Mankind was created in the image of God. Can you imagine a greater act of grace (getting what we don’t deserve), than you and I coming into existence by the hand of God, for the purpose of reflecting His glory and to rule over everything God had made on earth. Please take a minute to read a few verses in Genesis and soak up the truth of the value God has created in you. I have highlighted in bold words that I want you to focus on so you see God’s original plan for His image bearers.
Gen. 1:26 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.”
Gen. 1:27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Gen. 1:28 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.”
Gen. 1:29 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;
Gen. 1:30 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.
Gen. 1:31 God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Paradise was perfect (very good). God’s creation was perfect (very good). Humans were perfect (very good). Paradise was established on earth, but sadly lost by the sin of Adam. Yet God in all his wisdom and grace had a plan to restore ALL that mankind lost at the fall through the grace of God at the cross of Christ.
The Bible starts, in Genesis, with the tree of life (Genesis 2:9) in a setting of intimacy between God and mankind (Genesis 2:15-25). This was God’s grace at work in the beginning, providing for those created in His image and allowing them to dwell with our Triune God.
The Bible ends, in Revelation, with the tree of life (Revelation 22:2) in a setting of restored intimacy between God and mankind (Revelation 21:3) God’s grace in magnified afresh with His completed work of restoration, providing a new Paradise for those created in His image, allowing us to dwell once again with our Triune God physically again and restored to our purpose of reigningalongside Christ Jesus again. Rev. 5:10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”
Between Genesis and Revelation, the message of the Bible is the story of humanity’s on-going rebellion and God’s more powerful grace to restore humanity, the earth and his universe.
Please join me in praising God for creating you and I in the image of God, for His mercy, for His unconditional love and forgiveness…and of course His amazing grace upon grace upon
grace!
This week do your best to reflect His image in you…to others…
In His grace,
Pastor Steve
Gen. 1:26 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.”
Gen. 1:27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Gen. 1:28 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.”
Gen. 1:29 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;
Gen. 1:30 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.
Gen. 1:31 God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Paradise was perfect (very good). God’s creation was perfect (very good). Humans were perfect (very good). Paradise was established on earth, but sadly lost by the sin of Adam. Yet God in all his wisdom and grace had a plan to restore ALL that mankind lost at the fall through the grace of God at the cross of Christ.
The Bible starts, in Genesis, with the tree of life (Genesis 2:9) in a setting of intimacy between God and mankind (Genesis 2:15-25). This was God’s grace at work in the beginning, providing for those created in His image and allowing them to dwell with our Triune God.
The Bible ends, in Revelation, with the tree of life (Revelation 22:2) in a setting of restored intimacy between God and mankind (Revelation 21:3) God’s grace in magnified afresh with His completed work of restoration, providing a new Paradise for those created in His image, allowing us to dwell once again with our Triune God physically again and restored to our purpose of reigningalongside Christ Jesus again. Rev. 5:10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”
Between Genesis and Revelation, the message of the Bible is the story of humanity’s on-going rebellion and God’s more powerful grace to restore humanity, the earth and his universe.
Please join me in praising God for creating you and I in the image of God, for His mercy, for His unconditional love and forgiveness…and of course His amazing grace upon grace upon
grace!
This week do your best to reflect His image in you…to others…
In His grace,
Pastor Steve
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