Did God make us based on who we are or something else?

dirt to man could have a lot of possibilities

I believe that He deliberately made each of us unique, but the sin element is not part of His intended design.

Sickness & sin-choices affect our development in unintended ways, but when He redeems us, He moves us back toward His ideal for us.

How could he make you before you are based on who you are? I don't follow you there.

I believe he made each individual for his specific use for them. Some of us he chose for a very particular function, as members of the body of Christ --the Bride of Christ-- the church, the dwelling place of God. It is they, to whom he chose to show mercy, and that, not as a result of any worthiness or even ability or action on their part

ImAllLikeOkWaitWat said:

There seems to be two possibilities when it comes to how we were made. Either he made us based on who we are or he made us based on something else. I want to say he made us based on who we are but I'm not sure. If it's based on who we are then we can't blame God if there's some part of ourselves we don't like because that's just how we are.

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He deliberately made man flawed, but for the purpose of us being remade in his image. "Let us make man in our image" is an ongoing process. It is not complete yet.

Jer 18:1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Jer 18:2 Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
Jer 18:3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

ImAllLikeOkWaitWat said:

There seems to be two possibilities when it comes to how we were made. Either he made us based on who we are or he made us based on something else. I want to say he made us based on who we are but I'm not sure. If it's based on who we are then we can't blame God if there's some part of ourselves we don't like because that's just how we are.

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God the potter made us for a very special purpose or a common purpose (some Jews and some gentiles), but as we find out from Romans 9, 10 and 11, it just does not matter when it comes to the much greater matter of salvation.

The “Rich man and Lazarus” story may just be a parable, but there are lots of rich people running around and lots of really hurting people. God Loves those rich people and provides them with the very best opportunities to experience Godly type Love and thus become Like God Himself in that they have Godly type Love, but that means placing a hurting poor Lazarus type person at there front door for them to trip over every day. Lazarus has his part to play in providing the very best opportunity for the rich man, but the rich man may go on never ceasing the opportunity, so whose fault, is it?

ImAllLikeOkWaitWat said:

There seems to be two possibilities when it comes to how we were made. Either he made us based on who we are or he made us based on something else. I want to say he made us based on who we are but I'm not sure. If it's based on who we are then we can't blame God if there's some part of ourselves we don't like because that's just how we are.

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God made us in His image. In other words , based on who He is. Be blessed.

ImAllLikeOkWaitWat said:

There seems to be two possibilities when it comes to how we were made. Either he made us based on who we are or he made us based on something else. I want to say he made us based on who we are but I'm not sure. If it's based on who we are then we can't blame God if there's some part of ourselves we don't like because that's just how we are.

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How could God "make us" based on "who we are".

Until we are made, we aren't. so the "who we are" is invalid as a basis.

Genesis 1 tells us how God made man.

26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

So, the question is: what does "in our image" mean? Just as God is the Trinity, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, so the God head created man in 3 parts: body, soul and human spirit. 1 Thess 5:23

So, God created man based on who He is, not on "who we are".

martymonster said:

He deliberately made man flawed

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The Bible says otherwise.

Genesis 1:31 - God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

but for the purpose of us being remade in his image. "Let us make man in our image" is an ongoing process. It is not complete yet.

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See post #8, which explains what "in our image" means. It was complete the MOMENT He made man and woman. It is NOT an on-going process.

If you think the Bible teaches that idea, where do you find it?

Jer 18:1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Jer 18:2 Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
Jer 18:3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

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Is this it? Can you demonstrate that this is a reference to Genesis 1?

From "freebiblecommentary.org" -

18:4 The problem was defective clay not a poorly skilled potter! The clay was/is fallen (cf. Genesis 3), even with all of YHWH's benefits (cf. Rom. 9:4-5).

The JPSOA translation adds "if," which denotes that not all vessels were "spoiled." But the context suggests YHWH is depicting Judah as a corporate entity.

FreeGrace2 said:

The Bible says otherwise.

Genesis 1:31 - God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.


See post #8, which explains what "in our image" means. It was complete the MOMENT He made man and woman. It is NOT an on-going process.

If you think the Bible teaches that idea, where do you find it?


Is this it? Can you demonstrate that this is a reference to Genesis 1?

From "freebiblecommentary.org" -

18:4 The problem was defective clay not a poorly skilled potter! The clay was/is fallen (cf. Genesis 3), even with all of YHWH's benefits (cf. Rom. 9:4-5).

The JPSOA translation adds "if," which denotes that not all vessels were "spoiled." But the context suggests YHWH is depicting Judah as a corporate entity.

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Sigh, if man wasn't flawed, he wouldn't have disobeyed. Flesh is corruption.

Also, how can man have been made in the image of God, if he didn't even know good from evil?

martymonster said:

Sigh, if man wasn't flawed, he wouldn't have disobeyed. Flesh is corruption.

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What about the words "and it was very good" in reference to the 6th day are not real clear?

Also, how can man have been made in the image of God, if he didn't even know good from evil?

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I explained all that. What wasn't clear? To be "in the image of God" refers to man's body, soul and spirit.

iow, man was created trichotomous, and God is Trinity.

Man didn't need to be "flawed" to sin. That's a myth. He only needed opportunity. And Satan deceived the woman, by lying to her about her IQ, and Adam chose to be with her rather than in the garden when he took the fruit from her hand.

The first sin of humanity was volitional rebellion against God's rule.

ImAllLikeOkWaitWat said:

There seems to be two possibilities when it comes to how we were made. Either he made us based on who we are or he made us based on something else. I want to say he made us based on who we are but I'm not sure. If it's based on who we are then we can't blame God if there's some part of ourselves we don't like because that's just how we are.

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There is no Bible passage to answer this question. I've asked similar questions in the past, but God led me to the conclusion that I can't solve the mysteries of unanswered questions in any way when the Bible doesn't reveal the answers. Therefore, he taught me to submit to his higher thoughts that my mind can't reach.

Bruce Leiter said:

There is no Bible passage to answer this question. I've asked similar questions in the past, but God led me to the conclusion that I can't solve the mysteries of unanswered questions in any way when the Bible doesn't reveal the answers. Therefore, he taught me to submit to his higher thoughts that my mind can't reach.

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Why doesn't Gen 1:26,27 answer the question of how man was made?

It says clearly that man was made in God's image. That refers to God's Trinity. God made man with a body, a soul, and a human spirit. 1 Thess 5:23.

FreeGrace2 said:

Why doesn't Gen 1:26,27 answer the question of how man was made?

It says clearly that man was made in God's image. That refers to God's Trinity. God made man with a body, a soul, and a human spirit. 1 Thess 5:23.

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These passages don't describe the BASIS of our creation, which was your original question.

Bruce Leiter said:

These passages don't describe the BASIS of our creation, which was your original question.

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I didn't pose an original question on this thread. My first post was #8.

I was answering another poster's question about how God made us.

ImAllLikeOkWaitWat said:

There seems to be two possibilities when it comes to how we were made. Either he made us based on who we are or he made us based on something else.

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I don't understand the question.

God created humans because he wanted to create humans - he wanted people with whom he could have a relationship. God is love and he made us in, and for, love. He made us because of who he is - a loving, personal God.
How could he make us based on who we are? We didn't exist before he made us.

martymonster said:

He deliberately made man flawed,

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No, he didn't.
God looked at his creation and saw that it was very good, Genesis 1:31.
Are you saying that God who is perfect, Matthew 5:48 and who is light with NO darkness in him at all, 1 John 1:5, deliberately made something that was flawed and sinful?

martymonster said:

but for the purpose of us being remade in his image.

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??
He made us flawed and sinful; knowing that the only way we could be reborn and remade in his image was through the death of his Son? So he didn't fully complete his creation and it was not very good; Jesus needed to die and complete his Father's work?

martymonster said:

"Let us make man in our image" is an ongoing process. It is not complete yet.

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No, we ARE made in God's image - creative, loving, kind, logical etc etc; God's qualities can be seen in us. The ongoing work is making us like Jesus - perfect.

.

martymonster said:

Sigh, if man wasn't flawed, he wouldn't have disobeyed.

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Adam was given a command by God; he chose to disobey it. He disobeyed because Eve, who had been tempted by the evil one, gave him some fruit and he liked the look of it.

Adam and Eve were punished for going against God's word - THEIR choice. If they had been created sinful, or with flaws, it would have been unjust to punish them for something that they couldn't help doing - i.e sin would have been in their nature; an inherent part of them.