The idea of what it means to be made in God’s image has captured my attention for the past few months.
One of the most overwhelming truths I have discovered along the way is that God made man (you and me) in his image, and as such, we are the only beings capable of bearing his seed to bring his Kingdom to this earth!
The plants and animals were created to produce after their own kind. The man and woman were made in God’s image, to bear his seed and birth his life on this earth! We are the manifested representation of God the Father, the visible representation of God on this earth.
[26] Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” [27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. [28] God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Genesis 1:26-28
The King James Version says it this way: “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion . . .”
Our mandate was to be fruitful or bear fruit. Not just kids. Fruit. Jesus tells us that, “apart from Him we can do nothing.” Fruit is the overflow of what we are connected to. If we are connected to Jesus, we will bear fruit full of his life. If we connect to another source, the fruit we produce will be filled with death. We cannot bear fruit, we cannot do anything of real substance for the Kingdom, unless we are connected to Jesus.
Next, God says, multiply, and replenish the earth. Multiply could also be translated to be or become great, many or numerous; to be or grow great; to make great, enlarge, do much. I know, I know… these verses mean that Christians are supposed to have LOTS and LOTS of kids, right? I think we limit the scripture when we force it to mean only that.
The definition for replenish the earth is: to fill, be full; fulfill, satisfy, accomplish and complete. It speaks about fullness and abundance, and consecration.
In Genesis 1:28 God blesses Adam and Eve, then begins to tell them about their position and authority on earth. They were to bear fruit, increase and multiply in every capacity, in order to fill the earth with God-life. He goes on to give them authority to carry out the mandate – to rule and subdue. This command means they were to bring every part of the earth into submission to God.
I do not believe that mandate changed or was revoked at the fall of man. I do not believe Jesus came to do the job for us. Jesus came to restore the connection to the life that we lost at the fall, so that we could once again bear fruit that would bring life to every nook and cranny of this planet.
Here is the most amazing part of this story: You and I are the only beings capable of incubating the seeds of God, planted in us through intimacy, that give birth to God-life on this planet. Trees, flowers, animals… no other created thing was designed to do that!
Man was made in God’s Image. How we bear fruit and bring life to this world is how God bears fruit and brings life. We are the only beings capable of bearing fruit from the Father’s seed.
Maybe this isn’t mind-blowing truth for you. . . but the more you meditate on it, I promise, you will start believing, and behaving, and walking differently upon this earth! Praying that God’s “will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven,” takes on a new meaning as you realize you are asking God to make you a vessel for his will to become a reality. “Going into all the world” to declare God’s grace, found in Jesus, will give power to each step and life to every word.
Just some thoughts for you today. . . Thanks for reading!
