Portrait of a Blessed Life (Part 2)

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,^[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” ²⁷ So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; 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 in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

God made mankind different to everything else He created. Mankind was created in God’s image (resemblance, visual appearance, shadow) and likeness (shape, similarity in character and nature). God gave us these attributes to have fellowship with Him. Mankind was created as God’s image bearer.

When Adam sinned, he lost an awareness of that image, but when Jesus Christ came that image was restored. We are to get back to that place where we are God’s image bearer.

God is conforming is to the image of His son, Jesus (Rom. 8:29).

We are being transformed to God’s image (2 Cor. 3:18).

We will be changed to be like Him (His original intent) (1 John 3:2).

The first thing God did after creating man (male and female) was to bless them (Gen 1:28).  Bless means to be filled with strength, praise, divine favor, and cause to prosper. God made the decision to bless them.

The blessing of the Lord is given through:

• Creation – Genesis 1:28
• Regeneration (in Christ) – Ephesians 1: 3

Our prayer should be that our lives be aligned with God and to be His image bearer.