Genesis 1:27 says; “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” For a long time now I don’t think we have looked closely enough at what this verse of scripture is really saying. We have also not paid attention to its punctuation. If you are like me you have taught that we are created in the image and likeness of God, but is this what the word of God actually teaches. In Genesis 1:26 when God first said; “Let us make man”, He meant mankind; then the word went on to say in verse 27; “so God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him”. Who is this him? This cannot be Adam because Adam is male and Eve is female. This him shows up before male and female so Adam cannot be created twice. According to the word was there a him before Adam? In Colossians 1:15-17 Paul is speaking of the Lord and he says; “He (Lord Jesus) is the 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 through Him and for Him and He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. When it says; “In the image of God He created him” could that him be the Lord? It then goes on to say; “male and female He (the Lord) created them”. Scripture actually confirms this because in genesis 1:27 it says; “so God created”, but in Genesis 2:7 it says; “and the Lord God formed man…”. In this we can see the manifestation of Genesis 1:26 which says; “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;”. In verse 27 we might not recognize the Lord in this verse because of the word created, and because him is not capitalized. We don’t think of the Lord as being created because He has always been. In the Strong’s concordance definition 1254 the word created means to choose, select, dispatch, do make. In Webster’s dictionary created means to produce, to bring into being. What we have here is God choosing, selecting, and dispatching the Lord to make, produce, and bring into being all of His creation. This is what John 1:1-4 is talking about when it says; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” We could not be like Him if there was no image for us to resemble. Only after His image was made manifest could we then have His likeness, but it doesn’t stop there. In Genesis 2:7 the Lord God formed Adam and in Genesis 2:22 the Lord built Eve from Adams rib; Adam and Eve where the only two that had the original make-up of their creator. After the fall of Adam and Eve Genesis 5:3 speaks of a new son being born to Adam and it says; “And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. If you notice Seth was not born in the image and likeness of God, but instead the image and likeness of fallen Adam. All mankind has been born in this image ever since. This is our beginning. That is why John 3:3 says; “Jesus answered and said to him, most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God”. 1 Corinthians 15:49 says; “And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly man.” We do not bear that heavenly image right now; as a matter of fact He came in ours. Philippians 2:7 says; “But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” With our eyes we don’t see what He sees. With our ears we don’t hear what He hears. With our mouth we don’t speak what He speaks, and we don’t act like He acts. We are being transformed and taught by the Holy Spirit how to see, hear, speak, and act like Him. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says; “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just by the Spirit of the Lord.” Only when we are in Him can we be like Him. John 15:4 says; “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” We must be careful not to heed the voice of the enemy who would have us think more highly of ourselves than we ought to. After all he was the one who thought of himself as being like God. In Isaiah 14:4 he said; “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.” The reason we must be careful is because this is where the attitude of being puffed-up, superior, prideful, better than, and all other forms of self-righteousness come from. In 2 Corinthians 4:4 Paul says the Lord Jesus Christ is the image of God, and in Colossians 1:15 he repeats it again that Christ is the image of the living God. Remember the Lord of the Old Testament is the Lord of the New Testament; for “there is one Lord”, Ephesians 4:5. Only when we are in Him are we like Him. Matthew 10:25 says; “It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master…”. Let us then come humbly before the throne of grace, and rejoice in our new birth keeping in our hearts always the words in 1 John 3:2; “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” May God Bless
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