The sonship of men ; Part 1

In the last three posts, we learnt about the fatherhood of God. We learnt in summary that God is our

-Our source

-He is our identity and

-He is the one who has taken initiative.

The issue that has still grasped my attention is the fatherhood crisis spread all over in our contemporary society. We must go back to the basics in order to retrack sense of normalcy. Once the issue of fatherhood has been settled, then we can understand and appreciate our place as sons of God. (male and female)

Man is a complex being. Sociologists have termed man as a social animal in that he is wired to live in interaction with other human beings, and that he finds satisfaction and fulfillment in this. This is true but I see more.

1.Man is the bearer of the image and likeness of God

Genesis 1 :27 So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

If God is the source of all things, if he is the creator, then man came out of God. By bearing the image and the likeness of God, I am not insinuating that man is a god or he has superhuman D.N.A. Man simply originates from God and the creationist theory makes the most sense out of all the theories out there about the origin of man.

The beauty of a human being is in the beauty of being; Being alive, being healthy, being happy, etc. The primary identity of man is not in doings, as in we are not human doings but human beings; and that’s what I want to highlight here as being the bearers of the image and likeness of God. I believe this essence is what God was trying to communicate to the Israelites. “Be ye Holy for the lord your God is holy” Leviticus 11:44-45

People don’t become holy out of doing holy things. its not about what people can do to become holy. The Israelites kept flopping in their attempt to become holy by ceremoniously keeping themselves clean and the yearly cycle of sinning, repenting offering sacrifices, true worship, apostasy and back to sinning was full circle. they could sustain this lifestyle in Moses’s lifetime and upon the rise of other servants of God, but otherwise they were in serious flops and they completely forgot God overtime.

Its not a matter of doing but being, the essence of God is holiness, its love, God is never worried , he is not hurried as if he is running behind schedule and such and so much more about his attributes are we to image and display the same likeness , we do out of who we are.

2. The son ship of men: Man was created to dominate -rule

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.Gen 1:28 NIV

Gen 1 :27b-28

 God created human beings;
        he created them godlike,
    Reflecting God’s nature.
        He created them male and female.
    God blessed them:
        “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! (Message)

The primary evidence of our heritage as sons of God is locked up in the very first chapter of the bible . God underlies the theme of creation and the creation of man is like the grand finale in his great exhibition. Man was created to dominate over the works of creation. God is the principle owner and the initiator over the works of creation but he has mandated and given man the authority to subdue , to take charge to dominate over it.

There is a verse in the book of psalms that almost seems blasphemous if you don’t study it objectively.

Psalm 82:6 said, “You are gods,
    sons of the Most High, all of you;
⁷ nevertheless, like men you shall die,
    and fall like any prince. ESV

The mandate for man to rule, dominate, subdue and to take charge over the works of creation is intensive for this psalm alludes to reality of men as gods (Gods representatives on this earth). Man will never take the place of God. What man is and dispenses is in the light of what God has mandated him.

Well that’s enough for today. In our part 2, we deal with the third aspect that I highlight of the sonship of men: Man was created to work the land. There is a great truth about the purpose of man that we will unravel next week, meanwhile my take away home for part 1 will be simple; That you have been created in the image and likeness of God. You carry the God D.N.A in you even without doing anything yet. Begin to rule, dominate and subduing the earth like your father. Ask God and he will reveal to you your purpose and the God kind in you that will rule over in your specific flair. Once you find it, run with it like you are the best in your field. Remember the formulae always starts with God or otherwise you will be putting the cart before the horse and it will be hectic moving forward.

Stay put!