The Creation of Man

By Roy Loney

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     There are probably two billion people on the earth today, and we know human life has existed on the earth for six thousand years. Hence, it is beyond comprehension to estimate the number of people who have lived on earth. The figures would run into billions of billions. This earth, as the home of man, is but a vast graveyard of perished races of men. Individually we can know but a few of the people of the world, but we should give thought to the fact that all the teeming millions of the world came from a common ancestor. Paul told the Athenian philosophers that "God hath made of one blood all nations of men that dwell on all the face of the earth" (Acts 17:25). The black man in the jungles of Africa, the millions of yellow men in Asia, the brown men on the far flung islands of the Pacific, together with the white races scattered to the four corners of the earth, are all the children of our forefather Adam.

     It would be hard to think of a time when this planet was not inhabited and still harder to comprehend the great power that brought mankind into existence. It was not an accident nor a slow working law of nature that placed us here. Job declared "The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life" (Job 33:4). This harmonizes with David's statement, "Know ye not that the Lord he is God? It is he that bath made us and not we ourselves" (Psalms 100:3). No man could create himself nor could the human race exist without an act of creation. This brings us to the beginning of the human race.

     Science has long speculated as to the origin of man, and no scientist of today can state with absolute scientific certainty how man came to be here. The evolutionary theory as to man's origin is but a hypothesis, and a hypothesis is only a guess. A hypothesis may be taught as a supposition, but supposition is not science. Science is knowledge gained by exact observation and correct thinking. True science has no facts that overthrow the teaching of the Bible that "God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul" (Gen. 2:7). Some pseudo-scientists talk glibly about the "missing links" between man and the apes; but all we know about those missing links is that they are still missing. There is no proof they ever existed. On the other hand, many honest scientists have said that man appeared suddenly on the earth, and that his physical form today differs in no wise from the oldest skeletal forms that have

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been found. Dr. George Lechely, of Wayne University, Detroit, asked, "What is life? What is behind the origin of life? Many fall back on the explanation, 'the law of chance.' But that pre-supposes a law. Whose law? I prefer to believe in a Creator, divine, supernatural. I cannot accept chaos."

     The Bible informs us that after God had created all animal, fish and fowl life, he then said, "Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them" (Gen.1:26, 27). This account of man's origin adds dignity to the nature of man. We were not thrown into this world by some accidental force of nature that could have no interest in us. We came into the world by the power of the Almighty God, who in fatherly love, desired a creature, bearing his image who could render unto him affectionate service. Our origin is not to be traced to the slimy mud of a stagnant pond, but to the mind and power of a loving God. Well may we explain with the prophet, "Have we not all one Father? Hath not one God created us?" (Malachi 2:10). The blood of snakes, leopards and apes does not flow in our veins; but a spirit that came from God, is in us giving us intelligent understanding, such as no other earthly creature has ever shown.

     We send this message to you because we are interested in your soul, and concerned for your eternal welfare. We seek only to help and to bless you, and we wish you to become acquainted with that Book which is able to make you wise unto salvation -- the Bible. Other lessons will follow, dealing with the Fall of Man, The Responsibility of Man, The Redemption of Man, and The Destiny of Man.

     "The churches of Christ salute you" (Rom. 16:16).

      (NOTE: This is the first of a series of letter size articles prepared for personal distribution or mailing to your neighbors. You may contact your postmaster and then stamp "Non-profit organization" on these, and the mailing cost will be but lc each. The tract above can be secured for $5.00 per 500; $10 per thousand, plus postage to your address. Write to Roy Loney, 927 Louisiana Street, Lawrence, Kansas).