From the beginning, God wanted to have fellowship with beings, created in His image, who love and serve Him from their own free will.
God knew that man would make the wrong choice and choose independence. God could either give up on His desire for sons and daughters created in His image who loved Him by choice or He could proceed with a plan that would redeem man after he failed and give him the opportunity to return to God of his own free will.
If God had not made man in His image, His fellowship would have been limited to angels, which do not bear His image, and His desire to fill the earth with sons and daughters would have been extinguished. Having faith that many would indeed come to Him of their own choice, and that He would have a family through the love He showed us in Jesus, God accepted the risk (so to speak). He continued with His plan so He would have a creation that reflects His goodness, love and glory.
It is God’s goodness that leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4), and it is His heart that no one perish (2 Pet. 3:9). He has loved the whole world (Jn. 3:16), has reconciled Himself to sinful man and is not imputing our sins unto us (2 Cor. 5:19). All that remains is for man to receive His love and join Him in fellowship and eternal life (2 Cor. 5:19-21). We have all eternity to enjoy with God, who is love, and no doubt the universe will be filled with His children, abundant life and glory!
