in his own likeness,after his fallen image" (Gen. 5:3)

[james g]

Scripture leaves no doubt as to the totality of the fall. It was utter, and irrevocable. God made it very clear to Adam that if and when he should sin, he would surely die. And the day that Adam disobeyed God’s single stipulation, he died spiritually--he died unto God. And all the race of mankind died unto God in Adam that day.
"For as in Adam all die" (1 Cor. 15:22). As a result, "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." "Therefore, as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation" (Heb. 9:27; Rom. 5:18). "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one." "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:10, 23).
Without question Adam was originally created in the image of God. "And God said, Let us create man in our image, after our likeness...."So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him" (Gen. 1:26, 27).

But when Adam died to God, his God-like image perished with him. "And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh" (Gen. 6:3). "That which is born of the flesh is flesh" (John 3:6). "Among whom also we all had our manner of life in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others" (Eph. 2:3). "For to be carnally (fleshly) minded is death....Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither, indeed, can be. So, then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God" (Rom. 8:6–8).

The extent of the apprehension of the depth and utter ruin of the first Adam nature caused by the fall, determines the extent to which the new life in Christ can be brought to full growth in the believer; for just so far as man clings to one supposed "good thing" in him, so for the power of the Cross is nullified in his life, and so far the growth of the new life is constricted in him.

Freedom from the dominion of sin is the message of the Cross, but it can only be realized in experience up to the extent of the believer’s recognition of the fall, and a consequent offcasting of the fallen life of the first Adam at the place called Calvary. Adam was the only man made in God’s image. When he fell, that image was obliterated in sin and death. As the fallen head of the human race, Adam consequently brought forth sons and daughters [mankind] "in his own likeness, after his (fallen) image" (Gen. 5:3).
Even as believers we cannot tell what God is like by looking at ourselves, or any other Christian. We are being conformed to the Lord Jesus’ image. "Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).
If anyone would know what the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is like, he must look away from Adamic man, away from Christian man, away from the Law, beyond the heavens that declare the glory of God, and by means of the Word of God simply look "unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith" (Heb. 12:2).
"God...hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son...who, being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person..." (Heb. 1:1–3). "He that hath seen me (Jesus) hath seen the Father." "Neither knoweth any man the Father, except the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him" (John 14:9; Matt. 11:27). William Kelly knew where to look:

Certainly the child of God has eternal life. But where shall I look at it? I see a beautiful trait of the divine life in this saint; I see something sweet, and at the same time humbling to my soul, in another--perhaps where least expected.

But in all this is weakness and even positive failure. Who would not confess it? Who does not feel it? This, then, is but an unworthy expression of what divine life is, because it is shaded too often and modified by the effect of the world, by the allowance of nature, by a thousand thoughts, feelings, ways, habits which do not savor of the Lord Jesus Christ.
All these things break in upon and mar the perfect outshining of that new life that is communicated to all the children of God. "We have this treasure in earthen vessels" (2 Cor. 4:7). There is but one adequate and worthy object of the Holy Spirit, and that is the ascended and glorified Lord Jesus Christ! How could it be otherwise? (First John,



​

your history before God in Adam the first came to an utter end at Calvary

 

[David777]

Dear James G

Well written, I liked,

"Freedom from the dominion of sin is the message of the Cross, but it can only be realized in experience up to the extent of the believer’s recognition of the fall, and a consequent offcasting of the fallen life of the first Adam at the place called Calvary."

You even included spacing in the text. What more can I say. Just slightly larger print?

Your friend in Christ.

 

[james g]

thank you David777

 

[caprice09]

Fallen image and likeness of God

"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." As we are transformed according to the abundance of His grace, so too the manifestations of the LORD, "I Am That I Am," and His works are commensurate to our faith bestowed upon Him. For "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do: for whatsoever things he does, these also do the Son likewise." If this is true of our example, Jesus Christ, than it is also true concerning the Church: And if this is true according to man, it is following the precedent of that which is true concerning God. We are as powerless to move before God in spiritual things without His grace bestowed upon us as God is to move physically before us apart from our faith; because God will not contradict your will, who was made after the likeness and image of God, even as His will cannot be contradicted! It is not than the weakness of God which prevents Him to intervene in our circumstances and according to our desires, but rather our lack of faith to believe that He both can and will! We have no healings, because we no longer believe in miracles; we no longer receive prophecies because we believe we already know or can find out on our own; we no longer devote ourselves to intimate fellowship with God because we trust in ourselves or our idols to perform those things which only God can truly accomplish! "According to your faith be it unto you."

Even as in judgment the LORD's testimony and translation upon us shall become our name and definition by which we are known and identified for all time, so too our testimony of Christ defines who God is and how He is permitted to maneuver within our lives. For by our will, being made in the likeness and image of God, we are granted the opportunity to honor God as we would want to be honored; for by our will, the Word is as humble in our hands as is our souls before Him. Therefore let us serve Him as we would want to be served, and glorify Him as we would want to be glorified, and allow Him through our faith the space and reign in which to maneuver and work His wonderful works in the midst of us that we may be empowered and enlightened by His Holy Spirit to take full advantage of the endless grace bestowed unto us that we may partake in the fullness of the reign we have through Christ in His body. For you cannot reign higher than you allowed God to reign and can only be glorified as you have glorified Him!

Behold the state of fallen man, though made in the likeness and image of God: look what has become of the reign and dominion which the LORD granted you in grace by your lack of faith in Him! By our actions we suggest that the LORD is forgetful, shortsighted, deceitful, foolish, weak, selfish and prideful, subject to death/age; therefore because that was our testimony (acting or speaking according to our faith) that is what we have become. Because this was the glory ascribed unto God, so too is the glory we bear after His likeness! "Be you therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged: condemn not, and you shall not be condemned: forgive, and you shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you mete withal it shall be measured to you again. And he spoke a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his master: but everyone that is perfect shall be as his master."<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />

 

[caprice09]

Our image vs. His Image

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" but blessed be the grace of our Lord, by whom we stand. For like unto Israel, creating an idol, practically no sooner than they had received the commandments, heard by the voice of God Himself; we all are guilty of molding the glory of God into an image befitting our own likeness and image. And the LORD, having pity upon their fate (that by their ways, they can attain to no higher glory then that which they ascribe to their image of God), sent them a more accurate depiction of His glory, even a type of Jesus Christ, the Word of God! For later, as Israel continued this way of rebellion and sin, the LORD sent deadly serpents throughout the camp, and as many were bitten by these, fell slain. But the LORD commanded that the image of the brazen fiery serpent be made, lifted up and set in the midst of the camp, so that as many that were stricken by the serpents, might look upon the image and live ("For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord"). For our works depict not the righteousness of God, but rather our works should conform unto His likeness by obedience to His Word ("I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as you have yielded your members servants to unrighteousness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness!").

This is an illustration of the difference between man made idols, and God’s commandments! For God is neither the product of our works nor the imagination of our mind, nor is His existence or glory dependent upon our praise and faith, but rather the opposite! Nor can God be molded into our image, but rather, we are the potter’s clay and the dust of the ground fashioned into the image and likeness of God ("Shall the axe boast itself against Him that hews therewith? Or shall the saw magnify itself against Him that shakes it? As if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were not wood")! Surely, our worship and service to God is not that our sacrifices are sent unto the LORD to appease some generous recompense, as though we served God by our works (as if we were the sower and He the dust of the ground); but rather we gladly sacrifice ourselves in submission unto the Holy Spirit of God, yielding unto Him the fruits of His Seed sown in us through grace! "And if by grace, then it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more of grace: otherwise work is no more work."

This illustration is shown again in the first kings of Israel! For the Jews rebelled and said unto the LORD and Samuel that they would have a king rule over them as the other nations, thereby refusing God Himself to rule over them as king, through His servants the prophets! Therefore the LORD chose the kings, to illustrate this precept again unto a new generation of Israelites! The first, King Saul, rebelled against the commandment, even as Israel did in asking for a king in the first place, obeying only those statutes that met his own agenda; David however, despite sins of his own, is called the servant after the LORD’S own heart, and often used in prophecies concerning Christ! Nothing highlights this contrast more than the time when Saul, with his armies, was pursuing David throughout the land to kill him. And when Saul was in David’s hand, and David was able to kill or spare his adversary as he wished, instead he cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe and spoke with Saul, to show him, that if there were any evil in him, he would have killed him, rather than merely cut the skirt of his robe. At hearing the speech of David, and seeing that David indeed had opportunity and the ability to have killed him, and yet spared him, Saul repented and confessed that David was indeed anointed of the LORD and would surely be king of Israel!

The New Testament also has a story of a Pharisee named Saul in pursuit of the followers of Christianity, but along the way received a revelation of Christ Himself. By appearing, Jesus, called the son of David, contradicts the Pharisee belief against His deity and resurrection; for surely no heretic appeared in spirit after death, swaying others toward the knowledge of God’s grace! Therefore showing that the power and authority of God was within Him, all the while, as He suffered unto death upon the cross, but rather than judge others, he Himself would be condemned and suffer in order to perfect the gospel of salvation; Saul surely conceded that Jesus was indeed the King of Jews! Likewise we that follow Christ, not as eye witnesses, as were the apostles, but by revelation and testimony, receive both the knowledge of our condemnation and salvation in the cross of Jesus Christ; in that He suffered the judgment of our sins (manifesting the Word of God, marred more than any man, made unrecognizable), suffering the death of the cross to bring us the salvation of God!

 

[james g]

Well written caprice09<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> vbmenu_register("postmenu_178726", true); </SCRIPT> .would love to read more.

 

[caprice09]

Thank you

Thank you. I have several sermons, about 5 chapters each, I update on facebook often. Nate Burgett@Facebook in my notes. If you read them in order I think you will find it a blessing, as I have. I still go back to the first ones I wrote and am amazed at how God has worked through my studies...hinting upon things 12-13 years ago that I am only learning in depth now.

In Christ,
Caprice09 (Nate Burgett)