The Prominence of Man's Existence: His Origin, Structure, Function and Destiny From a Biblical Perspective

By George McClaurin

This volume 1 of the subject title is a primer of other volumes to come, first in importance, time, or rank; it is the base coat or foundation of other volumes to come. It can be used as an excellent study guide for the righteous saints of God who intend, design, or resolve to God's will and maintain their salvation, which is a free gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. These are people who are positively influenced and responsive to 2 Timothy 2:15, people who are diligent or studious to present themselves""approved to God, workers not ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth""and folks who testify that, according to 1 Corinthians 1:18 and Romans 1:16""17, the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. In addition, we are not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ because it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. In it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, that is, faith leading to faith, because it is written that the just shall live by faith. In the near future, look for the extraordinary life-giving introduction of The Prominence of Man's Existence: His Origin, Structure, Function, and Destiny from a Biblical Perspective Volume II with the same fact-based compelling and comprehensible reading agility as Volume I. Why write according to God's word, and not about, or according to man? Simply because according to John 17:17 God's word is truth, And, according to Jeremiah 17; 9-10 the heart of man is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, but God searches our heart and test our mind to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. And so, we must remain conscious or mindful of our deeds or characteristic activities that they are of moral character, because according to Romans 2:11 There is no partiality with God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 9, 2019
• ISBN: 9781643498096

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Table of Contents

Part 1

Man—His Origin, Structure, Function, and Destiny (From a Biblical Perspective)

Man’s Relation to Man

Reclaiming our Youth

The Bible (In Brief)

The Church

Ministers (Believers in Christ, Saints of God, a Royal Priesthood)

Homosexuality

Part 2

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

The Gospel Preached to the Entire World

How Do We Know God?

Good vs. Evil

The Grace of Jesus Christ (Our Lord and Savior)

The Called of God

Our Wellness (In Brief)

Part 3

Church Denominations

Critical Thinking

Toward the End of Time

Giving

The Old and New Covenants Defined

God’s Extended Family

The Time of Reformation

Part 4

Confession

Eternal Life vs. Eternal Condemnation

Education, the Process (In Brief)

Afflictions and Persecutions

We Own Nothing of Our Own, and We Can Do Nothing on Our Own

The Irreverent Wife

Worship

The Lord’s Supper

Part 5

Jesus Christ (Surety and Mediator of a New and Better Covenant)

A Nation and Its Economy

Question and Answer Series

Short Subjects

Part 6

Equality, God-sponsored

What Has Race or Ethnic Origin to Do with Salvation?

The Avenger (In Brief)

Citizens of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God

Clergy or Christ

Who Is Our Teacher Today? (And Why?)

Who Wrote the Scriptures? (And How Do They Serve Us?)

ISBN 978-1-64349-808-9 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64349-810-2 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-64349-809-6 (digital)

Copyright © 2019 by George H. McClaurin

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

About the Title

The essence of the contents of these writings is conformed to fact or reality. The contents are designed to impart wisdom in recognizing our duties and responsibilities with regard to the spirit of truth and the spirit of error or good and evil. It is imperative that we are cognizant of the difference in truth and error and simply set our minds to do what is right before God while we are in this present world.

These writings are based on God’s sacred or holy Scriptures, and my concern is the condition of the soul of man—how well he exists, his origin, structure, function, and destiny—because man has a beginning of days but no eliding of life.

Prominence, as related here, means being projected as highest among all of God’s other earthly creations. It means to be widely known and held in high esteem. Man is simply mankind, the human species, the human race, human beings, male and female. To exist means to live, to have being, to be, to continue to be.

Man’s Origin: the cause or beginning of something; the source

According to Genesis 2:7, 1:28, God created man from the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and then man became a living soul and was given dominion over every living thing that moves on the earth.

Man’s Structure: something made up of a combination of related parts

Genesis 1:27, Ecclesiastes 7:29, Genesis 2:19–20 tell us that God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. He created them upright and endowed with intelligence.

Man’s Function: the characteristic activities of a person or thing

With regards to man’s function, Ecclesiastes 12:13 explains man’s function or whole duty is to fear God and keep His commandments because this is the whole duty of man.

Man’s Destiny: fate; the ultimate end to which a person or thing will come

Man’s destiny or fate is of his own choosing. Deuteronomy 30:19 explains that God set before man life and death, blessing and curses that he may choose life, that both he and his descendants may live.

If man chooses the path of life of truth, which is the righteousness of God through Christ, he will live forever in glory with God and Christ on earth. Psalm 37:29 tells us that the righteous will inherit the earth and dwell on it forever. If man chooses a life of unrighteousness or error, which is sin that leads to death, he will suffer eternal punishment set for the unrighteous.

Jesus explains this in (Matthew 25:34, 41) that He will tell the righteous to come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. He will also tell the unrighteous to depart from Him into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. In accordance with this, (Mark 9:47–48) tells us that Jesus said that if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye rather than have two eyes to be cast into hellfire, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.

In essence, The Prominence of Man’s Existence: His Origin, Structure, Function, and Destiny is about man being distinctly manifested, created in the image of God, projected beyond the mere surface of the earth in God’s sight, held in high esteem by God, and being made to exist, to have being, to be, to continue to be, to live forever. He was created superior to God’s earthly creatures, built upright and intelligent, and was designed to fear God and obey His commandments, as is the whole duty of man.

It is based on these criteria that I gave this book its title, which originated from the Holy Scriptures and is, therefore, eternally sound within them.

Grace be with you all. Amen.

From the Author

These writings are based on the principle of biblical interpretation. I take Scripture as it is written and rely on Scripture to interpret Scripture. God’s Word is used as the basis for my conduct. This is done by conscious reasoning through revelation by the Holy Spirit. Conduct is guidance, management, direction, or simply behavior. In keeping watch concerning my behavior and practicing obedience to God’s Word, I realize through 1 Peter 4:11 that if we speak, we are to let it be God’s message, and if we serve, let it be with the strength that God supplies.

My work is not comprised or based on this present world’s expectations, acceptance, or justification by men with regards to current fashions, trends, or whatever is popular for the moment, and as Paul related to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 2:4, not with persuasive words of human wisdom or learned oratory but in demonstration of God’s Holy Spirit and power that our faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. My work is based on that which is of lasting significance, and that is eternal salvation through faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

As proclaimed in 1 Peter 1:3–5 and 1 Corinthians 15:1–4, I also strive to make a positive impact on all by helping each one to recognize and accept the gospel of truth, the gospel of Jesus Christ, which leads to salvation for our souls. This is deliverance from sin and its consequences, a spiritual rescue from sin and death. And as proclaimed in Proverbs 31:8–9), I speak out for those who are oppressed and are unable to speak for themselves, and I defend the rights of the poor and needy. I speak to those who are in conflict through Christian doctrine, which is of paramount importance for conflict resolution.

The Christian doctrine is that teaching of God’s Word, the teachings of Jesus Christ, based on the Holy Scriptures, which are, according to 2 Timothy 3:15, able to make one wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Christian doctrine shows the common humanity we all share regardless of nationality, creed, color, or ethnicity. It also reveals the love, truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance we all must have as a function of righteousness, fulfilling the royal law and showing no partiality according to James 2:8–9, which tell us that we should love our neighbor as ourselves and that we should show no partiality in doing so.

According to 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 and Hebrews 13:15–16, I rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything present a praise offering to God by giving thanks to Him in Jesus’s name. This is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us, and with these sacrifices, God is well pleased.

In essence and simply put, my writings are an excellent scriptural study guide to salvation through faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, to rescue us out of this present evil world in agreement with the will of God our Father. Amen.

Introduction

These writings are designed for easy reading comprehension, a context of God’s Word to the world where Scripture is arranged to provide instant perception to the reader by easily recognizing the part or parts of a discourse before, after, or intimately associated with any particular word or passage to determine its meaning.

This is to say that I use related materials and/or information and subjects taken solely from the Scriptures to conclude meaning to these writings.

Text is simply written matter on a page; context is the part or parts of a discourse before, after, or intimately associated with any particular word or passage to determine its meaning; pretext is a pretense or disguise to conceal a purpose or condition.

Using this principle, we can plainly see that Scripture does, in fact, define Scripture. For example, I will give you two meanings for the word anger—the first simple and the second complex in wording, allowing additional information to encourage a broader view of realization, encompassing, identification, and harnessing anger within ourselves.

Example number 1: anger is a feeling of extreme hostility or rage, of wanting to fight back. Here we have a good definition of anger, but how do we recognize anger within ourselves, and how do we address it?

Example number 2: anger is the strong emotion or feeling of displeasure or antagonism caused by what is regarded as an insult or injury done by another or the intent to do such injury. Here we have more information with which to work. We have displeasure or antagonism caused by what is regarded as an insult or injury. And in evaluating ourselves, questions arise such as, was the insult or injury authentic? Was it intended? Or have I misjudged the alleged perpetrator?

This tells us that we must be able to think, plan, and reason continually in order to make sound and rational judgments.

In essence, in these total writings, we have God’s Word, exact in context and simplified for our practice to provide the guidance needed or to maintain the prominence God intended for us, that we may continue in good works to maintain our salvation.

The master key here is maintaining good works because 2 Corinthians 9:8 tells us that God is able to make all grace abound toward us, that we, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

We must remain sober-minded at all times because the quality of our endeavors, good or bad, depends on our attitude toward those endeavors. This identifies our mental position and reflects the feelings we have for ourselves and for others, and without which we are unable to make logical and rational choices and decisions needed for sound or righteous judgments. Amen.

Purpose

According to 1 Corinthians 12:27, individually you are a part of the greatest power or force in the universe—that is, you are the body of Christ and members individually. Either you are or simply you are or not! And if you are not, you can be through encouragement from the contents of these writings which reveal and afford the aspiration and opportunity to be so, according to the gospel of Christ.

These writings are purposed simply to bring the context of God’s Word to the world, Scripture defining Scripture, the Word of God, or wisdom from above, totally eliminating the arguments of man and his doctrine or wisdom from below.

Bringing the context of God’s Word to the world means that the reader can easily comprehend or mentally grasp the meaning or exactly that which is meant, the aim, the end, the purpose. This is done by examination of three elements relevant to proper acknowledgment of God’s Word—text, context, and pretext. The first element, text, is simply written matter on a page; the second and most extraordinarily valuable element, context, is the part or parts of a discourse before, after, or intimately associated with any particular word or passage to determine its meaning or that which is meant, the aim, the end, the purpose; pretext is a pretense or disguise to conceal a purpose or condition and is simply an untruth.

Presenting God’s Word to the world in context for proper guidance allows that Scripture define Scripture; preclude pretense, disguise, or untruths; provide spiritual revelation easily understood or concrete information from God through the Spirit of Christ who resides within us. We cast down the arguments of man and his wisdom and receive the wisdom of God through Christ, which is simply wisdom from above.

God’s Word is truth, and its context prevents, reveals, exposes, eliminates, and convicts misquotes, misuse, and/or just plain perversion of the Word of God. This is extremely important in that 2 Timothy 3:13 tells us that evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived. This is why according to 2 Timothy 2:15 we are to study to present ourselves approved to God, workers not ashamed and rightly dividing the Word of truth.

Through these writings, we can concur that our faith and confidence are in our belief in God and Christ, and our hope is our desire with expectation of receiving that which we desire through faith in God and Christ, the only way to righteousness, justification, sanctification, and redemption, which fosters our salvation.

The Logo

This is a design from 1 Corinthians 1: 18, which relates that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those of us who are being saved, it is the power of God.

Part 1

Man—His Origin, Structure, Function, and Destiny (From a Biblical Perspective)

We will begin this discussion with a definition of man. Man is referred to as a human being, a person, the human race, mankind. The term man can also be related to men for work, defense, etc., to strengthen or brace (manned or manning). In essence, the definition of man can be characterized as symbolic of strength. Strength is the state or quality of being strong. It means force, toughness, durability, or the power to resist attack. For example, James 4:7 tells us that man can submit to God and resist the devil, and the devil will flee from him. In this instance, according to Scripture, man is referred to as a human being, male and female.

With this in mind, if Adam had influenced Eve not to sin, to remain obedient, and to resist the devil by maintaining the authority or power or strength that God gave him, there would not have been the need for a second or last Adam, the Man Jesus Christ. It is written in 1 Corinthians 15:45, 47 that the first man Adam became a living being, and the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. The first man was of the earth made out of dust, and the second Man is the Lord from heaven.

In order to live a life in accordance with God’s will, we as Christians must recognize who we are in Christ. This is in regards to our origin, structure, function, and destiny. To help explain this task from a biblical perspective, I have listed six different sets of individual scriptural doctrine characterizing man from creation to his final destiny.

The First Set of Scriptural doctrine Is Related to the Original State of Man

Original means the origin or beginning. It also means primary; novel, fresh, not copied or reproduced, and that from which copies are made.

The fact is, God created man. According to Genesis 1:26–27, God said, Let us make man in our image according to our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

This brings us to the reason why God created man. Man was created for God’s pleasure and glory. Isaiah 43:7 tells us God said that everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, and made him Further, Revelation 4:1 tell us that the twenty-four elders fell down before Him who sits on the throne, saying, You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.

Genesis 2:7 tells us that the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.

Differentiating man from the rest of God’s earthly animal creations, Ecclesiastes 7:29 tells us that God made man upright and endowed him with intelligence or the capacity to perceive and comprehend meaning, but they have sought many schemes. And another attribute of man that separates him from other earthly creations of God is that he was endowed with intelligence. Genesis 2:19–20 tells us that out of the ground, the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam, there was not a helper comparable to him.

Intelligence gave man the ability to learn or understand, to comprehend meaning. This also awarded him the position of prominence over all other earthly creations of God because He gave man dominion over all. Genesis 1:28 tells us that God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea; over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.

In addition to man having wide dominion, Psalm 139:14–16 tells us he is also fearfully and wonderfully made. It relates, I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed, and in your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. In this passage, David recognized God’s perfect knowledge of man.

The Second Set of Scriptural doctrine Is Related to the Sinful State of Man

In John 3:4, it tells us that sin is lawlessness or transgression of God’s law. Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. Sin came into the world because of Eve’s transgression and Adam’s disobedience.

Genesis 2:16–17 tells us that the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.

But the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field, which the Lord had made. He asked Eve if God told them not to eat of every tree in the garden, and Eve responded that they could eat of every tree in the garden except the tree in the mist of the garden, or they would surely die.

Genesis 3:1–6 tells us that the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field that the Lord God had made and convinced Eve that if she ate of the tree in the midst of the garden, they would not die but become like God, knowing good and evil. So Eve ate of the forbidden fruit and convinced Adam to eat of it also. In 1 Timothy·2:14, it tells us that Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, fell into transgression.

Sin entering into the world was a direct result of Eve’s transgression and Adam’s disobedience. This act brought about temptation and the fall of man. Because of this act, sin entered the world and spread to all mankind, bringing along with it physical death. Romans 5:12–14 tells us that just as through one man, sin entered the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because all sinned until the law sin was in the world. But sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. So here we see death in Adam and life in Christ. This transgression also renders men spiritually dead because Ephesians 2:1 states that He, Jesus, made alive all who were dead in trespasses and sins.

The Third Set of Scriptural doctrine Is Related to the Redeemed State of Man

Redeem means to buy back, to pay off, to ransom, to deliver from sin. This redeemed state of man originated in God’s love. John 3:16 tells us God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. This redeemed state of man also provides salvation for man. Salvation is simply a spiritual rescue from sin and death. Salvation is found in the grace of God, and this is what it does for mankind according to the way it works. Titus 2:11–12 tells us that the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us to renounce godlessness and to live a self-controlled and godly life in this present world.

Our redemption was accomplished by Christ’s death. In 1 Peter 1:18–21, it tells us that we were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received from the traditions from our fathers but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God who raised Him from the dead and give Him glory so that your faith and hope are in God. Redemption fulfills the new covenant. Covenant means a spiritual agreement between God and man, where man receives the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit is sealed within man fixing God’s laws in his mind and writing them on his heart. Here’s how that works:·Hebrews.8:10 tell us that God said, This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days. I will put my laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. To be saved, you must act according to Romans 10:9–10, which tell us, If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. With the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Ephesians 2:8–9 tells us, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift from God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Another aspect of salvation is being sealed by the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13–14 tells us that in Him you also trusted, after you heard the-Word of Truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of His glory.

Here, according to God’s new covenant, we are saved when we confess Christ as Lord of our