OF MAN (Pasche) -

"I will praise Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. 

Marvelous are Thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well."

Ps. 139:14

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    We believe that man is not the product of evolutionary de-

velopment, but that he was created in the beginning an intelligent 

and moral being, consisting of body and soul. Man is the foremost 

among the visible creatures, because God Himself has prepared his 

body, given him a rational soul, and created him in His own image. 

The very manner in which God created man reflects His unspeak-

able love to him. Truly, man, God’s noblest handiwork, was won-

derfully made. His beautiful body, superbly symmetrical, stands 

erect, with face turned forward and upward. His wonderful body 

was not, as in the case of all other creatures, simply created by the 

word of the Almighty, but was formed of the chief elements of 

the earth.

    And God breathed into this body the breath of life. The form 

of clay lived and breathed. Man hears the sounds and sees the 

wonders of nature round about him. Adam was able to give an 

appropriate name to every living creature, for he was gifted with 

speech and a keen and strong intellect. Man was intended to be the 

lord of the earth; for when all else was created, God took counsel 

with Himself, saying: “Let us make man in Our image, after Our 

likeness; and let them have dominion over . . . all the earth.” 

Besides appointing him lord of the earth God gave him immor-

tality, that he should live for God and with God forever.

    Both his dominion over the earth and his immortality man 

lost by sin. He was created holy and innocent; but in his present

fallen estate he is entirely depraved and enslaved in the service of 

sin. Sin, with its countless hosts of evils, death, and damnation, 

entered the world and fastened its fangs upon our first parents, 

poisoning the fountain of life and the stream of humanity. But it 

was not to remain so forever. For as soon as sin entered the world, 

also the Savior from sin was promised.

Prayer.

Eternal, almighty God, Thou didst create man in Thine own

image to live evermore before Thee according to Thy holy will and

in perfect blessedness. Alas! the image was lost, and our nature

has become depraved by sin. Our understanding is darkened, our

desires are impure, our will is at variance with Thy Law. And the

wages of our sin is death. But we praise Thee, O Thou Father of

mercies, that Thou didst send Thy Son, the image of Thyself, to

win back for us the right to become again Thy children. Grant,

then, that we may accept Him in true faith. Amen.