Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. ⁵ For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Genesis 3:5 NKJV

The ultimate desire that led to the fallen state of humankind was to be like God as revealed in Genesis 3:5. It was the phrase “you will be like God” that deeply enticed Eve to take a bite of the fruit of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve, the first people God made wanted to be like God which led to the disobedience of their Maker. Interestingly, in that very act of attempting to be like God they lost the likeness of God in themselves which they already possessed from the onset they were created. Adam and Eve were already like God as shown in Genesis 1:26.

²⁶ Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over ^[g]all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Genesis 1:26

God made humanity in His likeness but due to Adam and Eve’s failure to see that they already possessed the likeness of God, they fell prey to the temptation of the enemy who in turn drew them away from the likeness of God they so earnestly desired.

Pause for Life Lesson Check:

Most of the time, the things in life that we often feel we lack or desire to feel fulfilled are already within us. For example, the greatness of Gideon was within him, but he thought of himself as a feeble and coward person. It is when we seek God that is when we uncover and come into the full realization and manifestation of who He has made us to be and manifest His glory in us.

At the core of every human is the ultimate desire to be like God, but what that really looks like is often misconstrued when we seek other mediums and not God Himself. God needs and desires us to be like Him and that is why He first created us in His likeness. After the fall of humanity, God did not give up on us, He sent our Lord Jesus Christ to come and redeem us back to the state of being like Him. A person who accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior becomes a child of God and given God’s very Spirit to dwell in him or her. God has given believers His word, and His Spirit to help us in our journey as children of God to grow to be like Him. The word of God teaches us God’s ways and truth of how we ought to be and to live our lives to bear witness that our Father is God Himself. The work the Spirit of God does in our lives transforms us from old ways (evil and fleshly ways) to become (holy, righteous) like God.

In God’s word we discover who God is and God teaches, leads, guides us to be like Him.

Here are just a few highlights in God’s word that reveals His nature and God humbly invites us to be as He is.

Be Holy as your Father is Holy.

¹⁵ but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

1Peter 1:15

Love God and one another as God is love

⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love

1John 4:7-8

Never grow weary in doing good deeds, our God is a God of goodness and mercy

⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9

Be forgiving as Christ forgives you

³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32

Dearest beloved in Christ, commit and give your desires to God and allow His truth and Holy Spirit to guide and align you in His will. God needs us to be like Him in the earth so that all be blessed and bear witness of who He is as the LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness. Be blessed

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