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Joel · 10-08-2009

At the very least, I'll venture to say we may never fully understand God. I am not sure God intended for us to actually try to do that.

For years I have had this conception of God, almost like a prompt from somewhere else. God, being the perfection he is, and constant throughout time and space creates the perfect companion. That is actually man!

I Peter 1:12 KJV states: " Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into."

How is it that God will give to us something that the angels desire, and yet withhold it from them? Unless he has a purpose for us that the angels can not attain, I can't understand why.

Some time ago after reading the above passage, the scripture came to mind " And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:" Genesis 1:26 KJV

I have wondered and pondered at what the image and likeness of God is until the scripture stood out: "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Revelation 22:17 KJV

The angels were created to serve God; Lucifer was created with enough pride to rebel against God. If Lucifer had a choice to rebel or not to rebel, then God would not be in control, but if Lucifer was created and destined to fail, then we would have a choice. If we were created in the "image and likeness" of God, as in to choose freely, then we were created above the angels who were created to serve. If God had stopped when he created the angels, his creation would have only served him because he created it that way. Consider that Abraham was considered the "friend of God". If God created the angels to serve him and Lucifer to rebel, then he could have easily created us with a choice to serve or not to serve, in which he did. By doing so, he created, by design, a family that can not be broken. I have never found anyone that would agree that God could ever be lonely nor have a desire for friendship. The very thought of such a thing to most folks means that God would not be all powerful. I tend to disagree because if we can have these feelings, we associate them with love, not necessarily the works of the flesh. We desire family and community, we desire friendship and kinship. Why would we not think that this is also a "likeness" from God? So if God created some angels to serve him, and some to rebel, and man to redeem, he has created a family of kinship. The awesome beauty is that for God, his entire plan was complete before he began. I can only imagine, through faith, that the creation of angels, fall of Lucifer, creation, fall and redemption of man were all complete within God before he started creating.

We are created in the image of God (“God [is] a Spirit: … John 4:24) KJV) and after his likeness (state or quality). It is a wonderful thought that God created us that we may both know and love him. An even more splendid thought is that he loved us before we were created. Consider that when a man and a woman join in marriage, they seek mutual love, not created love. Love which is demanded is servitude and slavery, but love which is unfeigned is wonderful and everlasting.

10-08-2009	#10 (permalink)
Joel Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Manassas, VA Posts: 6	Who Is God? At the very least, I'll venture to say we may never fully understand God. I am not sure God intended for us to actually try to do that. For years I have had this conception of God, almost like a prompt from somewhere else. God, being the perfection he is, and constant throughout time and space creates the perfect companion. That is actually man! I Peter 1:12 KJV states: " Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into." How is it that God will give to us something that the angels desire, and yet withhold it from them? Unless he has a purpose for us that the angels can not attain, I can't understand why. Some time ago after reading the above passage, the scripture came to mind " And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:" Genesis 1:26 KJV I have wondered and pondered at what the image and likeness of God is until the scripture stood out: "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Revelation 22:17 KJV The angels were created to serve God; Lucifer was created with enough pride to rebel against God. If Lucifer had a choice to rebel or not to rebel, then God would not be in control, but if Lucifer was created and destined to fail, then we would have a choice. If we were created in the "image and likeness" of God, as in to choose freely, then we were created above the angels who were created to serve. If God had stopped when he created the angels, his creation would have only served him because he created it that way. Consider that Abraham was considered the "friend of God". If God created the angels to serve him and Lucifer to rebel, then he could have easily created us with a choice to serve or not to serve, in which he did. By doing so, he created, by design, a family that can not be broken. I have never found anyone that would agree that God could ever be lonely nor have a desire for friendship. The very thought of such a thing to most folks means that God would not be all powerful. I tend to disagree because if we can have these feelings, we associate them with love, not necessarily the works of the flesh. We desire family and community, we desire friendship and kinship. Why would we not think that this is also a "likeness" from God? So if God created some angels to serve him, and some to rebel, and man to redeem, he has created a family of kinship. The awesome beauty is that for God, his entire plan was complete before he began. I can only imagine, through faith, that the creation of angels, fall of Lucifer, creation, fall and redemption of man were all complete within God before he started creating. We are created in the image of God (“God [is] a Spirit: … John 4:24) KJV) and after his likeness (state or quality). It is a wonderful thought that God created us that we may both know and love him. An even more splendid thought is that he loved us before we were created. Consider that when a man and a woman join in marriage, they seek mutual love, not created love. Love which is demanded is servitude and slavery, but love which is unfeigned is wonderful and everlasting.