God created mankind in His own image
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we are able to create.... things: ways of seeing things, experiences, possibilites, health, sickness, possitivity, negativity, change, words, books, theology, paintings, objects, gardens, art, sentences, paragraphs, vehicles of architecture, inventions of various kinds....
also.... "God is light and there is no darkness in him"....
Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/God-Is-Light
For now [in this time of imperfection] we see in a mirror dimly [a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma], but then [when the time of perfection comes we will see reality] face to face.
"If you've seen Me, you've seen the Father", so said Lord Jesus. There are a number of OT events where it seems certain that the Lord Jesus appeared. For example, Moses saw the back of the Lord. Yet it says that no man has seen God. So what did Moses see?
It seems to me that we are made in the image of the Lord Jesus. If Adam had eaten from the Tree of Life, he would have been completed spiritually. He then would have been entirely like God. We know that Adam chose the forbidden fruit and so ended up with Satan's nature instead of Gods'.
We still bear many of the characteristics of God's nature. We are creative. We know what is good and what is evil. In spite of our flaws, we are amazing beings. No other creature has anything like the intelligence that we possess. Animals function by instinct. People function by conscience, except for those who have seared it and no longer have one.
Psalm 8
4what is man that You are mindful of him,
or the son of man that You care for him?
5You made him a little lower than the angels;
You crowned him with glory and honor.
6You made him ruler of the works of Your hands;
You have placed everything under his feet:
7all sheep and oxen,
and even the beasts of the field,
8the birds of the air and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
I believe that Adam could fly. How else could he rule the birds? Man is the pinnacle of God's creation. One day, His people will be restored to the glory that God intended for us in the beginning. (Romans 8:30). Spiritually, we are already restored. We are in the process of having our soul set free. One day, we'll have a new body that is appropriate for our new spirit
27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Not necessarily. Adam was created in God's image. Eve was taken out of Adam. This is symbolic of the Lord Jesus (the Last Adam) and the Church (the Bride of Christ). We are not Jesus, but those who are born again have His nature and His indwelling Spirit. We don't know what Adam looked like. I'm sure that he was amazing both physically and in his natural abilities. It's hard enough to think up a decent name for your kids, let alone every kind of animal ever created.
Lord Jesus said that if we see Him, we see the Father. He is the visible image of the invisible God. The risen Lord looked as human as everyone else.
Why do people speak of Adam like he is this great guy? He did one of the worst crimes against humanity! He is evil and he died a spiritual death along with his serpent friendly wife.
Do you truly think there was a physical tree of life and tree of knowledge? What does the word elohim mean to you?
Being made in God's image means that we are made to be like God in many ways, although not in all ways.
One way that we are made to be like God is in our character. This part of God's image in us has been damaged by our sin. However, through faith in Christ we find both forgiveness and a transformation process that remakes us to be more fully like Jesus. The final outcome for those in Christ is that we will be as good, pure, loving, faithful, and true as Jesus. That's the big goal.
I wrote a relevant devotion blog post some years ago. Here is a link:
Sunflowers and Sonpeople
An image from the blogpost:
One way that we are made to be like God is in our character. This part of God's image in us has been damaged by our sin. However, through faith in Christ we find both forgiveness and a transformation process that remakes us to be more fully like Jesus. The final outcome for those in Christ is that we will be as good, pure, loving, faithful, and true as Jesus. That's the big goal.
I wrote a relevant devotion blog post some years ago. Here is a link:
Sunflowers and Sonpeople
An image from the blogpost:
I'm asking a question because I do not know the answer.
Should you continue to denigrate my threads for no reason whatsoever, you will be reported.
Take this as a warning.
My questions are more of points that I am using so as to try to get people to think of what they are saying/promoting.
Also, I want you to Trust me when I say that I am not a "know it all." I make mistakes. I am not right all the time. I am often wrong. I'm ok with that. Everyone has an opportunity to write to me with maturity and teach me things that I do not know. That said, very few, here, possess that maturity . . . which is why very few, here, are able to teach me anything . . . at . . . all. And if people are unable to teach me anything, what does that have to do with me? Nothing.
Take care.
Yes, Jesus said this. But His point was not that He, Jesus, is a physical representation of His Father, but that He Himself, Jesus, is God in human flesh. The passage shows this, that within Christ is the fullness of God . . . not without.
Colossians 1:19 NLT - "For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ . . ."
Same thing below, this time using the KJV:
Colossians 2:9 KJV - "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."
Isn't the text really saying that Christ is something like a container filled with water? Within Jesus, He contains the (water, which is the Spirit) fullness of God?
We need to separate the physical from the Spiritual. If all physical things are to pass away, does this mean that God will die if we are ACTUALLY made in His image?
And if we are made in His physical image, He then, must not like it, for He will destroy it all . . . as it seems:
2 Peter 3:10-13 NLT - "But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. 11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness."
We are a reflection of our Creator, just as a painting of a house is the reflection of what is within the mind of the painter. Another example: Having composed many pieces of music, no one knows that music better than me, for I wrote each and every note, even planning how much time should be between them. But does my music look like me? Impossible. Yet, my music is clearly an incredibly deep reflection of my Heart . . . what I think, and how I feel. I created my music within my IMAGE(nation), and it is a perfect reflection of who I am.
Let's use my Old Man as an example and comparison to say, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
In my pre-Transformed Life and Mind, I was absolutely addicted to sex and sexual activities. I have been known to lay down large bills in strip-clubs, and consume so much alcohol that I could barely have straight vision. I loved it! I was early in my forties, had a wife and two step-children at home. Can anyone honestly say that they could look at me and say, "Ahhh . . . David is the very image of God!" No, they cannot, and I should say for the sake of myself, if anyone ever disagreed, I'd be utterly repulsed over myself.
But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego . . . these three were made in the image of God, and here is how and why we can know this for sure. What happened to them within the Fiery Furnace?
Daniel 3:22-25, 27 NLT - "And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. 23 So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames. 24 But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, "Didn't we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?" "Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did," they replied. 25 "Look!" Nebuchadnezzar shouted. "I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!" ... 27 Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn't even smell of smoke!"
That's right . . . not a single hair on their heads were singed nor was their clothing scorched. If anyone was created in the image of God, it would be these three. For we could look upon them and say, "Surely. These men have been born of incorruptible and Holy Seed!"
1 Peter 1:23 KJV - "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."
I love our Bible translations more than anything on this planet. I wish that we could speak to each other with kindness and gentleness. We need each other . . . desperately.
In my pre-Transformed Life and Mind, I was absolutely addicted to sex and sexual activities. I have been known to lay down large bills in strip-clubs, and consume so much alcohol that I could barely have straight vision. I loved it! I was early in my forties, had a wife and two step-children at home. Can anyone honestly say that they could look at me and say, "Ahhh . . . David is the very image of God!" No, they cannot, and I should say for the sake of myself, if anyone ever disagreed, I'd be utterly repulsed over myself.
But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego . . . these three were made in the image of God, and here is how and why we can know this for sure. What happened to them within the Fiery Furnace?
Daniel 3:22-25, 27 NLT - "And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. 23 So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames. 24 But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, "Didn't we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?" "Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did," they replied. 25 "Look!" Nebuchadnezzar shouted. "I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!" ... 27 Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn't even smell of smoke!"
That's right . . . not a single hair on their heads were singed nor was their clothing scorched. If anyone was created in the image of God, it would be these three. For we could look upon them and say, "Surely. These men have been born of incorruptible and Holy Seed!"
1 Peter 1:23 KJV - "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."
I love our Bible translations more than anything on this planet. I wish that we could speak to each other with kindness and gentleness. We need each other . . . desperately.
I’m not certain it is as abstract as you think. What the verse actually states is that the elohim (plural for gods or beings from the heavens) said, “Let us make man in our image and after our likeness…” Because Christianity preaches monotheism, they instead changed gods to God. Since Jehovah is the invisible God, we fill the blanks in as our intellect permits. However, if it is accurately depicted in Hebrew and improperly translated, then it explains Genesis 6 very literally. “The sons of God (elohim; gods) saw that the daughters of men were fair (attractive) and bore them children, who became the mighty men.” This account in scripture is shared with many other religions. We explain it away as absurd to think humans and heavenly beings could procreate, but it says it right there in the beginning, made in their image.
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
Ephesians 4:23-24 KJV
we are meant to be holy , we aren’t meant to be in a conflict of whether to do good or whether to do evil . Gods image is holy, pure , good he is Love.
man was made very good like his character and nature and the tree of good and evil was forbidden. Gods image isn’t like this
“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”
Genesis 6:5-6 KJV
that’s the image of Satan contunually evil and wicked. Man was made right , then corrupted . Our nature changed from Gods to adams fallen sinful nature
“This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
( then they became sinners conflicted by good and evil )
And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:”
Genesis 5:1-3 KJV
the image of God regards his character and nature his will And desires are all good and so we’re we .
“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”
Genesis 1:31 KJV
and we were unashamed in Gods presence
“And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”
Genesis 2:25 KJV
because they had no lust or sin living in them everything was pure and good and man was right and unashamed but then Satan corrupted all that and made man into his sinful image by corrupting then with the knowledge of good and evil
by genesis 6 they are looking like Satan rather than Gods image but then the gospel is meant to change mans nature and image back to Gods image which is seen in Christ in whom we believe
“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 KJV
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV
“And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
Ephesians 4:23-24 KJV
In my readings of today, I have found something interesting to take note of:
Psalm 8:4-5 NET - "Of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them? Of what importance is mankind, that you should pay attention to them, and make them a little less than the heavenly beings? You grant mankind honor and majesty . . ."
If we are made in the image of God, wouldn't angels be even more in alignment with His image than that of ourselves?
Psalm 8:4-5 NET - "Of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them? Of what importance is mankind, that you should pay attention to them, and make them a little less than the heavenly beings? You grant mankind honor and majesty . . ."
If we are made in the image of God, wouldn't angels be even more in alignment with His image than that of ourselves?
What a great question! My 1st thoughts are, God has given us the intelligence to know to do good. God can do good. We are equipped to do good. God is equipped to do good. God communicates with us. We can communicate with Him.
Do you consider Adam that was formed of the ground.. then Eve from His rib.. a different occurrence to the male and female creation?
I like to think that, like God, we come in three parts: mind, body and spirit.
I think that's an excellent way of putting it. God is spirit, so he encased our spirits in bodies. We are created, unlike God, so our spirits are encased in physical bodies. And God is an intelligent Being. So we are an intelligent being to be able to communicate with Him. Makes perfect sense! Thanks.