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Live your life in the image of God
Much has been said and written about the origin of man. The carnal - fleshly - mind (Romans 8:6,7) has developed many theories that attempt to explain the existence of the human race - apart from God. Each of these theories is based on the idea of order developing out of chaos or confusion. In everyday observation, this condition does not exist. The natural tendency is for order to move toward confusion. Thus, the backwardness is seen as the human method of creating the human race. It is much simpler - and more accurate - to accept the divine record of the creation of our race. On the sixth day of creation (Genesis 1:31b), God created the human race. "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..." Genesis 1:26a. This divine declaration leaves no room nor need for the some of the puny explanations that the unregenerate mind has devised. We are told that "God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." Genesis 1:27. Later, the record gives some detail about the means that were used in the making of humans. "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 soul." Genesis 2:7. The gender distinction is of divine design. Genesis 2:18-25. Since the Hebrew word life is plural, it is important for us to understand that the physical life was accompanied by mental life or ability, while life for communion with God was given to the race. The divine intent for the human race has not changed. The record tells of the divine intention for mankind. "And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Genesis 1:26 b,c. To the humans, God gave a directive. "And God blessed them, and God said, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." Genesis 1:28. Not only were the humans given divine responsibility, but they, also, had divine provision for food through the edible plant life. "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. Genesis 1:29. We, too, have a divine promise. Matthew 6:33. Divine provision was made for the created "animal life." "And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat, and it was so." Genesis 1:30. After the "highest creation" was given the divine directive for its purpose, the creator gave his assessment. "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." Genesis 1:31. The record continued, regarding the divine intention. "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 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." Genesis 2:1,2. This fact became ingrained in the life of the Jewish people, and has become part of the realization of people. "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." Genesis 2:3. The first family was placed in a divinelydesigned garden - as fenced in. "And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed." Genesis 2:8. However, there were divine restrictions. "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Genesis 2:16,17. The record does not leave out the ugly. There came a time of testing regarding the obedience of our first parents. Since we know "the rest of the story," it is obvious that they failed the test. Genesis 3:1-8. When they ate of the tree which is in the midst of the garden (Genesis 3:3, 6), neither Eve nor Adam fell over dead. It might seem that their action had produced no serious side effects. Of the three facets of human life, they kept the physical life and the mental ability, but they lost the spiritual aspect of their existence, and their relationship with the creator - God. However, with this loss, came the need for reestablishing that lost divine connection. At that time, God provided that which was needed. Genesis 3:21. At the same time, humans were forever kept from the other tree. "So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." Genesis 3:24. Centuries later, God sent his only begotten son to rescue the lost race. Jesus Christ of Nazareth came into the world to allow all mankind to know that spiritual relation that Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. John 3:16.
However, each person must accept that divine provision. The means for this re-establishment of that divine communion comes by accepting the means of personal forgiveness that can come into any life. Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9,10; Ephesians 2:8,9.
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