Why Am I Here?

(Gen. 1:1-4, 26-31; 2:1-3)

God is our father (creator)

His Word/Command Gives Form(Ps. 33:6 & 9; 148:5)

His Breath/Spirit Gives Life (Ps. 33:6; 104:30; Gen. 2:7; Job 33:4; John 20:22)

The name used to described God in Genesis Chapter 1 is 'Elohiym {el-o-heem'}, Heb. = Real,
living, mighty, divine rulers who are worthy of honor and reverence (Note that it is plural!;
Gen. 1:26 also says “Let Us make man in Our Image.” See John 1:1-3 (The Word was
with God). The “Spirit” (Ruwach {roo'-akh}, Heb. = Wind, breathe, mind, energy) of God hovered
over the surface of the waters.

Ps. 8 reflects back upon Genesis 1. “The word majestic is a royal attribute denoting his vic-
tories (Ex. 15.6), his might in judgment (1 Sam. 4.8; Ps. 76.4), his law (Isa. 42.21), and his rule over
creation (Ps. 93.4)”

Only God truly creates, we can merely transform that which He has already created.

God’s wisdom/creative design is revealed in nature (Ps. 104:24, Rom. 1:20)

Meticulous creation = passionate concern

His Spirit creates and renews (Ps. 51:10, 104:30, Isa. 40:31, 65:17, Rom. 12:2, 2 Cor. 4:16, 5:17,
Col. 3:10, Eph. 4:23, Titus 3:5)

What/whom he creates, He sustains (Gen. 1:29-31)

God has a big plan, and individual plans for each of us (Jer. 29:11-12; Eph. 1:11; 2:10)

God knows each of us completely and intimately, He knew what we would be like before we
were even conceived and He has a good purpose for which he formed us and caused us to be
born. (Ps.139:1-16, Jer. 1:5, Jer. 29:11, Eph. 2:10)

What God has purposed will come to pass (Isa. 14:24)

God’s purpose for mankind in general is revealed in His word. (Ps. 8:5-6)

God uses both the righteous and the unrighteous to accomplish His will.

Like he used the Chaldean army as an instrument of judgment against the

Judeans.

Like he used Pharaoh (Rom. 9:17)

Our significance comes from God

Mankind is God’s special creation, and each of us is unique.

God created us in His image (Gen. 1:26-31, 5:3, 9:6, Ps. 139:13-16, 1 Cor. 11:7)

Image (Greek, eikon): reflection, representation, likeness, embodiment

When people see you, do they see the Father?

Jesus is also said to be in His image (Col. 1:15 & 17; Isa. 7:14; Matt 1:22-23, John
1:14-18; 14:9, 2 Cor. 4:4, Heb. 1:3)

Christian’s are to patterned after the image of Jesus (Rom. 8:28-30, 1 Cor.
15:42-49, 2 Cor. 3:16-18, Col. 3:10)

When people see you, do they see Jesus?

God first created the earth and its atmosphere. Then He created all living creatures that
live on earth, in the seas, and in the air above. God appraised this part of His creation by
saying that, "it was good.” On the 6th day He created Man whom He called “Very
good.”

God didn't just speak us into existence as He did everything else, He MADE us. Genesis
2:7 says, “God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his
nostrils the breathe of life, and man became a living being.” God did not "breathe the
breathe of life" into any other creature but man.

Man was made to be a little lower than God. The King James version says, "a little
lower than the angels." But it was the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old
Testament, that used the phrase "the angels." The Hebrew, In Psalm 8, actually says "a
little less than Elohim," i.e., a little lower than God.

Man is like God in that we have personality, intelligence, emotion and a free will. We
also have a moral concept. We also have a spirit that can communicate with God.

Human Dignity is “the intrinsic worth that inheres in every human being. The
source of human dignity is rooted in the concept of Imago Dei, in Christ’s redemption and
in our ultimate destiny of reunion with God. Human dignity therefore transcends any
social order as the basis for rights and is neither granted by society nor can it be
legitimately violated by society. In this way, human dignity is the conceptual basis
for human rights. While providing the foundation for many normative claims, one direct
normative implication of human dignity is that every human being should be
acknowledged as an inherently valuable member of the human community and as a
unique expression of life, with an integrated bodily and spiritual nature. Because
there is a social or communal dimension to human dignity itself, persons must be
conceived of, not in overly-individualistic terms, but as being inherently connected to
the rest of society.” - from the Ascension Health Code of Ethics.
 In Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, Jean Valjean learns from hard experience “the
truth that once was spoken, ‘to love another person is to see the face of God.’” Because
God makes us in God’s image, we must see each person as loveable—capable of
receiving love. Far too often, we Christians retain the image of God for ourselves and
forget that God stamps it on every human face.

We are more than mere animals

Modern humanistic culture reduces us to little more than mere animals who are
helplessly enslaved to urges and instincts. But the Bible gives us this incredible
dignity of being a little less than God. We do not have to live in the gutter. We
were created for positions of honor and greatness. We were created with needs,
hungers and even passions, but we do not have to let them rule us, we are to rule
over them. They are good things, and when we channel these needs and passions
in line with God’s original design and intent for us, they become a source of
great blessing.

God had/has a purpose/plan for mankind

The purpose of an “image” is to express the inward quality of a person. By being

created in His image God wanted us to manifest His glory and excellent virtues.

Man was given the responsibility to exercise dominion over the whole earth (Heb. 2:5-
7)

God knows each of us completely and intimately, He knew what we would be like
before we were even conceived and He has a good purpose for which he formed each of
us and caused us to be born. (Psalm 139:1-16, Jer. 1:5, Jer. 29:11, Eph. 2:10)

Jesus Christ became a man in order to help us recapture our lost destiny

We become “Sons of God” through our faith in Jesus, receiving God’s Spirit in
our hearts (John 1:12, Gal. 4:6, See Rom. 8:14-16) Paul says in Chapter 8 of
Romans that the whole creation is eagerly looking forward to the day of the
manifestation of the “sons of God.” That makes us seem pretty significant!

Christ considers us his brothers (Heb. 2:11)

We are called a chosen people, kings and a royal priesthood who will be serving/
ruling along with Jesus (1 Pe. 2:9, Rev. 1:6)

Jesus dignified man by taking human form

What an enormous compliment that God would become human! (Phil.

2:6-8, 2 Cor. 8:9)
Jesus served as the perfect sacrifice by becoming human

The Bible explains how Christ being both God and man fulfilled the
purposes of God: “For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in
every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high
priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins
of the people” (Heb. 2:17)

Jesus also came to be an example for us

Jesus said, "It is not I who do the works; it is the Father who dwells in
me, he does the works," (John 14:10). When he broke the loaves and
fishes and fed the five thousand he did it not as God but as a man
exercising dominion over creation, empowered by God. A man fulfilling
the original intention of God for man. The writer of Hebrews says, "We
see Jesus" (Heb 2:9), meaning He sets the example for us.

Jesus really was the perfect man. He stood against the powers of his day,
both religious and political. He stared death in the face and did not back
down. He endured beatings, and willingly stayed on the cross through
unimaginable suffering. Yet he was one of the most sensitive men alive.
He was gentle. He touched lepers. He wept over lost people. He took
children into his arms to bless them. He ministered to hurting people and
spent long hours teaching and healing them. He stayed up all night
praying. He died, then broke the grip of death in his resurrection. He
lives forever as that part of God who can never forget what it is like to be
human (Heb. 4:14-16)

Athanasius (295-373) wrote: “He became what we are that he might

make us what he is.”

“If we judge by Scriptural representation of things, we have reason to

suppose, that Christ took upon him our nature, and dwelt with us in this
world, in a suffering state, not only to satisfy for our sins; but that he,
being in our nature and circumstances, and under our trials, might be our
most fit and proper example, leader and captain, in the exercise of
glorious and victorious virtue, and might be a visible instance of the
glorious end and reward of it; that we might see in him the beauty,
amiableness, and true honor and glory, an exceeding benefit of that
virtue, which it is proper for us human beings to practice; and might
thereby learn, and be animated, to seek the like glory and honor, and to
obtain the like glorious reward ..." (Jonathan Edwards, Works (Yale),
1:291)

Christian’s are to be patterned after the image of Jesus (Rom. 8:28-30, 1

Cor. 15:42-49, 2 Cor. 3:16-18, Col. 3:10)
Our Responsibility as Caretakers of God’s Creation:

Sustainability - the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (see Phil. 2:4)

Gen. 2:15 (“Dress & Keep”)

Dress(abad, Heb.) = Work, Serve, Labor for

Keep (shamar, Heb.) = Keep, Guard, Treasure, Preserve, Protect, Retain, Save,
Watch Over, Celebrate

Jewish prohibition known as bal tashhit, 'do not destroy' is based by the Rabbis on
the biblical injunction not to destroy fruit-bearing trees (Deut. 20: 19), but it is extended
by them to include wasting anything that can be used for the benefit of mankind.

See also Ezek. 34:18, Anti-pollution scripture?

Takes into account the moral principle of stewardship/trusteeship (see Lev. 25:23-
24).

We are accountable to God for how we us, or misuse, His creation

We are to care for God’s creation, but we are not to worship it (Ex. 20:4). Our
worship is reserved for the Creator.

What does it mean that God “rested” on the 7th day?

Shabath {shaw-bath'}, Heb. = ceased, stopped, finished

God does not grow tired (Ps 121:4; 2 Pe. 3:8)

Jesus explained that the Sabbath was created for man (Mark 2:27)

To be rest and be refreshed (Ex. 23:12)

To honor God (Isa. 58:13)

To reflect on the fact that God saves his people (Ezk. 20:12)