To clarify, when some one asks our name we reply....”I am such and such”. If we are asked, are you “such and such”...we reply “I am...” In those small simple ways, God who is I AM(!) THAT I AM(!) has displayed his own image, his likeness and glory thru us...
Yet very few there are,who will stop to consider how these everyday ways of BEING soulish beings really reflect being made in the image, but not just the image, but his LIKENESS* of The Living God!
That the WORD(!) that is God(!) became flesh and dwelt amongst us is, in consideration of the above, and of my daily self aware experience every day as a self,is simply humbling and mind boggling to me. It is a light that shines into my dark places and my instinct is to try and run from that light but I cannot! Self condemnation may rise for memories of past sins that were declared forgiven in my being but the Bible says that God is greater than my heart. There is no place I can run from his judgment or his love. There is no excuse I could make for my own prideful centerednesss; the absoluteness of HIS TRUTH simply melts that away.
And that is the essence of who we are as being made in the image and likeness of God, which was marred by our species’ sin in the garden. His purpose now is to make us into the likeness of Christ with his Spirit dwelling in us and renewing our inner men day by day, as Paul says, though our outermen perish.
. We are given power to become the sons of God, to as many of us that believe. And being sons of God, it doesn’t yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when HE(!)(Jesus, God in Flesh) shall appear, we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is.
*it is the “Likeness” of God that I am speaking of, not just the “image”. They are 2 different things.
I totally agree ... except for one thing.
God knows the end from the beginning. Satan didn’t ‘snooker’ God. God knew that Adam/Eve would eventually ‘eat the fruit’ and it was part of his plan all along.
Man even Adam cannot frustrate God’s plans, he already knows the outcome.
Other than that, your post was very well said.