“HIS OWN IMAGE!”

Genesis 1:26-27                                   (ESV)

“26 Then 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 birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

27 So GOD created man in “HIS OWN IMAGE”, in the IMAGE of GOD HE created him; male and female HE created them.”

Why do I sin so freely if I have been created in “HIS OWN IMAGE”?  If GOD is living inside of me because of the sacrifice of JESUS CHRIST on Calvary, shouldn’t I refrain from sin a lot more than I do?  Since the CREATOR of the universes designed me to be in “HIS OWN IMAGE”, then everything I do should draw Honor and Glory to GOD.  It shouldn’t be elevating myself and my desires 

GOD isn’t limited by our finite minds and abilities.  While we were created in “HIS OWN IMAGE”, we elected to live a sinful lifestyle, and that brought DEATH to us.  Romans 6:23 says “For THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, but the free gift of GOD is eternal life in CHRIST JESUS our LORD”.  Wages is defined as “Often wages. money that is paid or received for work or services, as by the hour, day, or week”.  GOD is HOLY, HOLY, HOLY and HE cannot fellowship sin.  The ultimate WAGES of SIN, DEATH, was overcome by JESUS, once and for all, restoring our IMAGE.

While we are to be ambassadors for CHRIST and HIS love, we also are to build a strong WALL, as Nehemiah did in Jerusalem.  GOD ALMIGHTY doesn’t want us isolating ourselves from the rest of “this world”, but HE does want us to live HOLY before HIM and “set ourselves apart” others, even to the point of building walls to keep the enemy out!  We mustn’t allow ourselves to become so diluted with SIN, that we are as “salt that has lost its savor” (Matthew 5:13)!  

Yes, we were created in “HIS OWN IMAGE”, and should reflect HIS Glory in everything we do.  But we cannot attempt to reflect HIS Glory by allowing our reflection to be dimmed by assimilation with “this world”.  We are “...citizens of Heaven...” just passing through “this world”.  We are created to be in “HIS OWN IMAGE”, not the image of those in our surroundings.