Created in God's Image

Have you ever wondered how mankind came into existence, and what makes Man so special of all the creatures created? In this module we will discover what makes man so unique and different from the rest of creation, as we examine the six days of God’s creative process in which God created man in His image. This is the final day of creation; the heavens and the earth were complete along with all the animals, reptiles, insects, birds and marine life. The earth was filled with life yet there remained one final act of creation to complete the picture. Everything had been carefully prepared for God’s ultimate crowning glory on earth; man created in God’s image. This is what makes us so special.

(Gen 1:26-27 NASB) Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

(Gen 2:7 NASB) Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

The Bible is very clear as to how man came into being; he was formed from the dust of the earth, Adam literally means ‘Red Man’, and God then breathed His own Spirit Life into man, and he became a unique living being. The human body was given the unique ability to walk upright, distinct from all the other creatures God had created and also possessing a mobile agility unlike any other.

The wonders of the human body are still being discovered by doctors and scientists today, with much still unknown. The human brain is one of the great marvels of the human body having the unique capacity of cognitive reasoning and speech while the soul of man gives him the ability to display emotions and self-expression.

Man has an appreciation of the world around him, enabling him to be creative and express himself through his creative abilities. Man also has the capacity to love, to both express love and receive love on an emotional level. None of these qualities were to be seen in the rest of creation. Man was truly uniquely created and distinct from all others; he was God’s masterpiece.

So we can see Man was created uniquely different but in what way does this make man to be like God since we are told we were created in His image and likeness? Is mankind today any different to Adam and Eve and if so in what way are we different? The answer lies in man’s physiological and spiritual makeup. In essence man was created with the ability to relate to two worlds, a natural world and the realm of the spirit. He was created as natural man and also as spirit man.

He was made or formed of the dust of the earth and can therefore respond and relate to everything on this earth, having five natural senses, giving him the ability to see, taste, touch, smell and hear. Although these alone do not make man unique since animals have the same five senses.

He was also created an eternal spirit being (God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, Gen 2:7), capable of responding to and relating to everything in the spirit realm, since he also had five senses of the spirit. Whilst animals also have the breath of life (Gen 7:22), they are not eternal beings; they are of a lower order.

So man has two sets of senses, one natural the other spiritual which enable him to touch both heaven and earth. Since the fall man is no longer able to use his spiritual senses in the way they were originally intended to be used, and now lives life relying totally on his natural ones.

Adam and Eve had the best of both worlds; they lived life on earth enjoying everything God had made for them, they lived as King and Queen being God’s caretakers and rulers of the earth, the earth was theirs having complete dominion over all of creation. This too is a reflection of God’s image in Adam and Eve, just as God has all authority and exercises complete dominion over the universe so Adam and Eve were given all authority over the earth to exercise dominion over all things. The animal kingdom and all marine life would have been subject to their rule, man and beast would have co-existed in peace and harmony.

When God created Adam and Eve, He prepared a special home for them in Eden called the Garden of Eden, where God made every provision available to them.

God created Eden to be a place of pleasure; a place of peace, tranquillity and safety, a place where one could enjoy the kind of lifestyle which most people today can only dream of. Within Eden was a garden, a special place where they would meet and fellowship with God, enjoying an intimate relationship. Knowing the Lord was to be a pleasurable and very personal experience.

Eden was created a phenomenal paradise which movie producers could only dream of; it was the ideal environment having a perfect climate and surrounded by endless beauty.

The trees of the forests would have been like the skyscrapers of today, reaching high into the sky. Then there was the animal kingdom with such a variety of animals as to make any zookeeper drool with envy.

The night sky would have been lit up by the hosts of heaven. The whole earth was alive and pulsating with abundant life. Everything was made and created for Adams enjoyment; it was to be his own world, a playground as no child has ever seen. No nine-to-five job stuck in an office looking at four walls, only a paradise waiting to be explored.

Can you imagine Adam in the morning going for a walk in the garden alongside a pride of lions or tigers, or perhaps playing a game of hide and seek with a big grizzly bear.

Whenever they were hungry, they could just reach up into one of the many fruit trees in the garden and pick a feast fit for a king; apples, bananas, pears, grapes, papaya, oranges just to name a few.

Further along they come across their monkey friends relaxing in the trees above them. Adam calls out to each one of them by name to which they respond by coming down and playing a bit of rough and tumble on the grass, before scurrying off amid shrieks of raucous laughter.

Can you imagine living in a world with no pollution, no sickness or disease, where the air is fresh, crisp and clear, where the sky is blue instead of grey from pollution? The waters are pure and refreshing and abound with fish instead of algae. Fruit trees are fully laden with enormous sweet tasting delicious fruit, the produce of the ground is packed with pure nutrition, and the crops harvested from the fields are so huge as to leave any farmer today speechless.

This is the world God would have created for mankind, perfect in every way and lacking nothing, God’s provision was complete, even fine gold and precious stones were to be found there in abundance (Gen 2:10-14).

What we have just seen describes the life of the natural man whose natural senses enabled him to enjoy and appreciate life on earth; just as God too is able have an appreciation for all things. The image of God gave man the awareness and appreciation for all that is life in the natural on earth.

In order to make Adam and Eve complete in the image of God they were also created spirit beings, enabling them to relate to God who is Spirit. God breathed His Spirit Life into man and joined himself to man giving man an additional five senses by which they were to live. These were Spiritual senses enabling them to walk and fellowship with God. They are the same five senses the natural man received except these are spiritual senses.

 The Five Spirit Senses include:

Man is able to look into and see the spirit realm and know truth.

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”

Man is able to hear what God is saying in the Spirit.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

 ‘But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.’

Man is able to make decisions and act on them in accordance with what he senses the Holy Spirit is revealing to him.

Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome."

Man has the capacity to experience the same emotions God experiences.

And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'

All of these five senses are to be found in the heart of man, that is the inner man or spirit of man. These senses were given to man, and they were energised by the Holy Spirit. The world was created for man, but man was created for God, to know Him, walk with Him and fellowship with Him in a love relationship, sharing life together as one. This seems to be a far cry from the world we live in today where man has all but abandoned God in the pursuit of his own pleasures and life.

By the Spirit Adam was able to think like God, see life from God’s perspective, live his life in the wisdom and knowledge of God and very importantly be the very expression of God on this earth.

How could Adam and Eve be the expression of God on earth you ask? Well, the spiritual senses enable man to relate to God but with the Holy Spirit also came the nature and character of God, enabling man to express himself in the same way God would. This is truly amazing, that God would impart Himself so completely to man allowing man to be just like Him in every aspect. Adam had a very creative mind, he named every animal on earth, and how was he able to do this? The Spirit of God within is what enabled him to be creative.

The fruit of the Spirit reveals the nature and character of God.

(Gal 5:22-23 NASB) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Adams nature was energised by the Holy Spirit according to Gods image. So too must our image today be energised by the Holy Spirit.

Without the Spirit of God in man we are but empty shells of our former self, being reduced to living a substandard life having only our natural senses to guide us through life. The Natural man is governed by the senses of the flesh relating to what he can; see, taste, touch, smell and hear in the physical world around him, his world is centred around everything natural. His source of knowledge is derived from the world in which he lives; decisions are often made on the basis of the knowledge acquired through the natural senses and emotions, so that God is left out of the equation of Life.

A people filled with the Spirit of God is who we are meant to be; a people living life with God not apart from God, for without His life in us we cannot possibly live life to our fullest potential, the way God intended. We are two part beings wrapped up in one, with the Holy Spirit being the One who makes it all come alive for us, the way it was meant to be. Without His Light we walk in darkness, without His Love we live empty lives always searching for and seeking that which will complete us, but never finding it. Only God, through His son Jesus, can complete us and make us whole again, His Holy Spirit is the missing Link in life which man is searching for today.

We have seen that we were created in the image of God with the ability to relate to both God and man. Nothing was spared, only the best was made and given to man, it was a perfect environment for our enjoyment and pleasure. It reveals God's amazing creative ability and His desire to provide everything we need for Life, right down to the minutest detail.

We were filled with His Life, His Spirit, making us truly unique among all creation. We had the Spirit who enabled us to share life with God, sharing His love and appreciation for life, being able to experience God in a deep and meaningful way every single day. God was an integral part of man, and we were His highest priority.

Have you ever considered that you even have spiritual eyes and ears which should be as much a part of our lives as our natural eyes and ears? Do you allow God to fill them with His wisdom and knowledge?

Have you ever considered living life each day with Jesus, and allowing Him to fill your spiritual senses with the flow of His Spirit so you may see and hear Him, allowing Him to be your primary counsellor and teacher in life. Would you allow Him to fill your life with His good pleasure, seeing He desires only the best for you.

Nothing has changed, this is still a deep-seated longing and desire in God's heart which will not go away; a desire to live life with us and be a part of our lives every day. He longs to share His heart with you and I, to be a Father to us all.

Lord I thank you for creating me in your wonderful image, for your provision in my life and allowing me to know you intimately. Lord forgive me for not sharing my life with you, and for not allowing you to fill my spiritual senses daily with your wisdom and knowledge.

I ask that you open the eyes of my heart and fill my heart with your life that I may know you.

Thankyou Jesus.