Proximity to God, the relationship among people, and living in harmony with creation are closely related. How can we reconcile what evil has separated ? This good power has a name.
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Photo: NAK Schweiz
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Photo: NAK Schweiz
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Photo: NAK Schweiz
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Photo: NAK Schweiz
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Photo: NAK Schweiz
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Photo: NAK Schweiz
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Photo: NAK Schweiz
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Photo: NAK Schweiz
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Photo: NAK Schweiz
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Photo: NAK Schweiz
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Photo: NAK Schweiz
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Photo: NAK Schweiz
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Photo: NAK Schweiz
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Photo: NAK Schweiz
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Photo: NAK Schweiz
In a divine service in Uster (Switzerland) on 11 November 2018, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider used a well-known Bible text: “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1: 27).
God’s plan
“Man was created to have fellowship with God. He can perceive God’s presence and hear His voice. He can speak with God. Man can feel the love of God, reciprocate it, and show God his love.”
“God created human beings in order to have fellowship with one another. God is relational. That is why He created human beings as man and woman. They live in communion with each other, complement each other, and depend on each other.”
“God created man to live in harmony with the creation. He gave both man and woman the same responsibility. God has charged human beings to represent Him on earth, to subdue it, and to take care of it as He does.”
What man made out of it
“Since the fall into sin, man must live in a condition of remoteness from God. The fellowship broke apart because the relationship, the trust, had been destroyed.”
“After having fallen into sin, the man wanted to dominate the woman. The relationship between human beings began to deteriorate.”
“After the fall into sin, and this has continued throughout history, human beings have become more and more attached to material things, to earthly goods and possessions.”
What Jesus exemplified
“Then Jesus Christ came. This man was exactly as God had willed him to be. Jesus always sought to be close to His Father, fostered a fervent prayer life, and sought fellowship with Him.”
“He did not come to rule, but to serve. Jesus loved everyone alike. Jesus showed unconditional love and gave His life for all human beings. He made no distinctions.”
“It is so comforting to know that Jesus enjoyed a good glass of wine and food. He enjoyed life, but material things had no influence on His relationship with God.”
How the Holy Spirit helps us
“Through the Holy Spirit we can grow into the likeness of God. The new man loves God. He knows that God loves him, and everything he does is done out of love for God and not with an ulterior motive or out of calculation.”
“Let us make sure that our prayers are not only cries of help or wish lists, but a true conversation with God. The new man talks about what God has done upon him and for him and tells his neighbour about it. He does not put the focus on himself.”
“Let us make sure that material things are not the determining factor in our relationship with God and our neighbour. We do not only think about our own welfare, but we also think about our fellow human beings and the future.”
“This is the new creation which the Holy Spirit wants to accomplish in us, so that our fellowship with God once again becomes perfect, and our fellowship with our fellow human beings once again becomes as God wants it to be, and our relationship to material things and to the environment again becomes as God wants them to be. If we allow the Holy Spirit to work within us, He can create this in us.”