Genesis 2:4-7 "We Are God's Creation"

“This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens- 5 and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground- the LORD God formed the from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” ~ Genesis 2:4-7 NIV

For centuries, two great questions have been 1)Where do I come from? and 2) What is my purpose here? We’ll deal with the second question later. First, we need to realize that we are God’s creation. He created everything around us – the earth, the air, the stars, the sun, trees, plants, animals, right down to single-celled creatures. But His greatest creation was man and woman.

How do we know that we are his greatest creation? Why are we not equal with baboons and other animals? There are two answers to that. First, He “… breathed into his [Adam] nostrils the breath of life….” (vs. 7) Nothing else in all creation received its life from the breath of the Almighty. His personal mark was placed upon man and literally gave him life.

Secondly, we know that we rank highest in God’s creation because we were made in His likeness. Genesis 1:26 says, “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….” You are made in the image of God – not in a physical way, but in the characteristics and very essence of God. That makes you valuable and loved by the Almighty Creator of the Universe.

Further Thoughts:

1. Do you believe you are special and loved by the Almighty? Why or why not?
2. Have there been lies spoken to you in your past that have made you believe you are unloved or unwanted? If yes, how?
   
3. What Scripture mentioned here refutes those lies?
4. How does God’s creation plan show you that you are loved?

Pray: Father, thank you for creating me with such love and care. Teach me to live in that love because I am made in Your image and You gave me life. Amen.

Hebrews 1:1-3a "In His Image"

NOTE: Okay, took a little longer than a week. Jury duty took over my life. In the Word, but not online. (Read a lot from Proverbs.) I'm back now and ready to tackle a new book and learn many new truths.

Read Hebrews 1:1-3a.

"...he has spoken to us by his Son...." NIV

Here is the essence of the Old Testament versus the New Testament. In the Old, God spoke to the prophets, and they spoke to the people God's words. But now through Jesus Christ, we have direct access to the Father. That is just amazing to me. How blessed we are. We do not serve a distant God who like the mythological gods sat on their thrones far away and in their self-centeredness, dictated our fates. Our Father loves us so much that He became one of us and makes it possible for us to "draw near to Him and He will draw near to us." His dictates are not for His own gain, but for our good. His guidance is 24/7. He never sleeps or ignores us. Even when He takes His time to answer us, it is because His timing is perfect, and His ways are right. Out of His tremendous love, our Father makes Himself available to His children, and it is only possible through Jesus Christ -- the "perfecter and finisher of our faith."

I also love the first part of verse three. "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." All of God's glory could not have been contained in one human being. So Christ is the radiance of His glory -- a mere fraction to give us a glimpse of who God is. But in Christ's being, He is an "exact representation" of the Father. Everything we see and learn from the Word about Christ, that is God. His compassion, justice, understanding, knowledge, power, anger at sin, unconditional love -- these are all God's attributes. As God Himself, Jesus shows us in a human package, what our Father and Creator is like. And then to be told that we are made in His image. Wow. Stop and think about that a minute. I am made in the image of the Creator. I'm not equal with Him, nor will I ever be. But like a child resembles their parents in looks, I resemble my Father in my spirit. If I put away the sinful nature that wants to take over each day, I am truly designed for good. There is something very comforting in that truth. And powerful. By the power of Jesus Christ, I am in touch with my Creator whose character I am designed to embody.

I'm still human and will never be perfect. But, wow, what a leg up we have. We are designed for perfection. Now to just allow His Spirit to mold our hearts to match.

Further Thoughts:

1. What other Scripture says that we were designed in God's image?
2. What would Old Testament life been like?
3. Has New Testament revelation made life to easy for us? Or at least, can we become lazy over Old Testament devotion?
4. Does direct access to the Father make arrogance a temptation? How do we avoid that?
5. Even though we are made in His image, we are still so small, and He is so BIG. Live in humility.

Colossians 1:15-20 "The Reigning Trinity"

Read Colossians 1:15-20.

"For in him all things were created...." NIV

In this passage, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit get all jumbled together as they should be. They are all parts of one being. And we can in this way see all the facets of God.

Creator: Christ has always been (He is before all things) but He is also the firstborn over all creation as the Son of God, the Father. They all created all things -- visible and invisible in the heavens and on earth. He is the glue that keeps everything together, and all of it was made for God's pleasure.

Chief Priest: Christ is the head of the church. He is the first to overcome sin and death without experiencing a second death. He conquered death forever. In Christ reigns all the power and majesty of God and through that power offering the sacrifice that He did, we are reconciled to God, and Christ is the head of the body of believers.

God reigns in the fullness and completeness of the Trinity -- always has and always will.

Further Thoughts:

1. How do we know Christ and the Holy Spirit existed at creation? Support with Scripture.
2. What sort of things is vs 16 referring to when it says, "visible and invisible?"
3. How should verse 16 affect our attitude toward people placed in authority over us?
4. In the King James Version, verse 18 uses "preeminence" instead of "supremacy." What is the original Greek for "preeminence?" How should that affect how we view Christ?
5. Spend time today giving thanks for the amazing God we serve -- His vastness, authority, and power. Then ask Him to be "big" in your life.

Ephesians 3:9

"...and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things." NIV

First of all, remember that the mystery Paul is referring to is the unification of the Jews and the Gentiles through Jesus Christ and his resurrection. God had kept this plan to himself until it was time to reveal it. But look at the last few words, "God, who created all things." You see, it all begins with our belief in a divine Creator. IF God is not the Creator of all things, then there would be no reason to unite everyone through Jesus Christ by the plan of salvation.

We serve a personal God who loves us so unconditionally because He created us. We were created in His image. He molded us with His own hands -- every organ, limb, piece of skin, personality quirk, talent -- He put them into place. Not only that, but He created for us an amazing place to live. And then when we, in our arrogance, screwed everything up by our desire for power and self gratification, He already had a plan to bring us back to Him. But it would only work through His unconditional sacrifice for His created and our humbling ourselves to the Creator. It all begins and ends with Him - the world, mankind, salvation. He is the Alpha and Omega. He is the true Father who provides for His children. He is the only one worthy of our worship.

Further Thoughts:

1. Read through the creation passage and give thanks. Marvel at all He has made.
2. Now read a crucifixion passage and see the sacrifice He made for His created.
3. Take time outside of your normal routine today to go for a walk and look at nature around you, stand in front of a mirror and really look at His creation, hold a baby and marvel at its perfection. And give thanks for His generosity and sacrifice.