Genesis 1:26-31 – Cameron Jungles - Sun PM/11/3/13

“Humanity: The Crown of God’s Creation”- Genesis 1:26-31 – (Eastside Baptist/Sun PM/11/3/13)

 

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

(Ps. 8:5–9, NIV)

 

Main Idea: Human beings are the crown of all of God’s creative activity because they are made in the image of God.

 

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." So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Gen. 1:27, NIV)

 

1.  Human Beings have dignity because they are created in the image of God.

 

"Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind. (Gen. 9:6, NIV)

 

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness. (Jas. 3:7–9, NIV)

 

2.  Human beings are intended to resemble their Creator because they are made in his image.

 

This is the written account of Adam's family line. When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them "Mankind" when they were created. When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. (Gen. 5:1–3, NIV)

 

the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. (Lk. 3:38, NIV)

 

'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' (Acts 17:28, NIV)

 

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Co. 4:4, NIV)

 

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (Col. 1:15, NIV)

 

But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (Col. 3:8–10, NIV)

 

and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Eph. 4:24, NIV)

 

3. Human Beings have been given responsibility to rule because they are made in the image of God.

 

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." (Gen. 1:26, NIV)

 

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Gen. 1:27, NIV)

 

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." (Gen. 1:28, NIV)

 

Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. (Gen. 1:29, NIV)

 

And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground--everything that has the breath of life in it--I give every green plant for food." And it was so. (Gen. 1:30, NIV)

 

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day. (Gen. 1:31, NIV)

 

Main Idea: As the crown of God’s creation, every human being is made in the image of God:

·         With dignity

·         Bearing God’s resemblance

·         Ruling creation for God.