In His Image
By Pastor Aggrey Soyekwo
Genesis 1:26-27 “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
The Hebrew root words for ‘image’ and ‘likeness’ mean resemblance, representative figure, manner, similitude. Image and likeness, therefore, not only imply appearance and form, but also include character qualities and functioning as well. Man was made in God’s image and likeness, meaning we resemble Him, we are His representative figure, similar to Him, possess same character traits and operate in like manner as Him. God breathed the breath of life to man. He put His Spirit, what makes Him God, to man so he functions like God. With God’s attributes in him, man was then commissioned to manage the earth and all in it as God would manage. This is a profound mystery about the nature of man. Unfortunately, the fall of man distorted God’s original intent purpose.
Jesus came in human form to restore us to God’s original position before the fall. But sin has so pavaded human nature that the reality of who we were created to be appears like a myth. The truth of living the God kind of life here now sounds impossible to many. Even those who profess faith in Christ are still shrouded in the distorted fallen nature, shaped and controlled by the basic principles of this world. But as many as believe in Him, and choose to walk in the truths of who they really are in the new and higher life Jesus gave us, will reflect the image and manifest the likeness of God Himself. As He is, so are we in this world (1John 4:17).
Beloved, this is our heritage in Christ. It is no sacrilegious statement to say we can be like Christ Jesus. The bible says so ( Matt 10:24-25, Eph 4:13). That is why Jesus promised that those who believe in Him would do the same things He did, and even greater (John 14:12). He gave them the right and power to be called sons of God (John 1:12). Let’s rise to be who we were created to be.
2 Peter 1.3-4 “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
Shalom children of God.