TRANSFORMING LOVE (ITS A RELATIONDSHIP, PART 6).

ITS A RELATIONSHIP 
PART 6
".......THAT THEY MAY "KNOW"...THE ONLY TRUE GOD AND JESUS CHRIST....." (JOHN 17:3)

*

PHILIPPIANS 2;8

This is the crux of the story and where the first Adam and last Adam part ways. Jesus humbled himself in obedience to God’s word and God’s will for his life by becoming a willful, personal servant (Philippians 2:8).  

It is important to know Jesus was just as human as you and I when he took “…on the likeness of sinful flesh… ” (Philippians 2:7).

HEBREW 5:8

Jesus took on sinful flesh and he lived a human experience without sin (Hebrews 4:15).  He suffered in sinful flesh too, yet, he remained a loving and obedient Son (Hebrews 5:8).

It demonstrates Jesus’ love for God, his Father and gives all believers an example of what the Genesis story did not provide.

Jesus shows believers how “they” are to behave “in” the relationship with God.

Jesus also demonstrated how to respond and be obedient to God. Jesus, the Son and God, the Father were so “one” that Jesus even said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father…” (John 14:9-10).

This is the absolute and purist form of “oneness” that can be shared between God and man.

This is what Jesus lived for and died for us to enjoy; a relationship so joined with God that we could also say if you see me you have seen my Father in heaven also.

JOHN 14:9

If Christ’s life reflected an oneness with God that can be witnessed by others, so should ours. “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father…” (John 14:9-10).

Whether we are aware of it or not, many believer’s lifestyles say without a single word; my heavenly father and I are not one and if you see me you will not see my holy Father.

You can only establish this kind of relational witness, like that of Jesus, when you are in a YADA relationship with God.

The more joined you are to God, the more of God people will see in your life (John 14:9-10).  It is no secret that you become like the company you keep (Proverbs 13:20).

HE WAS LIKE THE FATHER

That’s how Jesus became so much like his Father in Heaven and was a carbon copy of his character. He spent time with God and said, “…whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner”(John 5:19) and he boasted that “….the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing;” (John 5:20).

JOHN 14:12

 If you spend time with God you can also boast like Jesus and even do greater things than he did (John 14:12).  

Let’s look at the first relationship between God and man in the book of Genesis.

In the first relationship between God and man, in the book of Genesis, God is the husband of both Adam/Eve.

In this context husband is not understood in terms of gender as many have come to know it, but relates more to the Hebrew word “Baal” which means “owner.”

OWNER/HUSBAND

God as “owner” points to the role or position he plays in the initial relationship with man.  Further, it refers to how he will function in his role as husband to Adam/Eve.

For instance as husband God will perform the duties of his role by being a responsible owner, the creator, the one who dispenses blessings, the caregiver, the total provider, and the one who determines what is good.

Let’s look at God’s role as husband/Owner in Genesis. We will see how God plans to sustain his role and carry out his responsibilities to Adam and Eve.

First, Adam was a pre-determined or predestined idea of God’s. It is similar to a couple deciding to have a baby and giving him/her a name before conception even takes place.

When couples decide to have a baby they are also deciding to love the child and be the responsible parties for its care.

In Genesis, it was God’s desire and predestined purpose to make man (male & female) in his “own image” and then let them “have dominion” before they were ever creatively conceived (Genesis 1:26). 

Two things stand out here “image” and “dominion”. When we think of image we must keep in mind that God is Spirit and being created in his image or likeness (Latin for imago Deo) has to do with your spirit.

Couples having a baby are usually hoping to see some aspect of their own image in the child. God had a predestined idea to make you in his image or likeness, but you are not God or a god. You are a living being that was created by God and created in his image.

 When a couple has a child, the child enjoys everything that belongs to his or her parents and the parents usually share their possessions generously with their children.

When we think of dominion we think of authority or rule.  God also decided to share his creation generously.

Man was given dominion “…over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the face of the earth” (Genesis 1:28). 

God took full responsibility for his creation and out of his love for them he predestined them to share his possessions lavishly.

Next, in the Genesis story, God said, “….let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion” (Genesis 1:26ab).

However, man is still only God’s predestined idea and is yet to be creatively conceived.

There is a time couples will stop talking about having a baby and get busy trying to make it happen. Genesis 1:26 could be understood as the predestined event “to make it happen”.

Predestination implies God is the “only” one who determines what will or will not happen in “all things” pertaining to life “…..having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11b).

ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE

Therefore, we know that God predestined to make man in his image and let them have dominion “….according to His purpose…” 

A couple plans for the child and is determined to guide, love, care for, and nurture him/her and so did God.

EXCERPT FROM  THE CHAPTER, "ITS A RELATIONSHIP"
FROM TRANSFORMING LOVE 
BY DR PENSACOLA H. JEFFERSON 
BUY IT HERE!!!!