In the Image of God

Is man born with a sinful nature?  The popular belief is that yes, he is born a sinner as a result of his representative, Adam, falling in the garden of Eden.  Because of Adam's sin, all who were born after him have a sinful nature.  It is therefore no fault of each individual that they sin, but the fault of Adam. This is not only dishonoring to God, it is also man at his worse trying to make an excuse for his own, personal sin. It was this way from the beginning. Once God confronted Adam regarding his disobedience, Adam quickly blamed things on Eve. Eve then quickly blamed the serpent. It is worth noting that God still judged each one individually, even though the source of temptation was the devil himself.  People every where neglect to take responsibility for their sin! Aaron organized the construction of a golden calf, and when confronted by Moses, he quickly shifted the focus on to the Israelites. He even irrationally claimed that he threw the metal into the fire and out popped a golden calf. I grew up hearing and believing that I was a sinner from birth. Can this be true? That we are by birth, sinners, and therefore by no fault or choice of our own do we sin?  Sin is attached to me from birth and I have no choice in the matter? No doubt, there appears to be many verses that if taken at face value teach this idea. That is the very reason why  many are deceived on this issue. It wasn't until I began studying these verses on my own, without any man's thoughts or book detracting from  what the Bible teaches. Over the next few posts, I hope to look at each of these verses and let the Bible decide for us rather than rely on the "tenants of faith" which have been accepted without question from generation to generation.


Psalm 100:3 - Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves." Colossians 1:16 - "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth...all things were created by him and for him." John 1:3 - All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." I recently asked the question to a pastor, "Who made us?" His response, which caught me by surprise, was "Your mom and dad made you." No doubt our parents are involved in procreation, however, all would agree that God is the one who gives life. Acts 17:24-25 states, "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things." To understand that God is the giver of life, and breath, and all things is the key to understanding how man was and is created.


Genesis 1:26-27 - "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." In the beginning of time as we know it, God created all things. The ability to create is a power that only the LORD has. To create by definition is "to bring into existence." True, man can make things by putting things together that are already in existence, but he can not bring things into existence as the Lord did and can. This is an important point to make, because there are a few passages in the Bible which cause confusion to the casual reader and lead him into false doctrines. It has been my experience that behind the "difficult to understand" verses that appear to even contradict other verses in the Bible are great treasures that the Lord wants to give to us. The problem is that little time is spent meditating, reading, and comparing spiritual things with spiritual. The modern "Christian" quickly runs to a pastor, a commentary, or some other source instead of relying upon the Holy Spirit to reveal the deep things of God (I Corinthians 2:10). Very little support is given to the one who sets out on a study of the Scriptures "on his own." Recently I was reproved by a leader of a church because I didn't approach him with my questions. I was also reproved for encouraging others to study and read the Bible for themselves. Unfortunately the attitude of this leader is prevalent in many places, and is one example of how the devil has gotten an advantage of us. God created man in His own image and after His likeness. Before Adam was even in consideration, the LORD said He would make man this way.  


 The image/likeness of God does not refer to the flesh of man. "God is Spirit" (John 4:24). Man's flesh could not be created in the likeness of God because God is Spirit. In fact, the Bible teaches in Philippians 2:7 that Christ was made in the "likeness of men." That is he took upon him the "form" of man (flesh) which was never the form or image of God. Therefore, to teach that we lost the image of God would be to teach that we lost something that we never had - if a person believes his flesh was created in the image of God. Being in the image of God does refer to the composition of man as body, soul, and spirit (an image of the three part nature of God existing as One). The image/likeness of God also consists of man's ability to love, to reason, to be an intelligent being not acting upon mere impulse or instinct, to make free choices (free will), to be aware of God, to desire fellowship, and many more. These attributes which all bear the image and likeness of God were not lost when Adam and Eve sinned. That people believe man is no longer born in the image of God has resulted in the devaluation of life (abortion), the diminishing of the awfulness of sin (disorders), and the excusing of sin (born this way or acting upon instinct).


God has not changed his way of giving life to man. He makes man in the same image which He created the first man - body, soul, spirit. Man still possesses the likeness of God in that he has the ability to love, reason, make free choices, etc. Further proof that man is created in God's image can be found in the following verses: 


Genesis 9:6 - "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man." God would not require that a murderer be put to death, if he were simply created in Adam's image (with a sinful nature/flesh). It is because man is made in the image of God that God requires justice upon murderers. No differentiation is made in Genesis 9 between a believer and unbeliever.

James 3:9 - "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God." Similitude defined is likeness, resemblance, a thing or person that is like the counterpart of another (A model car is in similitude to the actual car).  It is defined this way in Numbers 12:8; Deuteronomy 4:12-16; and Romans 5:14. A simile is a literary tool used to compare two different things usually by employing the words "like" or "as."

I Corinthians 11:7 - "For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God."