October 2, 2017

In God’s Image

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  And 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.”  Gen. 1:26-28

What is God saying here?  He is stating that He desired to and then decided to make us in His image.  It is profound that we are made in His image – directly referring to our identity and our origins.  He then blessed us and gave us instructions:

Ø  Be fruitful and multiply;

Ø  Replenish the earth and subdue it; and,

Ø  Have dominion over the earth.

We might say that our purpose can be summed up above, both in the natural and the spiritual realms:  expand the kingdom through generations of believers and through the fruit of the Spirit; replenish and subdue the earth through growth in the number of believers and through our spiritual growth, such that the earth is subdued; and have dominion (rule) over the earth, as God originally designed it to be.  Our purpose is to worship and walk as kings and priests!  Once we know who we are in Christ and the power and authority we humbly have because of Christ, then we will act according to our position.

This position also confers stewardship upon us to care for the earth.  We are God’s custodians, or caretakers of this earth – watching over the fish and birds, the cattle, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.  It is a humbling responsibility.  Let us fulfill our role until He returns.