God’s Original Intention for Humanity

26 February 2012

In the beginning

‘Once upon a time...’

The Magician’s Nephewby C.S. Lewis

God as King-Ruler

Psalm 10:16

Psalm 29:10Psalm 45:6

Psalm 145:13

God’s desire for his rule

Isaiah 11:9

Habakkuk 2:14

Genesis 1

God builds a temple in which to dwell

6 days work, day 7 rest & take up residence

God’s Great Temple

Acts 7:49-50

Acts 17:24

Psalm 24:1

Question

What about humanity? What about people? What about

man & woman?

Genesis 1:26-28

26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

Genesis 1:26-28

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

Genesis 1:26-28

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

What is the image of God?

First: being God’s representatives

Second: relational, rational, emotional, etc

How do we come to this?

What does it mean for Jesus to be in God’s image?

2 Cor 4:4; Col 1:15; Heb 1:3

What does this mean?

Jesus was God’s representative.

Humanity, in God’s image, was to be God’s representatives.

Genesis 1:28

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and

increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it......”

Genesis 1:28 - Great Commission of the Old

Testament

Matthew 28:18-20 - Great Commission of the New

Testament

Notice this: what God does in sending the Son is to establish Jesus as the Messiah,

which means King, and God established in Jesus Christ the kingdom of God, which

means the King is ruling in his kingdom. We need to restate this: the idea of King and a

kingdom are connected to the original creation. God wanted the Eikons, Adam and

Eve, to rule in this world. They failed, so God sent his Son to rule. As its King and Messiah

and Lord, the Son commissions the Church to bear witness to the world of the redemption

in Jesus Christ, the true King, and to embody the kingdom as the people of God.

This is the grand purpose of the good King.