You Are Created

Copyright © 2012 by Sabelo Fente.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2012901045

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4691-5497-8

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4691-5496-1

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4691-5498-5

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CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1  The Image Of God

Chapter 2  The Knowledge Of The Image Of God

Chapter 3  Marriage In The Image Of God

Chapter 4  Singleness In The Image Of God

Chapter 5  The Role Of The Skin And The Beginning Of Languages

Chapter 6  The Most Valuable Gift

Chapter 7  Your Weakness

Chapter 8  How Do We Lose The Image Of God?

Chapter 9  How To Transform Back Into The Image Of God?

Chapter 10  Christ Came To Give Us Freedom

Chapter 11  Our Ways Which Speak Against The Image Of God

Chapter 12  The Consequences Of Our Choices

Chapter 13  The True God

Chapter 14  The Kingdom Of God

Chapter 15  Wealth Verses Your Future

Chapter 16  The Soul Of The Image Of God

Dedication

I am dedicating this book to my late mother who passed away at thirty-four years and left me behind at eleven years. The passing on of my mother was one of the most painful experiences I ever encountered in my life. She was taken away from me through a fatal car accident, and since that day, life turned for the worst. Feeling empty inside, I would spend sleepless nights in agonizing and deep emotional pain.

She was a centre of my being. She was my only true family. I was her only child. To this day, I still miss the exquisiteness of her smile, the tone of her voice, and the excellence of her looks.

Introduction

When God created human beings, He created them both male and female in His image. This means men and women were created equal. They were first and foremost created to live within the image of God. This is/was the purpose of human beings to be godlike. One of the reasons why God created them both to be in His very image was that they should recognise each other as being equal in the image of God. He also wanted them to be in service to each other by reflecting the love of the image of God to one another in obedience to His purpose.

When God had created them, He also formed them into what we naturally see, and He covered them by His glory. This is the reason why they could not see their bodies before their disobedience to God. The only thing they could see on each other was God even though they were formed. When they were covered in the glory of God, the glory of the Most High could only reveal to them what they were in their origin, the image of God. However, when sin came by the devil, the glory of God was altogether removed because human beings were in disobedience to their God. It was after their disobedience that they discovered their nakedness. Since they had disobeyed God, there was a consequence to it. God cursed both man and woman. Remember when a man and a woman decided to eat from the forbidden tree; they ate from it during the time when they were in the fullness of God, which means they were eternal.

When human beings took a lie from the devil, this took place during the time when they were in the complete image of God. This also means they were lied to in eternity. If we therefore receive lies from the devil, one way or the other we will die from living out the image of God to other fellow beings. The image of God is to understand that one is not born to live for self, but to reflect exemplary behaviour to others. This is the reason why we were created in the first place, God wanted to see Himself in us. When God had formed a man, He went to eternity and took the woman He had created, caused the man to go to a deep sleep and took out one rib from him and formed a woman and He put the woman He had created in the formed body so that both man and woman could reflect the image of God one to another. Remember, we were first created and then formed, and as you read through this book, you will understand these truths.

When both man and a woman sinned, they lost everything to the devil because of their disobedience to God. They lost who they were because one could not think about the other. They chose to eat from the tree of good and evil because it felt really noble for that moment. They did not think about the consequences of that choice. That one bad choice exposed the entire human race to eternal anguish. More the same the Lord Jesus died for us and restored everything we lost by being obedient to His purposed calling. However, there are still people who are mocking His death. They are the people, who choose to do what feels good for the moment, but I tell you this, the consequence of their choices is eternal suffering apart from God. If we do not learn to change which is what this book is all about, then we are setting up our lives, wives, and children to an eternal suffering because of what our choices will eventually lead to. People easily follow what they see on others, which means our children will live out the kind of lives we model for them. Remember, we are only going to be penalised or judged based on our choices or in the way in which we have lived our lives. It is the duty of all to learn to portray exemplary behaviour to other fellow beings by using the example of Christ who is the only true image of God ad God. If we fail this simplest test of life, this I tell you, each one will reap what he/she has sown here on earth, but in the life to come.

After the fall of human beings, the life which is temporarily lived here on earth, emanated. It’s worse behind the grave. If we are in disobedience to God for the rest of our lives, then it means we are cut off from the presence of God through to eternity. If there is one thing more painful than the actual burning in hell is being cut off from God. When we live here on earth, no matter how terrible we disobey Him, He comforts our souls, but should we die in sin, then we pay the penalty of our error. Jesus is the only answer; choose Him because He is our God and the only true image of God that we are all called to reflect here on earth. Both men and women must model the example of Christ who is the only image of God and God. There is not more than one image, but one. It was revealed to us in the beginning that we were created in one image; therefore, Christ is that one image. We lost His image through our disobedience to Him, and it is only through modelling Him that we can be restored.

Chapter 1

THE IMAGE OF GOD

And God said; let us create men in our own image, after our likeness. (Gen. 1: 26)

Two things are abundantly clear from this verse and that is (a) that we have been created by God so that (b) we reflect His image. When God created us, He made a duplicate of Himself. Image is the reproduction of someone or something or a reflection thereof, while likeness is the very word that defines the truth that indeed we were and are created to be in the state or quality of resembling or being like God.

What this signifies is that we ought to look first at the image of God in order to understand our own image. The reason being, as His image, we can’t reflect an image of what we do not know or understand. When you look at your face in the mirror, you don’t see an image of a strange creature unfamiliar to yourself. Rather, you see a picture or image of yourself. It would be very strange and frightening if the mirror reflects your face as something different.

Quite obviously people do not pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistle. (Matt. 7: 16, Niv)

When God looks at us, He sees His image. We are the mirrors through which God sees Himself. Quite obviously, when you look at the mirror, you see yourself, so when God looks at us, he must see Himself. We are supposed to be as He is, that’s where likeness comes from. We were meant to be the likeness of God in the origin of our creation, not different from Him, but because of disobedience, the likeness of God was ruined in our lives, but restored only in Christ Jesus. This means that we as human beings are needed to reflect His likeness in our everyday life, not in heaven, but here on earth, in the here and now. The following scripture clearly points out that we are required now to live in His image: ‘Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’ (Matt. 6: 10). In heaven, saints are living in the image of God, and they are not waiting for the next day to live in His image.

I can already hear a thunderous disbelief that a normal human being living in this world full of temptations can’t live in the image of God. Like a little child I once heard, saying to her dad and I quote, ‘Don’t even think about it, Dad, for God will never expect you to be that which you can’t be.’ Close quote. Anything to the contrary is a lie straight from the greatest liar, Satan. God created you to be and to reflect His image. The challenge is to undergo a paradigm shift (in the mind), away from the false belief that we are worthless beings, to the liberating truth that we are created and can live in His image. This is yet again the good news given to us through Christ, the ultimate and complete image of God.

The key question for you and me is whether we believe that we can, indeed, reflect or be the image of God in our journey through this passing life. And I believe through His grace and through Christ, we can, in our daily lives, reflect His image. In order to reveal more about the image of God, we need to familiarise ourselves with the character God.

The Character of the Image of God

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

In this scripture, we are enlightened that people are blinded by the devil, that’s why they cannot see the gospel preached to them in the holy living of Christ. Christ is the true image of God who reflects all the traits and character of God in heaven and on earth. We all know that Christ was born and lived on earth, being in the form of man, and being like all of us. He was not born an alien that lived in Venus, Saturn, Pluto, or any other planet; He was totally human and yet reflected the image of God on earth. In and through Him only was the true image of God revealed. Therefore, all those that seek to reflect the image of God need to follow Christ as an example of the true image of God.

Let this be in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man: and being found in the fashion of man He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death even the death on the cross. (Phil. 2: 5-8.)

From this passage, we learn that Jesus was God and equal to God even as He lived in the body. Our equality to God was lived and shown to us in the character of Jesus Christ. In the character of Christ, our equality to God was demonstrated through love, holiness, kindness, compassion, and humbleness. These are just some of the qualities of the image of God which we need to possess in order to reflect His image. The life lived by Christ in obedience to God is the kind of life to be modelled by all human beings.

Christ also came in our likeness because of His love for us. As though He was in our likeness, He fully displayed His love consistently without fail. During His time on earth, the message of love and humility is what stood conspicuously in His gospel. Therefore, we must humble ourselves and love our fellow brothers and sisters even as we live in these bodies—presenting our bodies as living sacrifices to God, displaying holiness and love. Holiness in the image of God speaks to the consciousness of being (the mind), reputation, servant-hood, and obedience to God.

When we refer to the mind, we simply speak about a state of being conscious about oneself. If you are conscious that we are of God’s image, then we are in a position to reflect His image. It is within your mind that you can choose to believe that you are the image of God and are created in the image of Him. However, it is also within your mind to reject emphatically as unfounded or unjust these revealed truths. The next question to these truths is, how does one disowns him or herself? You can only do that by indulging yourself into sin or through the wickedness of your heart, which speaks against the image of God. Our consciousness of the mind, which defines the character of Christ in us, must always be informed by love and holiness, in so doing resembling the life lived by Christ in obedience to God. Thus, it has to be the character of a person who lives in the likeness of God to think and act Christ-like.

One of the characteristics of the image of God is not to seek status and have reputation on the things, which undermines the image of God. Being in the image of God is not a matter of status but rather of being humble. Being humble in greatness is what defines the true image of God. God is all-powerful, all mighty, and yet very humble, very caring, and very loving, especially to those of low status and those who are needy. God has showed us that it is possible to reflect His