(Taken from the January 2005 edition or our Present Truth magazine.)

I frequently read about the debate between evolution and creation—or the new term that is meant to be acceptable for public school teaching, “intelligent design.” On one side of the debate, evolutionists believe that the theory of evolution is the only valid scientific theory that should be taught in the schools. On the other side is a growing number of scientists who are showing that intelligent design in creation has as much scientific proof as evolution and should be taught along side other theories. I believe there is a greater issue at stake: the truth of how God relates to His own image.

Scripture says, “In the beginning God created…” (Gen. 1:1). After He created the heavens and the earth, He created animals, each “according to its kind” (Gen. 1:24-25), implying that there could be room for microevolution within the species He created but not macroevolution between species. God’s final creation was mankind.

The unique thing about mankind’s creation is the words God used to communicate His intention: “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). Animals were made according to their kind, but mankind was made according to God’s image!

After God declared His image in the creation of man, He went on to define what His image was like: “Let them have dominion…” (1:26, 28).

Adam and Eve were created to have dominion and subdue the earth. They practiced their dominion in the garden as they walked with God. However, after they sinned, they immediately failed to practice dominion and were dominated by sin. First, the serpent dominated them by deceiving them. Second, they hid from God, saying, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked…” (3:10). Adam and Eve had manifested God’s image by having dominion over fear and shame so they could walk with God in the garden. Now they were being dominated by the negative emotions that caused them to hide from God.

Sin entered the whole human race at Adam’s fall (Rom. 5:12). To illustrate this point, God tells us the story of two of Adam’s children, Cain and Abel. When Abel’s sacrifice to the Lord was accepted and Cain’s was not, Cain became dominated by jealousy and self-pity. The Lord said to him:

Why has your countenance fallen? …sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you (to rule over you), but you should rule over it (have dominion) (4:6-7).

Cain did not rule over it and murdered his brother Abel. The Old Testament goes on to reveal story after story of men and women being dominated by sin rather than ruling over it. Then Jesus appears on the scene.

The story of Jesus is one test after another concerning dominion. As a youth (12 years old), He was tested with youthful independence in Jerusalem. He practiced dominion over it by returning with His parents to be “subject to them” (Luke 2:51). When He was tested in the wilderness, He was tested with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). He practiced dominion over each as He quoted Scripture to rebuke the devil’s lies. Finally, in the garden of Gethsemane, He practiced dominion over self-preservation and pride as He went willingly, in obedience to the Father, to the cross.

God can only bless His own image; because of His holiness, He must curse (judge) the rest. When He created Adam and Eve, He blessed them and gave them their assignment to multiply and practice dominion. Because of Adam’s sin, however, all mankind is tainted with sin and therefore under God’s judgment. The good news is that in Christ we have been re-made into God’s image. In Christ, we have

...put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him... (Col. 3:10).

As we practice dominion over sin in these bodies, we are qualified to receive the full blessings of God.

He who says he abides in Him (Jesus) ought himself also to walk just as He (Jesus) walked (1 John 2:6).

Said another way, “Anyone who says he is a Christian should live as Christ did” (TLB).

Benjamin Davis is an associate pastor of Abundant Life Covenant Church.

In working with youth, I have discovered that one of the greatest struggles youth will face in their Christianity is the way they relate to their parents. This relationship is where “the rubber hits the road” in their faith. To help them in this area, I will often misquote, then quote Ephesians 6:1—

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for they are always right.

Actually, I’m still looking for a Bible that says that. To quote correctly, Paul said,

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth” (Eph. 6:1-3).

Each of the Ten Commandments has implied promises, but God felt the need to articulate a promise with this commandment. It is right in God’s eyes that children should obey and honor their parents. As youth learn to obey and honor their parents, they learn to respect authority, which will enable them to relate rightly to others in authority so they can live long and enjoy God’s life on the earth.

The greatest risk God took in creation was parenthood. When He created Adam and Eve in His image, He blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply” (Gen. 1:28). Adam and Eve were created to practice intimacy in God’s image. As they had children, all that they were—both good and bad—would go straight into their children.

Today as parents, it is the same. When we have children, all that we are, both good and bad, goes straight into our children. The gospel of “do as I say not as I do” does not work in parenting. In truth, we model for our children, and they naturally grow up into our image. For this reason, when I see things in my children that I do not like, the first question I have learned to ask the Lord is, “Did they learn this behavior from me?” If the answer is yes, then change must be made in me before lasting change can be made in my children’s lives.

God took a great risk in creating parenthood, but there is also potential for great reward. Our children are the best disciples we will ever have because they naturally model after us and want to grow up into our image. The apostle Paul, as a spiritual father, recognized this truth and wrote:

The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you (Phil. 4:9).

It is God’s desire that parents grow up into His image and live out the image of Jesus on this earth. God will use our children in this process to help grow us up. As we grow into God’s image, we will be able to say to our children, “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”