Following the article on cycles, patterns and covenants and the new covenant believer, there followed a call for more on overcoming the world. In this article we explore God's creation of man in his image, with the desire to complete the making of man into the likeness of God - the express the nature of God - and the role salvation plays in this completion.
“Let us make man”
In Genesis 1, the Godhead lays out their intent to make man “in Our image, and according to Our likeness”. God is spirit, and in verse 27 the first of the two-part making plan was completed with the creation of Man as spirits: male and female.
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
With the first part complete, how about the plan to make man the ‘Likeness’ of God?
Creation vs. Formation
The formation of man - as a living soul within a body - happens much later, in Genesis 2:7. We will see how this move, and the entire earth-project, was to bring about the likeness of God in Man.
Male spirits manifested first with the mandate to govern the earth. In Genesis 2:20 we see Adam working, but without the help he needed to govern (tend, guard and keep) the earth realm. Then female spirits were granted access to the realm as this invaluable support. Help should not be undermined: it is the first of 7 chief roles of the Holy Spirit (Helper, Comforter, Counselor, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener and Standby - John 16:7 AMPC) to be respected in all expressions. But this article is not about marriage.
The fall of man & The mystery of salvation
When the first Man (Adam) fell, the entire race or kind that we belong to, fell too. This fall is a fallen nature - one that falls short of the nature of God.
“And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam (Jesus) became a life-giving spirit. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.” I Corinthians 15:45, 48
Nature means “a kind or class usually distinguished by fundamental or essential characteristics”. God intended for Man to become a God-kind. But the disobedience of the first of our kind condemned the nature of the entire kind to the nature of sin. Understandably so since we inherit nature at birth (Psalm 51:5). This is why Salvation is a rebirth, and scripture calls Jesus the Last Man because He is the manifestation of God’s plan to correct the nature of the class of Man.
“Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man.” 1 Corinthians 15:49 NLT
God can never be stuck, and the plan for Salvation was baked into the foundation of the earth. This back door mystery was revealed to Apostle John who wrote of the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8).
What a relief, that nothing takes God by surprise. He gave us freewill but planned to save us should we fall. Such is the greatest love and perfect wisdom of God. To redeem our entire kind, the Christ was predestined to die to recover us from the nature of sin, back to the nature of God.
This is Salvation, and 3 major principles uphold the process of perfecting the nature of God in us:
Principle 1 - Salvation is first of the spirit
Jesus taught this first principle speaking to Nicodemus - a spiritual leader of the Jews - who very naturally was confused at the concept of being born a second time:
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” John 3:6-7
He was teaching that as our first birth, at creation, was of spirit, the course correction of our kind would begin with the rebirth of this spirit. It’s obvious: when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we still have the tendencies, desires and habits of sin and death. Which is what the nature of sin gave us - a sure path to spiritual death. Spiritual death (separation from our Source, and inclination to evil and the destruction prepared for it) is far more costly than the death of the flesh (which scripture refers to as sleeping).
Salvation on the other hand, sets us on the path to life. When we believe and come to the Faith, we gain the capacity to manifest a new nature - the nature of God.
Principle 2 - signs must follow faith
“And these signs will follow those who believe...” Mark 16:17
We established that the Likeness of God is the expression of his Nature measured by the presence of “fundamental or essential characteristics”. Character is defined as the way one thinks, feels and behaves - God’s intent was that Man would behave as God.
When New Testament writers taught on the behaviors believers are expected to imbibe, the Greek word they used is often translated to the English word “Works”. And our behaviors are indeed works - or actions that define character.
In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul expressed 3 keys to the practice of faith:
“remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;” 1 Thessalonians 1:3
Apostle James more passionately admonished the Body saying:
“If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." James 2: 15-17
He is right, of course being helped by the Holy Spirit to recall the teachings of Jesus that at the end of this age, believers who practiced faith - doing what he commanded - will be separated from those who did not.
“‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”” Matthew 25:44-46
You will notice that both the righteous and unrighteous call the King Lord here - these are believers. So, actions of faith matter greatly to the outcome of our faith.
“You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? ... Do you see that faith was working together with [Abraham’s] works, and by works faith was made perfect?” James 2:19-22
In the end we will be perfected in faith, by our actions or behaviors or works of faith.
"work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12
This salvation is not that of the spirit which Jesus worked, and completely finished. There is a responsibility on us to work from what Jesus authored, the salvation of the spirit, to what he means to perfect - the salvation of the soul.
Principle 3 - The Salvation of your soul
“receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” I Peter 1:9
God’s likeness in us begins when we believe and our spirit is reborn into his nature. We received the capacity to behave like God. This spiritual rebirth is that well of living water Jesus told the woman in Samaria would generate within all who drink from the water Jesus gives: all who are baptized into the fold on accepting his Lordship. Jesus however, also says this well would spring up into eternal life.
That this well of salvation springs up, means it must be alive. The Greek word for “springing up” - hallomai - means to leap. Only something alive or backed by a live force, can leap. This means the well of our salvation in us must be active and alive - or it can dry up, or die. Death is defined as a state characterized by a lack of activity; a time when nothing is being said or done. Jesus was saying that salvation must actively be at work, or it will die.
The salvation of the soul is the evidence of salvation at work in us, by the way we live consistent with God’s principles as taught by Jesus.
Jesus established our faith with his death and glorious resurrection - scripture says he is the author and perfecter of faith, authoring it when we first believe - and he intends to see us to its perfect end.
So, Faith without the behaviors of faith, will die - and is indeed already dead. And the opposite of the behaviors of faith, are behaviors of sin.
Behaviors of sin
Sin is hardly the most fun spiritual topic, especially to those struggling with sin - which is every single one of us. But it is necessary to properly understand:
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:8-9
Let’s define sin scripturally - different from transgression and iniquity, yet often interchanged - to sin means to miss the mark. This means we can mean well and yet miss the standard of God, due to common ignorance. Scripture does mention two kinds of sin: that which leads to death and that which does not (1 John 1:5-7). John was addressing believers: so this death for believers must be the death of our salvation. So what kind of sin leads to the death of salvation? It’s less about a specific action of sin, and more about the habit of sin.
“Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. I John 3:7-9
What we practice is who we become - and shows who we belong to. A practice is defined as something done habitually or customarily; to perform or work at something repeatedly.
If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”I John 1:6-7
It is one thing to sin, and yet another to walk in - or practice - sin. This behavior of sin is the threat to salvation. We will all knowingly or unknowingly miss God’s mark - but He is faithful and just to forgive us. However continuing in sin is not insulated by salvation, in fact it is a sign of the lack thereof.
“He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” I John 2:6
We are what we practice, and we become like Christ - like God - when we practice his ways, as taught and shown.
4 critical habits that work out the salvation of the soul
We’ve now seen how that the destruction or development of our salvation begins with a practice or a habit. Habits of sin lead to death and habits of life lead to the end of faith - the salvation of our souls:
The habit of an honest assessment of your motivations and circumstances:
Gods favorite countenance is one of humility, and he promises the humble everything the earth has to offer (Matthew 5:5).
Humility is not a flamboyant show of lowliness, it is an honest understanding and acceptance of one’s weaknesses and strengths.
The most successful biblical depictions of friendship with God were characterized by a humility that allowed God’s strength to fill the gaps of human limitations. If we come to God habitually in humility, we will gain an awareness not just of faulty behaviors but of hidden pitfalls or contentions standing in the way of our glorious destiny. Only one who knows the end from the beginning, and can search the parts of our hearts hidden from our own selves, can check us with truth, and correct in love.
“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.. Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my thoughts; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalms 139:7-8, 23-24
The habit of fasting and emptiness:
It must be obvious by now that I’m a huge fan of fasting. So was Jesus:
“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” Matthew 16:24
Where did Jesus head to, with his cross? To death. Jesus tells us the only way to walk after him is death to flesh: denial of self. As he taught his disciples the power of this sacrifice, so they taught the church:
“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.”1 Peter 4:1-2
We’re asked in both references to do this daily - or habitually - since whoever has learned to think in a certain way has learned the nature of that Way.
The habit of effectual and fervent prayer:
The importance of prayer can never be overemphasized. To avoid doubts on the matter, scripture says to pray without ceasing. Prayer is an address or petition to God. Why do we pray:
to build a relationship with God: we were created to relate with God.
to establish spiritual decrees or petition God: the spirit realm is a legal one, where God sits as judge over everything. We must relate with it in the same context
These reasons reflect in the 2 dimensions of prayer:
Praying in the spirit: The only way to do scything in the spirit is to allow the spirit to do it. As we received the infilling of the Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaking diverse tongues, so we must continue. From the spirit, and not by the flesh. One way to know the force that powers us in prayer is that the spirit does not tire, but the flesh will:
“The labor of fools wearies them, For they do not even know how to go to the city!” Ecclesiastes 10:15
Praying in understanding: let prayer in understanding not be downplayed. When we speak in tongues we speak to God. Not even demons can understand, yet we speak mysteries that build. But there are times in prayer when we must speak not to God but to situations, laws of nature, or demons themselves - like Jesus did. Ezekiel spoke with God in the spirit (prophets, kings and priests were anointed with the Holy Spirit even when he did not yet dwell - as Jesus had not been glorified). But to raise dry bones God instructed him to speak to the bones - as he heard from God. The most powerful prayer of understanding incorporates the word of God. God’s word is Law to light and darkness.
The habit of repentance and forgiveness:
I left this last because it is performed in the place and posture, and with the principles of prayer. But repentance and forgiveness come first whenever we approach God. God sits on a Seat of Mercy - and we cannot receive mercy without giving it. It is one of the most important dimensions of God and the reason we are not condemned:
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15
Repentance can only follow our own forgiveness of everyone who has wronged us - everyone, for everything. True forgiveness is not characterized by forgetting. It is letting go of the burdens that come with disappointment. One of my teachers once said that forgiveness is by faith, and I agree - because our heaviest burdens can only be laid down at the feet of Jesus.
Final Thoughts
Of everything I’ve learned on this journey after God's heart, the most important seems to be that we get out of God what we put into knowing him.
As God told Abraham, God himself was Abraham’s most exceeding great reward, and He is ours too. The best thing we could ever receive from following God is his nature in us and his Presence around us - forever.
Grace-Grace.
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