God's Image

In Genesis Chapter 1 v.26 (King James Version) it says God made us in His likeness in fact 'our likeness', plural.
So what does that mean and why can we not see Him?

It seems such a simplistic thing but it is a very large thought that we look like God, He looks like us. He said 'our' likeness, so that could mean the Holy Spirit and Jesus, the Trinity all look like humans.

If we look like them, that makes us very important indeed, so treasured that God sent Jesus to die for us so that we have the option to remain with Him in heaven for eternity.

What else from the Bible besides Genesis 1 leads you to think God or the Holy Spirit look like us? If it's true or important, wouldn't it be clear from the scriptures?

Adam was made in the image of God. That mage has been corrupted because of sin. All believers will one day bear the image of Jesus at the resurrection. Jesus was the express image of God.

God is spirit.We are made in his image being of the spirit,water,and the blood.But even our physical selves are in his image.

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• Gen 1:26a . . Then God said: Let us make man in our image, in our
likeness

The same language is employed at Gen 5:3 describing Adam's son Seth;
suggesting that the boy was an assembly-line duplicate of his dad;
which is highly unlikely.

The thing is: humans are material beings whereas God's characteristics are
those of a ghost, i.e. spirit. (John 4:24) so mankind and God are very much
unalike in their appearance.

Adam came into being as a "living soul" which we find later indicates
consciousness, self awareness, and individuality. The critters were created
as living souls too, but none of them are said to be in the image and likeness
of God.

The big difference between mankind and the animal kingdom is morality.
Mankind was created moral whereas the critters were created amoral.
Mankind then was intended to be responsible, whereas the critters are
beasts with no clue pertaining to responsibility.

Mankind then has the ability to contemplate the consequences of its actions,
whereas the animal kingdom's various behaviors are driven by instincts with
typically no concern for consequences.

• Gen 1:26b . . and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the
air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that
move along the ground.

Nobody in their right mind would entrust the care of all life on earth to an
amoral beast; which is exactly what mankind would've been had God not
created them like Himself, i.e. beings with a sense of responsibility.
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Couldn’t agree more

Ive looked into this image meaning and have found many meanings to this verse.
I'm sure if this thread continues on will get many meanings.
The one meaning that is over looked by many is that GOD is your closest relative.
God is the redeemer of all of mankind. But a redeemer according to scripture needs to be a relative. A goel if you will.
God is mankinds goel and accepts the responsibility of redeeming us.....for he is able and capable.
For GOD so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.

My understanding has always been that this is not stating how we look, rather how we will look come the Kingdom.

When we first come to truly believe God, Jesus Yeshua, Elohim, God, begins His work in us to mold us into His image, for it is written that we will be just like Jesus Yeshua, not He, but like He is.

It is a glorious promise. I should hope no woman nor any man should hope to be otherwise. Spirit.

John 8:44
"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

OP, do you believe the above verse is literal?

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I suspect it's closer to literal than we know. For example:

• Ps 58:3 . .The wicked are estranged from the womb; these who speak lies
go astray from birth.

Natural-born liars can only be explained as the result of something
mysterious at work within the very core of their being while still developing
inside their mom's tummy because God's handiwork produced an innocent
man rather than a man prone to evil. We shouldn't be surprised because the
Devil has the power of death (Heb 2:14) and the ability to tamper with the
human body and the human mind in ways not easily detected; e.g. Luke
13:16, Mark 5:1-5, and Eph 2:2.

The first example of this took place in the very beginning. Prior to tasting the
forbidden fruit, Adam had no concept of decency; and then presto! he did.
Well that sudden change didn't come from God, and I seriously doubt
he got it from the chemistry of the fruit because Eve tasted it first and when
she did, nothing happened. She went right on in the buff as usual and felt no
inclination to cover herself until Adam tasted it. By doing so he and his wife
became the first of the Devil's many offspring.

* I really have to hand it to the Serpent; he's very good at shifting blame
away from himself. For quite a few years now it's been traditional to believe
parents propagate the fallen nature; when it's been the Serpent all along.
Jesus' statement: "You are of your father the Devil" wasn't idle rhetoric.

How the Devil has managed to deceive so many people for so long a time I
don't know, but what's really ironic about it is that there are people behind
pulpits, and chairing whole Sunday school departments, helping him do it as
unsuspecting accomplices; which goes to show that if an idea is repeated
often enough, widely enough, and loud enough by people held in high
enough esteem; pretty soon it's accepted by the masses as fact without
thought or question. (a.k.a. the Asch Conformity Phenomenon)

A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong;
Gives it a superficial appearance of being right.
(Thomas Paine)
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In the beginning, when God said “let there be light “he was revealing His character in time and space. Man was created to reflect this character in the earth. If this way, man was made in the image of God: created with the purpose, to reflect the light of God, wherever he is.

God is light and this is why man, restored back to his original intent through Christ, is called “the light of the world”. While God may certainly show himself apart from man man was created to manifest the image of God. So today, because of Christ, God shows up primarily through those who are in Christ. The finished work on the cross and men’s belief in that work makes this possible today. In other words, even though it was God’s original intent that Adam and Eve be made in the image and likeness of Him, it was not until Jesus that this became true in the earth in its fullness.

so now there are two sons in the Earth: one son is Adam, who continues in his fallenness; the other son is Christ, who displays the image and likeness of his Father. All who are born again are found in Christ and make up the body of the Son of His love.

Interesting thoughts on the image of God, using the life of Elvis as an example:

1 Corinthians 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

you see Gods image when you hear and accept the gospel message conveyed in Matthew mark Luke and John

the gospel is a presentation of the true God to the whole world jesus is Gods image

“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. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:3-6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

when we accept and believe the gospel we receive the spirit and this happens over time as we persevere in faith

“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

We were corrupted and became this image and we know who’s image this is

“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.

And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭6:5-7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The rest of the Bible leads to the New Testament that isjoreaenting shoes true image To us in the gospel when we see Jesus that’s who God really is what he’s really like what he really wants to teach us and desires from us and for us what he has promised believers

Simply stated

“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, ( we see his image in Jesus )

and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ.( his image is given To us )

This is the true God, and eternal life.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭5:20‬ ‭

accepting the gospel changes us into the image of Gods children who ere reflections of himself in the world

All excellent. And thus the command to be fruitful and multiply so that the glory of the Lord would fill the earth.
Since this is accomplished now through believers, the great commission is an extension of the creation mandate to fill the earth with the glory of God.

Also it’s an example of how faith works by Gods word

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,( the example in genesis 1)

hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”( the spiritual example of the gospel )
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Hi and thank you., Why small fonts to big to small to big. I pray just saying no offense please but making parts of a verse bigger and bolder is you telling us what you believe not what that verse is really saying. Some of what you posted has context. Something came before it and after. So whos showing us you or the sweet holy Spirit? You are. I understand what your saying but sin or not we were made in the image of God. I think you just looking at the flesh. Like Christ talking to His own "you being evil know how to give good gifts how much more will your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask" ooh did you ask?

But that verse He said you being "evil" yet in the same sentence said " will your heavenly Father" . Satan is called the god of this world yet he is no god anyway not here to debate the image.

Anyway to the OP amen.. to think to know God is a spirit. We know what image, likeness means. It goes for me far deeper then that.

“So whos showing us you or the sweet holy Spirit?”

the scripture is the holy ghosts word the scripture shows us

The difference in the scripture and someone’s opinion or interpretation is important

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1:19-21‬ ‭KJV‬‬

the scripture is actually Gods word , many people claim to speak for God but won’t agree with scripture. It’s the scripture that teaches us about the holt spirit and how to receive the holy spirit

see jesus who the gospel is all about his spirit is the holy spirit

“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭23:46‬ ‭KJV‬‬


“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭4:6‬

The holy spirit spoke and preached the gospel already sent it to all people and said “ anyone that believes will be saved “
“Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭3:21-22‬ ‭KJV‬‬

At that point Jesus begins to preach this

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭4:18-19, 21‬ ‭KJV‬‬

In other words the Holy Spirit is who preached the gospel

“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭1:14-15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

the way to receive the Holy Spirit is like the Bible says not like I say or anyone else but like what is written for anyone to read and believe

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭16:15-16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:38-39‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭3:24-26‬ ‭

Its much more simple it’s as simple as hearing what e new testament says and believing it who shares it or reads it the self or hears it in a pew at church is insignificant it’s whether we hear what’s really there or a version of man’s design

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• Gen 1:3 . . Then God said "Let there be light" and there was light.

The Earth wasn't illuminated by heavenly sources till the fourth day when
God created the Sun, Moon, and Stars; so the light in this verse is
controversial.

In the very beginning, the Earth was chaotic and had neither form nor
function. As such it was unsuitable for human habitation (Isa 45:18). In
order to get it into a useful condition, it was necessary to subject it to law.
(Law is light, cf. Prov 6:23)

The laws of nature are sometimes very complex; as most anyone who's
taken a college course in Physics can verify. The laws of nature that God
created for our cosmos probably don't work up where He lives. That world is
likely held together by a Physics very different than ours.

• Gen 1:4a . . And God saw the light, that it was good

God didn't see the light until He said let there be light; meaning of course
that the light of Gen 1:3 didn't exist until God made it.

* It's curious to me that most Bible students have no trouble readily
conceding that everything else in the first chapter of Genesis is natural, e.g.
the cosmos, the earth, the atmosphere, water, dry land, the Sun, the Moon,
the stars, aqua life, winged life, terra life, flora life, and human life. But
when it comes to light they choke; finding it impossible within themselves to
believe that Genesis just might be consistent in its description of the creative
process.
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