Posted in Creation Articles, General, God's Word, Work of Jesus, tagged Creation Articles, God Thoughts, God's Word, gospel project, salvation history, work of christ on December 2, 2012|
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Our “Gospel Project” lesson today was about God’s nature revealed in the Creation story and in the results. I produced a table that summarizes the differences in how God’s nature is revealed in the two different (but not contradictory) stories of Creation in chapters 1 and 2 of Genesis.
| |
God’s Nature |
Clarification |
God’s Name |
Exhibitied in Creation |
Response in us
toward God |
|
Above |
Transcendent |
Separate |
Elohim
“Stong One” |
“In the beginning God” |
Have to
must have
-allegiance
-worship
-accountability |
| Powerful
|
Able to effect |
He spoke into existence
ex nihilio
(“out of nothing”) |
| Authoritative |
Rules
|
|
Beside |
Personal |
Identity, relational |
Yahweh
“Pre-existent One” |
Speaking |
Want to,
gladly
-desire
-seek
-trust |
The lesson speaks of four ways that man is made in the image of God based on Genesis 1 and 2. I think there is clearly from the text a fifth way:
“27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the [a]sky and over every living thing that [b]moves on the earth.””
We relate- God gave us as male and female to have relationship and commanded multiplication so there would be many people to interact. In fact, all God ordained institutions (family, church, government) reflect the interaction within the Triune Godhead.
We rule- Both the words rule and subdue occur. This is a stewardship that should neither result in abuse of the creation nor worship of it, but care for our benefit. All authority we have is delegated from God and should be carefully dispatched as such.
We work- 1″5 Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.” Work that is purposeful, creative, orders chaos, and work with God’s plan was ordained before the Fall and is a good gift. The type of work we dislike is the punishment on man because of sin and is toil (literally “pain” 3:17) that causes sweat (3:18).
We reproduce- It says “multiply and fill the earth”. When we procreate God provides the spirit so He is still active in creating and allows us to be involved in the process. God is always involved in the process of giving life.
We rest- “3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” God was not tired but He was satisfied with the result of His completed work. Christ has completed the work of salvation in us so that we need to rest in Him, faith rest: “10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. 11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.”
I hope that you will consider how to bear the image of God in you in such a way as to point to Him rather than to yourself. It glorifies Him and satisfies you because you are at peace with Him.
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CreatorWorship 
America Getting
Posted in Cultural commentary, General, God Thoughts, Work of Jesus, tagged Cultural commentary, God Thoughts, work of christ on December 8, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Americans are getting both what they want and what they deserve. Unless there is a widespread and deep repentance whereby we acknowledge God and obey His commands the United States will continue to slide toward immorality, infamy, impotence, and instability. The immorality is obvious in all that we vote to support and ignore and participate in that is clearly contrary to the Word of God. Infamy comes in the form of hatred from more and more countries of the world, self-hatred over increased oppression of rights and helpless people, and a growing history of blasphemy toward God. We think we are surely not impotent since we still have a strong military, but small troops of bandits are frustrating our every move worldwide, we can’t solve economic problems, natural catastrophe problems are on the increase threatening our personal security and economic viability, and the world will soon ditch our currency since we are so far in debt we can most likely never pay it off. Our instability shows in the aforementioned problems but really manifests itself in our increased suicide rates and divorce rates, debt, disregard of human life inside and outside the womb, educational lethargy, and lawlessness. It occurs to me that slide may not be the correct term for what is happening. Sliding assumes some small degree of frictional force opposing the direction of motion. We seem instead to be free-falling toward a morally corrupt, hating, powerless, unsustainable existence and loving the trip. There are brakes that can be applied but they are not in “how to”, Herculean efforts or renewed resolve. The only opposing force that could overcome this fall and the sudden stop at the bottom is found in God’s grace gained by agreeing with God we are rebelling against Him and receiving the payment Jesus made for those sins when He died on the cross.
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