January 1st Devotion

The Bible opens with these words, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (1:1). In fact, the Bible tells us that God simply spoke creation into existence. “Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (1:3). “And God said, ‘Let there be space between the waters, to separate water from water.’ And so it was.” (1:6&7a). “And God said, ‘’Let the waters beneath the sky be gathered into one place so dry ground may appear.’ And so it was” (1:9). “Then God said, ‘Let the land burst forth with every sort of grass and seed-bearing plant. And let there be trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. The seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.’ And so it was” (1:11). And God said, ‘Let bright lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. They will be signs to mark off the seasons, the days, and the years. Let their light shine down upon the earth.’ And so it was” (1:14&15). “And God said, ‘Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind” (1:20). “And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth every kind of animal - - livestock, small animals, and wildlife.’ And so it was” (1:24). Then God said, ‘Let us make people in our image, to be like ourselves” (1:26). Without a doubt, the crowning achievement of God’s creative work was and still is, human beings (Psalm 8:3-8). And when God made human beings, Genesis tells us, “God created people in His own image; God patterned them after Himself; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27; 5:1&2). Two questions? Who is the “us” in vs.26? And, what does it mean to be made in “God’s image”? The “us” in vs.26 is the earliest indication of the Godhead. Within the One God, there exists and has always existed three personalities; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. As we read through scripture, we will see each of these three personalities described in more detail. Even though it is hard for humans to comprehend how three persons can comprise one person, it is a biblical truth and the Bible account reveals that truth right from the beginning. Since “God is a Spirit” (John 4:24), and since a “spirit does not have flesh and bones” (Luke 24:39), then it is obvious that human beings are not made in God’s physical image because God doesn’t have a physical image. If we were all made in God’s physical image, we would all look the same. We are all made in God’s spiritual image. God has breathed into human beings, “the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7), which is His spirit. Because that is true, human beings have the ability to reason, to think, to feel emotions, and the freedom to choose. And because Adam and Eve used this freedom to believe Satan’s lies (Genesis 3:1-7; John 8:44) instead of God’s truth, they disobeyed God by committing sin. The consequences of their sin for all mankind are described in Genesis 3:16-19, but the consequence for the sin each of us commits, is described in Romans 6:23.