Gen. 1:26-31, What do ya’ know: Man is Sinful (2)

1)    All men are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-28).

a)    This statement is true, not only of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden but also after they sinned and were cast out of the Garden.  After Noah and his family left the ark God gave Noah this command: Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man (Gen. 9:6).  In talking about the potential power of the tongue, James said, With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God (James 3:9).  We will see that sin had an effect on our likeness to God but it did not destroy the likeness.

b)    What do we mean by “the image of God?”

i)      There is not a passage in Scripture that gives a detailed or complete answer to this question.  One thing we can do is think about the difference between Man and animals.  The result of our being in God’s image is that Man has dominion over all of creation.  Like the plants and animals, Man is a creature, the work of the Creator.  But unlike plants and animals, Man is a “person.”  Like God, Man has the attributes of “personality.” 

ii)   The first thing to say is that, unlike in Mormon ideology, the image of God is not physical.   As we noted in our study of the Godhead, God is a spirit (John 4:24) and a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones (Lk. 24:39).  Christ became flesh (John 1:14).

iii)            There is a “rational” aspect to our likeness to God.  God is able to communicate with man and man can understand Him. 

iv) There is a “moral” aspect.  God describes Himself as “righteous.”  Then He calls men to be righteous.  God has placed within humans His “law,” what we know as our “conscience” (Rom. 2:12-16). 

v)    There is an “emotional” aspect to our likeness to God.  Think about this.  We are not saying God is “flakey.”  He never loses His temper as we do.  However, He knows what it is to be angry (Ps. 7:11).  Also, God delights in His people (Ps. 149:4). 

vi) There is a “spiritual” aspect.  Not only can men “know” God in a personal way; they can also commune or fellowship with Him.  Apparently, Adam and Eve experienced this before they sinned (Gen. 3:8a).  Enoch certainly did (Gen. 5:21-24) as did so many: Noah, Abraham, Moses (read Ex. 33), David, Daniel, and so many more.  And don’t forget that Jesus, the true Man, enjoyed deep fellowship with His Father.  As we will note later, Jesus is the fullness of what it means to be “in the image of God.”

All this is the result of the work of our Creator, who when He had finished, pronounced it all GOOD (Gen. 1:31)!