There is a story of us—all of humanity. The story of every man, woman and child ever invited to walk these shores of earth.
This story—our story—begins somewhere beyond our own natural understanding.
Our story begins before the womb. It actually begins before time—long before any means of measuring such spans of life, or history. There, within heavenly realms—before the world as we know it ever came into being—great and immeasurable things had already taken place.
We are unable to fathom the beginning of this story.
And yet, this story is true.
Our Bible does not elaborate fully on these events, but it does give us a window—a glimpse or two into that distant past—along with the actions and attitudes that would change the whole order of events to follow.
Let’s look into that window together, at our story. Your story.
The Satanic Route: The Fallen Image
Lucifer (Satan, or the devil) like all of the angelic hosts, was a created being. But unlike the rest, he was created with a very special separate position and purpose.
This amazing account in Ezekiel depicts Satan as “the king of Tyrus” and as “the anointed cherub” of God—his rise in heavenly realms, and his ultimate earthy fall, in final defeat:
“Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.”
(Ezekiel 28:11-19)
These verses give us some understanding of Lucifer’s greatness, wisdom and unparalleled beauty. He was covered with every precious stone, and illuminated with bejeweled brightness. And incorporated within his person were exquisite musical pipes and timbrels. Just try to picture that.
But undoubtedly, our best imaginations could never bring to mind such a magnificent person as this one, “perfect in beauty,” whom Almighty God had created for His glory.
The fact that Satan was “upon the holy mountain of God,” tells us that he was in a high place of trust, anointing and authority before God. We also see the two main ingredients of pride, which led to the arrogance and corruption of the innermost being of this one called Satan: his heart was “lifted up” because of his beauty, and his great wisdom was corrupted by his own “brightness.”
In other words, even though he stood in the very presence of God, he exchanged the truth he knew for an inflated, distorted image of himself.
It was the ultimate, original pride, which led to the ultimate, original downfall.
The saying is true that pride goes before a fall.
This passage allows us to see the true heart of Satan’s pride:
“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.”
(Isaiah 14:12-15)
And these verses further piece together this story—one of treachery, rebellion and finally, defeat:
“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
(Revelation 12:7-9)
Satan and his followers, one third of Heaven’s angels, were cast out of heavenly realms in to the earth. Apparently, the evil one and his followers were already here and waiting, before the first of mankind would ever set foot in our world. Satan would bide his time, awaiting the coming establishment of human lives, created in God’s own likeness.
There, within the shadows of the newly-fashioned earth, he would wait—bent on leading a brand new rebellion. The rebellion of God’s own earth, against those who now bore the image of their creator.
Mankind: Created in God’s Image
Adam truly was a masterpiece—this eternal and spiritual being, clothed in flesh and blood. From the Hebrew verb “adom,” meaning “to be red,” Adam and his offspring were destined to be the perfect combination of mind—God’s mind—and matter.
All the rest of God’s earthly creation was designed to be subject to man. But mankind was purposely and gloriously made in the likeness of his Creator, to bring pleasure and honor to the Lord of all Heaven and Earth.
“And 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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
(Genesis 1:26-27)
There, within that perfect and particular time frame of creation, God made His proclamation based upon His own collective decision: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let him have dominion.”
“In our image,” He proclaimed—the full and complete Trinity of the Godhead. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit had just extended themselves, to include a new creation—as mankind was made in the eternal image of the complete and inclusive God of heaven and earth.
But who was this Adam—this first man of God’s earthly creation, made after His own likeness? Was Adam a god? No—not in the truest sense. But he was God-like, having a soul and spirit housed within the bodily physical realm.
“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.”
(Genesis 2:7)
This verse reveals man’s beginning to us. Adam was formed from the dust of the ground, and breathed into by God to become a living soul. Adam was not born, nor was his wife, Eve.
Eve was taken out of the man, Adam. They were uniquely created beings. They were much the same person, yet held in their own distinct roles of creation. They not only would have shared the same care giving interests of the garden, but they literally shared the same DNA. They were of the same fleshly component, though separate in their distinct personalities.
Much like the spiritual aspect of marriage, as the two separate persons are made one flesh before God:
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”
(Genesis 2:24)
The scriptures don’t really tell us how much time transpired, within the garden, until Satan would take his opportunity to tempt mankind. As we read these concise accounts in scripture, we tend to compress these events into a much shorter time span. Possibly, what appears to us to be a quick account of the garden may have easily taken place over a much longer period of time.
One hundred years? Two hundred? We can’t really know. But we do know that in the beginning of time, mankind lived much longer life spans. Adam is recorded as having lived to an amazing 930 years old.
That might present some great opportunities. But could it also allow the boredom of such a long existence to permeate life?
Try to imagine yourself living such a long span of time. Adam and Eve enjoyed a close relationship with God. Genesis records that He walked with them, “in the cool of the day.” But imagine that walk repeated over the course of time, as what once had been new and revealing to them eventually became the habitual ruts, within a pathway of well-worn footsteps.
Of course, they loved God, and listened to Him. They certainly knew the voice of God. But did they still fully trust what they had heard?
Do we?
Possibly, what once had held them in great awe, finally became the familiar. Had their senses dulled? Did they cease to heed the weight of God’s own warning to stay well away from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Apparently, they had, because we find them there:
“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:”
(Genesis 3:1-2)
It is likely that it wasn’t their first time to venture near that forbidden fruit. But this time, Satan set the trap for them—well prepared with lies, and deception—introducing the false image as a replacement for reality, to bring his his counter-identity of disobedience, and to break the ties of this close God+man fellowship.
Remember: sin is satanic at its roots.
There was nothing wrong with God’s great plan for mankind, nor any of His creation. It was all so very “good.” But mankind had a character flaw: the fleshly component. And flesh, even with a God-like nature, tends to take a mind (or will) of its own.
It would be held in check, until an available alternative to God’s purposes might arise, and present itself. The enemy was delighted to put his own plan there, in place of God’s eternal plan for humankind.
It appears that when given an enticing choice, man often errs on the side of what he can receive here and now, rather than relying on God’s long-term plans for a sure and purposed future. We might say that mankind is a short-sighted, or near-sighted creature. Always vulnerable to the now, versus the eternal.
Satan took full advantage of this turmoil of the soul, as Adam and Eve exchanged their God-likeness for the distorted image of a rebellious disobedience to God.
And all of humankind continues to pay the price for their short-sighted impulses, as each generation must face the dilemma of a skewed sense of reason—the product of mankind’s own betrayal of the gift entrusted to him.
The Distortion: A Mirror Image
When was the last time you looked into the mirror? If you’re like most of us, the last time you looked at yourself was a fairly recent event. We all have come to rely on such reflections to help us prepare for the day. And most of us will need to check ourselves in that mirror several times a day. We know that it’s essential in order to view a correct image of ourselves.
But what are we actually seeing, in that mirror of ours? It is certainly a likeness of ourselves. But it is wrong, because it is a backwards image of our true likeness. It is the exact opposite of what we actually are. In the mirror image, what is actually our left side appears to be the right side, and vice versa.
The mirror can’t give us our true image, but only a reflection of that image. It is always opposite—always backwards. We live our lives believing that this is what we look like. The day to day familiarity of the illusion no longer surprises us, and it feels perfectly normal.
Similarly, this is what the fallen Sin nature—the distortion of the true image of God—looks like and feels like. Mankind, once created with the true likeness of God within us, now bears an opposite or opposing image of Him. Once in direct fellowship with God, we are now separated—as strangers to His glory.
What once was right is now our left. What once was His, is now in opposition to His purposes. Thankfully, when we give our lives to Jesus Christ, He begins the process of restoring that true image—that “God-sense” of ourselves—the true nature and purpose of a life held by Him.
Our fellowship with the Father is restored, and all things begin to be new and fall into place.
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the word, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”
(James 1:22-25)
These verses explain the function of the Holy Spirit, which is to set before each one of us an image of ourselves, in stark contrast to the illuminating Word of God. If we are careful to see and hear what He shows us, and remember to respond to His correction, God is faithful to bless our self-humbling efforts.
“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known”
(1 Corinthians 13:12)
Our Christian walk continues to be a walk of faith. We will continue to see in part, and know in part, until we finally exchange our instruction time for graduation day. Finally, and wonderfully, we shall see and know our Lord and God, just as we are known by Him.
This is all possible because we are born anew, recreated to again bear our Lord’s true likeness.
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
(2 Corinthians 3:17-18)
Changed from glory to glory. This is the ever-present mind of our Lord, compelling us to be His, and to fully step into our rightful place—conformed into the likeness of His image.
Having stepped away from the “opposite” image of ourselves, we now see and experience the true realities of a right relationship with our Lord, through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
Destructive Images/Vain Imaginations
We see it all coming into focus now, within these current catastrophic days we share upon planet earth. We may not fully understand it. We may even attempt to deny some of what we see. But here we are—we are the culmination of generations of the false image, throughout humankind.
“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”
(Psalm 2:1-3)
This psalm details the cry and outrage of the present generation who fully opposes Almighty God, and His followers. It is the cry of destructive thought processes. It is the outrage of vain imaginations, opposing the God of righteousness and truth. It is the fantasies of men’s troubled souls, who loved darkness rather than the light.
It is the outrage against those who even mention a God-inspired world. Bizarre behaviors. Great offenses. Slander, lies and deceptions of every kind. The worship of the self-image, rather than the God-image. It is the minds of men now mingled with the satanic mind, creating vain images and warped imaginations. It is the “twilight zone” of fallen humanity, being played out in real time.
“The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God
Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee:
With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures:
By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches:
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God;
Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness.
They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas.
Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee.
Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.”
(Ezekiel 28:1-10)
Just as Satan is referred to as the “king of Tyrus,” in this astounding statement of this same chapter of Ezekiel, the prophet of God also addresses Satan as the “prince of Tyrus.”
A prince is someone that is destined for power, but has not come into his place of power yet. Amazingly, the prophet describes that one—the Antichrist—who will be revealed and set up by Satan in the last days.
As events of our world now unfold before us, we realize it could not be very long before this evil “man of sin” will take center stage.
In many other scriptures, the Bible clearly marks Satan, his fallen angels, and all who follow after him. Satan is identified as:
The accuser (Revelation 12:10)
The resister, or adversary of God (Zechariah 3:1)
The thief and destroyer (Mark 4:15, John 10:10)
The binder (Luke 13:11-13)
The deceiver (2 Corinthians 11:14)
The outcast (Revelation 12:7-9)
All and anyone who follow after Satan, whether it be men or angels, will be eventually destroyed—along with their vile and vain imaginations. This verse explains how they are fooled by the devil’s smokescreen of deception:
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
(2 Corinthians 4:3-4)
This is serious. Satan is out to deceive and destroy all who are not guarded by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
(1 Peter 5:8)
We who are wise in God will keep our walk well away from the allure of the world, and our eyes and ears fixed on pleasing our Lord.
Christ: Our Image Bearer
The Bible tells us that He was the firstborn of many brethren—sent by the Father to redeem a lost and hopeless world from the marred and destructive image brought by Sin. Jesus—the embodiment of the God-likeness. The doorway by which we might return to the Father’s loving embrace, and regain the rightful image of our eternal destiny.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
(Romans 8:28-29)
Jesus Christ is the expressed image of the Almighty God, shining light and life into each and every soul who calls out to Him, to know Him—and be conformed to His image.
“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
(2 Corinthians 4:6)
Christ was clear about who had sent Him, and about who He was representing from Heaven, upon earth. He had no need or wish to speak on His own behalf, because He was well aware of the righteous purposes of the Father.
He had come to bear that price of restoration, and to reclaim that image of the eternal God, for all of mankind. He had come to redeem us from the distorted image of a fallen identity.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
“Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.”
(John 14:6, 9-10)
Jesus Christ the firstborn, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the All in All, and Over All.
“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (qualified) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son (Jesus): In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Who (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God (the Father), the firstborn of every creature: For by him (Jesus) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
And he (Jesus) is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;”
(Colossians 1:12-19, parentheses mine)
The All-Fullness, Christ—the Complete One who was before all things, and who has made all things. The Preeminent One. The First, and the Foremost. Fashioned in the likeness of sinful flesh, yet He knew no sin.
Slain by men, to reclaim all men unto Himself, to the glory of the Father.
Jesus Christ—the highest name that can be spoken. The highest road that can be taken. The highest place and purpose which was given. The highest hope to cling to, within the lowest of circumstances.
The bearer of the image—Himself, the very likeness of the fullness of God.
(God) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”
(Hebrews 1:2-4, parenthesis mine)
Jesus—the Heir of all things. The Upholder of all things. The completion of all things. And on and on.
More words would be completely inadequate to describe His greatness. Nor can finite minds fully grasp His glory. But those who have looked full into the face of His mercy have glimpsed a moment of eternity—as they died and lived in that same moment of beholding Him—and have suddenly seen themselves created anew, into His own great likeness.
He is who we live for, die for, breathe for and bleed for. We—who bear the likeness of the image-bearer. We—still clothed in sinful flesh, but are soon to be changed—transformed to be like Him.
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”
(1 John 3:2-3)
For those of us who see Him—who recognize Jesus for who He really is—we will, for the very first moment in time, also recognize who we are within Him. What once mattered no longer has meaning. He is all that matters.
Because nothing else compares to Him. Jesus—who now lives, and reigns, and re-establishes His Kingdom—within us.
The Restored Image: From Glory to Glory
What incredible, thought-provoking and disturbing times we now live in. As our world become increasingly unable to be managed, the mounting crisis looms.
Everyone can sense it—the pride that goes before the fall. The selfish rebellion of false identities, with their fraudulent images.
But those of us who know God’s truth, are not caught off guard by this surge of evil—the rants, rages, and vain imaginations. They plot vanity. They put their hope in fantasy. But we are not like them.
We are the rescued.
The born anew.
Saved from ourselves, in a dying world that must soon pass away.
Ours is a lasting hope. It is filled with a destiny, and a glory, which is only God’s to give.
“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
(2 Peter 1:3-4)
Such exceedingly great and precious promises are ours, that we may partake of the divine nature.
Think about that.
“But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)
The glory of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We are now made in His image—to partake of His glory.
“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”
(1 Peter 4:12-13)
Yes, we will have trouble now, within this present world. Yes, we may endure some tests and trials, and even suffering.
Should we think it strange to suffer hardships for Christ? Never.
Not when such glory undoubtedly awaits us.
“For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain (Jesus) of their salvation perfect through (His) sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,”
(Hebrews 2:10-11, parentheses mine)
This is the glory—Christ bringing many “sons” unto the Father. Jesus is glad to count us as His own, and to call us His own brothers.
“And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.”
(Colossians 3:10-11)
Christ is all, and in all. For all time—and eternities of time to come.
We are raised with Him, to reign with Him.
We are created in His likeness, to fulfill the Father’s pleasure: bringing many sons into His glorious Kingdom.
Try to imagine the joy of these moments—our joy, and the Father’s joy: that great, innumerable gathering of sons unto Himself, as we, at last, come together as one, in a common destiny of God’s eternal purposes.
Partaking of His glory. Feeling it. Flooded with it. Overwhelmed again and again, by the supercharged expressions of resounding praises and adoration.
Wave after endless wave of worship, washing over you. Joy—once unthinkable, once unspeakable—now finally expressed from a fullness of immense and utter gratitude.
On and on it goes.
There is no sense of time. Every moment is filled with the fullness of His glory.
Nothing is lost—but only gained, and given back again.
You—the very likeness of His image. The very expression of the purpose of His glory.
You—taken from one realm of His glory, to the next, and the next.
Because of Him. And for Him. Through Him, and to Him.
God speaks to every open ear, in these last days of decision. Just as in the beginning of creation, His will is undeterred. It remains the same: “Let us make man in our image.”
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:”
(1 John 3:1a)
His. From glory to glory.
That is you story—but not the ending. It is just the beginning of all that is yet before you.
The Apostle John so lovingly wrote,
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
(1 John 3:2)
He in you—and you in Him. It is God’s living love story. His life story.
Your life story.
Go ahead and find a mirror right now, and take a good look at yourself. Look past the image that you see, and ask the Father to show you the image that He sees.
Your true image—the Living Christ—in you.