Are We Like God?

 

 

Ladies Fellowship discusses chapter 4 of the book "The Joy of Fearing God" by Jerry Bridges.

 

 

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.” 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)

 

“Whoever sheds the blood of man,
    by man shall his blood be shed,
for God made man in his own image.

(Genesis 9:6)

 

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. (James 3:9)

 

 

 

In our book study, however, we come across this verse:

 

These things you have done, and I kept silent;
You thought that I was altogether like you;
But I will rebuke you,
And set them in order before your eyes.

—Psalm 50:21 (NKJV)

 

 

So, are we like God?

To this, let us first take a look at the earlier verses leading to Psalm 50:21.

But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to declare My statutes,
Or take My covenant in your mouth, 

Seeing you hate instruction
And cast My words behind you? 

When you saw a thief, you consented with him,
And have been a partaker with adulterers. 

You give your mouth to evil,
And your tongue frames deceit. 

You sit and speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son. 

These things you have done, and I kept silent;
You thought that I was altogether like you;
But I will rebuke you,
And set them in order before your eyes.

(Psalm 50:16-21, NKJV)

This makes more sense when we look at Colossians 3:9-10

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

 

 

So, to answer the question of are we like God (or even the question of should we be like God), we are in the beginning and by default made to be like God (Genesis 1:26-27, 9:6; James 3:9). But after 'The Fall', we are no longer good like God. Like a brand new car that has crashed and burned, we were made to be like Him, yet we no longer do.

However, Colossians 3:10 tells us that it IS possible to be like God again, and even encourages us to be like Him—that is, to put on the new self that is changing and growing and making its way back to His own likeness through the knowledge of Him (i.e. the Bible).

 

In addition, the point and context of Psalm 50:21 has given us the other side to the coin: Do not be mistaken when God appears to be silent about sin, thinking that He approves of us. He is NOT wicked like us.

 

 

 

Now, let us go back to our quote on Genesis 1:26

 

 

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.

 

 

We see that God actually gave us sovereignty and control over ALL His creation, like Himself.

Yet after The Fall, we no longer have sovereignty and control over all of God's creation; the women strive to control their husband but will not succeed, while the men will not have full control over the ground and will instead labour in pain and sweat (Genesis 3:16-19).

In short, we no longer have the God-like sovereignty that Adam used to enjoy briefly.

 

 

But so often we mistakenly think that we still run the world like God and have full control over our lives. So often do we do life autonomously from God! Even long-time churchgoers are not spared from having such illusion and mentality, worshipping God on Sundays and preoccupied with our own lives and desires from Monday to Saturdays...

 

Not only do we run our lives independently, we have also replaced the fear and the greatness of Him who made and control all things with an overwhelming fear of our circumstances, of the future and what people may perceive or do to us (think job security, bad bosses, rising cost of living just to name a few...).

Isaiah 40:9-11 says to the people of Israel:

 

Go on up to a high mountain,
    O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
    O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
    lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
    “Behold your God!” 

Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
    and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense before him. 

He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
    he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
    and gently lead those that are with young.

 

 

and verses 15 to 17

 

 

Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
    and are accounted as the dust on the scales;
    behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. 

Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
    nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. 

All the nations are as nothing before him,
    they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

As modern-day Christians and bearer of good news, let us remember these verses and repent from replacing the fear of God with fearing the things and people of the world—that are like a drop from a bucket and as dust on the scales.

 

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
    on those who hope in his steadfast love, 

that he may deliver their soul from death
    and keep them alive in famine.

—Psalm 33:18-19

Even in our current imperfect state, we are ENABLED by His Word, Spirit and Power to be good like Him who made us good. And so strive we must to be good like God, and let us always remember to fear Him, instead of being so affected by our fomos and worldly fears.

Further Reflection:

What are the problems you are facing right now that seem bigger than God?