In the Beginning: God’s Design, Our Purpose, and His Love

Prefer to listen? 🎧 Find this teaching as a podcast on Unashamed Rom116:
👉 Spotify
👉 Amazon Music

Introduction

The book of Genesis is not just a historical account—it’s a foundation, a love letter, and a revelation of who God is, who we are, and why the world exists as it does.

In Genesis chapters 1 to 3, we see the breath-taking beginning of creation, the purpose behind humanity, and even the entrance of sin. This beginning sets the stage for the entire Bible, showing us God’s heart and His unchanging plan for redemption. 😊

The Power of God’s Word in Creation

Genesis 1 opens with: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” God didn’t need tools, machines, or even raw materials. He spoke, and it was. “And God said, Let there be light, and there was light.” His Word carries the very power of life, order, and beauty. ✨

We being made in the image of God also have the power to create through our words. This is a call to carefully check what we say, the Bible says life and death are in the power of the tongue. Speak life (●’◡’●)

When God created, He was intentional. Nothing was random. The separation of light from darkness, land from sea, day from night—everything shows His order. The aspect of God’s Word separating light from darkness can be applied to our lives, anywhere where you have darkness in your life, use the Word to identify the lie, bring Light and separate it from the darkness. We go through in this depth in my podcast on Spotify here or Amazon Music here. ✿

Humanity: Made in God’s Image

One of the most profound truths in Genesis 1:26–27 is that man and woman were created in the image and likeness of God. That means you are not meant to be like others but to reflect God in the way only you can.(◡‿◡)

God gave mankind dominion over the earth—not for exploitation, but stewardship. We were created to reflect His character, to rule in love, and to live in fellowship with Him. In Genesis 2, God forms Adam with His hands and breathes His own breath into him. That intimacy is unmatched. Let us exercise this dominion in our lives to change situations to give glory to God. 🙏🏽

The Garden and God’s Care

Genesis 2 shows us the beautiful garden God planted for Adam and Eve. It wasn’t just about food—it was about fellowship, provision, and joy. 🤍

God then invites Adam to till the land showing how God invites us to work in what He had already prepared for us before we came into the world. Work is intimate relation with God, we are to enjoy it, our Father worked, so do we.

Even the creation of Eve speaks volumes. God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” Out of Adam, He formed Eve, not from the head to rule over him, not from the feet to be trampled, but from the side—to walk with him. This points us to companionship, equality, and unity in God’s design. 🎀

The Entrance of Sin

Genesis 3 introduces the serpent, deception, and humanity’s fall. The enemy targeted what God had said, twisting His words, planting doubt, and stirring desire. Eve and Adam fell into the trap, and with that one act of disobedience, sin entered the world. 🌏

But even here, God’s heart shines. He came walking in the garden, calling out, “Where are you?” Not because He didn’t know, but because He desired reconciliation. God want to restore you, not to condemn you. In your sin God is asking where are you, so I can restore you?” Run back to Him

He clothed Adam and Eve in garments of skin—pointing to the future sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God who would cover sin once and for all. God literally sacrificed His own animal to cover our nakedness. Let us be reminded of this great sacrifice everytime we are thinking about decency. It is definetly not a small issue❤

Today’s Truth

Genesis 1–3 shows us this:

  • God is Creator and everything He makes is good.
  • We are made in His image, deeply loved and carefully designed.
  • Sin broke the fellowship, but God immediately began to show His plan of redemption.

From the very beginning, God’s love is evident. Creation, purpose, companionship, and even His response to sin all point us to His desire for relationship with us. 🧡

✨ For more Bible study podcasts like this one, listen to Unashamed Rom116 on Spotify and Amazon Music.

Healing from Self-Hate: Finding Your True Identity in Christ

Self-hate is one of the deepest and most silent battles many of us face. It doesn’t always look like loud words of criticism spoken out loud.

Sometimes, it hides in quiet thoughts: “I’m not enough.” “I’m broken.” “Everyone else is better than me.” These lies creep into our hearts and begin to shape how we see ourselves, how we relate to others, and even how we see God.

But here is the truth: You are God’s masterpiece created for good works. (Eph 2:10) He knit you together in your mother’s womb with intention, care, and love (Psalm 139). Self-hate is not your identity. Christ’s love is.

Why Self-Hate Feels So Powerful

Self-hate often comes from comparison, painful words spoken over us, shame from past mistakes, or the weight of feeling like we never measure up.

It feeds on lies, and because it whispers so subtly, we begin to believe that those lies are our reality.

  • “I’ll never be good enough.”
  • “I’m defined by what I did.”
  • “I don’t deserve love.”

Yet, the cross tells us otherwise. Christ died for us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). He saw value in us even when we couldn’t see value in ourselves.

Healing Is Possible

Healing from self-hate doesn’t mean you’ll never have those thoughts again, but it does mean silencing the lies with the Word of Truth. Healing is about renewing your mind with truth and recognising that God’s Word has the final say about who you are.

It’s a process of:

  • Naming the pain and emotions instead of burying them.
  • Differentiating between thoughts, feelings, and truth.
  • Finding Scriptures that combat lies and planting them deep in your heart.
  • Forgiving yourself and others.
  • Rebuilding your identity on what God says.

A Guided Journey: Healing from Self-Hate

I have experienced self-hate and it was frustrating to see how difficult it was looking for therapy and I knew that if God heals our bodies, He also mends our broken hearts.

Healing the mind is in my opinion, one of the most important part to heal because as a man thinketh so is he (Proverbs 23:7)

By the grace of God, now I can offer what God offered to me and help out others who were in the same situation and tell them Jesus loves you and wants you whole.

I created a 12-day guide called “Healing from Self-Hate” available here: romun.gumroad.com/l/healingfrom-selfhate_unashamedrom116.

Glory back to God

This series takes you step by step through:

  1. Building faith that healing is possible.
  2. Naming your pain and learning the difference between lies and truth.
  3. Discovering Scriptures that combat negative thoughts.
  4. Practising forgiveness—towards others and yourself.
  5. Pampering and self-check-ins to rebuild confidence.
  6. Reclaiming your true identity in Christ.

Each day has a welcome, teaching, exercise, truth to hold onto, and practical steps. It’s more than reading—it’s a journey where you will see God meet you personally. There are two versions, one for ladies and another one for gentlemen.

For Those Who Prefer Watching

If you would rather watch and listen, I also share on my YouTube channel. There’s a playlist on Identity in Christ that will encourage you and strengthen your walk with God. You can find it here: Identity in Christ Playlist. Here is one short clip from the playlist. Be blessed

Final Word

Healing from self-hate is not about becoming someone else. It’s about seeing yourself the way God already sees you—beloved, chosen, forgiven, and whole. You don’t have to stay trapped in shame or comparison. There is freedom, and it’s found in Christ.

Take the journey. Speak the truth. Walk in love. And remember, you are not broken—you are deeply loved.

A Bible Study on True Love (◔◡◔)

What Makes People Hard To Love?

What makes people hard to love is simply this: people are human.

Prefer to watch? The Struggle To LOVE

GALATIANS 9: 19-21

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions… (These things make love difficult.)

People are hard to love when their actions clash with our expectations or desires. 

We naturally love those who are kind to us, but when someone is indifferent, it feels unnatural to extend love.  😑

And then there’s the deeper layer—sometimes people are hard to love because they remind us of something in ourselves we don’t want to face. Our own impatience, pride, or wounds. 💔

Is Anybody Easy To Love?

The flesh is wired to love all things pretty, glittery, soft, cool, etc

But is this really love? 🤔 

When we are asked, ‘Why do u love person A? ’, the immediate answer is to gush all about their good traits or even the bad ones that we find pleasant, like the way they act when angry ( red noses, blablabla ).

LUKE 6

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.

So it’s not about who is easy to love. Love should be constant, like our Father’s. 🤍

Do we know what love is?

Naturally, no, we don’t, we have no idea. 

Our fallen nature gravitates towards what pleases us and rejects what is difficult

And what we call love is that pleasure we get. 🙁

We love food, we love that kind neighbour, we love that guy who stood up for the other in the street, even though he was physically smaller …

This is not … love

Gal 5

10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view.

So what is God’s view of love, the love we are called to have? ❔

1 CORINTHIANS 13: 4 – 8

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

How to love?

To learn how to love:

Let us look at how God loved and continues to love us. 💗

God the Father

  •  He Loved Us First ❤

1 John 4:19 – 

“We love Him, because He first loved us.”

  • He Loved Us While We Were Still Sinful ❤

So, someone being nasty is not an excuse not to love them

Romans 5:8 – 

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

  • He Loved Us Enough to Give His Son ❤

Love is giving, and God gave His very best.

  • He Loves us Unconditionally ❤

Love is independent of the person or circumstance

Romans 8:38-39 –

 “…Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come… shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God’s love is self-initiated, sacrificial, unshakable, etc

 It goes beyond feelings—it’s a commitment that He never breaks.

God the Son

Christ loved us even though He knew we would crucify Him…

  • He Loved with Compassion ❤

Jesus didn’t just feel love—He acted on it. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and comforted the broken. His love wasn’t passive; it moved Him to care for the hurting.

  • He Loved by Serving ❤

John 13:14-15 

The King of Kings washed the dirty ( and probably smelly ) feet of His disciples. 😶 

Love humbles itself and serves, no matter how high the position.

  •  He Loved by Speaking the Truth, Even When It Hurt ❤

John 8:10-11 – 

“Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”

Jesus loved deeply, but He never ignored sin. His love was honest. He forgave the woman caught in adultery, but also called her to leave her sin.

  •  He Loved Sacrificially ❤

His ultimate act of love was dying for us. Not because we deserved it, but because He chose to love us.

  •  He Loved Even His Enemies ❤

Luke 23:34 – 

“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

While being crucified, He prayed for those who mocked and killed Him. 

(P.S. Even those who spat on Him, yes, spat ) 

That’s love beyond human capability. 😌

Many acts of kindness have an underlying motivation—feeling good, receiving praise, or easing guilt.

Jesus’ love was purely for our sake, not His own 

He didn’t gain anything from dying for us—He gave everything.

Why should we love others?

Love is God’s Signature in Us

John 13:35 – 

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

The evidence of God in our lives isn’t miracles or knowledge—it’s love.

If God forgives our sins, we must extend that same love and grace to others.

If you love, you naturally obey all of God’s commands—you won’t steal, lie, or harm others. Without love, all other gifts are uselesssss

Conclusion

Love is not about who is deserving, but about who we become when we choose to love. – The image of God

In true love, there are no difficult people – only people to love

So let us love not by preference but by conviction, not by fleeting emotion but by commitment, and not as the world loves, but as our Father loves—mercifully, endlessly, unconditionally and unashamedly. ✨