And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth – Genesis 1:26.

Man was created in God’s image and likeness. An image is a representation or replica of one person or thing by another. When man fell, he retained an impaired image of God.

Man was created as a holy being in the image of God. Man was made in God’s image after His likeness, two words to express the same thing and make each other more expressive; image and likeness still between God and man is an infinite distance. Jesus Christ is the only image of God’s person, as the Son of his Father, who has the exact nature.

Regaining God’s likeness is one of salvation’s accomplishments. Our spiritual likeness is restored in justification, and our character likeness is continually developed in the process of sanctification. Sanctification is not a denomination; it’s a lifestyle dedicated to God.

When the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt from the bondage of Pharoah and the taskmaster, they camped before the Mountain of Sinai. God instructed Moses to instruct them how to present themselves as the children of God. God instructed Moses to come to Him in the mountain. He was going to give him His laws for the people (And the Lord said unto Moses, come up to Me into the mount, and be there; and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written, that the mayest teach them – Exodus 24:12). God wrote the instructions for His people to live by.

They were going to be blessed by adhering to the instructions (Now therefore, if ye obey My voice, indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar [special] treasure unto Me above all people: for the earth is Mine – Exodus 19:12). The Mosaic Covenant was given to Israel to reveal sin and death.

The Law reflected the holiness of God; it instructed the people in God’s discipline and reminded them through its priests and sacrifices of God’s salvation, a symbol to lead them to Jesus Christ. The Law contained three elements (1) Commandments revealing the righteousness of God. (2) Judgments expressing social requirements. (3) Ordinances directing the religious life of Israel.

The Commandments were written with God’s finger for His people’s instructions to live accordingly. God wanted His people to be holy then and now (Speak unto the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy – Leviticus 19:2). “Israel” the name ascribed to the descendants of Jacob as well as to the social-political organization, ideally the twelve tribes who traced their origins to Jacob’s sons who in Old Testament times constitute the “people of God.” Christians are also the people of God, and we must follow the guidelines of the Holy Scriptures.

Israel’s fundamental calling was to be a holy nation, just like Christians are to be a holy nation. They were to be separated from sin and to cling unto the Lord. They were instructed not to live according to the other nations surrounding them. They were not to continue in their actions in Egypt or Canaan. The Canaanites engaged in human sacrifice, blasphemy, homosexuality, and bestiality. Beastiality was also practiced among the Hittites, Babylonians, and Egyptians.

They were not to carry out any of these ungodly actions. People of God, God hasn’t changed, nor has His Word. What He instructed the Israelites not do; He’s saying it to the spiritual Jew (But he is a Jew which is one inwardly: and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God – Romans 3:29). Jesus has empowered Christians to abstain from practicing sin. Christians are no longer under the bondage and slavery of the world.

God will never tell us to do something He hasn’t empowered us to do (For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace – Romans 6:14). Not under the law means not under the Law of Moses. With God’s help, the believer under grace fulfills the law because of Jesus and the Holy Spirit abiding in the born-again Christian. Jesus fulfilled the Law, through Him the Law is fulfilled.

Therefore a Christian does not have to sin, he or she has been empowered to resist sin and do what is right as a Christian. To resist sin, one must have a willing mind and heart. Many professing Christians are just as rebellious and stubborn as the children of Israel. Many children have been sacrificed by abortion, mothers leaving their children with men who are not their fathers to babysit them, and the child is molested or killed. Abortion is not an unforgivable sin; all one has to do is acknowledge the sin and ask the Father to forgive you, and He will.

Christians are practicing spouse swapping, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, adultery as well as beastility. Along with sipping, sniffing, and smoking, this should not be in the household of faith. We are to be a holy nation (But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar [special] people that ye show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light – 1st Peter 2:9). There is no way one can come into contact with Jesus and stay the same. Every encounter with Him will change one more into the image of Him and His Father.

As Christians, we should read the Bible daily; each Word is inspired by God and written by holy men for the edification and instructions for Christians. Reading the Bible will keep you from sin, and not reading it will lead you to sin. As Christians, we should do a daily examination to see whether or not we have sinned against God in any area of our lives (Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your ownselves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates – 2nd Corinthians 13:5. If we’ve sinned, repent and rededicate ourself to Him whole heartily.

Don’t live like the world; live like you’ve been bought at a price. Live a life showing your gratitude for what the Lord has done for you. God has empowered you with the Holy Spirit to live a godly life; if you have not been baptized in the Holy Spirit, ask for Him (If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him – Luke 11:13?