Man, Made in the Image of God
Genesis 1:26-28 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: 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.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, 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 everything that moveth upon the earth.”
God is a Trinity: God, the Father; God, the Son; and God, the Holy Spirit.
Man is made in the image of God, for we are a Triunity: Body, Spirit, and Soul.
Genesis 2:7 “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.”
Body formed from the dust of the ground.
The Holy Spirit was breathed into his nostrils. (Called the breath of Life)
And man became a living soul.
No other creature was made the same way.
We are tied to God in a more personal way than any other creature. His hands made Man, personally.
His breath came into us, supplying us with His Holy Spirit.
His creative power gave us our souls, our personalities, the real us.
And let them have dominion, and subdue.
This Adam was given to do.
But it was lost to man, through the fall, when Adam and Eve sinned.
Though he tries to have dominion, yet he always fails, for he can not even subdue his own soul, without the power from God.
But, for the Christian, there is the fact that he is restored to God, and placed in a position to do what was commanded in the first place: have dominion and subdue.
He is to do it in his own circumstances; and for God’s glory.
Romans 5:17 “For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”
We “reign” (have dominion, and subdue) in our lives, by Jesus Christ.
And we will have as much dominion in our everyday circumstances, as we have His Image, in our lives, by the Holy Spirit.
It is not that we make others do God’s Will, but that we are doing His Will, in our lives……and then, others see Him through us.
Our lives should be a constant witness for our Lord Jesus.
When He has had the victory over us, then….
…..we are no longer at the beck and call to our lusts or desires, our anger or hate, and our attitudes or bitterness.
This means freedom of choice. Hallelujah! What a Savior, which gives us so much.
It is liberty of the Spirit, in our lives. It is freedom to be what we ought to be.
This is by His Victory over us.
2 Corinthians 2:14-16 “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of His knowledge by us in every place.
For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
To the one we are a savor of death unto death; and to the other a savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?”
Isn’t the knowledge of Christ Jesus a sweet taste in our mouths?
And He makes us show that to others……..by having the Victory over us.
The victory procession Paul is writing about here is Christ having the victory over us……but it is pictured after the parade a Roman General would have when they came into Rome in victory.
First in line of march, were the incense bearers, on either side of the march. The smell of it would go out everywhere.
Then it was the banners of the legions of the General.
And then the General, himself on a great white horse.
From his horse were chains leading back to the captives he has brought to Rome.
First, there were kings, and generals he had defeated.
Then, counselors, and leaders; going back to the common people.
All these were brought for Rome’s glory. Some to live, to serve, as slaves….some to die.
But in Christ’s Victory Procession……He has had the Victory over all.
The Christians to life and service; and the lost(those who refuse His Lordship), to death, spiritual death.
Here the battle is over. But it was a battle.
He is God, and by His Spirit He knows how to bring each of us to yield to Him. For in yielding, there is joy.
It is when we throw down the weapons of our warfare against Him, that He manifests all the fullness of His grace, peace, and joy.
Once, preaching a message on Christ, standing before the congregation, my husband felt the shackle of Christ’s victory chain around his throat.
It was not strangling, as some think working for Christ Jesus to be.
He could feel the weight of it setting on my shoulders,…..but it was such a liberating feeling.
“You belong to Me”, Jesus said. “I will use you to show Me. My power over your life, My peace in your life, and My Word worked out in your life.”
And He wants the same for each believer….
That is the chains of love, which He uses to bind us to Christ.
Have Dominion, and Subdue.
It is to have dominion in our own lives….and subdue everything which hinders us…..from experiencing His freedom.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 