The Regeneration Now: Foundational Lessons

In the beginning of this lesson we will discuss two of the key foundational scriptures of the Bible: Genesis 1:26, 27 and Romans 8:28, 29.

It is important to understand that things are in the Old Testament concealed and in the New Testament revealed. This concept is clearly referred to by the following scriptures:

Prov 25:2 “It is the glory of God (Elohiym: 430) to conceal (hide by covering: 5641) a thing (word: 1697), but the honor (glory: 3519- kabod) of kings (royalty: 4428) is to search out (penetrate: 2713) a matter (word: 1697).”

Duet 29:29 “the secret (hide by covering: 5641) things belong unto the Lord (Jehovah: 3068) our God (Elohiym: 430) but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

There are many other scriptures that we will cover in a future lesson about the “hidden mystery” which is now revealed unto us by the Holy Spirit. For now, it will suffice us to know that in the Old Testament things are concealed and in the New Testament things are revealed. As we approach the Word with this understanding, then we can begin to see how the Father has laid His Word out very strategically for us to discover its hidden riches, which turns out to be Christ Himself, in you, the hope of Glory. May the Lord give you insight into this last statement.

Gen 1:26, 27 and Rom 8:28, 29 - Explained

Please spend some time meditating on the following scriptures and definitions as these are an integral part of the foundation God wants you to have so that you can further explore the many wonders of His Word.

Gen 1:26

“And God (Elohiym) said, Let us make(form) man in our image (happens in the spirit, spiritual nature), after our likeness (happens in the soul, soul duplicate of the Father): and let them have dominion (happens in the body, expression of the Likeness over created things)…”

Gen 1:27
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created He him…”

Romans 8:28
“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 ( God’s will which was openly set forth in advance).”

Romans 8:29
“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate (declare beforehand) to be conformed (formed together with) to the image (spiritual nature) of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

Definitions:

Image: 6754 – Tselem – From an unused root which probably meant “to shade”. The meaning is image, likeness, resemblance, illusion, a representative figure, an idol; phantom, nothingness. Tselem is not an exact duplicate. Psalm 39:6 shows that it is only the shadow of a thing, representing the original in an imprecise manner, lacking the essential characteristics (reality) of the original. (LA)

The Greek Equivalent: 1504 – Eikon – Image, always assumes a prototype, that

which it not merely resembles but from which it is drawn. Thus the reflection

of the sun on the water is eikon. (LA)

Likeness: 1823 – Demuwth – Resemblance; model, shape. (HSC)

The Greek Equivalent: 5481 – charakter – engraving, the figure stamped, exact copy, express image. (GSC)

Dominion: 7287 – Radah – To tread down (as a winepress, with the feet); to subjugate, subdue, to rule, cause to rule, reign, to prevail against, to take. (LA)

Make: 6213- Asah – “This important root means to work, labor, to make, create, construct, build; to accomplish, to acquire, earn, procure; to prepare, to be, to handle; to squeeze. The basic meaning of asah is “do” or “make” in a general sense. In the account of creation, bara (1254) and asah alternate, Bara conveys the thought of creation ex nihilo (out of nothing), while asah is broader in scope and dealt with refinement. In other words, the emphasis was on fashioning the created objects. (LA)

Created: 1254 – Bara – To create, form, make, produce. Bara emphasizes the initiation of the object, not manipulating it after original creation. Entirely new productions are associated with bara. The word also possesses the meaning of “bringing into existence”. (LA)

Purpose – 4286- (Prothesis) A putting forth to view or to openly display before hand or in advance (denoted by the preposition “pro” in the greek word ‘prothesis’, which means “before”.

Predestinate – 4309- (Proorizo) from pro(4253) and horizo(3724), to determine. To determine or declare beforehand.

Conformed – 4832 – (Summorphos) From sun(4862), together with, and morphe(3444), form. Literally it means to “form together with”.

Discussion of the above Scriptures and definitions:

God (Elohiym) said “Let us” in Gen 1:26 but please note it was in Gen 1:27 that he actually did something.

Gen 1:26 is a prophetic statement of what God would do in the future. This is clear upon further study into the definitions of the Hebrew text, as shown above. Notice that in Gen 1:26, God said let us “make” and then in Gen 1:27, God “created”. If you look at the definitions as provided for these two words, it is clear that something must be created before it can be formed or molded, as is the definition of the word “make”.

So in Gen 1:27 God created man’s spirit but in Gen 1:26 He said He would make or form man into the image. By Necessity of the definitions of the words “make” and “create”, we should look for another place in scripture that God “made” or “formed” or “molded” the original created part of man “back” into the image of God, so that man would be as God originally created him in Gen 1:27.

Indeed, we find many such scriptures as we look into the New Testament at what Jesus and the apostles unveil to us about this subject. The scriptures that contain this revelation can be kept hidden from our view until we look into the Greek definitions. Let’s take a look at something that Jesus said, and then put it into context with other scriptures for a fuller picture.

John 3:3
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Jesus was telling Nicodemus that he needed to have a change of nature. He needed to go from fleshly to spiritual. He needed to be “born again”. The word “again” in this verse is the word “anothen” in the Greek and means “from the beginning, as before”. It is the same word used by Paul in Acts 26:5 when he says of the Jews, “Which knew me from the beginning”.

What Jesus was really telling Nicodemus is that he needed to become as man was before. Before what? Before the fall, of course. So whatever man was before the fall, that is what would take place in this new birth. Man had to become what Adam was from the beginning. How was Adam created in the beginning? Gen 1:27 says “So God created man in His own image”. Now what does scripture say about Christ, the last Adam (1Cor 15:45)? It says, “Who is the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15).

So we see that Adam was created the image of God, and Christ is the image of God. There is no other record in scripture of any human being called the image of God except these two, and there is no other record in scripture of any man being called the son of God, except these two.

So what did God do for us in Christ? Through our unity with Him, He brought us back into the image of God and back into son ship (Rom 8:29). This is what Jesus was referring to in John 3:3.

The Regeneration Now

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Foundational Lessons

FOUNDATIONAL LESSONS