God’s Purpose in Creating Man
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Gen 1:26, 27.
God created man in His own image and likeness with a special purpose in His mind. Man is supposed to have dominion over all the things of the earth, the fowl of the air and the fish of the sea. This shows that God intended that man should have dominion over all three dimensions, that is, the air, the earth, and the water.
In other words, the earthly part of the governmental authority is bestowed into the hands of man. Man is created in the ‘image’ of God, so that he represents God on earth, and the ‘likeness’ of God, necessary to execute the authority.
David, in one of his psalms writes the same thought:
“What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:4-9.
The Fallen Man and his Present position
When man ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he lost the likeness, and the image was marred. Man became like god (lower case “g”), and instead of looking unto God to walk in the light of the face of God, he became self-centred.
He started looking unto himself. Therefore, man with a lost likeness of God and God’s image marred, cannot run the administration of God on earth. He lost all the authority entrusted to him by God. The purpose for which man was created was disturbed by the subtle devices of the enemy, the serpent, the devil.
Nevertheless, God’s purposes can never be changed, as He said, “For I the LORD change not;” Malachi 3:6.
Satan and His Present Position in Heaven
Satan is seen in the presence of God in the heavenly places, in chapters 1 and 2 of the book of Job and in chapter 12 of the book of Revelation. Satan presents himself before God along with the other ‘sons of God’ as mentioned in Job 1:6.
Paul writes in Ephesians 6:10-12, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Satan is the head of the principalities, powers and world rulers. He dwells in heavenly places and execute the authority through his agencies like principalities, powers and world rulers. His aim is to divert the minds of the people from God and attract them to himself (2 Cor 4:4-6). Satan, when he appears before the presence of God slanders the believers.
Satan – His Present Position on Earth
Satan also has authority on the earth as he claims in Luke 4:5-6: “Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
The Lord said in John 12:31, “Now is the judgement of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” Again in John 14:30, “I will no more speak much with you, for the prince of the world cometh; and he has nothing in me.” Again in John 16:11, “Of Judgement because the prince of this world hath been judged.”
Instead of man, who was originally created to have the dominion on the earth, we see now Satan has the authority after the fall of the man. This whole system of the devil, and his rule through his agencies, need to be replaced by the victorious Son of man along with the overcoming believers to fulfill the original plan and purpose of God in creating man.
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