Bein' a Berean
…outside the box but inside God's Word...
Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness..." (Genesis 1:26 NASB unless noted
"Us" is plural and is understood to be a reference to the complex nature of God commonly known as the Trinity--three personae as one entity--Father, Son, and Spirit. It could also be referred to as Spirit, Son, and Father since between them there is no competition, only a preferring of others over themselves. Or 'Us' could speak to the celestial beings present at creation.
It is possible that the "image" and "likeness" is a reference to the unique complex nature of mankind not found in God's other created life forms. That unique nature being spirit, mind, and flesh—distinct, co-existent, and unified—before falling into disobedience.
Before that fall, mankind lived an abundant life, in peace and full of joy.
After the fall there was an estrangement, shame, and selfishness.
The serpent, in that account, had persuaded the knowing part and the sensual part of the woman to reach for a god-like status over the spirit part of her trinity. The man followed her lead.
The knowing part and the tasting part, the mind and body, are jointly referred to as "the flesh."
The only part of the personae of mankind that did not enter into the struggle for self-gratification was the spirit.
The spirit is that part of the human trinity which is a portion of the God-head, the Father of spirits. He shared or instilled a part of himself in mankind.
"shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits" (Hebrews 12:9)
No other creature was given a portion of God's Spirit out of love and a desire to be in intimate communion with His creation.
Our spirits—portions of His spirit—in keeping with His nature, continue to defer to the will of the other parts of our being even though, or because, it is by nature holy, connected to the God-head, and committed to honour our free will.
Through the debt payment/sacrifice of the Son, we are enabled and motivated to daily surrender or defer the desires of the flesh to that of the spirit.
"we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of" unbridled emotion (Ephesians 2:3)
As we obey Him, out our love for Him, and evidence our desire to live in submission to the spirit we are sons of God.
if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by [the spirit] you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the [spirit from] God, these are sons of God. (Romans 8:13-14) [There are no capital letters in the Greek language, hence Spirit = spirit.]
We are empowered, through Yeshua's sacrifice, to choose between yielding to the flesh or yielding to the spirit.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Gal 5:24)
Those who claim to have done works in the Lord's name, was it done in the spirit or the flesh?
"Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you (Matthew 7:22-23)
Nothing done in the flesh will stand the test of fire or fool Yeshua. Conversely, everything done in the spirit will accumulate to show the work of a faithful servant.
For the flesh sets its desire against [the spirit], and [the spirit] against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. (Galatians 5:17)
For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to [the spirit] will from [the spirit] reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:8)
For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on [the spirit] is life and peace (Romans 8:6)
