Man is to reflect the

Character of God.
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..

Errol Smythe
MAN IS TO REFLECT THE CHARACTER OF GOD.

There is none good but God. Enticing spirits would have people to think that they
can get to heaven by their own goodness.

These enticing spirits have polluted the minds of many in this world .

So many voices that pretend to help mankind. However , any voice that does not recognise
the Absolute Authority of the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation is of the
devil.

These enticing spirits anoint people to preach and believe in doctrines of devils.

Doctrines of devils are from the pits of hell because they deny the infallibility
of the Word of God .

Man needs God. Without God , man is wicked , depraved and lost in sin.

There is a Great Divine Purpose for man .

The devil tries to keep man from that Divine Purpose.

Man was created in the image of God and is to be a reflection of the Character of God. Just
like the moon reflects the light of the sun , man is the light of the world and is to reflect the
Goodness and the love of God to the rest of the world.

“...All things work together for good to them that love God, and are called according
to His purpose.....”. ( Romans 12 verse 28 ).

Man was created in the image of God. ( Genesis 1 verse 27 ) .

Why then is man living below the standard of Divine Victory and below the standard of
Divine Faith and Divine Holiness ?

When Mankind sinned in the Garden of Eden, Mankind died a spiritual death and
could no longer have fellowship with the One True God.

Sin took man out of God's Presence.

Sin destroyed the communion between God and man.

Figleaves that were used by Adam and Eve to cover their nakedness was a type of
religion. FIG LEAF RELIGION.

God rejected man's provision and God provided skin clothes dripping with blood to cover
their nakedness ( both spiritual and physical nakedness ).

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“...Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins....”. ( Hebrews 9 verse 22 ).

Abraham and Isaac climbing the mountain points to the Lord Jesus Christ laying
down His life for the sins of the world , “...so that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life...” ( John 3 verse 16 ).

John the Baptist said “ ...Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of
the world ...” . ( John 1 verse 29 ).

The Blood of the Kinsman Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ restores what man had lost in the
garden of Eden.

Mark 11 verse 23 to 26 says :

“...23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be
thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but
shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have
whatsoever he saith.

24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe
that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your
Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive
your trespasses....”

God wants to protect people from evil. In the natural, a father protects his
family from danger by providing food , clothes and shelter for them and providing
protection for them from harm.

The wife and children of the man place themselves under the authority and
protection of the man.

Their Submissive Position to His Authority ensures their protection. They abide in his home
in His Presence submitted to His Authority .

The Christian abides in God's Word, in His presence submitted to the Authority of
His Word. ( “........ IN HIS PRESENCE THERE IS FULNESS OF JOY !.......” Psalms 16 verse 11 ).

Mankind needs protection from demonic influence that would try to destroy all
mankind.

Mankind are not puppets. They are free moral agents. They may live any way they please or
they may live a life in accordance to God's Holy Word .

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The Bible is the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation.

Mankind with God place themselves under God's authority.

Mankind without God place themselves under the devil's authority.

The devil comes “.... to steal to kill and to destroy .....”. ( John 10 verse 10 ).

An ambassador of a country has the backing of his or her country and represents
that country.

Citizens of heaven have the authority of heaven backing up their Word because they
represent Heaven and by living a life worthy of the gospel , Heaven stands behind
them.

REPENT FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND !

THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD MUST GIVE WAY TO GOD'S KINGDOM .

In days gone by , the uniformed traffic officer standing on a drum at a road intersection
directing traffic represented the State or the Government . As a man, he has no power to
physically stop a truck or a car . But as an uniformed traffic officer on duty he represents the
State or the Government and has authority to stop and direct traffic as he sees fit.

There are many analogies of the Bible. Let us look at a few. Some people may say that the
Bible is an instruction book , with guidelines for the believer and may be likened to Guiding
Light, a highway code . Is such an analogy accurate or a fair representation. Let's break this
analogy down.

Man needs light to see where he is going. True or false ? True !!!

Without light man walks in darkness and stumbles and falls.

Is there gross spiritual darkness on earth ? Yes !!!

Christians are told that they are the light of the world and they must let their
lights shine.

In Matthew Chapter 5 verse 14 to 16 , THE LORD JESUS CHRIST SAID :

“....14 Ye are th:e light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it
giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father which is in heaven....”.

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Let us look at the highway code analogy. The Highway Code lays own rules and
guidelines.

To drive on the highways and by ways you need a drivers licence. However, you know and I
know that even licensed drivers sometimes get involved in accidents. Why?

Sometimes it is through no fault of them own and may be due entirely to circumstances
beyond their control.

Sometimes they may have for a brief moment driven without due care failing to
anticipate the next movement of a careless driver.

Let us look at the analogy of the forerunner.

In olden days a runner would run before a king to announce that the KING was coming.

Another forerunner that Paul writes about in Hebrews was about a forerunner that was a
little boat that would go out before a storm to meet ships coming into the harbour and the
forerunner boat would guide that ship away from treacherous rocks into the harbour of
safety , A HAVEN OF REST, so that thy could set down their anchor safe in the knowledge
that though the storm winds blew they were safe in harbour, anchored in the haven
of rest.

In Hebrews 6 verse 19 to 20 :

“...19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and
which entereth into that within the veil;

20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for
ever after the order of Melchisedec....”

We may speak of many analogies or parables .How does that apply to Scriptures?
The Bible is the instruction manual to guide pilgrim saints to heaven.

The Bible provides the believer with a spiritual road map to heaven on how to live a life
worthy of the gospel and to be the kind of person that God wants us to be i.e. a new
creation in Christ Jesus manifesting the Life and Love of our Lord Jesus Christ to a lost and
dying world so that the people that are entrapped in sin and are slaves to sin may have hope
that there is a better life, there is a better way to live, there is better happiness, a better
peace that the world cannot give and cannot take away. Where?

In the shelter of His Word. The Word of God provides shelter and protection to the
believers. Godly leaders by submitting to god's authority provide shelter and safety to a
nation.

When a nation or a people or n individual reject God's Word and blaspheme and mock

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and scoff the Word of God, they by their own actions reject the Word of God and by
so doing place themselves outside the safety zone of God's Word.

The Bible declares that : " The Angels of the Lord encamp around those that fear
Him, and delivereth them...” ( Psalms 34 verse 7 ).

The whole Psalm 34 provides instruction on how to be protected by God's Word .

“.. 1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my
mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be
glad.

3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his
troubles.

7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth
them.

8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall
not want any good thing.

11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?

13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their
cry.

16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance
of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their

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troubles.

18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be
of a contrite spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of
them all.

20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be
desolate.

22 The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in
him shall be desolate.......”.

Cain was of the wicked one. ( I John 3 verse 12 ). Cain did not want to do what was right.
Abel by revelation offered a blood sacrifice to God because by faith .

Abel knew that God required a blood sacrifice, for in the garden of Eden, an innocent animal
had been slain to cover Adam and Eve's nakedness and whilst the skins were still dripping
with blood, Adam and Eve were put out of the Garden of Eden .

Adam and Eve had sinned, they had fallen from Grace and could not enjoy Divine fellowship
with God in their sinful state.

God is Holy and those that worship Him worship Him in Spirit and Truth.( John 4
verse 24 ).

When Adam and Eve had sinned, they realised they were naked they had covered
themselves with figleaves and hid from the presence of God.

Today man openly and wilfully sins and is not afraid f blaspheming and angering God.

Noah however was perfect in his generation. ( Genesis 6 verse 9 ).

In Noah's day , the flesh of man corrupted. “......for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the
earth......”. ( Genesis 6 verse 12 ).

Did something happen to man's DNA ? . Bestiality was happening. Men began to multiply on
the face of the earth and all their thoughts and imaginations of their heart were wicked and
evil. But Noah found grace in the eyes of God and was perfect in his generations.

Look at Sodom and Gomorrah. Their sin was exceedingly wicked. The sodomites were
destroyed with fire and brimstone.

After the flood ,in Leviticus we read about the seed of man mingling with that of animals.

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Leviticus 18 verse 20 to 25 :

“ 20 Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with
her.

21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou
profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

23 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman
stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.

24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled
which I cast out before you:

25 And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it,
and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants....”

Mankind was put on earth for a purpose. When people live on earth without a purpose in
life living any way they want to without a moral compass, they lives degenerates into social
and moral depravity .

Look at crime statistics. There is a breakdown of law and order. Why ? There is a movement
that has deceived people that they can blaspheme the Bible and get away with it. Who is
behind the movement? Satan.

What is happening worldwide where mankind turns their back on the Word of God ?

When the Word of God is rejected , things fall apart.

When the Word of God is rejected mankind that rejects the Word of God place themselves
under the spiritual authority of satan and his demons.

The devil comes “.... to steal, to kill and to destroy.....” ( John 10 verse 10 ).

The Lord Jesus Christ came to give us Divine Life and Divine Life in abundance ( John 10
verse 10 ).

When people reject the Word of God, and despise the Word of God and blaspheme the
Word of God , then there is a drop in moral and social standards and a breakdown of law
and order.

Why ?

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 The Demonic influence of satan with his horde of demons entice people away from the
Precious Word of God, then husbands and wife divorce, there is an increase in abortions,
same sex unions, increase of divorce rates, increase of rape, domestic violence, increase of
theft , robbery and murder.

How about wars and rumours of war, corruption in the high corridors of power “...spiritual
wickedness in high places...? ”.

We are living in the last days.

The Children of God manifest the KINGDOM OF GOD .

They shine the LIGHT OF GOD’s WORD and manifest ZOE LIFE and AGAPE LOVE.

In Romans 8 verses 19 to 21 , the Apostle Paul said : “....19 For the earnest expectation of
the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

  20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath
subjected the same in hope,

  21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the
glorious liberty of the children of God.....”. ( Romans 8 verses 19 to 21 ).

We are living in the last days and the whole of creation is groaning waiting for the
manifestation of the Sons of God.