During creation, “God said, ‘Let Us make man IN OUR IMAGE, according to Our likeness’” (Genesis 1:26). We were created in God’s image—after His likeness. We were made to be like God in certain respects, but not to be God. He GAVE US DOMINION OVER ALL OF THE EARTH, and created us with a mind capable of creative thought and the ability to know Him. But then there was a problem, “The serpent was more clever than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. The serpent said to the woman, “DID GOD REALLY SAY, ‘You MUST NOT EAT THE FRUIT OF ANY TREE that is in the garden’? And the woman said, “We may eat the fruit of THE trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree, which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You SHALL NOT EAT IT, nor shall you touch it, LEST YOU DIE.’ the serpent said, “You WILL NOT surely die.” (Genesis 3:2-4) A lie!!! “…when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit AND ATE. She also gave TO HER HUSBAND WITH HER, and HE ATE.” (Genesis 3:6)
The bible tells us that, “…Adam was formed first, then Eve. And ADAM WAS NOT THE ONE DECEIVED; it was the woman WHO WAS DECEIVED and became a sinner.” (1 Timothy 2:13-14) Adam, stood by passively, allowing the deception to process without intervening — Adam, for his part, abandoned his post as head. Eve was deceived; Adam FORSOOK HIS RESPONSIBILITY as a result they both sinned and God kicked them out of the garden so, they as sinners could not PARTAKE OF THE TREE OF LIFE. Man’s dominion was gone, as a result all of Adam and Eves offspring WERE BORN INTO SIN. As a result, “ALL HAVE SINNED and fall short of the glory of God.” Now, the world needs a new image bearer.
“Jesus is THE IMAGE (eikōn: exactly reflects God’s image) of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For BY HIM ALL THINGS WERE CREATED that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created BY HIM AND FOR HIM.” (Colossians 1:15-16) “Jesus, being the brightness of God’s glory and the EXPRESS IMAGE OF HIS PERSON, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…” (Hebrews 1:3) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, GLORY AS OF THE ONLY SON FROM THE FATHER, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1, 14) Jesus was made flesh so He could die for us! He made the way for us…
“BUT WE ALL, ARE BEING TRANSFORMED INTO THE SAME IMAGE (the image of God) FROM GLORY TO GLORY, JUST AS BY THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD.“ (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham