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In the image of God

TedT

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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.
...unless angel does not refer to a race or type of being but only refers to a job description and we are all equally the same as spirits created in HIS image. Man then is lower than the holy elect angels by reason of our sinfulness, ie, only sinful spirits are sown into the world of mankind.

Jesus would be lower by His nature as a man, not for sinfulness of course.
 
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TedT

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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.
The angels (spirits created in HIS image) we will judge after our resurrection are the satanic, demonic reprobate who chose to sin the unforgivable sin, the goats doomed to perdition which has nothing to do with men judging sinful angels in spirit since all the angels not flung to the earth to be sown into mankind are holy and elect...
 
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TedT

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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.

What do you mean since his sin did not in and of itself result in creation being thrown out of balance ?? Of course everything was thrown out of balance. HE had to call for everyone who was not following Satan to come out for among these now condemned ones (the same call that has permeated all of Jewish and Christian life ever since...) so the judgement could be pronounced, but which the parable of the weeds tells us the judgement had to be postponed by the sins of some of the elect refusing to come out from among them and the pleasures and profits of sin:
Matt 13:27 The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 28 ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. [a reference to the explanation of this parable, ie, no more metaphor, in verses 36-39]

So the servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ [to bring the judgement upon them?] 29 ‘NO!’ he said, [postpone the judgement because...] ‘if you pull the weeds now, you might uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. The time of the harvest is the time of the maturity of the wheat and the only maturity that saves a sinner from the judgment is a mature holiness! These good seed are obviously elect sinners who can be redeemed and sanctified, not having sinned the unforgivable sin.

Thus their sins separated them from the holy elect and are the cause of the continued suffering of mankind on this earth.
 
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TedT

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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.

I agree, in HIS image refers to being a suitable marriage partner for our GOD, a person who can give themselves to true love and real marriage.

Since the angels who were not flung into the earth with Satan are the holy (Mark 8:38) and elect (1 Timothy 5:21) angels, and since the elect people on earth are sanctified unto full holiness so they become heaven ready, ie, able to finally marry with GOD, it is obvious that all holy and elect people make up the Bride of the Lamb.
 
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fhansen

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If we are in the image of God, why did/do we sin?
The image of God was greatly dimmed, tarnished, compromised, obscured by the Fall as we go our own way, reflecting an image we may perceive to be better: "the new improved creature". That's the path Adam set humanity on. At birth we don't even know God in our fallen state. So knowledge of God is key and the first step, as that gives us something to believe in, rather than placing our faith, hope and love in ourselves or any other created thing. As we then enter fellowship with Him, loving Him because He first loved us, we exist in a state of grace, of union with Him whereupon His image is reflected more and more clearly and fully in us. In this man's purpose is attained. Before that the image is more potential than reality even as it may reveal itself from time to time in various ways even in non-believers.

"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Cor 3:18

"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." 1 John 3:1-3

It's a journey; to the extent that we love God with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength and our neighbor as ourselves our justice/righteousness and perfection are realized-and sin would be automatically excluded. It's a work of God's that we participate in, not fully consummated until the next life. It takes time to be "perfected in love" -1 John 4. And it all begins, from our perspective, with faith.
 
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TedT

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If we are in the image of God, why did/do we sin?
By our free will, which was necessary to fulfill HIS purpose in our creation, the heavenly marriage, we chose a different path from HIS into sin by faith, ie, by hoping without proof that it would give us a happier life.
 
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Gregory Thompson

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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? :)
No deal, the scripture says they're not so ..
 
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Gregory Thompson

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...unless angel does not refer to a race or type of being but only refers to a job description and we are all equally the same as spirits created in HIS image. Man then is lower than the holy elect angels by reason of our sinfulness, ie, only sinful spirits are sown into the world of mankind.

Jesus would be lower by His nature as a man, not for sinfulness of course.

The angels (spirits created in HIS image) we will judge after our resurrection are the satanic, demonic reprobate who chose to sin the unforgivable sin, the goats doomed to perdition which has nothing to do with men judging sinful angels in spirit since all the angels not flung to the earth to be sown into mankind are holy and elect...

What do you mean since his sin did not in and of itself result in creation being thrown out of balance ?? Of course everything was thrown out of balance. HE had to call for everyone who was not following Satan to come out for among these now condemned ones (the same call that has permeated all of Jewish and Christian life ever since...) so the judgement could be pronounced, but which the parable of the weeds tells us the judgement had to be postponed by the sins of some of the elect refusing to come out from among them and the pleasures and profits of sin:
Matt 13:27 The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 28 ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. [a reference to the explanation of this parable, ie, no more metaphor, in verses 36-39]

So the servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ [to bring the judgement upon them?] 29 ‘NO!’ he said, [postpone the judgement because...] ‘if you pull the weeds now, you might uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. The time of the harvest is the time of the maturity of the wheat and the only maturity that saves a sinner from the judgment is a mature holiness! These good seed are obviously elect sinners who can be redeemed and sanctified, not having sinned the unforgivable sin.

Thus their sins separated them from the holy elect and are the cause of the continued suffering of mankind on this earth.

Not much into angel worship, the bible doesn't discuss angels much for a reason, the main focus is to be on God, and on human's role in His will.
 
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