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Thursday, December 14, 2017

UNFALLEN ADAM

UNFALLEN ADAM

"And God said; Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." (Gen 1:26-27)


  The essential truth concerning the nature of man is contained in a descriptive expression found in the book of Genesis, and in New Testament Scriptures. He is spoken of as being "created in the image and likeness of God." In order to understand the significance of this expression, it will be best to read the whole of the Scriptures where it occurs.
"And God said; Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." (Gen 1:26-27)
"This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made He him." (Gen 5:1)
"Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made He man." (Gen. 9:6)
"For a man indeed ought not to have his head veiled, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man." (1 Cor. 11:7)
"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the Image of God, should not dawn upon them." (2 Cor. 4:4)
"Who is the Image of the invisible God, the First-born of all creation." (Col. 1:15)
"And have put on the new man that is being renewed unto knowledge after the image of Him that created him." (Col. 3:10)
"Who being the effulgence of His glory, and the very image of His substance, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." (Heb. 1:3)
These are the only passages in which the fact of man's being created in the image and likeness of God is definitely declared. What is intended by the expression may be illuminated by an examination of the actual words used. The root idea of the Hebrew word translated "image" is that of a shadow. Of the other word there can be no better translation than the one adopted that namely, of likeness.
Turning to the New Testament, the word translated "image" in the first four Scriptures quoted, is the word Etikwn, which suggests the idea of an outline resemblance, very literally a profile. The word translated "image " in the passage from Hebrews is the word capakthr, which simply means an exact copy, or an engraving. Thus it will be seen that both in Old and New Testaments, the expression suggests a definite resemblance, rather than an exact representation, except where, as already indicated in the letter to the Hebrews, the language is descriptive of Christ in such aspect of His Person as is peculiar to Him­self, and in which men by original creation have no participation.
Passing over these Scriptures again, let the progression of thought be noted carefully. In the account of creation, it is affirmed that man was in some respect a shadow or manifestation of God. Here are two ideas, arresting thought, and not to be forgotten in the subsequent discussion. First, man is but a faint representation, a shadow merely; and secondly, the very dignity of his being lies in the fact that he is even so much as that. Perhaps the simplest exposition of the thought would be gained by a contempla­tion of the shadow of a man cast upon some white back­ground, by the shining of a great light. What the shadow would be to the man, the man would be to God: like and unlike, suggesting an idea, but by no means explaining the mystery, impossible apart from the substance, and yet infinitely less in essence than the substance. Man no more perfectly expresses all the facts concerning God, than does the shadow those concerning man. Neverthe­less the shadow is the image of the man, and indicates truth concerning him.
This expression never occurs in the Old Testament after the account of creation, except when in Genesis 9:6, man is safeguarded from murder, the reason given being that no man has a right to destroy that which was made in the Divine image, thereby government was instituted to cover such cases. By the act of sin, the image and likeness of God in man was not destroyed but defaced, and in all the history, contained in Old Testa­ment Scripture, is seen a degraded ideal.
Turning to the New Testament, after the completion of the work of Christ, the expression is restored in the writ­ings of the apostle. In the Scripture first quoted, he is evidently referring to man as to the original Divine inten­tion concerning him, and he speaks of him as the “image and glory of God." (1 Cor. 11:7) In the second reference he uses the expression of Christ, as the One Who has realized that primal Divine intention, and in Colossians he declares that the original Divine ideal may be restored through the work of Christ. In Hebrews, where it has been shown, the word is a far stronger one; it is used of Christ, Who is infinitely more than a shadow of God, seeing that He is "the effulgence of His glory, and the very image of His substance." (Heb. 1:3)
Having thus examined the Scriptures, and the use of the phrase therein, it may be asked, in what sense was man created in the image of God? The answer to the question may be found, by suggesting another question. What is man essentially, for it is in his essential nature that he is in the image of God? Man essentially is SPIRIT, his present BODY BEING HIS PROBATIONAL DWELLING PLACE, that through which he receives impressions, and that through which he expresses the fact of his own being. In his letter to the Romans the apostle says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service." (Rom. 12:1) The marginal reading of the Revised Version changes the word “service" into "wor­ship," and therein lies a revelation of the true relation of the spirit of man to his body. Through the medium of the body, the truth concerning the spirit expresses itself. WHERE THE BODY IS PRESENTED, IT IS PRESENTED BY THE SPIRIT, AND THROUGH THIS DEVOTION OF THE BODY, THE SPIRIT EXPRESSES ITS “WORSHIP.” THE ESSENTIAL FACT IN MAN THEREFORE IS HIS SPIRIT, AND IT IS IN SPIRITUAL ESSENCE THAT MAN IS MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD. There are secondary senses in which even in bodily form, man is a shadow of Deity. As THE BODY OF MAN IS THE EXPRESSION OF HIS SPIRIT, and THE SPIRIT IS THE IMAGE OF GOD, so through the tabernacle of man's spirit there are made certain suggestions concerning God Him­self.
The present article however, is confined to the essential fact. Within the spiritual fact of man's being there are three constituents. These have been variously described. Perhaps at once the simplest and most lucid analysis is that of Kant. He speaks of INTELLIGENCE, EMOTION, and WILL. It is in the possession of these things that man is in the image of God. GOD IS A SPIRIT, HAVING INTELLIGENCE, HAVING EMOTION, HAVING WILL. Man is in the shadow of God. He also is a spirit, having intelligence, having emotion, having will. In all these things he is but a shadow, that is to say, there are limitations upon these facts in human nature, which in the Divine are illimitable and consequently cannot to be perfectly understood of men, it has been objected to the doctrine of the personality of God that the thought of personality implies limitation. This, however, is to argue from a false hypothesis. Per­fect personality is unlimited, so that personality is only perfect in God, and is imperfect in man. In God intel­ligence is unlimited, emotion is unlimited, will is unlimited. In man all these facts are found, but in each case within limitations. He does not know all things, his intelligence being limited, his emotional nature also can only act within comparatively narrow limitations, and the exercise of his will is limited by the demand for a cause, which is never perfectly found within himself.
Man as originally created, was not only in the image of God. He was also made to live in union with God, so that all his limitation might find its complement in the un­limited life of the Eternal. It is a great mistake to think of man as made, and then put into some position, where he might rise or fall, according to the capacity of his own personality. It is rather to be remembered that he was created in the image of God, and then put in the probationary position through which he was to pass unharmed to some larger form of existence, if his life were lived in union with the God Who had created him. If however he chose a separate existence, and cut himself off from union, in that act, he would encompass his own ruin, he would fall. And Satan understood that himself a fallen creature.
This intended life of union with God may be described in two ways, as personal fellowship, which is holiness of character; and as cooperative activity, which is righteous­ness of conduct. For a full understanding of what this meant, it is useless to linger in the Garden of Eden. There, in the account of creation, a faint suggestion is given of the Divine intention is necessary, however, to come to the last Adam, the Man Jesus, for a full appreciation of this Divine intention. In Him unbroken and constant fellowship with the Father manifested itself in holiness of character, and unceasing cooperation with God expressed itself in absolute righteousness of conduct.
In order to an appreciation of the meaning of fellowship with God there must be remembered the analysis of per­sonality already referred to, intelligence, emotion, and will. In unfallen man the limited intelligence was nevertheless enlightened, and was able to understand the things of God through God sharing with him in the cool of the day. (Gen. 3:8) Limited emotion was nevertheless enkindled towards the things thus known, and man loved God and all He loved. The limited will was yet energized by the superior and Infinite Will of God, and so chose always the things that were in harmony with that Will. Thus in unfallen man there was to be found enlightened intelligence, enkindled emotion, energized will, wholly within the realm of the Divine Sovereignty.
Then beyond that personal fellowship, there was coopera­tive activity, which is righteousness of conduct, naming the animals, dressing and keeping the garden. And again the analysis of personality may be taken as the basis of consideration. All activity is the outward expression of an inward intelligence. The enlightened intelligence of unfallen man, appreciating the things of God, the deeds of the life of such a being were in perfect harmony with the purposes of God. The emotional nature of such a being, appreciating and loving the things of God, became the spring from which streams of action emerged, which were all moving in the Divine direction. In such a being the will exercised its highest function in choosing the things of God, and the activities of the life were therefore always those of partnership with the enterprises of God. The old word spoken to the father of the race was "have dominion." (Gen. 1:28) In the midst of a wondrous creation God set man. The creation in which man found himself had not yet realized all the possibilities of its own being. It waited the touch of man in cooperation with God for that realiza­tion. God put man into a garden to dress it, and to keep it. The preparation of man's work was of God, the crea­tion of the worker was of God, there was perfect fitness between the work to be done, and the workman prepared, and while man lived in fellowship with God, and co­operated with God, all creation recognized his leadership, yielded to his dominion, and moved along the line of a new progress towards a yet more wondrous beauty and per­fection.


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