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Man Created
in the Image of God
Gen. 1:26 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after
our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of
the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle,
and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own
image, in the image of God created he him; male and female
created he them."
Based on the above
we can conclude th at when man was created he was in the
image of God. When thinking upon this fact, my mind is
drawn to two questions:
1. Is man still in
the image of God?
2. How is man in the
image of God?
Let us deal with
the second question first. Of all of God's creation only
man was created in the image of God. Further, God later
forbid man to make any image of God. Thus, man is the only
image and likeness of God that God has authorized. The
scriptures do not say that God created man partially in the
image and likeness of God. It says that he created God in
his own image after his own likeness. Thus, man was the
best representation and likeness of God that God created.
This principle is
set forth in examining the physical characteristics of man
and the things the scriptures say about God. The following
is said in describing God in comparison to the physical
characteristics of man:
1.
Ps. 11:4 "The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne
is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the
children of men."
2.
Ps. 34:15 "The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his
ears are open unto their cry."
3.
Deu. 4:34 "Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation
from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs,
and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and
by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors,
according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt
before your eyes?"
4.
Ex. 24:10 "And they saw the God of Israel: and there was
under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire
stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness."
5. 1
Sam. 13:14 "But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD
hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the
LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people,
because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded
thee."
6.
Ex. 31:18 "And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end
of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of
testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of
God."
In the above we
note the description of God using the physical
characteristics of man.
Likewise, other
verses of scripture describe God using the senses of man:
see, hear, smell, taste, and feel:
1.
Gen. 11:5 "And the LORD came down to see the city and the
tower, which the children of men builded."
2.
Deu. 33:7 "And this is the blessing of Judah: and he said,
Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his
people: let his hands be sufficient for him; and be thou an
help to him from his enemies."
3.
Phil. 4:18 "But I have all, and abound: I am full, having
received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from
you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable,
wellpleasing to God."
4.
Heb. 2:9 "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than
the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory
and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death
for every man."
5.
Heb. 4:15 "For we have not an high priest which cannot be
touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all
points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."
Moreover, we see
verbs associated with man used to describe God such as God
speaking; God denying; God working; God judging; God
forgiving; God rewarding; etc.
Unlike the birds,
fishes, mammals and other animals that God created, man was
created with the ability to think logically, to reason, to
rationalize, to deduce and draw conclusions. These are also
things that are ascribed to God.
The phrase, "Let
us," indicates a plurality in the Godhead. This is verified
by several scriptures with 1 John 5:7 the most cited: "For
there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the
Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." The
three, yet one, nature of the Godhead is also found in man's
likeness and image to God. According to 1 Thes. 5:23 man is
also three, yet one, in nature: "And the very God of peace
sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and
soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ."
There are seven
things that God made man in which he is different from the
other creatures, yet are characteristic to God:
1.
God made man upright. All the other mammals, birds,
reptiles, insects, etc. are made to loco mote parallel to
the ground. Man is made so that he can readily look outward
and upwards.
2.
God made man with a reasoning, rational, logical mind. All
of the other creatures are extremely limited in their
ability to logically reason if at all.
3.
God made man with the freedom of ability to choose his
course. No other creature has the latitude to make such
free choices.
4.
God made man to have "dominion over the fish of the sea, and
over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all
the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon
the earth." God certainly has dominion over all his
creation. God gave man to have dominion over a large
portion of the creatures of the earth.
5.
God made man in the image of the Godhead. The Godhead
consists of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and these three are
one. God made man a threefold yet one nature: body, soul,
and spirit.
6.
God made man with the ability to assimilate language for
communication. All other creatures are very limited in
their ability to communicate and do not have the ability to
assimilate language to any degree.
7.
God gave man wisdom. This is the ability to take the
knowledge and understanding that man has and to put it to
good use.
The following two
verses teach us that man is still in the image of God:
1.
Gen. 9:6 "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood
be shed: for in the image of God made he man."
2. 1
Cor. 11:7 "For a man indeed ought not to cover his head,
forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman
is the glory of the man."
However, due to
the fall of man, man is no longer completely in the image of
God for we find in the covenant of redemption that the elect
of God are predestinated to be conformed to the image of the
Son: Rom. 8:29, 30: "For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son,
that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and
whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he
justified, them he also glorified." If man were perfectly
in the image of God then why would it be necessary that God
predestinate the elect to be conformed to the image of the
Son?
There are things
about God that Adam and his genealogy lost in the fall of
man. The read the following concerning Christ: Heb. 7:26
"For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the
heavens…" Furthermore, Christ is called the Sun of
Righteousness: Mal. 4:2 "But unto you that fear my name
shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his
wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the
stall." In contrast it is said of fallen man in Rom. 3:10:
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:"
Ultimately in the resurrection through the atoning sacrifice
of Christ we will once again be completely in the image of
Christ as we will be holy, harmless, undefiled, separate
from sinners, and made higher than the heavens and we will
be made altogether righteous. |
