To Lord's Day 3

God did not create man wicked and perverse, but rather, our sinfulness comes from the fall into sin of our first parents. 

Q. Did God, then, create man so wicked and perverse? 

A. No, on the contrary, 

God created man good and in His image,

• In his image — man's character was created righteous and holy: good, right and pure. 
• Man's task was to be God's regent on earth and so was to be servant of God, 
• guardian of his neighbor and steward of creation.

that is, in true righteousness and holiness, 

• righteousness — in a right legal relationship with God 
• holiness — set apart for service to God 

so that he might rightly know God his Creator, 

heartily love Him, 

and live with Him in eternal blessedness to praise and glorify Him.

Q. From where, then, did man’s depraved nature come? 

A. From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise,

For there our nature became so corrupt that we are all conceived and born in sin.

Q. But are we so corrupt that we are totally unable to do any good and inclined to all evil? 

A. Yes, unless we are regenerated by the Spirit of God.

• regenerated — to be reborn, a radical transformation is man's only hope

For the Bible Tells Me So...

Genesis 1:26,27,31a — 

• Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." 
• So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 
• God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. 

Romans 5:12 — Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-- 

John 3:3-5 — 

• In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." 
• "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 
• Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 

The Heidelberg Catechism Lord's Day 3