Apparently, she fell for the same line that a certain snake said to another woman standing in a garden. The snake suggested, “You will be like God knowing good and evil” and that woman thought this was a good idea. She forgot, or ignored, or did not realize that she had been created in the image of God, or if she did, she didn’t think that was good enough.
Genesis 1:26. Then God said, “Let us make man (general term for humankind) in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Before thinking of the implications of her decision, I’m thinking of the wonder of being created in the image of God. Note that He uses plural words to describe Himself. The Scriptures brings out that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, perhaps a hint that we are like Him in that we are body, soul, and spirit. Aside from that thought, the above verse says He gave humanity dominion or authority over the world and we share in a smaller way the dominion of God over all creation. Another suggestion is in the “Let us make . . .” is that the godhead is creative and communicates with one another. We are and do that as well.
We also have the capacity to think, feel emotion, make decisions, to love and hate, to know God even, all because we are like Him. Yet there is nothing in the entire Bible that says He is like us. The decision to “be like God” by doing the only thing God forbid has smeared that likeness. Our sin has made a muddled mess that distorts His image in us into a faint idea of what it should be.
The OT word for LIKENESS is used in many ways. It can denote a simple comparison, an image or pattern, a shape or figure, even an audible similarity. It is used in Ezekiel’s visions of unfamiliar forms and shapes that he tried to compare with things he knew. The inspired writers of those OT books give clues in their word choices, yet God is not visible and humanity is muddied up with sin, meaning we struggle to understand what God is like.
The NT offers a better way to know what God is like — the Son became one of us! This member of the godhead “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:7–8) His reason for this was to deal with sin and clear it away so God’s image can shine in us as God intended! Romans 8:3–4 says more about this process:
“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
The NT word for likeness can refer to “a similarity, a likeness.” It describes the incarnation of Jesus. Jesus was fully human and fully divine. By taking on the likeness of humanity, Jesus took on mere human appearance but unlike us, He was sinless and therefore uniquely human, unmarred and perfect.
Not only that, He revealed what God is like. Hebrews 1:3 declares, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature . . . .”
Even so, that certain snake is still at work. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Without faith, we cannot see Him as sinless, the perfect sacrifice who died bearing our sin and who rose from the dead defeating sin and death and making salvation available to all. Instead, those who are blinded make themselves god of their own lives. Some are deceived to think that they are god.
GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. I cannot see God nor fully understand what He looks like, but through the words of those inspired by His Spirit, I can see Him in Jesus Christ and in those who are forgiven and cleansed, who walk in the Spirit and deny their old fleshy nature. None of us are God, but we bear His likeness and my greatest desire is that I can bring Him glory by letting His likeness shine through my life. As 2 Corinthians 4:11 explains, “For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”
No comments:
Post a Comment