Chapter Ten – The God Family

The reader has probably at some time gazed at the sky on a clear night. The natural reaction is to be awestruck by the panorama of seemingly countless stars. King David recorded his response to such an experience: “When I consider your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; what is man, that You are mindful of him? And the son of man, that You visit him?” (Psa. 8:3-4). This king of Israel realized his utter insignificance in comparison to the vast universe—and the One who created it. David marvelled that, despite this great difference, God is “mindful of”—concerned with—mankind.

The true God is not a distant, uninvolved Creator, passively observing His Creation from afar. Cited earlier, the words of former Prime Minister of Britain Sir Winston Churchill also correctly express that God has “a purpose being worked out here below.” This chapter will explain the fundamental elements of God’s Master Plan—His supreme purpose for humanity—and where you fit in!

As the reader will learn, this plan is inseparably linked to the truth regarding the nature of God—and represents your potential as one created in God’s image. This is a potential that the trinitarian god precludes. It limits God and blocks the minds of men from learning why they were born!

Understand that what can be included in this chapter is only a small part of a subject that is covered in a variety of booklets and even entire books that we offer. We hope that the reader will be inspired to examine them.

7,000-year Plan

The span of God’s Plan with men encompasses 7,000 years. Cut off from God by sin (Isa. 59:1-2), mankind has believed the lies of the god of this world for 6,000 years.

While few have understood this, more have correctly understood at least some little of the verses describing Christ’s coming 1,000-year Reign, to begin at His Return (Rev. 20:4-6). But they know nothing of God allotting 6,000 years, or six millennial days of a “seven-day week,” to man’s rule, under Satan, prior to the seventh 1,000-year “day.” We are very near the end of the “sixth day.” Let’s understand! The Bible states, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (II Pet. 3:8; Psa. 90:4). Of course, most are “ignorant” of almost everything that the Bible teaches.

But you can know!

Man (under the invisible sway of Satan) has been given six “days,” or 6,000 years, to try his own ways, governments, philosophies, value systems, forms of education and religions, including devising his own gods. Then, under the influence of Satan, he has practiced sin and disobedience to God’s commands for all this time. He has then tried to treat all of the ill effects this has brought on, instead of the cause, which is the breaking of God’s commandments. God is allowing humanity to learn hard, bitter lessons. The masses, who have never known the precious truth of God, must learn that their own ways do not work!

Created Incomplete The Psalmist wrote, “…for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psa 139:14). But human beings were made incomplete.

Genesis 1:1-31 records the account of man’s physical creation. Adam was created so that he looked like—appeared like—God in physical form and shape. Though physically complete, Adam was spiritually incomplete. A vitally important spiritual component was missing.

Notice Genesis 2:7: “…God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Man is made of physical matter—flesh. While not composed of Spirit as is God, we saw that he is fashioned—formed—in the “image and likeness” of God.

Adam was physical. He breathed air, and required food and water. Without any of these, he could not survive.

Though Adam was made in the form and image of God, there was an obvious—and big—difference between him and God. Adam was made of the dust. He was flesh (Gen. 2:7). Since God is a Spirit, He is made—composed—of Spirit.

Two “Adams” Reveals Supreme Purpose

A vitally important parallel exists between Adam and Christ, who was the God of the Old Testament (John 1:1, 14; I Cor. 10:4). It offers another clue to God’s purpose. Scripture makes the comparison this way: “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam [Christ] was made a quickening spirit.

Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and after ward [at the Resurrection] that which is spiritual. The first man [Adam] is of the earth, earthy: the second man [Christ] is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also [by the Resurrection] that are heavenly. And as we [converted, Spirit-led people] have borne the image of the earthy [made of flesh], we shall also bear the image of the heavenly [be later composed of spirit]” (I Cor. 15:45-49).

Paul’s inspired statement starts with a reference to Genesis 2:7. Notice the phrase there “And so it was written…” This is New Testament verification of the Genesis account! The apostle Paul knew that Adam “was made” by God, that this did happen. He both believed and understood the Old Testament account.

The goal of a Christian is to receive a Spirit body at the Resurrection—to “bear the image of the heavenly.” Just as God created animals—elephants, dogs, cats, horses, etc.—to reproduce after their kind, He (Elohim) created man after the God kind!

Created to Obtain Knowledge

God gave Adam and Eve “dominion” over the earth (Gen. 1:26). This meant that man would be able and need to learn and produce—to generate—much knowledge as he subjugated the planet.

God designed human beings with minds that could create, devise, reason, observe and experiment. Through this inherent ability to reason, physical knowledge could be processed. This was good and right, as long as it was used within the framework that God intended.

All knowledge falls into two categories: (1) the physical knowledge of how to work with matter and physical things, and (2) the spiritual knowledge necessary for people to develop personal relationships with both God and their fellow man. All knowledge is either physical or spiritual.

Adam and Eve’s problem was in reasoning that every kind of knowledge necessary for salvation could be obtained on their own, through experimentation. Once they deviated from God’s intended way, they had no hope of reaching the destination that He purposed for them—and neither does mankind, which followed their choice. Once Adam and Eve accepted the wrong premise as their starting point—that they could reason everything out themselves—they were destined to fail!

The accumulation of vast amounts of knowledge over millennia has not changed—and could never change—the fact that mankind is headed for the wrong destination. Curiously, in its quest for ever more knowledge, but with the trinity as its chosen god, so many have been forced to conclude that they must exist through life devoid of the most important knowledge—that about God!