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Image and likeness of God
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Photo by Dawnzy 58
Children grow up to be like their parents, often even if they do not want to. As Christians, we need to realize that we are made to be like our heavenly Father, like Jesus and like Holy Spirit (bold emphasis added).
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.[1]
I believe the words used to write the Bible, particularly in the original languages were chosen for very specific reasons. The word used for God here is 'elohiym. This word denotes plural. This would seem to imply that God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were present together and in agreement to make man in the image and likeness of God. We should be encouraged that God’s desire in our creation was that we would be like him.
Some may argue, “But God didn’t really want us to look and act like him. He is God and we are mere people.”
After Cain’s murder of Abel, Adam and Eve had another son worthy of note in the Bible:
And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:[2]
The words for “image” and “likeness” are the same as when God decided to make mankind in his own image and likeness. It is God’s true intent for us to look like, walk like, talk like and live like him. God passed his spiritual genetics on to us, but Adam damaged our spiritual DNA, if you will, when he sinned against God by not eating of the fruit of the Tree of Life, but instead eating from the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; a sin we repeat with disturbing regularity.
Jesus came to reconcile us with our Father and restore our spiritual genealogy.
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.[3]
By God’s grace we have been saved and quickened (brought to life conjoined with) us with Christ Jesus. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit all want us to be in their image and likeness so much that even after we were fallen in sin and helpless to remove that sin still desired for us to be like them. So much so that the Word of God became flesh, was given the name Jesus, walked as a man and overcame all temptation and sin, then submitted himself to death on the cross so that we could choose to be reconciled with God and still be his image and likeness.
Once we are born again, doing our best to walk after the Spirit of God and not after our own flesh, striving to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and counting upon him for the strength to do so, our Father no longer sees just us. When our Father looks at us, he now sees Christ Jesus in us; he sees his own image and likeness housed within us. Is this not glorious?
Confession:
My heavenly Father, who is rich in mercy and for his great love wherewith he loves me, even when I was dead in sin has quickened me together with my Lord Jesus Christ and has raised me up and made me sit together in heavenly places in my Lord Jesus Christ. My Father did this so that in me he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward me and all mankind through Christ Jesus. By grace I have been saved by faith, not of my own works but by the gift of God. I am God’s workmanship, created in his image and likeness in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has already ordained me to walk in that I may bring him glory and honor and praise.
1 The Holy Bible : King James Version. electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995, S. Ge 1:26-27
2 The Holy Bible : King James Version. electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995, S. Ge 5:2-3
3 The Holy Bible : King James Version. electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995, S. Eph 2:1-10
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