“Then God said, “Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth.”
Genesis 1:26 AMP
Grace Perspective:
In this verse, we see that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit work together to form man in their image. If you go back to Genesis 1 and look at all God had created up to this point, you will see that God spoke, and everything He desired was formed because He said, “Let there be…” Yet, when it came to creating the first human, Adam, the Trinity was involved.
While Adam came from the dust of the earth, as did the animals, only Adam received God’s very breath to come to life. (See Genesis 2:7) Jehovah’ elohylm breathed life into Adam, whom the Trinity had made in their image. Adam was not an afterthought in creation or a missing piece of the puzzle. Adam alone, of all God’s designs, bore the very image of his Creators. God waited to form Adam last, or next to last, because He wanted the earth fully prepared in all its glory for him.
God gave Adam trees and vines that bore fruit to sustain him; we can only imagine how delicious they were. Adam had animals to keep him company – wait, only animals? No, God was a companion to Adam in this perfect paradise. Still, the Lord knew that Adam needed a helper. Another human made in the image of the Trinity. So God made Eve. Eve was Adam’s crown and glory. Her beauty reflected God’s beauty, as do all women He creates. Together, Adam and Eve bore the image of the triune God Who created them for His purposes.
Eventually, sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, causing a rift in their relationship with God. God, in His gracious mercy, already had a plan so those made in His image could be reconciled to Him. Though not all will receive the gift of salvation in Christ Jesus, those who do are called to reflect His likeness.
A Touch of Grace:
What does it mean that God created us in His image?
How does being God’s image bearer affect your life?
Grace Application:
What does it mean to be formed in God’s image? God the Father is not contained in a physical body like we are. God the Son did come in the likeness of a man to provide a way for us to be reconciled to God, yet He remained entirely God even as He was fully man. God the Spirit is just that, the Holy Spirit. Adam did not physically resemble the Trinity; the likeness is more profound. Adam and all humankind reflect facets of God’s character.
God is holy, and He calls us to be holy (1 Peter 1:15). God is loving and commands us to love others (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:39). God is gracious and asks us to be gracious (Proverbs 11:6, Ecclesiastes 10:12, 2 Corinthians 8:7). God is patient and calls us to be patient (2 Corinthians 1:6, I Thessalonians 5:14, James 5:7). God is merciful. We are to be merciful (Proverbs 11:17, Matthew 5:7). We could continue listing God’s attributes that He wove into Adam, but I fear we will run out of room.
Those who are in Christ Jesus are called to “clothe yourselves with the new [spiritual self], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed and remolded into [fuller and more perfect knowledge upon] knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it.” (Colossians 3:10 AMPC) We aren’t left alone to do this, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can bear His image in a winsome way and reflect Christ’s mercy, love, compassion, and grace to those around us.
In His Grace,
Dawn
Prayer:
Gracious Father, I come to You in the precious name of Jesus Christ, thankful that You have made me in Your image. Though I don’t fully understand what this means, with Your help, I can live in a way that reflects Your goodness, mercy, love, and graciousness to others. Forgive me when I fail, and help me to reflect more of You. Amen
**Today, as you read this, I pray each of you will know you are in Christ Jesus. If you have any doubts, please call out to God so He can erase them. Today is a good day to rest in Salvation in Christ Jesus. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at graceisdawning@gmail.com*