Origins: The Beginning (Genesis 1–11)Sample

By Pastor Dan Hickling

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness’ . . . So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:26–27 (NKJV)  

Over the past several days, we’ve walked through the account of God’s creation, step by step. We’ve seen God create the heavens and the earth out of nothing, and we’ve seen Him progressively and purposefully shape the earth into an environment where life can exist and flourish. 

But now we come to the pivotal point of creation, the event that affects us all the most, because this is the part where we come in. After all that God has previously done, filling the earth with various forms of plant and animal life; He begins a new work—a work that will affect everything going forward and will ultimately cause Him much pain, suffering, and even His own death—God creates man.

This is unlike anything else that had happened prior. God isn’t just bringing another creature into being; this is altogether different. This is where God makes things personal. Notice, mankind was created “in Our image, according to Our likeness.” There’s a lot we could unpack there, but our focus is on God imparting a personality to mankind. 

God is a person, meaning He is a self-aware and rational being. He is actually three persons in One if we want to be technically accurate (Father, Son, and Spirit). As such, He created man and woman to be persons, as well. This sets mankind apart from all other works of creation. It is different from everything else on earth in that it possesses a personality. 

Why is that such a big deal? Because it gives men and women—you and I—the unique capacity to relate. That’s what a person does; He or she connects with other persons and enters into the dynamic of relationship. An impersonal existence is one where there are no connections, no relationships, and no meaningful exchanges of will, thoughts, or emotions.

God didn’t want that for us or with us. He deliberately created us to be like Him in the sense that we could get personal with Him. From day one, He desired to enter and engage in relationship with us, unlike any other created thing! That desire has not changed. He still wants us to experience a personal relationship with Him, and He has made this possible through faith in His sacrifice on the cross for our sin.

When God made mankind, it was personal . . . and it deserves our personal response.  

DIG: How was the creation of mankind different from everything else created?

DISCOVER: What is a person able to do/have? 

DO: Do an assessment of your personal relationship with God.