WHY DID CHRIST MAKE MAN IN HIS IMAGE ONLY ?

So, why the cross?

Adam's rebellion broke our relationship to God, and the loss of this connection to Him resulted in spiritual death (defined as the separation of our spirit from fellowship with God), and physical death (separation of our soul and spirit from our bodies). Spiritual death was simply the inevitable result of our broken relationship to Him, yet I think physical death is a merciful punishment for our sin... imagine an eternity of physical life without spiritual life! That is hell!

In a way that I am not sure I understand fully, our spiritual nature was changed at the fall to being prone to selfishness and pride. We are utterly incapable of consistently living out agape, and therefore unfit for fellowship with God. Yet God, in His mercy and love, desires to restore fellowship with us. This requires that our spiritual nature be changed, but that can only be accomplished by restoring our fellowship with Him... quite the conundrum! How can fallen man be restored to fellowship while being completely incapable of consistently acting in agape, which makes us unfit for that fellowship? Stated in more conventional terms, God's character was on trial... His justice and righteousness required Him to condemn sin (failure to love) , while His love and mercy required our reconciliation to Him.

From the very beginning, God began to establish the concept that atonement for sin required the death of a substitute (Genesis 3:21; Genesis 4:3-5; Genesis 8:20-22; etc... not fully developed until the Law of Moses). A deep understanding of substitutionary atonement is beyond the scope of this post, but the basic idea is that sin is covered (atoned for) by sacrificing a suitable animal substitute for the offender in the prescribed way. Animal sacrifices didn't permanently solve the sin problem, though. As the author of Hebrews wrote, it pointed forward to the once for all time offering of Jesus as our perfect substitute. The point is that sin requires the death of a substitute that is "without spot or blemish". The implication is that we cannot resolve the problem of sin by ourselves, because we are not "without spot or blemish".

In His perfect wisdom, God has always had a solution: Jesus Christ. First, Jesus was able to live a perfect life of love towards God and man because He was God. He was (is, and always will be) without spot or blemish in God's eyes. Second, He was able to be the completely perfect substitute for us because He was human in every way. Finally, His complete obedience to the Father in going through with His offering of Himself replaced Adam's disobedience to the Father as the defining act of humanity (Roman's 5).

At the cross, Jesus took our place and endured God's wrath against all the sins of all humanity for all time. Having done this, He was buried (correlating with the High Priest entering the Most Holy Place on the day of atonement), and rose again on the 3rd day (correlating with the priest coming out of the Most Holy Place, indicating that the offering was accepted).

Now, we are offered fellowship with God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. By faith we are credited with Christ's righteousness, allowing God to move into our hearts through His Holy Spirit, which brings our spirit to life (fellowship with God), and He enables us to overcome our old nature (selfishness and pride) and become a new creation, in the image of Christ (love and obedience).

Now redeemed humans know why good is good and evil is evil, having lived in the consequences of evil. This will ensure we will never again rebel against God once we are in our eternal bodies, completely free from the old nature's desire to sin. Also, God's character (holiness, goodness, righteousness, justice, love, mercy compassion, and wisdom) is made manifest to the angels, ensuring that they will remain faithful to God. Heaven is now made secure from another rebellion for all eternity! The new heavens and the new earth will be free from sin forever! Praise God!

Hope this helps;
Michael

Dan Perez said:

Hi to all and in Gen 1:27 So God created man in Hid own IMAGE , in the IMAGE of God created him , male and female created He them !!

Why just in His IMAGE ?

Why not Perfect ?

Why and then DIE ON THE CROSS ?

dan p

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Not sure what you mean. What would constitute being "perfect" to you?

Dan Perez said:

As Gen 3:22 , and would live forever is min the HEBREW stem Qap and the aspect is nthe PERFECT TENSE !
dan p

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Interesting. If that be so? It could mean something like the following:

How could it be translated "live forever" then? Its always translated that way.

It may possibly indicate that Adam would be forever living a living death? For Adam died spiritually when he ate, yet remained alive physically (body and soul only) in a body of sin.

Its why Jesus used the term// "Let the dead bury their own dead" when referring to unbelievers.

If Adam ate from the Tree of Life? That fallen body he had would have to remain alive forever - never allowing for the needed transformation that will take place at regeneration and resurrection. He would have been stuck in an everlasting death, yet physically alive. Always in conflict.

grace and peace...

Dan Perez said:

Hi and it is translated , LIVE FOREVER because it is in then PERFECT TENSE which means IF Adam take also of the Tree of Life and eat , and live FOREVER .

Check BLUE LETTER BIBLE and see



dn p

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I am speaking not about "physical" death like you are. You are only looking at the life of the body. If Adam ate of the Tree of Life his body could never die.

In that way? Adam would have been stuck forever spiritually dead with a fallen body.


If he could never die physically? That would be bad. Because if he could never die physically, he could never become crucified with Christ to be made spiritually alive again!

Dan Perez said:

Hi and if Adam and Eve were struck spiritually dead then Christ would had made another Adam and Eve , would that be possible ? I don't think so , Christ makes mistakes , what say you ?

dan p

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It was no mistake. We make mistakes. Limited understanding of God's plan usually causes that to happen.

He did make a new Adam. Jesus. Jesus was born as Adam had been originally created.

The Second Adam (Jesus) reversed the curse that the first Adam caused for all of us.


"So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living soul”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man." 1 Cor 15:45-49
Those in the Church have become a 'new creation in Christ!' We are the Second Adam to replace and correct the first Adam.

As a result, we ended up in a higher and much more elevated state of being alive - to be realized the moment you get your resurrection body. We are all going to be shocked with joy when we begin feeling alive in those new bodies...

The first Adam will be seen as primitive and very limited in comparison.....

grace and peace.......

com7fy8 said:

Yes, man was not made perfectly like Jesus who is incapable of sinning; or else, Adam and Eve would not have sinned.

So, they were made in God's "image", yes, but only as created beings could be in His image, I would say. And yes you seem to be indicating the "image" can mean only outwardly but not in content of character.

Even so, Jesus is "the image of God" > 2 Corinthians 4:4. So, "image" can mean including the character of God.

So, why were Adam and Eve not made perfectly like Jesus?

Why couldn't they have free will with inability to choose to sin? After all, they could still be free to make choices. God has His kind of free will which is free from being able to sin; so why not Adam and Eve, then?

My opinion is, that Jesus all along was meant to be the first on earth to live perfectly without sin, and this includes how He loved the way He has loved. No created being was meant to be the first, like this. But in Colossians 1:18 we have "that in all things He may have the preeminence." To me, this can include meaning that Jesus is the One meant to be the first and best in all which is good.

And Adam and Eve have served to be an object lesson for us, proving how even being perfect as a human is not enough. Even though God created them perfectly, still their human character was not almighty so it could not give in to Satan's evil spirit > "the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience." (in Ephesians 2:2)

Their character, being human, did not have God's almighty immunity (James 1:13) against how Satan's evil spirit would mess them and ruin them. And so they could be corrupted, and this is what happened.

This shows how much we need Jesus and to depend purely on Him and not our own ability or our own free will's ability >

"for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)

And about why Jesus died on the cross > only Jesus could die right for our sins . . . right? In our sin > our selfishness-infected nature > how could we die in a way that could please our Father to forgive us? Jesus has sweetly pleased Him, for us

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“...Jesus who is incapable of sinning...”

I think a major point of Jesus was he took human form and was subject to human temptations, he was capable of sinning but did not sin. He overcame sin. If he was incapable of sin then there was no point in taking human form.

Dan Perez said:

Hi to all and in Gen 1:27 So God created man in Hid own IMAGE , in the IMAGE of God created him , male and female created He them !!

Why just in His IMAGE ?

Why not Perfect ?

Why and then DIE ON THE CROSS ?

dan p

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Image? The Hebrew states.. "shadow image."

In what way are we in his image? Its because we have volition, and been granted sovereignty of will.

In what way do we have sovereignty of will?

God can not force those who choose to reject Him to not go to Hell.

Souls in Hell are proof that God created man with sovereignty. A sovereignty, so great? That even God Himself can not over ride the will of man.


Yes.. God did create a rock that is so heavy that He can not lift it.

That rock is called, 'the volition of man.'

grace and peace .......

classical5 said:

he was capable of sinning but did not sin.

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But James says God can not change and He cannot be temped by evil, right?

So, if Jesus could change to become able to sin, this would not fit with Jesus being God the Son.

What mattered about Him living in a human body was His grace made Him able to not sin. Because God in His grace is almighty against sin.

com7fy8 said:

But James says God can not change and He cannot be temped by evil, right?

So, if Jesus could change to become able to sin, this would not fit with Jesus being God the Son.

What mattered about Him living in a human body was His grace made Him able to not sin. Because God in His grace is almighty against sin.

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You need to stop seeing Jesus as having only one nature.....

If he functioned only as God? He could not have been crucified.

Jesus was God, fully identifying with man, so that man can become more and more like God.

com7fy8 said:

But James says God can not change and He cannot be temped by evil, right?

So, if Jesus could change to become able to sin, this would not fit with Jesus being God the Son.

What mattered about Him living in a human body was His grace made Him able to not sin. Because God in His grace is almighty against sin.

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God the father cannot sin. God the Son is capable of sinning but overcomes the temptation every time.

If he was incapable of sin then why did Satan bother to tempt Jesus?

If he was incapable of sin - if he cannot be tempted - then he gains no understanding of what it is to be human. A person incapable of error is not a role model or example for people to follow.

genez said:

You need to stop seeing Jesus as having only one nature.....

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God has one nature, I offer.

com7fy8 said:

God has one nature, I offer.

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Jesus has two natures. Fully God. And, fully man. In an unique union.

That is why some called him, "son of David."

genez said:

If he functioned only as God? He could not have been crucified.

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Jesus is God the Son. And yes He was crucified. Jesus is not unstable so He can switch between being human like sinners are, and then be like God at some other time.

God is stable in His one nature.

And because Jesus is so un-conceited, yes He left Heaven itself and came here to us humans and shared with us and so suffered and died on the cross, so we may be saved and adopted to become children of God. He did that perfectly, as only God is able . . . "without sin" we have in Hebrews 4:15.

And in His grace we can share with Him in His "divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4) which is of God's own love with almighty power against sin.

genez said:

Jesus was God, fully identifying with man, so that man can become more and more like God.

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Well, if Jesus identified "fully" . . . this could mean He would not be able to know the thoughts of evil people. Plus, if Jesus had fully identified with people who are not pleasing to our Father, how could Jesus be well-pleasing to our Father?

Yet, while Jesus was on this earth, His Father said >

"You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." (in Luke 3:22)

Also, even while Jesus was on the cross, He was "a sweet-smelling aroma" to our Father > Ephesians 5:2. This is not how a lot of humans would be while being executed and deserving to be! So, Christ on Calvary was not fully identifying with evil people . . . though He did take our rightful place, on the cross, except Jesus died right so His death for our sins counts for anyone who trusts in Jesus for salvation.

But in case, by "fully", you mean Jesus lived in a flesh and blood body like humans do, yes this is true, and Hebrews 2:14-15 says so. But being in a physical body did not diminish who and how Jesus is, spiritually.

com7fy8 said:

And because Jesus is so un-conceited, yes He left Heaven itself and came here to us humans and shared with us and so suffered and died on the cross, so we may be saved and adopted to become children of God. He did that perfectly, as only God is able . . . "without sin" we have in Hebrews 4:15.

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You took dangerous liberties in rewording Hebrews 4:15. No wonder you are confused.


For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin."

God can not be tempted. A high priest had to be a man. Not God. God is reached by a priest. God does not need to reach God!

Jesus possesses two natures in a hypostatic union.

Being "tempted" is not a sin. Giving into the temptation is sin.

classical5 said:

God the father cannot sin. God the Son is capable of sinning but overcomes the temptation every time.

If he was incapable of sin then why did Satan bother to tempt Jesus?

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Jesus said, while in His human body,

"All things that the Father has are Mine." (in John 16:15)

So, this would include our Father's divine inability to sin.

Plus, Jesus on earth said >

"He who has seen Me has seen the Father." (in John 14:9)

So, how Jesus was, even while in His physical body, was also how our Father is, I see from what Jesus Himself said.

And nowhere did Jesus on earth say He had the ability to give in to Satan.

But now I see a possibility > there are ones who suppose that being in a physical human body has to mean you can sin and can be overcome by evil. There are ones who even believe anything physical is evil. And therefore, certain people insist, Joseph could never become one flesh with Mary or else she would have been contaminated. But being in a human body does not automatically mean you are contaminated or have to sin or can sin. God Himself is in and through human bodies, all the time, keeping our bodies alive; yet, our Father is not subject to sin and is not capable of evil. Because He is almighty.

So, being in a physical body does not decide what your real spiritual nature is. It is not your body's fault, how you sin, by the way. Not sinning is a matter of character, not only what choices we make. Jesus chose not to sin, because it was His nature not to sin. We can make our choices based on our real nature.

By the way, while Jesus still was in a mortal body, He said He is "the resurrection", right?

classical5 said:

If he was incapable of sin then why did Satan bother to tempt Jesus?

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Because Satan is stupid with evil.