SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/15/2017
9:07 PM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-1 Jesus
Christ in Relation to God
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Colossians
1:15
Message of the
verses: “15 He is the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”
We have mentioned in an earlier SD that the heretics
viewed Jesus as on among a series of lesser spirits that descend in sequential
inferiority from God, so Paul wants to set the Colossians straight in his
letter to them as he writes verse fifteen.
The Greek word for image in this verse is Eikon, and that word means image or likeness. MacArthur adds “From it we get our English
world icon, referring to a
statue. It is used in Matthew 22:20 of Caesar’s
portrait on a coin, and in Revelation 13:14 of the statue of Antichrist.”
In 1 Corinthians 11:7 we read “For a man ought not to
have his head covered, since
he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.” Genesis 1:26-27 says “26 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." 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and
female He created them.” We can see from
these verses that it may be a bit misleading.
John MacArthur writes Humans are made in God’s image in that they have
rational personality. Like God, they
possess intellect, emotion, and will, by which they are able to think, feel,
and choose. We humans are not, however,
in God’s image morally, because He is holy, and we are sinful. Nor are we created in His mage
essentially. We do not possess His
incommunicable attributes, such as omniscience, omnipotence, immutability, or omnipresence. We are human, not divine.” Hope that clears that issue up for you and
for me too.
We know that the fall of man has marred the original
image of God in man. But I have to say
that even before the fall that man was not like God in those attributes that
MacArthur alluded to in the last paragraph.
Adam and Eve were innocent, as they were free of sin, and also incapable
of dying, that is before the fall. When
we read what happens in chapter three we can see that they forfeited those
qualities because they sinned. Now when
someone puts their faith in Christ that person is promised that the image of
God will be restored to him or her. “29 For
those whom He foreknew, He
also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He
would be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29).” “18
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of
the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just
as from the Lord, the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18).”
“And have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to
the image of the One who created him (Colossians 3:10).” This will be the last part of the
sanctification process and will happen when we enter the final phase of our
eternal life. 1/15/2017 9:32 PM
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