Part 4 – Biblical worldview foundational principle #2 – Made in His image

Part 4 – BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW FOUNDATION #2 – Made in His Image

Made in His Image

Genesis 1:27 And God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

We are made in His Image what does this mean?  I must say I have read a lot about this topic, and it seems to always discuss things about our abilities.  For instance, we speculate it means, we can reason and make decisions, we can love, hate, have compassion, mercy, grace, fellowship and friendship.  This text is also often used in arguing for “libertarian free will”.   It is amazing how much we can read or speculate into a text. 

If I might speculate a bit myself, while I think much of the above is true, I also believe the text is pointing out something else as well.  A good definition would be that we are made to resemble God. I believe it clearly implies Adam and Eve and their prodigy were to reflect and display God to the whole earth.  Therefore, to image God in this world. We can argue endlessly about what aspects of our being that entails but the main purpose of the creation was for man to image the Glory of God to the world. For fallen but redeemed humanity this happens as we are being conformed to His image – Rom 8:29

Rom 8:29 Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers;

1. Created specifically to image his Glory
2. Isa 43:6,7 I will say to the north, give up, and to the south, do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

• 2 Cor 3:18 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 from the Lord, the Spirit.

• We have been predestined according to his purpose to be the praise of His glory
• Eph 1:11-14 In Him, we also have been made an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, ¹² to the end that we who first have hoped in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. ¹³ In Him, you also, after listening to the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

• We are being transformed to conformity to his Glory
• Phil 3:20-21 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by His working through which He is able to even subject all things to Himself.
  
  
• Everything we do should be to the glory of God
• 1 Cor 10:31   Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Depending on your view at the fall the “image of God” either died or was largely damaged. But certainly, what was required was not a makeover but a new life entirely. 

1. You must be born again
2. John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

• Created new. Created (regenerated) made us brand new in Jesus
• 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

New life is the beginning of the restoration of the image of God in us.   However, rather than try and decide what characteristics of God that includes, I think it would be more beneficial to ask the following:

When someone looks into my office window at work, the windows of my home, or windows of our churches, whom do they see?   When someone speaks to us what do we communicate about ourselves, or what do they hear? Do they see and hear Jesus in me, in my family, in my church, in my speech, in my actions, or do they see a person, a family or a church as lost and without hope as themselves? 

Here is what I hope they see in me: Jesus! and only Jesus, because – Heb 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.  I hope they see the Father’s son in me.  I hope they see the glory of the Lord.

• Heb. 1:1-4   God, having spoken long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, ² in these last days spoke to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds, ³ who is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power; who, having accomplished cleansing for sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴ having become so much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

What is our main purpose?

We were created and called to display His Glory – or to be the image of his glory

• We were created for His glory – Isa 43:6,7  I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

• Do all to His Glory – 1Cor. 10:31   Whether then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

• We are to be God’s shining light – Matt 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

• Our conduct ought to show the glory of God – 1 Pet 2:12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Summary Table: Made in His Image vs “From goo to you by way of the zoo”  (title take from a book of the same title)

Made in his image – Gen 1:26	Evolved from Goo
Created as a living breathing human – Gen 1:27, 2:7	Man is no more than a bag of fizzing chemicals and electrical circuits
Made by God for God – Col 1:16	Created by nothing for nothing
Made by God for a purpose – Gen 1:28-30	Nothing as the creator also has nothing in mind.  We just are.  So man just does what is right in their own eyes – Judges 17:6
Understands and knows God has established a moral/ethical code for his creation – In fact it is written upon our hearts – Rom 2:14,15	No higher moral code than me.  Therefore, it serves an evolutionary purpose nothing can be called right or wrong, good or evil.  For there is no higher standard than me.
We are sentient is the sense we can think, reason, imagine and create. We have human sentience because we are created by God to be like Him. Gen 1:26	We are nothing more than fizzing bag of chemicals, we are no better than the animals as we are only responding to the environment around us. Our thinking, reasoning, and imagining are fully determined by chemical and electrical reactions.
Man made in God’s image can know and communicate with the God of creation and know love and acceptance by a Lord who gave himself for us. So, we might live with him here and eternally in Joy and peace. Matt 11:28-30, Eph 5:1,2, Rom 8:28-39	Man made in the image of nothing leading to nothing
Made in his image	Goo to you