Reference: Genesis 1:26
As we read the account of the creation inthe first book of the Bible called Genesis, we find that God made man and he made him in his imageand in his likeness. This first man was of course Adam. When God made Adam andplaced him in the garden of Eden, we are told that God gave him power to takecomplete control over the animals and over the entire world.
Adam was in reality a true son of God. Hewas a son of God simply because he was created in the image and likeness ofAlmighty God. Being created in God's image and likeness means that Adam was inall of his characteristics just like God himself. Adam was of course a man madeof the dust of the earth and was made flesh. God breathed into the nostrils ofAdam and he became a living soul.
Now we know that God is a spirit and doesnot consist of flesh. If we were to see God and to know just what he is like,we would know him in the same way that we could have known Adam, because Adamwas made in God's image and likeness bearing all the characteristics andmanifestation of God. To really know what God was like then all we would haveto know is what Adam was like before he fell into sin's power and influence.
We know of course that Adam failed to keepthe godly character that he first had and fell in sin and became corrupted. TheBible tells us in I Corinthians15:45 that the first Adam was made aliving soul, and the second Adam (Christ) was made a quickening spirit. Christis called the second Adam in this scripture because he was the second createdman apart from being made of the dust of the earth. Christ was the Word thatbecame flesh whereas Adam was made from the dust of the earth. Every other manthat was born into this world was made from the seed of their earthly father.Adam and Jesus was the only two men created in a way apart from other people.Christ was of course born from the womb of a woman, but he was not made fromthe sperm seed of a man like other men are.
Adam was not born of a woman, but yet hewas made and formed of the dust of the earth. When the human race fell into sinthey lost their godly character, but yet they were made in God's own likenessand image. Adam lost his position that God had first made him in. But God didnot just leave man in his fallen state, because he began to put into effect aredeeming plan of salvation that would bring man back to his original statethat he was in before he fell into the devastating power and influence of sin.
This plan is mentioned in Genesis 3:15. This plan wasto be brought down to man by the man Christ Jesus. This plan is better known asthe gospel of Jesus Christ. Before Christ came and revealed this plan ofredemption, God gave the law to Moses and told him to teach it to the childrenof Israel. The law served its purpose until the seed came that eventuallybrought the Lord Jesus. We are told in John1:17 that the law was given by Moses,but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. This grace and truth was the finalredemptive plan that would bring mankind back to the original state that Adamwas in before he fell into sin and lost all his God given power and abilities.
Paul tells us in Romans 1:16,17 thatthe gospel of Christ is God's power unto salvation to all that will believe it.Believing this gospel will conform the believer into the very image of JesusChrist, who was the second Adam and is the very one in whom we have for anexample. He is our example and we are to follow in his footsteps. To follow inhis footsteps, which is done by obeying the gospel of his word, this willconform us to his image and likness, meaning that we will be brought back tothe original state of Adam before his fall into sin.
The first Adam fell into sin and could notbe our example, but the second Adam which was the Lord Jesus Christ, did notfall and became our example. Obeying his word revealed in the gospel will maketrue sons of God created in his image and likeness and they will bear the samecharacteristics as Jesus did.
Ever since Christ came and revealed thisredemption plan, Satan has forevermore been trying to mislead man from thisplan. He has very much succeeded in doing this by causing man to pervert thetruth of the gospel. The true gospel has been hidden for many years through andby the cunning craftiness of Satan who is the adversary of the soul.
There are many teachings in the worldtoday as to what the true gospel is, but checking them very closely will letyou know that they are not the true gospel that will conform man back to theoriginal state of Adam before he fell into sin. Since Adam fell from hisposition with God there had to be another man to be our example and of coursethis man was Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour.
We are told in Romans 8:29-30 thatthose whom God foreknew, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the imageof his Son. To be conformed to the image of this Son means of course to betransformed to the image and likeness of Jesus Christ. Now there are manythousands of people in the world today confessing to be born again children ofGod having been conformed to this image by the teachings that they are beingtaught. Taking a good look at the average denominational church today will justabout make a person vomit because they are nothing close to being what the wordof God calls a born again child of God. A true born again child of God is aperson that has become one with Christ. In other words they are just likeChrist in all of his characteristics. The average person today is led tobelieve that a born again child of God is a person that is used and controlledof God like a robot.
Now a robot is a mechanical machine thatcan be controlled by an electrical device that transmits electrical power tothe robot and causes it to do things such as walking, lifting objects, and manyother different stunts.
Now a true son of God is not used like arobot, but rather they are one with Christ, meaning that they possess the powerand ability to do things just as if they were Christ himself. The true sons ofGod has been conformed to Christ's image and it can be said that each and everyone of them is a Christ-like person in the flesh. The only difference betweenthe born again child of God and Jesus Christ himself is the body of flesh thatthey dwell in. The apostle Paul was just like Christ but he of course dwelledin a different body of flesh than the body of flesh that Christ dwelled in.Each and every true born again christian dwells in a body of flesh, but eachone has the same characteristics that Jesus Christ manifested.
The twelve disciples after the day ofPentecost was just like twelve Jesus's walking about just like Christ did whilehe was in the flesh. A true child of God today is the Word made flesh againjust like it was when Christ actually lived on this earth. The only differenceis the way they look and the body in which they dwell in. Looking at a truechristian we can say that it's Christ in the flesh. We don't say this by theway they look, but rather it's by the Character they manifest. Christ isrevealed through our life that we live. A christian is a christian twenty fourhours a day every day and is not turned on and off like a robot....