FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCIPLESHIP
RENEWING
THE MIND – XXIV
WHAT IS
MAN? - 4
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this
world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove
what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of IAUE.
After the fall, Adam was not able to pass to the succeeding generations
the image and likeness of IAUE. It had
become corrupted, severed from the source. Having been cut off from the light
of IAUE, it would have been impossible for man to continue to mature and grow
in the character and nature of IAUE having no access to it to learn from it. The soul of man had lost its way, and there
was no avenue for restoration available.
Let us start, today,
by recounting what we have said about man.
First, we realized that the entire universe, the whole “time/space
continuum” with its billions of galaxies full of planets, moons, stars, black
holes, dark matter, etc., even though we can only see a literally insignificant
number of stars, was created for one purpose---to provide a home for man; the
crowning glory of the creation of IAUE.
Secondly, we
observed that IAUE created man in His image and after His likeness. The body of man was what He made in His
image. Adam and Eve looked like Him in
their physical appearance. Their soul is
what was made after His likeness. The
soul of Adam and Eve had the capacity of maturing into the fullness of the
character and integrity of IAUE. This was possible because the animating
spirit, the breath of IAUE, that gave life to man’s body, was continuously
transmitting the nature of IAUE to man.
Finally, this past
week we saw that in the day Adam disobeyed the word of IAUE, he died. We likened this to the story of the fig tree
that Yahushua cursed. The moment he
spoke to the fig tree, death took hold of its roots; but it took at least 24
hours for that death to manifest in the “body” of the fig tree. When Adam disobeyed IAUE, his animating
spirit was cut off from the light and life of IAUE. The spirit did not die as we understand
death. It was not “terminated”; but it
was no longer capable of transmitting the nature and light of IAUE to man.
John 17:3 And this
is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true Elohim, and Yahushua
Messiah, whom thou hast sent.
True life is knowing
IAUE. When the spirit of man was cut off
from the light of IAUE, it became full of darkness. Man’s spirit was not full of evil. It just was void of light; consequently, the
soul of man was disconnected from IAUE.
What does this mean in terms of man’s created purpose? It means man lost the capacity to mature “after
the likeness” of IAUE.
So, in the fall, man
lost both the image of IAUE as well as the capacity to become after the
likeness of IAUE. Few
believers ever grasp that THIS is the central story of human history; and
THIS is the focus of all of the works of IAUE and the very purpose of Messiah
coming into the world. Yahushua did not
come to “take us to Heaven.” He did not
come just “to forgive us of our sins.”
Yahushua came to “redeem” man unto his created purpose, to restore man
to the image and likeness of IAUE. All of creation was fashioned to serve such
a man. Creation is wholly useless to man
that is not in the image and after the likeness of IAUE.
If we take this to
heart, if we comprehend that it is the designed purpose of IAUE to have a
people who are in His image and possessors of His very nature and character, it
will quite literally transform your understanding of the gospel; as well as
transform your understanding of how you should be living from day to day.
Now, let’s look at
what Yahushua Messiah provided for us.
To do this, we have to backtrack a bit.
When Genesis 1:26
announced IAUE’s intention to make man; the word “man” in Hebrew, was “adam.”
In fact, throughout the first three chapters of Genesis, this is the
word used every time the male that IAUE created was identified. “Adam” became
his name by default; it was not a given name.
The word “adam” (as with all Hebrew nouns) has a three-letter root word,
“dam.” This word means “blood.” In
essence, IAUE identified man as “of the blood.”
Scripture later reveals for us:
Leviticus 17:11 For the life (nephesh) of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you
upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls (nephesh):
for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul (nephesh).
This word “nephesh”
refers to the soul. The soul of the body
is in the blood. This is why blood
sacrifices were used in the atonement sacrifices in the Levitical priesthood;
and why the blood of a perfect man was ultimately required to be offered up on
behalf of fallen man. When Adam
disobeyed the commandment of IAUE, the spirit within man was cut off from the
life and light of IAUE, and the righteousness of man’s soul was forfeited. It was this forfeiture of righteousness from
the soul of man that ultimately led to his physical death; because man’s soul
no longer had the life and light of IAUE running through it. This is why when Adam and Eve gave birth to
their children; and their children had children, on down the line for every single
generation, the blood was void of righteousness; for Adam could not pass to his
descendants a connection to the life and light of IAUE.
What actually is
righteousness? It is a word that is
seldom used in any secular context.
Within the Scripture it refers to the flawless moral correctness and
perfection of character of IAUE. In
other words, it is what Genesis 1:26 refers to as “the likeness” of IAUE.
When Messiah was
born of a virgin, his blood was not of the contaminated lineage of Adam. The spirit breathed within Yahushua was
connected to IAUE. Yahushua’s soul was
in constant communion with his Father; and as he grew up, the Scripture tell
us:
Luke 2:52 And Yahushua increased in
wisdom and stature, and in favour with Elohim and man.
He grew up “after
the likeness” of his Father. This is
why, towards the end of his ministry, he was able to answer Phillip’s request
to “show us the Father,” by saying “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” (John
14:8-9)
Heb 2:10 For it became him, for whom
are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory,
to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Yahushua had
attained unto IAUE’s purpose for man; and having attained it, he offered it as
payment in full for the redemption of man.
See what the writer records for us in this verse? Yahushua gave his soul, his morally correct
and perfect character, by shedding his blood (the soul is in the blood) in
order to bring many sons unto glory.
That does not mean he did it to take them to heaven. It means he did it to restore the image and
likeness of IAUE to man.
Here we see the
Scriptures discussing the restoration of man’s body to the image of IAUE.
2 Corinthians 5:5 For we know that if our earthly
house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of IAUE, an
house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon
with our house which is from heaven:
3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not
for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be
swallowed up of life.
5 Now he that hath
wrought us for the selfsame thing is IAUE, who also hath given unto us
the earnest of the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:49 And as we have borne the image
of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
53 For
this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put
on immortality.
Romans 8:18 For I
reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared
with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Notice that the
apostle Paul speaks of the restoration of our bodies to the image of IAUE. He says we must “put
on” or “be clothed
upon” with that which will restore our bodies once again to “bear the image of the heavenly.” This clearly
speaks to what was forfeited in the fall of man, and why Adam was not able to
bear children in the image of IAUE. Man had become corruptible, mortal, lacking
the glory of IAUE. Yahushua came to restore many sons unto “glory.” It
seems quite likely that it is incorruption, immortality and glory that was
forfeited and needs to be restored.
When the glory departed from man he knew he was
naked. Notice Paul’s words above:
2 Corinthians 5:3 If so be that being clothed
we shall not be found naked.
The glory of the
resurrection body will conceal man’s nakedness.
This body, this restoration to the image of IAUE, is a promise in
Messiah. This concept is one of the primary
reasons the early church was so charged with spreading the gospel; and why they
loved not their lives even unto death.
The promise of being restored to the image of IAUE was very real to
them. Think about it. How does that idea impact you?
Next week we will
observe how the “likeness” of IAUE is restored to man.
Kingdom
heart: a heart that offers no resistance to the
performance of the will of IAUE.
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