Integrity- People of God

 Many people have equated their identity to what society has deemed as their role in life, their work, or their families. These things do not define who we are nor our purpose and not even our reputations can define us. They have listened to a society and culture that has devalued them to a point that they have failed to connect with their Creator and His purpose for their lives.  God the Creator of mankind is the One who defines His creation and their purpose as His image bearers. That is our created purpose; to reflect the image of God, be the love of God to others and to show the mercy of God while we are on the earth.

Genesis 1:27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 

Instead of finding life and their identity in God’s purpose, some may look to themselves for value and purpose in their vocation but this will not satisfy their God given destiny. Men and women have looked to their positions, careers and roles as husband/wife or father/mother to find their purpose, but these are only roles they do not define who we are.

God the Creator, the Master Engineer and the Maker of mankind (male and female) is the One who defines us and our purpose. God’s purpose and design for us did not change, we were created to look like God, our Father and reflect His image on the earth. We must see our value and purpose in God, apart from the influence of this fallen world and the lies they have trained us to believe.

Genesis 5:1-2 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created

God made man in His likeness, male and female created He them. Many people believe mankind’s purpose is to reproduce and give birth to human beings in the natural sense but that is only one part of who God created mankind to be. Humans are a triune being; we have a body, and are a living soul and spirit. 

God who is Spirit made mankind in His likeness, a spirit.  He formed man a body from the earth and mankind became part of this natural world.  The Godlike spirit went into the earthly body and as God breathed His breath of life into mankind and they became a living soul.  The soul is the very essence of who we are it is our psyche, which is the core of our being; the mind, will and emotions and all were one with God, until the fall.  

Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. KJV

The natural body came from the earth and God commanded that all earthly and natural seed will produces seed after its own kind. The soul is God’s gift of life, that is to say every person’s individuality and their will and the spirit was the created likeness of God. 

The word Adam in the Hebrew comes from a root word that means earth or ground and Eve comes from a root word that means to breathe or to give life.  Woman was not an afterthought she was there in the beginning when God created them both male and female in His imagewith His character and attributes with the purpose of recreating God’s likeness and image upon the earth. Adam is representing the natural body and Eve the spiritual breath of God. When both the natural and the spiritual come together as one they can complete God’s purpose, that is to reflect His likeness on the earth.

It was the God like spirit that died the day man disobeyed God. The Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit that is brought back into fallen mankindthrough faith in Christ. We are born again as a new and living creationin the family of God. However, our psyche, mind and emotions are still rooted in this fallen world’s teaching. We were taught and educated to a perverted way of thinking and were living without the knowledge and the truth of Christ. This is why we are told to renew our minds by the word of God, so that we can change our psyche or the essence of who we are and the way we think and view others.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. KJV

When we understand and operate in the fullness of our God givenpurpose as both male and female then we can change the life we live andhow we engage a world that is full of hate and lies. We can change our natural response into a supernatural response to reflect the love of God. This is our purpose as a new creation in Christ that is to love others as He has loved us.  Through faith and belief in the love that God has for us we will be able to show this love to those who are lost, in darkness and are hurting. Because we know and understand God forgave us and loved us when we were lost and in darkness.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. KJV

Love is the hallmark of a true believer and of us being a new creation in Christ. The love we have and show to others is the reflection of God. Nothing else defines our relationship with God like His love, not church attendance, not tithing, not fasting not even being a prophet but it is the love we have and show to others.  It takes the power of the Holy Spiritin the heart of a born again believer to reflect the love of God and His likeness in the midst of a crooked and perverse world.

John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” NKJV

 Some people fail to see what Jesus brought back to mankind, their identity and their purpose to be children of the God. With a born again spirit we can show His love on earth to His creation, His people. When we have the Spirit of the living God in us, we too can breathe His breath of life into the lives of others by continuing to display God’s love.

Through our example, others may choose this life, to be born again, so that they too may fulfill their created purpose, to thereby breathe life into a soul that is dead and to reflect the love of God on the earth.  God’s word living in us will transform our mortal bodies into the likeness of Jesus who gave Himself that others may live.