Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.”  Hebrews 2:5-8.

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“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;  and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”  God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him;  male and female He created them.  God blessed them;  and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”  Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;  and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”;  and it was so.  God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.  And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”  Genesis 1:26-31.

Reformed Doctrine teaches “Total Depravity”, the “T” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.  Yet, Reformed Doctrine makes it abundantly clear that man was not created with that condition of “Total Depravity”;  but rather God created man in the image of God, and God crowned man with glory and honor as today’s Scripture teaches.  But, man forfeited these excellent gifts from the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden (Paradise) when they revolted against God.

Here is what the Canons of Dordt states in part about the creation of man in the section titled:  “THIRD AND FOURTH HEADS OF DOCTRINE Of the Corruption of Man, His Conversion to God, and the Manner Thereof”:

Article 1.  Man was originally formed after the image of God.  His understanding was adorned with a true and saving knowledge of his Creator, and of spiritual things;  his heart and will were upright; all his affections pure;  and the whole man was holy;  but revolting from God by the instigation of the devil, and abusing the freedom of his own will, he forfeited these excellent gifts; and on the contrary entailed on himself blindness of mind, horrible darkness, vanity and perverseness of judgment, became wicked, rebellious, and obdurate in heart and will, and impure in his affections.

Here is what the Heidelberg Catechism states in part about the creation of man:

Question 6.  Did God then create man so wicked and perverse?

Answer.  By no means;  but God created man good, and after his own image, in true righteousness and holiness, that he might rightly know God his Creator, heartily love him and live with him in eternal happiness to glorify and praise him. 

Question 7.  Whence then proceeds this depravity of human nature?

Answer.  From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise; hence our nature is become so corrupt, that we are all conceived and born in sin. 

Question 8.  Are we then so corrupt that we are wholly incapable of doing any good, and inclined to all wickedness?

Answer.  Indeed we are;  except that we are regenerated by the Spirit of God. 

Here is what the Westminister Larger Catechism states about the creation of man:

Question 17:  How did God create man?

Answer:  After God had made all other creatures, he created man male and female;  formed the body of the man of the dust of the ground, and the woman of the rib of the man, endued them with living, reasonable, and immortal souls;  made them after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness;  having the law of God written in their hearts, and power to fulfil it, and dominion over the creatures;  yet subject to fall.

Here is what the Belgic Confession states in part about the creation of man:

Article 14:  Of the Creation and Fall of man, and his Incapacity to perform what is truly good.

We believe that God created man out of the dust of the earth, and made and formed him after his own image and likeness, good, righteous, and holy, capable in all things to will, agreeably to the will of God.  But being in honor, he understood it not, neither knew his excellency, but willfully subjected himself to sin, and consequently to death, and the curse, giving ear to the words of the devil.  For the commandment of life, which he had received, he transgressed; and by sin separated himself from God, who was his true life, having corrupted his whole nature; whereby he made himself liable to corporal and spiritual death.  And being thus become wicked, perverse, and corrupt in all his ways, he hath lost all his excellent gifts, which he had received from God, and only retained a few remains thereof, which, however, are sufficient to leave man without excuse;  for all the light which is in us is changed into darkness, as the Scriptures teach us, saying:  The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not:  where St. John calleth men darkness.  Therefore we reject all that is taught repugnant to this, concerning the free will of man, since man is but a slave to sin; and has nothing of himself, unless it is given from heaven.  …”

But, God did not leave man in that misery.  Stay tuned for the rest of the chapter:  Hebrews Chapter 2.