Created In God's Image

Made in God’s Image

Have you ever wondered how you got to be the you that you are? There are a lot of factors involved in trying to figure that out. Genetics are a factor in determining your hair color, eye color, height, ear lobes, weight, and doctors say there is a pre-disposition to certain illnesses.… you get what I’m talking about? And then there are certain characteristics that we have that are influenced by our environment – things that our parents did or didn’t do; how they related to other people. Were they social or anti-social? We they hard working? Were they trustworthy? I never knew my biological father so I can’t say if I have any of his biological traits. I do know that there are things in my life that I learned from my mom and step-dad as far as work ethic and connecting with other people.

I found out when I was 25 years old that my “name” dad wasn’t my biological father. I never knew him or had a chance to meet him, so I don’t know what kind of physical traits I might have inherited.

But in February of 1988, things changed. It was then that I was introduced to a new family – a family who all had the same Father – and I inherited a whole new set of traits. I wasn’t made perfect, but I became a whole new me.

Genesis 1:26-28

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.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

I. Let Us make man in Our image… At our home church in Troy, Charlotte and I teach children’s church a couple of times a month. One of the things that is pretty cool is that when you think the kids aren’t getting it, they do. Many of our kids can tell you about the Trinity – One God in Three Persons – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I want you to think about this. Everything that God has ever done, He has done with mankind in view. When He spoke the universe into existence, He did so with fallen man already in mind. He gave man authority over everything on the earth. When Adam sinned, God had already planned to send His Son to restore that broken fellowship. Jesus is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world… And with the Holy Spirit, God created a partnership with man that would bring about God’s ultimate plan for all things. God is sovereign and He has no need to explain Himself to anyone. He does what He wants to do and will accomplish everything that He wants to accomplish. That is evident in the creation story and at the end of the story when a new heaven and new earth will be formed. But in His sovereignty, He has chosen to use mankind, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to be stewards of His creation and to do the work He has planned for us. Ephesians 2:10(NKJV)

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

II. Created in the Father’s image… When I worked in construction, at various times, I was sent out on the job to meet with homeowners to discuss changes or to get clarification on different matters. My boss, at the time, entrusted me to go and represent him. I was given authority to act on his behalf. With that in mind, I knew that I had to act in a way that would benefit my employer and satisfy the customer at the same time. Our relationship with God is like that. He has given us authority to represent him to others. (RE-PRESENT). God the Father -the Great I AM- The One who spoke all things into existence - we are created in His image. Don’t get me wrong. We are not gods. We will never be God. But we do have His creative nature in us, as well as His authority.

Ephesians 3:20-21(NKJV)

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,