In God's Image

-


Man was created triune in God’s image:


Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."


1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.


God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, made man three-in-one: body, soul (mind, will, and emotions), and spirit. God made man to have dominion on the earth in partnership with Him. When Adam was formed from the dust, God breathed the Holy Spirit into Adam’s frame:


Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.


(breath in this passage is neshâmâh [nesh-aw-maw'] which, according to Strong, can be interpreted; a puff, that is, wind, angry or vital breath, divine inspiration, intellect or (concretely) an animal: - blast, (that) breath (-eth), inspiration, soul, spirit.)


God breathed the spirit into Adam and he came to life in divine connection with God. Because of love, Adam, made with a perfect connection to God through the Holy Spirit, and a body that could be in the physical presence of God, had a choice to refuse that connection. Although God made Adam perfectly connected to God, love required Adam to choose God back. In His mercy, God gave Adam only one choice in the garden to say “no” to God:


Genesis 2:16-17 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; (17) but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."


Adam and Eve said no to God and they did, in fact die. First their spirit died, and the Holy Spirit withdrew His presence. Then their hearts began to die, as their mind, will, and emotion ran further and further from God’s will. Eventually their bodies died.


This process of death in those made to be alive has caused quite an imbalance in our perception of the world. The mind, will, and emotions, designed to be led by the Holy Spirit living on the inside, were now in first place. The spirit of man apart from God is dead. The only thing left to lead is the soul, with the body following close behind.


The enemy came to steal, kill, and destroy:


John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.


Satan would prefer a complete annihilation of body, spirit, and soul for everyone beloved of God (that is everyone). The quickest death is obtained by satan in reversing the order of life established by God: spirit leads soul, soul leads body. Satan works very hard to get our body (physical appetites) to lead our soul (mind, will and emotion finding ways to please the body), which is easiest with a dead spirit. Most people are caught between resisting their body with their soul, with no help from their dead spirit.


When a person re-connects to God through the one and only savior, Jesus Christ, who paid the price for sin, Jesus completely renews the spirit of that person and sends the Holy Spirit to live there again. All of the elements for the order of life established by God are back in place:


John 14:17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.


John 15:26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.


All the elements of life are in place, but God has not revoked love. Free will still requires we choose God’s order of life. We let ourselves be led by the Holy Spirit by talking to Him. Including Him in our internal conversations. Rather than spin in worry about the future, we say “Holy Spirit, thank you for peace, let it touch my heart, where I feel it in my emotions.” Rather than fret sickness, we talk to the Spirit: “Holy Spirit, thank you for the healing power that is in you, and is therefore in me. Touch my body with your healing power where I can feel it.”


This is how man was meant to live. The more we are led by the Spirit of Life, the more life we are guaranteed to have. This is what it means to abide in (talk to) Jesus through His Holy Spirit!


John 12:46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.

John 15:4 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.

Comments

Post a Comment

I appreciate your comments.

Most Popular Posts

False Love (Polite Ignoring of Truth) Is Killing the Bride of Christ

-
Romans 16:17Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. 19For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. 20And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. We live in the age that Paul described to Timothy: 2 Timothy 3:1But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5having...
Read more

Advent: Anticipating the Coming of Messiah

-
Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. In the end, everyone is going to get what they want.  This is the beauty and tragedy of being loved by an eternal Father.  Love requires free will.  Free will means I get the freedom to have my own will.  Everyone will get their will empowered in the end.  For the same love that gives everyone what they want, there is a delay in the giving over to desire.  God gives us time to change our mind that we could learn to want what He wants for us....that our will could be conformed to His. Judgment...even the seals, trumpets and bowls of Revelation...are simply the giving over of mankind to what it wants, even though what it wants is not good.  It happens incrementally and in a process so that we could repent....that we could see what we want won't really satisfy, and change our minds. That's why the end time judgment comes in 21 steps. In the d...
Read more

False Unity: Ecumenicism, Math, and Time

-
Image
Decision Tree for Reading this Post: 1.   I am already convinced my denomination or apostolic network is correct and I am a team player.  My ideology and network matters more than truth: please go to 2. 2.   Please, do not read this post.  It won't help you. 3.   I believe in christian unity at all costs and am not interested in changing my mind, please go to 2. 4.   I believe all ecumenical unity is evil and am not interested in changing my mind, please go to 2. 5.   I am interested in a different Biblical perspective to consider about unity and I like hearing what Jesus says to lots of people so that I can talk to Him myself with a more full perspective: please go to 6. 6.   Yay, please read this Post. False Unity: Ecumenicism, Math, and Time The Bible has a LOT to say about unity of the church.  We know unity is going to happen just before the great harvest brings a massive number of people to the church in one gene...
Read more

Sanctified? Spared?

-
I believe in a safe place in the judgment unfolding. Though it is largely rejected, it isn't too late.  A sanctified people in a consecrated place can turn back the tide of trouble for their land if they are willing to humble themselves and submit to the clear instructions of the Lord. Only a sanctified people can do this. God doesn't care about the quality of the music or the articulation of the words of the prayers, or the appearance of the sanctuary....it is the cleanliness of heart and the willingness to stand with Him in His righteous judgments....to attribute to Him the truth: that He is the one behind the trouble, and that because He is allowing it, even raising it up, it is good. That God defines and discerns good and evil differently than man, and has every right to is the message of the sanctified. That man's discernment of good has led us into this mess is the message of the sanctified. That no king can save us but the One who loved completely different than...
Read more

Tent of Meeting and the Tabernacle of Moses

-
The Tent of Meeting Moses set up outside the camp was a precursor to the Tabernacle of Testimony that would follow it. Rebellion of God's people brought about the Tabernacle of Meeting, or the temporary tent Moses erected to stay near God himself, until the rebellion was dealt with. When Moses first went up on Mt. Sinai, God showed him to build the Tabernacle of Testimony. The instructions God gave Moses were for a public meeting place. When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai he found Israel, the people God had offered the Tabernacle to, worshiping the Golden Calf Aaron had made. God told Moses He would no longer go with Israel. God withdrew His offer to be in the camp of Israel, but God did not withdraw the promise to take Israel to the promised land and drive out her enemies! Here the Lord was testing Israel. Did she want God, or simply the promises of God?: Exodus 33:1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Depart and go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out o...
Read more