Responsibilities first, then Christmas

...and more responsibilities

     Picking up where we left off, God's image in us was corrupted, but not totally destroyed. 

     He created us in his image and assigned several responsibilities. He wants a personal relationship for all eternity, and for us to glorify him as Lord. So dedicated to this relationship was/is God, that he countered Satan's opposition by promising to send a Savior to redeem us. 

     We don't receive the Savior without personal responsibility. God is Law. He requires that we love him above all and love our neighbors as ourselves. This twofold commandment summaries his entire law (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:37-40).

     He also established marriage. Within marriage, God commanded us to "be fruitful and increase in number." Man and woman were to reproduce godly offspring in a family context...a high priority (Genesis 221-24). 

     God also charged Adam and his descendants to "subdue" the earth and "rule over ... every living creature" (Genesis 1:28).

     When Adam and Eve disobeyed their Creator's order not to eat the forbidden fruit, some of their/our dominion over the world was lost to Satan, "the god of this age." But God expects believers to fulfill his divine purpose by taking good care of his world, managing his creation in a God-glorifying way (Psalm 8:6-8; Hebrews 2:7-8). 

       Tomorrow: We still need Someone to do for us what we cannot.