38. Personhood Series

[IN GOD’S IMAGE 38 - PERSONHOOD]

This message is part of a series of 90 sermons based on the title, “In God’s Image – God’s Purpose for humanity.” This series of free sermons or the equivalent free book format is designed to take the reader through an amazing process beginning with God in prehistory and finishing with humanity joining God in eternity as His loving sons and daughters. It is at times, a painful yet fascinating story, not only for humanity, but also for God. As the sermons follow a chronological view of the story of salvation, it is highly recommend they be presented in numerical order rather than jumping to the more “interesting” or “controversial” subjects as the material builds on what is presented earlier. We also recommend reading the introduction prior to using the material. The free book version along with any graphics or figures mentioned in this series can be downloaded at www.ingodsimage.site - Gary Regazzoli

Jesus after being sentenced, humiliated and beaten, is led to face his agonizing death on the cross.

• However, Jesus’ death on the cross was not a normal human death.

• To understand why, we have to go back to the original creation of man.

• We discussed earlier the distinction between the animal kingdom and human beings.

• It was not animals God created “in His image” but rather humans. Unlike animals, we have the ability to “know” good and evil and the capacity to “choose” between good and evil.

• The fact that the first humans sinned showed they were not truly in God’s image at that time, and creating humans truly in His image is a work in progress.

• However, mankind was created with abilities far beyond the animal kingdom most of which relate to the human “mind” e.g. consciousness, ability to think outside of ourselves, ability to communicate, to create, ability to plan, sense of justice, and most importantly, the ability to relate to others.

• God built into us humans the ability and need for relationship with others, both on a physical, emotional and social level with other humans, and on a spiritual level with our heavenly Father.

• It is these qualities, along with individual talents, abilities and personality that distinguish each of us as a unique “person.”

• God did not walk and talk with the animals in the Garden, but with the unique human persons showing we occupied a special place in God’s eyes.

• One could make a good argument that when God breathed the breath of life into man it was more than just air to start the cardiovascular process.

• It could be argued it was at this time that God gave us these unique human abilities, which distinguish us from the animal kingdom that also allows us to relate socially to Him and others (Genesis 2:7).

• As mentioned earlier, neurologists still can’t distinguish the physiological causes of this quantum gap between the animal and human brain.

• It’s interesting to note Jesus did something similar when He commissioned the disciples at the beginning of the new spiritual creation and breathed the Holy Spirit on them (John 20:22).

• However, these unique human persons shared many other qualities with the animal kingdom, most of which related to physical survival.

• We were even created on the sixth day along with the land animals.

• We all need air, food, water and sleep for continued existence. We also share with the rest of creation the relentless process of decay built into the life of the universe.

• Which also means we share with the animal kingdom a biological death.

But unlike the animal kingdom, we humans face the prospect of an additional death. This death has more lethal consequences than the physical death we share with animals.

• Right from the beginning, God warned Adam and Eve about the consequences of this additional death.

• This death was not brought on by mere physical means such as an accident or a deterioration of one’s health; it was brought on as a result of a moral deficiency.

• The distinction between these two deaths is made when God commands Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

• Genesis 2:16 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.”

• Now we know that Adam and Eve didn’t drop dead on the day they took of the forbidden fruit. They lived out their physical lives, had children and died the normal biological death appointed to both animals and humans.