Creating Man In His Image

[hillsbororiver]

There have been many but one of the most profound things I have learned on Bible Truths is that Adam was not created perfect and that we are presently experiencing the act of creation in our present life. Much like the clay in the Potter's Hand we are being formed as He pleases.

This seems so basic and obvious now but for years I struggled with the concept that God could create something He considered perfect yet it turned out to be far from it, of course the conventional wisdom of the churches is that Satan and our first parents "fell" from perfection and quite frankly in my mind I would think, "well, if God was wrong on this, what else can He be wrong about?" Is He merely trying to give us immortality but for whatever reason that doesn't work out as planned either? How about all tears wiped away? Might He have forgotten something or get thrown a curve He was not able to overcome?

Now that it has been revealed that He will NOT fail nor did He have to revert to "Plan B" that everything is going exactly as He wills it I have more faith in God and the awesome power and love which is Him.

In Genesis the KJV reads;

Gen 2:3  And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

We know that His work of creation is not completed as Jesus testifies that He came to finish the work His Father had planned from the beginning;

Joh 4:34  Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

Rom 9:28  For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

This portion of the Lake of Fire Part 12 is incredibly insightful in regard to this topic;


NOT YET IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

Most of Christendom have been taught and believe that God created (past tense) man in the very "image of God." Oh really?

So if we want to see what the "image of God" really looks like, all we have to do is look at the vast sea of evil, sinning humanity? Or maybe you believe like many that Adam and Eve WERE (past tense) in the absolute, very IMAGE of God when they were created, but then lost that "image" when they sinned?

Few indeed realize that being made into the image of God is much the same as being saved—IT IS AN ONGOING PROCESS!

Check all the verses in the original: "now saving," "to save," "shall save," "might save," "are being saved," etc. "For by grave ARE ye saved through faith..." tells us HOW we are being saved, not WHEN (Eph. 2:8). Verses such as I Cor. 1:18 in the King James, "...but unto us which ARE saved it is the power of God," is not a faithful rendering of the Greek. Check an interlinear. The words are thus: "...to-THE YET ones-beING-SAVED US..." Yes, often the original manuscripts have only endings and not the complete word, as in "ING." It clearly shows an uncompleted action.

Creating man in God's image:

King James Version: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness... So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; make and female created He them" (Gen. 1:26a & 27).

Concordant Version: "And saying is the Alueim [Hebrew: elohiym, gods or used of the supreme God--plural of elowahh, a deity or the Deity], Make will We humanity in Our image, and according to Our likeness... And creating is the Alueim humanity in His image. In the Image of the Alueim He creates it. Male and female He creates them" (Gen. 1:26a & 27).

So we see here the same thing we have already discussed with regards to the Greek aorist tense of verbs, as in "For God so lovED the world" versus "For thus God lovES the world." God's love for the world CONTINUES! And creating man in God's image also CONTINUES!

Lustful, carnal-minded, sinning, Adam and Eve were no more in the complete image of God at their physical creation than the Apostles were completely converted during the schooling under Christ's teaching. It is all an ongoing process. We are even still being converted, and still being perfected, and still becoming more and more like God. How often I have heard preachers remark how Adam and Eve where in the very IMAGE OF GOD. THE TRUE IMAGE OF GOD DOES NOT SIN!

"For whom He did foreknow He also did predestinate TO BE conformed to the image of His Son..." (Rom. 8:29).

"And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we SHALL also bear the image of the heavenly" (I Cor. 15:49).

Presently, only Jesus Christ is the true "Image of God" (II Cor. 4:4).

Read it all here; http://bible-truths.com/lake12.html

His Peace and Wisdom to you,

Joe

[eggi]

Wow! JOE!

Thank you so much for this amazing post!
I had never noticed that Joh 4:34 speaks of just this subject, and it says so plainly that Jesus is indeed finishing His Father's work!

Great!!

Boy, what a comfort it is to know that all of this is running on plan A, and that it is a work in progress. All tears will be wiped away, and all the troubles we went through will be nothing compared to what we will be given.

I remember a minister saying that the first thing he would do in Heaven was to slap Adam in the face. What a "heaven"...

I guess we can also add:

For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act. (Isa 28:21 KJV)

God bless you, and thank you again for bringing this to my attention!
Eirik

[Deborah-Leigh]

An excellent reminder that Jesus has not finished His work.

I consider that His work will only be complete and END once He renders everything back to God the Father which is to happen only after Christ has resurrected His own at His coming and then.....

1 Cor 15:25 After that comes the end, the completion, when He delivers over the kingdom to God the Father after rendering inoperative and abolishing every other rule and every authority and power.

Babyon falsely teaches that the work of Jesus ended at His Cross and from now on it is up to us to choose. What a fairy tale heresy of deception. It is an error to assume that the work of Christ was completed at His Cross. He continues to work in us to perfect us into His Image and He continues to intercede for us at the right hand of His Glorious Father.

Peace be to you

Arcturus

[Gregor]

Greetings,
Rom.4:17 says that God calls those things which are not, as though they were. In light of this, Gen.2:4,5 NKJV, " This (referring to Gen. chapter 1) is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created (planned), in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens(Gen.1:1), before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground;" Gen.3:23, "therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken." It is evident that the "fall" of man was included in God's purpose from the beginning. This same concept also applies when Jesus cried "It is Finished." John 6:29 "Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.'" It is evident that there are still many who will come to believe. The harvest is ripe. I believe we're still in the 6th day of creation, the number of man, and that the 7th day, God's day of rest is yet to come. 2Pet.3:8 "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."
G.

[Beloved]

((Job 40:8 KJVR) 
Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

World Christianity likes to see Adam as perfect and imagine that there is a basic nobelness in man.  It is hard to sincerly accept the truth  the fact that there is nothing intrinicially Good in mankind because of their blindness so they continue to balsphem God with their teachings.

On the otherhand, it is awsome to think about the transformation that will be needed to get myself to that state. I am incapable of even getting close to that state.

I was really happy when God revealed that there was no Plan B.

(Eph 3:17 KJVR)  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
(Eph 3:18 KJVR)  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
(Eph 3:19 KJVR)  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.
(Eph 3:20 KJVR)  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
(Eph 3:21 KJVR)  Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Beloved




 

[zvezda]

I understand His work is not finished, but then why it says "God ended his work" in Gen 2:2?

"And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made."

Any ideas? 

[ez2u]

Joe tonight I was just sharing this with my family and my husband really got it and my youngest son too.  WOW  now I have more to share with them  thanks peggy

[Gregor]

I understand His work is not finished, but then why it says "God ended his work" in Gen 2:2?

"And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made."

Any ideas? 

Greetings, read my post just 3 back from this one, as I think it sheds some light on your question. So you can see that the first account of the seven days of creation are an overview of God's plan (key "when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens" back in Gen.1:1), and the rest is how it all comes into being. Again, check my other post. Hope this helps.
G.

[Sue Creamer]

Joe,

Thank you so much for this post.  It was a nice way to begin my Monday morning.

"Now that it has been revealed that He will NOT fail nor did He have to revert to "Plan B" that everything is going exactly as He wills it I have more faith in God and the awesome power and love which is Him"

I love knowing we are not responsible for our own salvation (through our own will and works) and what a huge burden has been lifted since coming to that knowledge, and yes my faith is so much more.

peace and love
Sue Ann

[rjsurfs]

Joe,

That is a great section of LoF... I found this recently as well and it gave more evidence of this.

It is the Saved by Grace thru Faith transcript:

http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,5417.0.html

This is a very good talk on "creating is Elohim humanity in His image", as well as what grace and faith mean.  This is also an excellent source of material in regards to the Bilble being one big parable.

It's all one!

Bobby

[javajoe]

I understand His work is not finished, but then why it says "God ended his work" in Gen 2:2?

"And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made."

Any ideas? 

My thoughts on this:  Maybe God finished "setting things in motion"  or giving creation everything it needed to pro-create.  I know from my study of astronomy and geology that creation is still occurring.  New stars are being born, mountains are forming, planets are forming around stars, and of course, new life is being born all the the time.  And spiritually speaking, Man is still being created in God's own image,  So, creation in the material and the spiritual is a continuing process, with God at the master controls.

ciao

[hillsbororiver]

Thank you all for your input, comments and also for your kind words. Some really excellent additions to this topic!

Zvezda, Gregor's post quoting Romans Chapter 4 explains how God views His work, He sees it as a finished product, the outcome is secure. As far as the phrasing in Genesis 2:2 is concerned the portion of creation/creating He "rested" from was completed and the next phase of creation/creating was to begin, the long, arduous, often painful process of mankind truly digesting the fruit of The Tree Of Knowledge Of Good And Evil.

Often in Scripture we find His Truths being compared to building a house, when a house is being constructed it goes through very definitive stages, first the foundation must be laid out and secure, then the framing (or blocking on a block house), the roof, electrical and utility rough in's must be installed, each phase must be completed/finished before the next is started, each phase must also be done at it's appointed and appropriate time. For example it would not be wise to install cabinets or carpet before the roof is installed, dried in and shingled.

There is an appointed time and season for all things, just as building a house, the Master Builder has everything running right on schedule!

Ecc 3:1  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Ecc 3:11  He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

Jesus describes this work and the ultimate goal of God's plan and purpose for His creation;

Joh 17:22  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

Joh 17:23  I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

That we "may be one, that we may be made perfect in One," what a glorious promise, we know we are not yet there but God can and does see the end result.

1Corinthian's Chapter 15 contains in a nutshell the outline of what God has purposed for us, all of us.

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

1Co 15:24  Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

1Co 15:25  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

The work of the ages will be completed when death is destroyed and we are all in all and One with God; Sons and Daughters of the Most High.

And that will start a new beginning that we cannot even imagine! (Isa 64:4, 1Cor 2:9)

His Peace and Wisdom to you,

Joe

[hillsbororiver]

Great observation javajoe, He shows us types/shadows of the spiritual through the physical universe. It is humbling to contemplate that we know so very little of the universe, how much less do we know of spiritual things?

Peace,

Joe

[hillsbororiver]

Joe,

That is a great section of LoF... I found this recently as well and it gave more evidence of this.

It is the Saved by Grace thru Faith transcript:

http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,5417.0.html

This is a very good talk on "creating is Elohim humanity in His image", as well as what grace and faith mean.  This is also an excellent source of material in regards to the Bilble being one big parable.

It's all one!

Bobby

You are right, this is a perfect addition to the thread as it underlines and fleshes out this process of creation we are all presently experiencing!

Thank you Bobby,

Joe   

[eggi]

I understand His work is not finished, but then why it says "God ended his work" in Gen 2:2?

"And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made."

Any ideas? 

My thoughts on this:  Maybe God finished "setting things in motion"  or giving creation everything it needed to pro-create.  I know from my study of astronomy and geology that creation is still occurring.  New stars are being born, mountains are forming, planets are forming around stars, and of course, new life is being born all the the time.  And spiritually speaking, Man is still being created in God's own image,  So, creation in the material and the spiritual is a continuing process, with God at the master controls.

ciao

zvezda, I would think that when it says that God ended His work, it could mean that He ended His work with preparing the physical creation. His work is not yet done, because He is working to change us:

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. (1Co 15:45-49 KJV)

The physical creation is just the scaffolding or something far more wonderful. Something we can't fully understand at this point.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. (1Co 13:12 KJV)

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1Jn 3:2 KJV)

Hope this helps.

God bless you,
Eirik

[Deborah-Leigh]

Heb 4:7 Again He sets a definite day, a new TODAY and gives another opportunity of securing that rest, saying through David after so long a time in which words already quoted, Today, if you would hear His voice and whenyou hear it, do not harden your hearts. 8. This mention of a rest was not a reference to their entering into Canaan. For if Joshua had given them rest, he, God would not speak afterward about ANOTHER DAY.  9. So then, there is STILL AWAITING A FULL AND COMPLETE SABBATH REST, reserved for the true people of God.

Matt 11: 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest unto your souls.

[zvezda]

Thank you all for your input, I was just troubled by the tense, I mean, if Gen 1:26 - 27 is not in past tense, then why should Gen 2:2 be in past tense? But I think I get the ideas and understand it now, thanks for all your help. 

[hillsbororiver]

Hello Everyone,

While rereading Ray's article Worship In Spirit And Truth! I found this portion that I thought would fit nicely here;                 

So the more we study this Word of God, the more we see it's all one thing.  There is one giant parable and it is this.

Gen 1:26  "And God said, Let Us be making man in Our image..."

There it is! 
You know the teaching is, that that has already happened.  No it didn't!  That is why they don't understand the Bible, because it didn't happen back then.  Only the physical aspect was back then. 
First the physical then the spiritual, that's the principle.  If you don't believe that principle, how can you believe the Bible?  Why do you think the Bible teaches principles, if they aren't true.  If it is true, why don't you believe it?  Does the physical come first and then the spiritual?  Yes it does.  That's the principle of God and so He's making man into God's image.  Are we spirit?  No.  Is God spirit?  Yes.  Well if He is making us into HIS image, don't you think this stinking, rotten, carnal minded body is going to have to change, if we are going to be made into His image?  We know it hasn't happened yet.  That's why people kill each other and hate each other and all the misery and stuff we have among society, because they are not in His image.  These people are not in the image of God!  But one day they will be. 

It doesn't matter what subject we study it always goes back to that one thing.  What is it that God is doing?  He's changing us from what we are, into what we are going to be.  That whole thing is what we call life, creation, existence, the plan of God.  It's all that ONE thing, all of it.  You've got to relate everything that there is in the universe to this one thing that God is doing. 
He's changing humanity into His own image!

John 4:32  "But He said unto them, I have meat to eat that you do not know of."
v. 33  "The disciples therefore said one to another, Hath any man brought Him aught to eat?"
v. 34  "Jesus said unto them, My meat (food - What did we just read in Matt. 4, you worship God and God only do you worship and serve, you don't live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.) is TO DO THE WILL OF HIM THAT SENT ME..."

There it is.  Obeisance.  What is worship?  Obeisance.  What does obeir mean?  Obey.  Jesus Christ obeyed, "the will of Him that sent Me and to finish the work."
Finish means to complete perfectly.  It's not just to bring it to a conclusion, but to complete it 'perfectly'.

http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,5312.0.html

His Peace and Wisdom to you;

Joe

[skydreamers]

Beautiful thread everyone!

[Bradigans]

All i can say is, amen!!! alleluia!!