In the image of God

[friend of]

What does it truly mean to be made in the image of God? What does this phrase mean to you personally?

God bless

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Image and likeness. Made to look like, and be like God.

 

[friend of]

Image and likeness. Made to look like, and be like God.

Weren't the Angel's made in such a way too? What separates us from them exactly?

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Weren't the Angel's made in such a way too? What separates us from them exactly?

The angels were not made in the image and likeness of God. They were created as administrators, some having duties that saints ended up taking over.

The angels were sons of God in the creation , we will be sons of the resurrection .. that's the main fundamental difference in the end.

 

[MaxPower]

What does it truly mean to be made in the image of God? What does this phrase mean to you personally?

God bless

To be made righteous, God declared creation good, then sin came into the world then

Genesis 5:3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:

Then you have the second adam who from the beginning is the word of God, A body was prepared for him, we behold the image of the invisible God, Jesus Christ the righteous

So Scripture says Adam was made in Gods image, Jesus is the image, and Christians are conformed to the image of Jesus, I think being born again is in the image of God so spiritually you could apply it to all the born again, But not our flesh, So in this world the image of God is Jesus

Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

 

[Maria Billingsley]

What does it truly mean to be made in the image of God? What does this phrase mean to you personally?

God bless

A creation that can house His Holy Spirit.
Blessings

 

[Jonaitis]

What does it truly mean to be made in the image of God? What does this phrase mean to you personally?

God bless

It is taught that man shares the communicable attributes of God, that is, a creature reflection/impression of God's rational and moral character. John Calvin further elaborates this as the inherent qualities that distinguish us from the lower animals.

 

[Eloy Craft]

Weren't the Angel's made in such a way too? What separates us from them exactly?

Angels are spiritual in nature.heaven is for their presence. Animals are material and earth is for their presence.
God created heaven and earth and His presence encompasses heaven and earth.
Man, being a composite of spirit and matter, like God heaven and earth are for his presence.

 

[Tolworth John]

God is Spirit so we being physical as well as Spiritual cannot look like God, instead we reflect his character.
We are spiritual, we all worship.
We are moral, we know right from wrong.
we are rational, we can reason and work things out.
We are creative.
we are communicative, we talk and exchange ideas
We are communial, we are made for relationships and enjoy being with family and friends.

These are some of the ways that we are made in the image of God.

 

[Andrewn]

The angels were not made in the image and likeness of God.

How do you know this?

 

[Gregory Thompson]

How do you know this?

Firstly, being in the image and likeness of God is only stated of humans in Genesis.

Second, the corruption the creation experienced spread to the angels, from the humans who were given an administrative role. The snake who was also an angel did not have the capacity to affect the creation, but could deceive those who could, that being the humans.

Thirdly, many studies over the years. Since I am not a robot, I cannot upload my thoughts directly to the server. I would recommend to look up the word angelos <32> on blueletterbible.org for some of the context that flavors my perception on the matter.

 

[Andrewn]

Firstly, being in the image and likeness of God is only stated of humans in Genesis.

This is true but it doesn't prove anything.

Second, the corruption the creation experienced spread to the angels, from the humans who were given an administrative role.

According to which religion?

 

[Gregory Thompson]

This is true but it doesn't prove anything.

It's the source text declaring what the creation is, if it's not stated, then it isn't.

According to which religion?

Pretty sure corruption spreading to the creation because of Adam is in the book of romans.

Adam naming everything is a very, administrative task.

The curse was because of Adam, (cursed is the ground because of you) not anyone else in the Genesis drama.

 

[ViaCrucis]

What does it truly mean to be made in the image of God? What does this phrase mean to you personally?

God bless

In the ancient world the image of a god was, in a sense, the representation of that god, and that god's authority. Hence why idols are forbidden, both for the worship of false gods but also forbidding the representation of God as a creature.

If we look at Genesis 1 and see it as a kind of description of God creating His own temple--the heavens and the earth--in which He will dwell, the final act is the creation of human beings in His own image and likeness who are then told to "have dominion" over the earth.

We were created to reflect God, to be like God, to reflect God to the rest of creation as well as to reflect that back up to God as worship.

We behold the fullness and perfect restoration of that Image in Jesus Christ, in the way that our Lord, becoming man has restored what it means to be human in love and humility.

In that sense, the image of God means to be like Jesus; and as we are being conformed to the image of Christ our humanity itself is being repaired, healed--and ultimately perfected and glorified in the resurrection of the dead (just as Christ our Lord was glorified in the body in His resurrection).

-CryptoLutheran

 

[TedT]

What does it truly mean to be made in the image of God? What does this phrase mean to you personally?

God bless

To me personally it says that we were all created to be proper marriage partners for HIM. We are created as people, not animals who are unsuitable as HE proved to Adam. We also were created as suitable prospects for marriage, that is, not created as separated from HIM by disgusting corruption and needing an extensively do over to become ready.

The Bible story of our creation and HIS involvement with us culminates with HIS marriage to HIS Bride. This supports the contention that the purpose for our creation is our heavenly marriage to HIM...implying that He would never do anything to forestall that wedding or postpone it or hinder it in any way. One purpose, one plan.

All sinful hindrances to the fulfillment of HIS plan come solely from us by our free will, not by HIS will for any reason. HE would never create evil people by any means since HE abhors evil and would not, could not, ever marry an evil person. Period.

That is a bit of what being created in HIS image means to me...

 

[Andrewn]

It's the source text declaring what the creation is, if it's not stated, then it isn't.

And God said: 'Let us make man in our image/b'tsalmeinu, after our likeness/kid'muteinu; 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.' And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him, male and female created He them. And God blessed them; and God said to them: 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth.'

— Genesis 1:26–28

Human beings were created in God's own image and likeness in order to to reflect God to the rest of earthly creation.

To say that angels were not created in God's image is an argument from silence. In fact, ancient Christian writers maintained that all rational beings were the image of God. To be a rational being is to be the image of the Logos of God.

Pretty sure corruption spreading to the creation because of Adam is in the book of romans.

Yes, you're right. Instead of reflecting God to the rest of earthly creation, human beings corrupted earth with their evil and exploitation. God became man in order to show people the true image and restore that image inside them through the Holy Spirit.

 

[Soyeong]

What does it truly mean to be made in the image of God? What does this phrase mean to you personally?

God bless

There is a sense that we do not directly see someone, but see an image of them based on the light that comes from or bounces off of them, and this is analogous to the relationship that the Son has with the Father, where we do not directly see the Father, but see the Son, who is the image of the Father's glory that radiates from Him, so the Son is the image that we see when we look at the Father. In Colossians 1:15, the Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, and in Hebrews 1:3, the Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact image of God's nature, which he expressed through setting a sinless example of how to walk in obedience to God's law, so being made in the image of God refers to being a representative of the nature of who God is.

A chip off the old block is someone who has the same character or nature of their father, so this is the sense that Jesus is the Son of God and the sense that we are sons of God when we are partaking in the divine nature through following his example of obedience to God's law. In John 8:39, Jesus said that if they were sons of Abraham, then they would be doing the same works that he did, so the concept of sonship is in regard to representing the nature of the father, or being in His image, where if someone sees us, then they see the one from whom we came. The fruits of the Spirit are aspects of God's nature, so this why in Romans 8:1-17 that those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God in contrast with those who have minds set on the flesh who refuse to submit to God's law. Likewise, in 1 John 3:4-10, those who do not practice righteousness sin obedience to God's law are not sons of God. In Galatians 3:26, in Christ we are all sons of God through faith, and in 1 John 2:6, those who are in Christ are obligated to walk in the same way he walked, which was in obedience to God's law. In 1 John 5:2, by this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

I didn't see your reply there, good I checked.

And God said: 'Let us make man in our image/b'tsalmeinu, after our likeness/kid'muteinu; 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.' And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him, male and female created He them. And God blessed them; and God said to them: 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth.'

— Genesis 1:26–28

Human beings were created in God's own image and likeness in order to to reflect God to the rest of earthly creation.

To say that angels were not created in God's image is an argument from silence. In fact, ancient Christian writers maintained that all rational beings were the image of God. To be a rational being is to be the image of the Logos of God.

Solomon (Ecclesiastes 3:19) states something that would be somewhat controversial today that man and beast are the same, they have the same soul breathed into them. The Genesis account uses the same word for soul with the beast and the man when they are created. So by your logic, even cattle would be made in the image of God, much like Hinduism asserts.

Since Jesus was born "a little lower than the angels" (Psalms 8:5, Hebrews 2:7) this means all humans are born a little lower than the angels. So one cannot say angels and humans are the same. (thus not an argument from silence) Since we cannot qualify that angels are rational beings or any qualities about them, teachings on them that go outside of scripture are just conjecture that cannot edify the body of Christ.

It is also written that we would judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3), thus our sonship as sons of the resurrection (Luke 20:36) is superior to the sonship of the angels. Since angels do not have the same sonship as we do because ours comes from Jesus Christ, the last Adam, (1 Corinthians 15:45) it is reasonable to see how the sonship of the Angels is not equivalent to the sonship of Adam, (Luke 3:38) or Jesus Christ.

Thus angels are not made in the image and likeness of God. However, aspects of all creation were taken from God's character, as when it was all completed, God was very pleased seeing that it was good. Only mankind was created in God's true likeness in image so that even the Godhead would be visible through creation .. so that mankind would not have an excuse. (Romans 1:20)

Yes, you're right. Instead of reflecting God to the rest of earthly creation, human beings corrupted earth with their evil and exploitation. God became man in order to show people the true image and restore that image inside them through the Holy Spirit.

According to scripture the devil had been sinning since the beginning (1 John 3:8) since his sin did not in and of itself result in creation being thrown out of balance, it means there was something the humans had that the angels didn't.

Thus illustrating that Angels are not made in the image and likeness of God.

 

[Andrewn]

Solomon (Ecclesiastes 3:19) states something that would be somewhat controversial today that man and beast are the same, they have the same soul breathed into them.

We need to distinguish the soul (nefesh) from the spirit (ruah). This passage of Ecclesiastes is indeed controversial because it says:

Ecc 3:19 For the destiny of humankind and the destiny of animals are one and the same. As one dies, so dies the other. Both have the same breath—a human has no advantage over an animal—both are fleeting. 20 Both go to one place. Both were taken from the dust, and both return to the dust. 21 Who knows that the breath of the sons of man ascends upward and the animal’s breath descends into the earth?

Qoheleth’s unsound theology is given as an example of incorrect thinking and is corrected only in the last chapter.

The Genesis account uses the same word for soul with the beast and the man when they are created.

God created animals and humans souls by speaking. The soul was not breathed into them. Of earthly creatures, only human beings were created in God's image, that is "rational beings." Compare the following to your favorite translation:

Gen 1:20 Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living souls! Let flying creatures fly above the land across the expanse of the sky.” 21 Then God created the large sea creatures and every living soul that crawls, with which the water swarms, according to their species, as well as every winged flying creature, according to their species. And God saw that it was good. 24 Then God said, “Let the land bring forth living souls according to their species—livestock, crawling creatures and wild animals, according to their species.” And it happened so.

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness! Let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the flying creatures of the sky, over the livestock, over the whole earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the land.” 27 God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them. 29 Then God said, “I have just given you every green plant yielding seed that is on the surface of the whole land, and every tree, which has the fruit of a tree yielding seed. They are to be food for you.

30 Also for every wild animal, every flying creature of the sky and every creature that crawls on the land which has living soul, every green plant is to be food.” And it happened so.

So by your logic, even cattle would be made in the image of God, much like Hinduism asserts.

No, I said "rational beings" were created in the image of God. This obviously does not include cattle.

Since Jesus was born "a little lower than the angels" (Psalms 8:5, Hebrews 2:7) this means all humans are born a little lower than the angels. So one cannot say angels and humans are the same.

No, I didn't say that angels and humans are the same. If you continue misquoting me, there will be no point in the discussion.

Since we cannot qualify that angels are rational beings or any qualities about them, teachings on them that go outside of scripture are just conjecture that cannot edify the body of Christ.

Fine. You stop saying that angels are not in the image of God and I will stop saying that they are in the image of God. Deal?

 

[fhansen]

What does it truly mean to be made in the image of God? What does this phrase mean to you personally?

God bless

A teaching I’m familiar with:

357 Being in the image of God the human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something, but someone. He is capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession and of freely giving himself and entering into communion with other persons. And he is called by grace to a covenant with his Creator, to offer him a response of faith and love that no other creature can give in his stead.