and in
declaring that "man is simply a ripple on the sea of human events and
human life, merely on episode marking a particular stage in the
cooling of a nebula." This method of interpretation leads to the
ruling out of any personal responsibility on the part of man for his
thoughts or actions, the obliteration of the distinction between right
and wrong and the denial of a personal God and personal immortality.
The right standpoint from which to consider the many questions about
man, as he appears upon this earth, is that of a personal spiritual
being with a physical body. There is here no denial of the physical
part of man, but it is made subordinate to the spiritual. Man is
personal and responsible for his thoughts and conduct; upon this
conception of man is founded human society and the state. Man is
spiritual, knowing the distinction between right and wrong, capable of
knowing God who is The Personal Spirit and looking forward to a
personal immortality.
The Christian Thought of Man recognizes him as a personal spiritual
being with a physical body; he has large responsibilities, and a great
destiny to attain--if he so wills.
There are six heads under which the Christian conception of man may be
considered:
1. Man is mortal (Psalm 90:5,10; Ecclesiastes 12:5). The physical part
of man is quite definitely limited in years. His body is formed of the
same elements as that of any other animal and is subject to the law of
decay and death. This linking of man with, what we call, the material
universe is asserted at the very opening of the Bible (Genesis
2:7). Man is a member of a race of men with all that this membership
implies (Acts 17:26).
2. Man is immortal (1 Corinthians 15:53,54). The physical body is the
house of the spirit of man. All the appeals in the Scriptures are
addressed to this personal spirit of man (Matthew 6:25,33; John
14:1-4). There is in the New Testament a great forward look to the
things that shall come to pass after the passing away of the physical
body (Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 21,22).
3. Man is a moral being (Romans 2:14,15). There is a law of conscience
impressed upon man when he comes into the world, which makes him a
moral being capable of distinguishing between right and wrong. Man
knows when he sins against the law of his conscience.
4. Man is a responsible being (Romans 2:1-11). He is self-conscious
and self-determining. He knows himself as himself and he can determine
his actions; it is these characteristics which make him responsible
for his sins. He has the power of choice and in willing to do right or
wrong he brings the consequences of his doing upon himself.
5. Salvation for man is through Jesus Christ. Man sins and violates
his moral nature; he feels the responsibility for his sin; he desires
forgiveness for his sin and to be freed from its power over his
spiritual nature (Romans 7:23,24). But he finds no earthly help. Such
help can come to man only through a spiritual being who, subject to
all the assaults of sin (Matthew 4:1-11), has triumphed over them all
(Romans 8:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus Christ, the manifestation of
God the Father, is the Spiritual Being through whom man can receive
forgiveness for sin (Luke 5:23,24; Acts 2:38; 13:38,39; 16:30,31).
6. Large possibilities are everywhere asserted for man in the
Scriptures. This earthly life is looked upon as the beginning of a
greater and fuller life (1 Corinthians 13:9,12). Yet in doing the will
of God man may even here enter upon a life full of joy (Hebrews
12:1,2).