Why Did God Make Us (January 4th, 2025)

Genesis 1:26 Then 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 birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

God Made Us for Worship

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.

What does it mean that we are made in God's image?

It means we are to reflect His Glory.

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”—1 Corinthians 10:31

The act of glorifying God is worship. What we do on Sundays for an hour or so is the act of corporate worship. We give glory to God by placing the most worth on Him, as He deserves it. We praise Him for He is glorious. We express our love for Him. We worship Him for the Salvation. We lift up the Cross and magnify the name of Jesus Christ. And, as worshippers, we are sent into this world to glorify God in our daily lives. Whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we are to do it all to the glory of God because we are made for worship.

God Made Us for Stewardship

“And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”—Genesis 1:28

It's a "blessing" of God only when we live according to the way we were made to live. It's a blessing only when we fulfill the original intent of the Creator. The language of verse 28 is that of stewardship. Not just any kind of stewardship, but since we are made in God's image, we are to represent God to the created world. We are the very apex of God's creation ("subdue it and have dominion over").

Of course, we are to reflect God's glory and God's character when we oversee the world. That means we don't abuse the natural resources. We don't mismanage them. We care for them, for this world is our Heavenly Father's world. This means that Christians are to be better than the so-called "environmentalists." Many environmentalists seek to preserve nature because they revere it. But for us, we take care of nature because it belongs to our Heavenly Father, who is the one and only who deserves worship.

God Made US for Relationship

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...’ So God created man in his own image... male and female he created them.”—Genesis 1:26&27

Isn't it interesting how, throughout Genesis 1, everything that was made was described as "God said" and "It was so." Everything was made because "God said," except for humanity. It's uniquely, "Let us" in "our image." What's going on?

"Let us" is the language of "community" and "relationship."

Here, clearly, the Trinitarian concept of God is introduced. That God is One but in Three Persons is unique to Christianity. Even if you don't agree with Christianity, you have to admit that this Trinitarian concept of God makes Christianity unique. But the Trinity is more than unique. It describes the perfect, self-sufficient, and community Being that God is. Let me explain.

Unless your "god" is trinitarian, your "god" is lacking--therefore, not self-sufficient. Unitarian and singular "god" is not self-sufficient. Not self-sufficient in love and in a relationship. Unitarian "god" does not experience love and relationships until it creates angelic beings and other beings, such as animals and humans. The Unitarian "god" does not experience community until the world is created. Terribly deficient, I would say.

However, the trinitarian God, the Christian God, the one and only true God, is eternally self-sufficient from eternity to eternity. Our Christian God is a community and therefore has perfect love and relationship by the ontological definition. There is never a time when the Christian God is ever lonely or lacking love. Our God, by definition, is Love.

Now, notice in Genesis 2:18, which describes Adam, the first of humanity:

“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’”—Genesis 2:18

"It is not good."

Throughout Genesis 1 and throughout God's creative activities, everything God made was "good." However, in Genesis 2:18 (and mind you, this is before sin and death were introduced to the world), it was NOT good for Adam.

Did God make a mistake? Of course not. Here, "not good" is simply alerting us that we are made to reflect the image of the Trinity, the eternal and profoundly mysterious community of the one and only God who is self-sufficient and self-existing in Three Persons.

This is why in the Apostles' Creed which we recite every week, we profess that "We believe in the "holy universal Church." We recognize the church as the holy community called to reflect the holy trinity of God. This is why we believe in the Church and love the Church. This is why we should never do anything to hurt the church. You hurt the church; you "hurt" God. It's not good.

Let us apply the Bible to our lives.

First, evaluate your “functional” gods (career, school, looks, or status) so that you can replace the idols with the true God. (Worship)

Second, ask, “How does my daily ‘work’ reflect the Creator’s purposeful care for the world? (Stewardship)

Commit to a “small group” where you are known deeply and held accountable. (Relationship)

Let's pray.