.... and let them have dominion .... over all the earth...
.... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over .... every living thing that moveth upon the earth." Gen.1:26-28.
One of the first things a young Seminary student learns is the three "Omni" characteristics of God, Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent, He is All-Powerful, All-Knowing, and All Present. He did not create the first two members of the human race, in His own image and likeness, without a plan. This Hebrew word for "image" is "tselem" and is also translated as "form" and "show", and probably refers to God's "appearance". But "Demuth", translated as "likeness" here, is also translated as "manner" and seems to refer to His internal characteristics. In other words, we look a bit like the Father and also have micro, finite potential to His Macro Infinite attributes of knowledge, power, and presence. Ours is,,,, a small potential to know, do and be, likenesses to the Father. These things are infinite in our Creator but, though finite in us, they are still sometimes marvelous to behold in the vast accomplishments of a so endowed person occupying only 5 or 6 cubic feet of presence, with a cantaloupe-sized brain for knowledge and a few flimsy muscles of power. That is because this seed-sized chip of stone off of the universal-sized boulder, is in fact, like the seed, embedded with an eternity of potential for life, and like the chip, is as a precious stone of great value, to God. He has created us in His image and likeness to carry out His original charge to go forth and replenish the race and take dominion over the world. This dominion is in the likeness of our Creator who has dominion over the universe. This human, dominion, likeness to God, justifies and demands limited, just, and protective Civil Law and Order among all people. And since this dominion was not given to the few, but to all, Godly, Biblical, legitimate Law and Order requires a system of equal, unbiased, fairness, agreed upon by those affected, and locked into place, as is our US Constitution.
If God's "dominion" is another of His Omni qualities,, of which he gave humans abbreviated likenesses, to Himself, its effect would tend to justify our free will, but rein in its abusers.
So, should we see our Creator's unrestricted, universal, free will, volition and His universal dominion as a fourth and fifth of His "Omni" attributes, of which He has given minute "likenesses" to us?
What about God's love and grace; are they not also omni qualities of God? Not if His grace and love ceased for Lucifer when He took away his light and cast him out into darkness, and not unless He still loves those evil sinners whom Jesus condemed, "Depart from me, I never knew you." Matt.7:23. In eternity, when every soul is either in heaven or hell, God's love and grace is omnigrace and omnilove for His born again saints, the bride of Christ. In fact, since He is Omniscient, that is already true....now. RB
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