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 one 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 image 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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