The Bible -- Its Theme (Part 1)

          The objective of this lesson is to explain the theme of the Bible.  We’ll see how this one theme is woven throughout the Old and New Testaments.

I. THE THEME

The theme of the entire Bible is the redemption of man, or how man can know God and have fellowship with Him.

A. MAN WAS MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD       

Key Verses:  Genesis 1:26, 27

·        This does not mean man was made in the physical image of God, for God is Spirit (John 4:24).

·        This does mean the immaterial part of man was created in God’s likeness.  This is the part of man which sets him apart form all other earthly creatures.  We were made in the image of God in three ways:

Intellect:  Man’s capacity to use his mind.  Only man has a concept of God.  Sensibility:  Man has the complex emotions of love, hate, anger, joy, compassion, etc. Will:  When God fashioned man, He did not want a robot or an automaton.  He gave man a will which could be exercised in one of two ways: to be obedient to the will of God, or to rebel against God and exert self-will.

B. MAN NEEDED A CHOICE

·        In order for man’s will to be of value, he has to have the right of choice.

·        Every inducement to live in obedience to God was made in the Garden of Eden.  The choice was man’s.

·        God said, “There is one tree I do not want you to eat of” (Genesis 2:17).  God gave man an opportunity to freely use his will.

C. OPPOSTITION TO GOD’S REVEALED WILL IS SIN

God told Adam if he exercised his will in disobedience to God’s will, he would then have to pay a penalty for his sin.  The penalty then, as always, was death (Genesis 2:17).

D. MAN SINNED

Man used his will to disobey God, sinned, and therefore died (Gen 3:1-15).

·        Death, in Biblical terms, always means separation.  There are different types of death mentioned in the Bible, yet each one means a type of separation.

·        Adam died spiritually.  Spiritual death is the separation of man from God forever.  See how Adam attempted to hide from God, a symptom of separation (Genesis 3:8, 9).  The Bible tells us, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

E. GOD EXPLAINS THE PLAN

The Bible was written to explain God’s wonderful plan for man, enabling him to once again know God and have fellowship with Him.