Tag Archives: God

Do We Really See Ourselves in God’s Image?

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Seeing Ourselves in God’s Image

MAIN PASSAGE: Genesis 1:1 – 31
A. IMAGE – Webster definition: 1: a reproduction or imitation of the form of a person or thing;

(1) What does the Bible mean when it speaks of God’s image?
Key Bible Text: Genesis 1:26 – 28 (NASB), “26Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

(2) Being made in God’s image refers to characteristics that God shares with us. God obviously did not create us exactly like himself, because God has no physical body when He first created man (Adam and Eve). Jesus later on did take on our physical form as the God-man (John 1:1, John 10:30, 2 Corinthians 5:21). I believe the word teaches that it is our entire self that reflects the image of God. (Psalms 139:14, “I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.”) We do have the ability to reflect His character in our love, patience, forgiveness, kindness, and faithfulness as evidenced in the fruits of the spirit-filled life. (See Galatians 5:22-23)

(3) God’s image is the basis for human self-worth (also known as self-esteem). Knowing that we are made in God’s image and thus share many of his characteristics provides a solid basis for self-worth. John 3:16-17 is a great illustration of our worth.

(4) God’s image is shared equally by women and men. Remember Genesis 1: 27.

(5) God’s image is an important factor in all human relationships.
Key Bible Text: Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man. (Genesis 9:6, niv) Please read Genesis 9:1-7.
Here God explains why murder is so wrong: To kill a person is to kill one made in God’s image. God desires that we interact with others. When believers interact with other believers, this is fellowship. (Hebrews 10:24-25).

(6) God’s image in us means that we belong to him, those of us who are Believers.
Key Bible Text: They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him. (Mark 12:16-17, niv) *Read Mark 12:13-17.
The Pharisees and Herodians thought they had the perfect question to trap Jesus. Jesus said that the coin bearing the emperor’s image should be given to the emperor. But our life, which bears God’s image, belongs to God. Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

(7) God’s image is displayed in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is whom we should want to model. “Christian” means Christ Like or little Christ. There are also other meanings and associative terms but you get the drift!
Colossians 2:8-10, “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority.”

If you don’t have a personal relationship, here is the Gospel presented in the book of Romans (also called the Romans Road).

Also John 3:16-17 are some great verses. Especially pay attention to verse 17 since this shows you God’s love toward you. 

(1) “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, Romans 3:23

(2) “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”, Romans 6:23

(3) “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”, Romans 5:8

(4) “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” Romans 10:9-10

(5) OUR PROMISE:  “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 (Eph 2:8-9 are wonderful verses as well)

 (*sidenote:  The whole chapter of Romans 8 is great for all of us to read, study and reflect on, since it covers our new position in Christ and there is no longer any condemnation.)

Does God Change His Mind?

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NO, HE DOES NOT!  Read below and study some marvelous scriptures dealing with this fact of God’s character.

If God is immutable (Malachi 3:6), if He does not change at all, does that mean He never changes His mind either?  YES, IT MEANS JUST THAT.  HE DOESN’T CHANGE HIS MIND WHATSOVER!  THIS WOULD IMPLY THAT GOD MAKES MISTAKES.

Some theologians and teachers bring up the following example in Exodus 32:11-14 as a proof text that God changes His mind, when Moses entreated the Lord for Israel’s sake.

“Then Moses entreated the LORD his God, and said, O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people.  Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.  (Exod. 32:11-14, NASB)

Even though at first glance, this might appear that God in fact changes His mind from time to time, particularly upon our beseeching Him in prayer, the person questioning God’s immutability needs to examine other correlating scripture as well to discover the true nature of God (Numbers 23:19, James 1:17, 1 Samuel 15:29).  I’m very thankful that God doesn’t make mistakes and doesn’t need to repent . GOD DOES NOT CHANGE HIS MIND!

In John 3:17 (the second verse after the John 3:16 verse that Tim Tebow loves to share so much with the world) is a wonderful promise to us, “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”  If we had just focused on another part of the Bible in the Old Testament, where God was sorry that He made man (Genesis 6:6), yet in God’s provision for us, as with Noah (read Genesis, Chapters 6, 7, and 8), we would see although God grieves over our sin, He truly loves us and desires that He become the object of our desire and affection.  In John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

So, in asking questions (some border on being blasphemous) like “Can God Change His Mind?”, “Did God create evil?” or “Can God sin?” and before possibly wandering into errant doctrine and teaching, please study other correlating scriptures and spend time in the Word to understand the character of God.  Try not to arrive at a possibly heretical position by coming to a conclusion too quickly. In 2 Timothy 2:15, “15Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”  Also, remember 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

Who is the Christian’s final authority, the senior pastor? The elders? The Word of God?

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Who is the Christian’s ultimate authority, the senior pastor? The Elders? The Word of God?

The ultimate authority that all Christians are to follow is the Word of God! Carl F. H. Henry states: “Without an authoritative Scripture, the church is powerless to overcome not only human unregeneracy but also satanic deception. Where the church no longer lives by the Word of God it is left to its own devices and soon is overtaken by the temptations of Satan and the misery of sin and death (Carl F. H. Henry, “The Authority and Inspiration of the Bible, “ in the Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol 1). So if Christians merely acquiesces to a pastor or even a group of elders without going to God’s Word as did the Bereans in Acts 17.11: “Now  these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so” he then opens himself up to either human unregeneracy or demonic deception.

Let’s review some pertinent passages:

John 17.17 ”Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

2 Tim 3.16-17 ”All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

Hebrews 4.12 ”For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

God’s Word comes out of God Himself and therefore has the authority of the one and only living God. From Him it is derived, from Him it is protected, and from Him through the Holy Spirit the Word will guide all Christians into all truth.

John 16.13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”

Now as to accepting without question what one is told by a pastor or by elders, the Bible clearly warns against this. Paul, before his arrest in Jerusalem, gathers the Elders from Ephesus to him at Miletus reminds them of the example that he set before them states: “And when they had come to him, he said to them, “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20.18-21).

He then warns them of the great dangers that the church of Christ will face:

“For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears” (Acts 20.27-31).

Notice he says from “ among your own selves men will arise” since he is speaking to the Elders it is probable that he means from among the Elders themselves!

Peter himself warns of this very problem. In 2 Peter 2, Peter lays out that this problem that faces the church is not new but in a lengthy argument arrives at the bottom line that God will “knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment” (2 Pet 2.9).

So God know how to both rescue the godly and keep the unrighteous for punishment. But it is in verse 1 that we see the very problem which Peter is addressing: “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves”  (2 Pet 2.1)

In 1 Tim 5.17-21: “The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.”

Paul gives us two principles, which must be followed “without bias.” First, we are to give double honor to “those who work hard at preaching and teaching.” But second, “those who continue to sin rebuke in the presence of all”

In summary then because of Satan’s attacks and man’s sin, All Christians are to obey God rather than man (Acts 5.29); they are to search the Scriptures to see if these things are true. (Acts 17.11). In other words, the ultimate authority for the Christian is the Word of God.

Copyright 2012 by Watchmen of Grace. (Permission provided to BibleAnswersToQuestion.com to display article in its entirety.)