The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-11-03
REAL need OF
Man IS GOD
Rev. Mr.. Stalker breaches on ";;te
Image Of God

image" Gen. 1927.
Mans real need is Cod" declared
Rev Daniel Stalker at the Presby-
terrain church last evening. IF it
he could make one as often as ha
wanted one, but his real need 10 God,"
he continued. His troubles began BY
wandering from God; they VIII END
only when he returnseo God. The BIZ
bic has been given To tell us about our
wanderings and the way back. Very
few lines Of the bible are devoted to
the subject Of human origin. while
many books and chapters are devoted
to the more important subject OF the
way back to God. But while the bible
comes to tell us of our fall and posi-
bic recovery, il is needful that we
should have an authoritative statement
on the subject of mans original cond-
ton. This ia given us in our text:
so God created man in His cwn i'm
age To this statement no eXplana-
ton is added We are therefore left
to ascertain from other parts of the
bible the meaning Of the announc-
ment.
Light Is cast on the subject by the
description OF the renewed man in the
bible. 1t Is hlear that the image re-
lates not 10 outward form, for God
is a spirit and has no physical form
"a spirit hath not flesh and bones as
20 see we have says Christ, but thar
il relates to moral likeness or char
acter. Paul tells us what the renew
ed maud is like. And that ye put on
tho new man, which after Cod is crea-
tor in righteousness and true holiness.
! Again, And have put on the new
man. which Is renewed in knowledge
after the image Of Him that created
MIN Observe the qualities named,
the knowledge Righteousness ana true
holiness. These constitute Gods i'm
age in man ana were possessed by
man prior 10 the fail. BY looking ut
these descriptions Of man in his re-
generated condition, we obtain clear
'cca. Of what he was originally as nc
came from mis- Makers hands and was
pronounced VERY good"
THE person and character of Christ
sheds further light on our suriect. He
bis the IMAGE Of the invisible God In
Him the divine image was complete,
! and as we study His character we see
the image In its perfect condition.
The relics OF our original state
sheds light on our theme. Man is IN
ruins. But as in runied temple,
SO la ruined man, there are traces
Of the original structure and design.
| Enough is left Of the frame and struc-
ture of the soul to reveal 10 us its
beauty ana grandeur as 1t came forth
! from the hands of the Great Creator.
! The image is shattered but the frds-
ments serve 10 indicate its former
magnitlcence. Sec the sense of JUS
| ice and Of kindness manifested by the
| savage, who is totally destitute OF any
! revealed religion and VINO has no
| guide hut the law written on his heart.
! Sec the sympathy manifested and the
assistance rendered by wicked men to
! The unfortunate, tho tried and the OPP
! pressed. and you see relics Of mans
! orinlgal state
In the mine OF every one who ac.
cept3 the bible as tho word of God
here can he no doubt that when
Adam came forth from the hand of
God, he was a perfect being. Any
other belief would he dishonoring> the
Creator. I}ut while perfect, II was
possible for him TO sin. God could
nave made il impossible for him t.
sin. but then nc would he n mere ma
chine, and his service would not be
that of free moral agent. hut of a
slave that could not act otherwise.
God will have the voluntary scrvice
and obedience Of His children So
God created man free moral agent
and made obedience the test of retain
ing Gods favor And we all know
what the result was. Had man re-
manned faithful ii is not for us 10
say what might have been. Yet scrip |
ture gives us n hint that faiihfulncss |
would have oeen subsequently re-
warded by elevation 10 higher rank |
and lofticr employments.
1.-The scripture account of mans |
creation stands in direct opposition
to the modern theory Of evolution.
This theory represents him as the re-
suit or innumorable developments
from the very lowest forms Of organic '
life and as still proceeding to yet
higher states Of existence. According
to this theory man was never made
in the image Of Cod; indeed, he was
not made at all but became what no
is by the mysterious exercise of some
blind unconscious forces. This being
so, he has never Faiicn. IT this view
is true tho bible Is false and vice
versa. we accept unrescrvodly the
biblical statement that man was madC
in the image of God, created in
knowledge. Righteousness and true
holiness"
AnNIGEC pInl CTlInv