In the Likeness of God

In the last visitation I encountered, the Lord made me to know that many of us at Bible Teachers to this day do not understand the deep things God has revealed to us. For this cause, many of the leaders in this ministry avoid teaching some of the revelations we have recently received. This is not good, because though a leader may be lacking in his understanding of these revelations, it is not safe to say that there are not those in his congregation that have received understanding. If this be the case, then the congregation has become divided into two categories of believers:

• Those who have not understood, even as the leader has not understood,
• and those who did understand and wish to move forward.

Now, even those who have not understood, desire to come into the knowledge of the truth. Therefore, in a little while, they will begin to feel cheated when they cease to hear the piece- meal of that word in discipleship or subsequent teachings. This burden is on the leaders. It is your responsibility to sit with the apostle and get an understanding. It is irresponsible to continue preaching or teaching, excluding the principles and doctrines the Lord gives us in a present word. We are instructed to study that we make sure we are approved of God, a workman that need not be made ashamed. This study may indeed include bringing your lack of understanding to the table, so that you might receive clarity and confidence in the word of the Lord. Therefore, it is necessary that I go back to the beginning and explain once more the operation of God’s redemptive plan. I will attempt to break these teachings down into minute details; beginning first with the creation.

ADAM

Though the Scriptures do not tell us a great deal about Adam specifically, they do give us enough to determine the essence of his existence. Adam was made in the likeness and image of God… The Scripture below describes what it means to be in the image and likeness of God.

Genesis 1:26-31

26. And 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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

29. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

30. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

31. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

In addition to the fact that man was made a triune being (body, soul and spirit), he was given dominion over all the earth. He was made a supreme ruler and Bishop over the planet. The essence of his makeup, that he was given dominion and the ability to subdue the earth, made Adam a type of god to the planet. Adam’s ability and power included power and authority over the serpent. He and he alone was given the ability to subdue the earth and everything that crept upon it. Therefore he was not tricked, nor was he powerless when the serpent enticed Eve. But quite the contrary, Adam made a conscious decision to disobey his God. This was Adam’s domain, he had power and authority even to rebuke Satan for his unlawful activities on the earth. As we look at the physical makeup of Adam, in addition to the fact that he was triune or three in one (body, soul and spirit), we also discovered his innocence.

There was no foreign spirit living in Adam causing him to disobey God. This was purely an act of choice. It is the inner man (soul, spirit and conscience) that is man’s true being. In other words, it is the inner man who controls the house. The body is simply his dwelling place. Nevertheless, the body was given so that man would be able to express himself. It is the body that gives expression to the soul, as well as the ability to rule. It is the body that also enabled Adam to express himself in the environment he was placed in. It was also the body that allowed him to enjoy the earth. Let us not forget that Eve was taken out of Adam. She was the bone of his bone and the flesh of his flesh. She was a part or rather an extension of his body. Herein is the beginning of the mystery of Christ. Paul spoke about it in his letter to the Ephesians.

Ephesians 5:25-32

25. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

26. That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

27. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

28. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

29. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

30. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

31. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

32. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

The woman was taken out of the man, even as the church was taken out of Christ. This woman was a new creature, made of the man’s body. Even so, the Church is the bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh. She was to be in submission to her husband, who was her head, even as Christ is the head of a Church that was created to express his will in the earth. I really need us to dwell here for a moment. This making of the woman is very key to understanding the church and its relationship with Christ. You must understand the significance of the woman having been taken out of the man’s body. This act alone makes the woman the body of the man. Her members were bones of his bones, and flesh of his flesh, literally.

Romans 5:12-14

12. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

13. (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

14. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

We know that satan was capable of planting his seed in an individual. We saw him do that with the serpent. In doing so, the serpent purposed to do the will of the devil. The character of the seed planted in him purely motivated him. That seed we have come to know as iniquity or sin (Ephesians 2:2). Therefore, having infiltrated the seed of man, satan was able to pass sin onto every man, woman and child born after Adam’s disobedience. He became the father of the human race. Jesus made reference to this fact in his conversation with the Pharisees. “You are of your father, the devil and his lust you will do.” Here he describes the nature of man. Adam had betrayed the human race and handed it over to the devil. Now, all who were born of Adam were born sinners, alienated from God.

Genesis 8:21

And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

Here it becomes obvious that God pitied the state of man. He understood that mankind had become full of darkness. He could not help himself. His very nature was sinful.

Romans 5:13-14

13. (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

14. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

Here is another place we might want to linger a bit. What is meant by “sin is not imputed when there is no law?” The inference is that sin is not laid to one’s charge where there is no law. But what does this mean? Was not sin attributed to those who lived from Adam to Moses? Well, from the beginning the penalty for disobeying God was death. Death is not only separation from God, but it is also a prison where the souls of the disobedient are held captive. So what we have is the irresponsible act of Adam, gendering a race whose nature is that of sin and death. So whether there is a formal law of commandments that identified each and every sin or not, death reigned due to the departure from God and the indwelling of a foreign spirit. Remember, in the Garden, the Lord asked Adam, “who told you that you were naked?” Here is an inference that the spirit in Adam was communicating with him. The Law however, was added to identify sin and to reveal the gravity of it.

Galatians 3:19

Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

Remember, God saw all Adam’s children as sinners, they were all destined for hell. However, when the nation of Israel was formed, the Lord added the Law to instil civil order and to identify those things he considered to be transgressions against him. Because of the Law, they were to live differently than the heathen nations. However, … there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (Romans 2:11-12) Death and hell was and will always be the reward of the wicked.

Romans 2:13-15

13. (For not the hearers of and law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

14. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

15. Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

The scripture above refers to the nature of the Church. We never had the law of commandments, but by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we are able to do by nature the things that are written in the Law. This tells us that the Law was added to reveal the character of God. It was the personality of God written in stone. Perhaps this is why the Jews were not able to live without violating it. It is spiritual in content and must be demonstrated by those who are spiritual i.e. the sons of God.

NOTE: Reference has been made twice to a diagram (highlighted in yellow) (see the diagram: ADAM BEFORE THE FALL). However, a diagram was not seen.