In His Image

1
In His Image

• Genesis 126-27

2
What Is Man?

• Evolution man is a highly evolved animal
• Psychology / Sociology man is the product of
  his surroundings or brain waves
• New Age man is God
• The Bible man is made in the image and likeness
  of God

3
The Image and Likeness of GodPreliminary
Observations

• Key Points from Genesis 1 and 2
• 1. Divine (Godhead) decree and purpose
  let us make man
• God and angels?
• God and earth?
• God and his attributes (plural of majesty)?
• God and other gods (polytheism)?
• God, Jesus and the H.S. (322 117)?

4
The Image and Likeness of GodPreliminary
Observations

• Key Points from Genesis 1 and 2
• 2. Unique creation breathed life
• 3. Sexes of mankind were formed differently and
  at different times one of his ribs
• 4. Male and female, not after their kind
• 5. Mankind alone is made in Gods image
• 6. Mankind alone has dominion over creation
• 7. Mankind alone is given responsibilities and
  work

5
The Image and Likeness of GodPreliminary
Observations

• Key Points from Genesis 1 and 2
• 8. Mankind alone is given responsibilities and
  work
• 9. Both male and female (them, 128) were
  blessed, pointing to equality of design
• 10. Mankind is the crown of God creation (timing,
  special wording, Gods image, a garden prepared,
  dominion over all)

6
The Image and Likeness of GodPreliminary
Observations

• Image and Likeness Are the Same
• The word and in some English versions (Gen.
  126) is not in the Hebrew text
• Some say image ref. to the physical side of man
  and likeness ref. to the ethical side
• Image (Heb. tselem) representation
• Likeness (Heb. demuth) similarity
• Image and likeness are used interchangeably
  (Gen. 126-27 51-3 96)

7
The Image and Likeness of GodPreliminary
Observations

• Image and likeness apply to both male and
  female (Gen. 127-28 51-3)
• What is the image of God?
• Some look to themselves for the answer
  everything we are is like God
• This approach leads to conflict with Scripture
  (body? sexual differences?)
• We must look to the Bible for the answer

8
The Image and Likeness of GodWhat It Does Not
Mean

• Man is God
• Satan first suggested this (Gen. 35)
• Deification of self is the central message of the
  New Age Movement
• We are not made in the essence (nature) of God,
  we are made in the image of God
• We are not God (Ezek. 282 Ac. 1221-23
  1411,15), but Jesus is (Heb. 13)

9
The Image and Likeness of GodWhat It Does Not
Mean

• Man Looks Like God
• The Heb. tselem (image) in some contexts can
  refer to physical appearance
• Animals have similar physical features (eyes,
  ears, hands, etc.), but are not made in Gods
  image
• God is a noncorporeal spirit (Ex. 201-4 Deut.
  415-16 Jn. 424 Lk. 2439)

10
The Image and Likeness of GodWhat It Does Not
Mean

• Man is Sexual Like God
• Sexual distinction is also found in animals, but
  they are not made in Gods image
• Sexuality and gender distinction are not found
  among spirit beings (Lk. 2035-36)
• The Bible nowhere speaks of the sexual
  orientation of God, Jesus and Holy Spirit

11
The Image and Likeness of GodWhat It Does Not
Mean

• Man Has Dominion Like God
• It has been suggested that mans function, not
  his nature, is like God
• Dominion over creation is the result or
  consequence of being made in Gods image, not
  the image itself (Gen. 128 Psa. 84-6)

12
The Image and Likeness of GodWhat It Means

• Man is a social being (Gen. 218)
• Man can speak and write (Gen. 220)
• Man has an innate desire to worship a higher
  being (Gen. 41ff)
• Man is creative (Gen. 421-22)
• Man has a capacity for volition - free-will
  (Josh. 2415)
• Man possesses an immortal soul (Eccl. 127
  Heb. 129)

13
The Image and Likeness of GodWhat It Means

• Man has the ability to reason (Isa. 118)
• Man can discern right and wrong (Heb. 514)
• Man possesses a conscience (Rom. 215)
• Man experiences heart-felt emotion (1 Jn.
  47ff)
• Summary Mankind is a personal being (2 Cor.
  416) like God (Ex. 314)

14
The Image and Likeness of GodWhat It Destroyed
by Sin?

• Many protestant commentators view the image of
  God as mans original righteousness (spiritual
  perfection)
• destroyed by the first sin?
• damaged by the first sin?

15
The Image and Likeness of GodWhat It Destroyed
by Sin?

• Bible Answer
• Mans reasoning / volition remained after the
  fall
• Gen. 96 1 Cor. 117 and Jas. 39 refer to man
  after the fall

16
The Image and Likeness of GodPractical Lessons

• We must not harm our fellow man
• By murder (Gen. 96)
• By words (Jas. 39)
• We must not make idols (Ex. 204 Psa.
  10619-20 Rom. 123)
• We are the offspring of God, let us act like it
  (Acts 1729 see Lk. 338)
• Male headship must be respected (1 Cor.
  117)

17
The Image and Likeness of GodPractical Lessons

• Christians have a special image to live up to
• Jesus is the image of God (2 Cor. 44-6 Col.
  115 Heb. 13 see Jn. 149)
• Christians are the image of his Son (Rom. 829
  2 Cor. 318 Eph. 424 Col. 310)
• born of (Jn. 33-5)
• divine nature (2 Pet. 14)