God's Intention - Man's Invention

"Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." -  Genesis 1:26

God's Intention. 

Give that [made in “our” image – the image of God] some thought. What exactly is the image and likeness of the Father, Son and Spirit? Well, there is a hierarchal order certainly. God, the Father, sent Jesus and the Spirit. Jesus returned to heaven and the Spirit stayed. But Jesus is coming back. 

"But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." - Matthew 24:36-37

God established a hierarchal order for man - Jesus the Head, the Husband the head of the family, then the wife who was created to be a helper to the man. Meaning he was not complete by himself. That the husband and wife were to become one. 

There is holiness - the absence of sin. 

"When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed" - James 1:13-14

Man did not know sin until he decided to be "like God" even though he had been created in the image of the Godhead.

Then there is unity. What I suggested with the hierarchy. Jesus said 

"My [Jesus] prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." - John 17:20-23

Man's Invention

So that was God's intention. But man came up with his own invention.

"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised." - Romans 1:18-25

The majority of mankind would rather reject God and His intention for mankind than embrace God and His Son by faith. Most of mankind gladly chooses hell over submission to a benevolent God.  Life can be like watching a movie at times. You are watching one of the characters do something that you know will lead them to great harm and you might ever call out to them as if to warn them  - "don't open the door or go into a room" forgetting that you are responding to a projection on a screen. That the people in the movie cannot hear you.  And likewise, mankind cannot hear us apart from the intervention of the Spirit and a person's yielding of their heart by faith. In a way, watching the world and warning the actors is like watching a movie. 

Does that mean we should do nothing? No! We are the only light that the world will see until they stand before the Eternal Judge - Jesus. And like the song sung by Tennessee Earnie Ford, they will be almost persuaded, like King Agrippa responding to Paul. Almost persuaded but lost.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone