GOD CREATED US IN HIS IMAGE:

 

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GOD CREATED US IN HIS IMAGE:

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Read the context to which the verses refer.

Why are people so dissatisfied with what God has created?

They want to change themselves. Why not be grateful?

Can you really say to the Creator, "Why did You create me this way?"

Genesis 1:27: "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

Why, then, do some wish to live as a different gender? Indeed, it is rebellion against God.

In God's image, He created them.

The image of God is the Son, Jesus Christ!
God had blessed plans for His creation. That is why we must be born again (John 3); then we become entirely new creations of God.

They were created perfect, without sin. There was no evil in them. They were created out of God's love. Everything God created—the earth and its fullness—was created out of His love.

When God had finished His plan of creation, He said:
Genesis 1:31a: "Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good."

God's plans for the earth and all living things upon it were meant to be a great blessing.

Harmony between humans, animals, and plants.
He entrusted humans with the responsibility of ensuring the success of His plans.

GENESIS. 1:28 "And God blessed them, and God said to them: 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth; subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens, over the livestock and all the wild animals that move upon the earth.'"

The entire earth was meant to experience paradisiacal conditions. We will experience this again on the new earth.

What Adam and Eve experienced in the Garden of Eden was intended to spread across the whole earth. For those of us who believe in Jesus, our entire lives are a preparation—a process where God transforms and restores us so that we are ready.

Paradise, situated at the source of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, was meant to expand so that the whole earth would come under the Lord's blessing.

God had blessings in store.
Spiritual growth was prepared for mankind.
Genesis 2:10-17 "A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden. Outside, it divided and became four streams. The first is named Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. The gold of that land is fine; bdellium and onyx stones are also found there."

The first stream was named Pishon.
The meaning of the name is: TRANSFORMATION. It begins with our new birth. Thus, God’s plans for mankind included growth and transformation. They were created perfect, yet with spiritual growth in mind.

Verse 13: "The second river is named Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Nubia." It is believed to be the Nile. But the name Gihon means: REDEMPTION. Jesus is now our redemption—secured in advance. Romans 8:22–23: "For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only the creation, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body." It is certainly not inconceivable that Adam and Eve were meant to be clothed in Christ’s glorious body, so that they could live as God does in the highest heavens.

Verse 14: THE THIRD RIVER IS CALLED TIGRIS; IT FLOWS EAST OF ASSYRIA. The name Tigris means: FULLNESS. Now we have the fullness of the Holy Spirit in Jesus, and He in us. Therefore, it is vital that we live in the life of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 3:17–19: "That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God."

Adam and Eve could not be filled with all the fullness of God, nor attain the knowledge of Christ’s love, without having multiplied upon the earth. For it was together with all the saints that they were to attain the fullness of God. We see that God had plans for growth in spiritual depth and understanding for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Verse 14b: "The fourth river is the Euphrates." The name Euphrates means: Fruit. We bear the fruit of the Spirit, grafted onto the vine (John 15). This refers to the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22–23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

When the law is mentioned here, it is because the law is an expression of God's nature. It is automatically fulfilled in us as we live the life of the Holy Spirit.

But Adam and Eve were not created as God.
Only in God's image—the image of Christ Jesus. Therefore, God had the conditions for growth ready for Adam and Eve. But now God had to put His creation to the test; for He had created man with free will, not as a robot.

God desired fellowship with His human creation and looked forward to seeing this human being grow into a full knowledge of God and into full likeness to His Son, Christ, who is the express image of God. Verses 16–17: "But the Lord God gave the man this command: 'You may eat of all the trees in the garden. But you must not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for the day you eat...'"...of it, you shall die."

At this point, mankind did not yet know good and evil. They were unaware that a fall into sin had occurred among the angels in heaven. Lucifer, along with other angels, had rebelled against the living God. Many Christians—children of Adam—still live in rebellion against God today; they are carnal, not spiritual.

God had cast them out of heaven, yet He had not annihilated them. Here we see that angels, too, were created with free will. God did not desire for this fall to happen to His new creation—mankind. Therefore, He allowed Satan to enter man's paradise as a tempter. With his "Did God really say?" and "What if?" and "Surely I can do all this"—these are temptations.

This tempter was to test man's faithfulness to God.
The temptation went like this (Genesis 3:1–7): "The serpent was the most cunning of all the animals the Lord God had made, and it asked the woman: 'Did God really say that you must not eat from the trees in the garden?' The woman answered the serpent: 'We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden, but regarding the fruit of the tree that stands in the middle of the garden, God has said that we must not eat it or even touch it, for otherwise we shall die.' But the serpent said to the woman: 'You certainly shall not die! But God knows that the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, so that you become like God and can know good and evil.'" The woman saw that the tree was good to eat from and attractive to look at, and that it was also good for gaining insight; so she took some of the fruit and ate. She also gave it to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Then their eyes were opened, and they discovered that they were naked. "SO THEY SEWED FIG LEAVES TOGETHER AND TIED THEM AROUND THEIR WAISTS."

They succumbed to the Serpent's temptation.
He spoke to them in a way that bred disbelief—using words like "if," "perhaps," and so on. They began to doubt God's benevolent will toward them. The Devil claimed that God was hiding something from them. He does the same today, even though nothing is hidden that will not eventually be revealed. We possess the Spirit of revelation—the Holy Spirit within us.

By accepting his message, they would gain insight into good and evil.
Yes, they would become equal to God. We see such spiritually arrogant people today as well. Here we see that they were not created equal to God. When they accepted Satan's message, occultism began—specifically, the pursuit of insight apart from God. After eating, they discovered they were "spiritually" naked. Their insight into good and evil became their curse. It was evil that took over their minds and thoughts. We see the result of this in the world today!

God had to cast them out of Paradise. Lost—doomed from the start by their own choice and rebellion; the desire to be wise, to eat from the tree of knowledge—many do this very thing today. They failed the test.

After they had left the garden and Eve gave birth to her first two children,
Cain killed Abel. Spiritually speaking, many have killed others through the cleverness of their religiosity; they killed Abel out of envy—through gossip, for instance, or by questioning the authenticity of others.
This has plagued the human race ever since. Today, the spirit of Cain is still among us. They seek only to steal life, then turn and tear us apart.

But God did not abandon His creation. He was willing to make atonement Himself. ...human sin. One might call it Plan B. But God had a plan for those people who would repent, accept salvation, and return to the state of Paradise. Yes, we will come to live in God's paradise just as when the first humans were created; God is creating the earth anew. Have you thought about that?

Yes, and even more: attaining full likeness to the Son.
Not merely becoming His image. 1 Peter 1:18–21: "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world but was revealed only now at the end of times for your sake—you who, through Him, believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."

This is what we call Plan B.

Before the world was founded, it was ordained that the Son, Jesus Christ, would pay the price of atonement for fallen humanity. He was killed by the spirit of Cain, just as Abel was; however, Jesus rose again—which Abel did not—and today Jesus sits at the right hand of God our Father, interceding for us so that we may reach God's goal.

1 Peter 1:20: "He was chosen before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of times for your sake."

We were given another chance.
Now it is a matter of how... ...we accept the Son’s work of salvation on the Cross. Now, once again, it is a matter of unbelief or faith in God; the Devil’s talk of unbelief is still whispered into people’s ears. "Did God really say...?" But the clear voice of God’s Word, through the message of the Bible, shows the way back to Paradise. To eternal fellowship with God for all eternity. John 1:12: "But to all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God—to those who believe in his name."

Now a choice takes place, a test, just as in Paradise.
Those who choose God the Son shall be saved and restored to the original state...They are to become like the image of God’s Son. Indeed, even more: they are to become exactly like Him. Not Jesus, but *like* Him—remember that. Like the angels, yet not angels—remember that. We do not become ghostly spirits, but human beings. Remember that.

But those who reject the Son will be eternally lost, together with Satan and the fallen angels. Colossians 2:6–10: "Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through worldly wisdom and empty deceit, which rely on human tradition and the elemental forces of the world rather than on Christ. For in Him the whole fullness of Deity dwells bodily, and you have been given fullness in Him, who is the head over every power and authority."

In Him—Jesus—dwells the whole fullness of the Godhead, the whole fullness of Paradise.
If you share in Him, you are on the path back to the state of Paradise. But to share in Him is to share in a spiritual fellowship where
the growth of God can develop into the likeness of the Son. This is life in the Holy Spirit. For it is together with *all* the saints that we partake in that fullness.
Ephesians 1:22–23: "And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, filled by Him who fills everything in every way." Ephesians 4:15–16 "No, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the Head—Christ Himself! It is to Him that the whole body owes its growth, building itself up in love, as every individual part helps to bind and hold the whole together, according to the power measured out to each single part."

Where, then, is your arrogance, pride, or boasting? In Him. It is due to Him, not you.

Be grateful that God has created you in His image.

Just as God called out, "Adam, where are you?" He calls out today: "Adam—mankind—where are you?"

God will save you if you turn away from the evil path of your own religiosity.

Adam, where are you???
Amen.