Lesson 2

ANSWERS TO LIFE’S QUESTIONS
A Bible correspondence course
Lesson #2 Who Am I?

Simply stated, “You are the unique product of human history, created for God’s glory.”

You are unique, because there is no one else exactly like you, even if you have an identical twin.

You are the product of human history because in you your mother and father have literally “become one.” You are partly your father and partly your mother. But, you are more than that. You are also partly your grandparents and your great grandparents, and so on.

If you go back far enough, the Bible says that you are also partly Adam and Eve.

The Bible tells us that that is where the human race began.

In your Bible, look up and read Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7, 21-23

There are several important concepts in these verses that relate to who you are.

First of all, Adam was a special creation of God, separate from every other life form—plant or animal. God formed Adam from the dust of the earth, not from one of the animals that He had already created.

As an heir of Adam, you are also a special creation of God.

Secondly, Adam was created in the “image of God.” Although you may have never thought about it, there are some significant ways that Adam was like God.

That is not to say that Adam was in any way divine. That is also not to say that Adam was a god. It does mean, however, that Adam had some of the same characteristics that God has.

As we will discuss later in this lesson, you are also made in the image of God.

You are the culmination of all of your ancestors from Adam and Eve to your mother and father and a reflection of who God is.

As part of that heritage, you have inherited certain characteristics from that long line of genes. Your ancestors have influenced your height and body type, the tone of your skin, the color of your hair and eyes, your blood type, and a multitude of other characteristics. These are characteristics that you did not choose and cannot change.

While many people today believe that man is just a high form of primate, the Bible shares a different perspective.

In your Bible, read: Psalm 8:4-8. In this passage man is described as a little lower than the _____________.

Actually, man has just as much of a relationship to angels as he has to animals—none. Angels are another unique life form created by God.

Contrary to what evolutionists claim, man is not a highly developed animal. Neither is man a being that will eventually become an angel. And man will never become God. According to the Bible, plants, animals, humans, angels, and God are completely separate and unique life forms.

Now, let’s look more regarding your inheritance. One thing that you inherited from Adam and Eve is a soul—a soul that will never die. That is one reflection of your God-likeness. God will never die (Read Psalm 90:2).

Unlike the animals, you have a soul that will live forever. When your body dies, you will continue to exist as a spiritual being.

Another characteristic that you inherited from Adam is your ability to choose.

God gave Adam this ability. That is why God was fair when He told Adam not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. (Genesis 2:16-17) He gave Adam the ability and the opportunity to choose.

Even though you have no access to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, you are similar to Adam in that you have the ability to choose right from wrong. So, in God’s likeness, you are a moral being.

There are some other characteristics that reflect your Adam-likeness, but one of the most important is your physical mortality—that is, your body will die.

But, how did that come about? God created Adam and Eve so that they would potentially live forever and enjoy the provisions God had made for them and their descendants.

As has been noted earlier, God told Adam and Eve that they could eat of any of the trees in the Garden of Eden except of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Read Genesis 2:17 : God told Adam and Eve, “in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely ________.”

Unfortunately, Adam and Eve believed Satan rather than God and they ate of the forbidden fruit. You can read about what happened in Genesis 3:1-19.

Genesis 5:5 tells us that Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years; so, it may seem like God did not tell the truth. In reality, though, Adam died spiritually the day he disobeyed God, which means he became separated from God.

The New Testament describes it this way… “Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” (Romans 5:12)

So, you inherited sin from Adam. You not only became mortal, but you also became a sinner. Sinfulness has nothing to do with what you have done, but it has everything to do with who you are—a descendant of Adam.

Romans 3:10 says, “There is _________ righteous, no, not one.”

If you want to prove that you have not inherited the consequence of Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden, all you have to do is live forever.

The fact is, since everyone is related to Adam, everyone will die because of the curse that God placed upon Adam.

Hebrews 9:27 says, “…it is appointed unto men once to _______.”

Some people are very proud of their family heritage. They note the great statesmen or inventors or educators or other celebrities in their family tree.

Maybe you have one or more ancestors in which you take great pride. Unfortunately, no matter how wonderful some of your ancestors may have been, you are still a child of Adam.

It is much like the young man who bought an old Model-T. He decided to transform it into a modern vehicle. He added a digital radio, LED lights, and painted it cherry red with pin-striped flames on the hood. He mounted whitewall tires, added electric windows, power steering, and heated seats. When he was finished, one might not even recognize the car with which he started. It was a glamorous Model-T. It was a high-tech Model-T. It was an expensive Model-T, but it was still a Model-T.

People also do that sort of thing to make themselves look good spiritually.

To impress other people, God, and maybe even ourselves, some of us put on the cloak of education. Others don the cloak of wealth or fame. Some even put on the cloak of humility by selflessly serving mankind.

But such activities just produce smart sinners, or wealthy sinners, or popular sinners, or humble sinners. When we are born, we are all sinners, and during our life we also sin; so, at the end of life we are more sinful than when we were born.

As Romans 3:23 tells us, “For _____ have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” God removes our cloaks and sees us for what we really are—sinners.

At this moment, you may not feel as good about yourself as you did before you began this lesson, but don’t despair. There is hope in future lessons.

You may want to review this lesson before completing the QUIZ SECTION below.