Created in God's Image and Likeness
Introduction. When God created the heavens and the earth, He made man “in His image and according to His likeness.” (Gen. 1:27-28) This was done flawlessly and perfectly. Until sin entered the world, those living in heaven and those on earth (Adam and Eve) were in harmony. God’s attributes, perfectly reflected in man’s eternal soul, allowed God’s light to shine within them. Man thought as God thought, lived as God lived, and every decision was in complete harmony with God’s will. The love of God and His righteous care and concern that others be treated fairly, which had existed for all eternity in heaven, was perfectly formed in the souls of Adam and Eve.
Sin changed all that. Man’s character and demeanor became selfish, self-centered and ultimately, evil. Decisions were made based only on the benefit to self with little to no consideration to the harm it would cause others. Since “love does no harm to a neighbor,” once sin entered the world, man’s ability to love as God loves vanished. Selfishly using others for their own desires, regardless of the damage done, would be became the norm. “God made man upright, But they have sought out many schemes.” (Ecc. 7:29)
God gives few details of the rapid descent of man into corruption, but Cain’s choices clearly reveal how quickly and terribly sin corrupted man’s heart. Cain had no care or concern for God’s feelings. He selfishly refused to hear how God wanted to be worshiped. When God rejected Cain’s “selfish worship,” instead of remorse and godly sorrow at his rejection, he became bitterly angry at God for refusing him on his terms. Later, when Abel as God’s prophet sought to reason with him, Cain was the first to persecute and kill a prophet (Lk. 11:49-51). It only took one generation for man to move from the image of God to a complete lack of respect for God and for Abel’s life.
The full damage of what sinful rebellion had done to God’s image and likeness was made known in the events that brought the flood. First, “the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Second, “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” The difference between man created in God’s image and man corrupted and fully evil is clearly evident. The chasm between God’s will done in heaven and the terrible rebellion against it on the earth was so wide, God refused to allow it to continue. (Gen. 6:5-12; 2Pet. 2:4-9).
As nations arose after the tower of Babel, not only was God’s image forgotten, but so was God. Their descent into idolatry and evil is summed up succintly: “Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” “God also gave them up to uncleanness, vile passions, And a debased mind.” (Rom 1:18ff). Once man rejects God’s image, this rapid descent into debauchery is always possible. God’s wrath was poured out again and again because of their ungodliness and unrighteousness. Even worse, with all the advantages God gave to Israel they ended up no better than the Gentiles. (Rom. 3:9ff).
This was the dilemma God faced. How could He create the means to give those lost in sin and darkness the ability to restore God’s image within them? God knew there were men and women who longed to be restored and He wanted to save and help them. His amazing solution was to send “the Word who was with God and was God” into the world: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.” Jesus entered this world of darkness to bring the light of God’s image. As Cain before them, most did not want to be corrected by Jesus. So, when “He came to His own, His own did not receive Him.” Ultimately, they did the same thing to Jesus that Cain did to Abel. " (Jn. 1:1-14).
“And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” (Jn. 3:19-20) This is the sad reality of what God sees. Those who hate the light and refuse to come to the light want no part of God. From the days of Cain to the flood, from Babel to days of Jesus, and from Jesus until today, man has not changed. All God’s love, mercy and compassion cannot move them to leave their selfish and destructive ways to return to Him. On the last day, it will not be God rejecting them. It will be God acknowledging and revealing how they rejected Him and refused to return.
But Abel and those like him have a different heart. Though a minority, “their love for the truth that they might be saved” leads them to pass over every obstacle in their desire to return to God. They will seek for and enter the narrow gate. They will diligently walk the narrow path to regain God’s image. Judging themselves by the truth of God’s word: “He who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (Jn. 3:19-21; 2Th. 2:10).
For those living today, Jesus is the key. When He said in Jn. 14:6-7: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,” He was affirming this truth. If we can’t see Jesus as flawlessly perfect and seek to imitate everything about Him, there is no path to return to God.
Even before God created the heavens and the earth, He had made the decision to send Jesus and make those who received Him His children: “He predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Rom. 8:29). Those who wish to become just like Jesus, believing and obeying everything He said, receive Him: “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (Jn. 1:12-13)
This is what Jesus affirmed when He said: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.“ (John 14:9) Jesus is the perfect reflection of the divine nature and of God’s image. If the Father had come instead of Jesus, there would have been no difference between them. When John the Baptist expressed his concern that Jesus was not meeting his expectations, Jesus responded: “Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” If anyone has an issue with Jesus, it is actually an issue with God. Blessed are those who are not offended by anything Jesus has said, done or commanded through His apostles.
Conclusion. Since Jesus flawlessly revealed the Father’s image to a world of darkness that had forgotten it, anyone who refuses to conform to His image and accept everything He said as absolute truth will never be transformed into God’s image. This is why every command He gave, revealed by the Holy Spirit to His apostles and prophets must be obeyed (Mt. 28:18-20). Just as Jesus is the reflection of God’s image, God’s word is a reflection of His image. Reading the Scriptures and seeking to imitate them is “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2Cor. 3:18)
Our submission and loyalty to the revelations brought to us by the Holy Spirit will determine the degree to which we once again can reflect the image of God into this dark world. Fellowship with the divine nature and escape from corruption is now available to anyone who masters the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.
Sin changed all that. Man’s character and demeanor became selfish, self-centered and ultimately, evil. Decisions were made based only on the benefit to self with little to no consideration to the harm it would cause others. Since “love does no harm to a neighbor,” once sin entered the world, man’s ability to love as God loves vanished. Selfishly using others for their own desires, regardless of the damage done, would be became the norm. “God made man upright, But they have sought out many schemes.” (Ecc. 7:29)
God gives few details of the rapid descent of man into corruption, but Cain’s choices clearly reveal how quickly and terribly sin corrupted man’s heart. Cain had no care or concern for God’s feelings. He selfishly refused to hear how God wanted to be worshiped. When God rejected Cain’s “selfish worship,” instead of remorse and godly sorrow at his rejection, he became bitterly angry at God for refusing him on his terms. Later, when Abel as God’s prophet sought to reason with him, Cain was the first to persecute and kill a prophet (Lk. 11:49-51). It only took one generation for man to move from the image of God to a complete lack of respect for God and for Abel’s life.
The full damage of what sinful rebellion had done to God’s image and likeness was made known in the events that brought the flood. First, “the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Second, “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” The difference between man created in God’s image and man corrupted and fully evil is clearly evident. The chasm between God’s will done in heaven and the terrible rebellion against it on the earth was so wide, God refused to allow it to continue. (Gen. 6:5-12; 2Pet. 2:4-9).
As nations arose after the tower of Babel, not only was God’s image forgotten, but so was God. Their descent into idolatry and evil is summed up succintly: “Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” “God also gave them up to uncleanness, vile passions, And a debased mind.” (Rom 1:18ff). Once man rejects God’s image, this rapid descent into debauchery is always possible. God’s wrath was poured out again and again because of their ungodliness and unrighteousness. Even worse, with all the advantages God gave to Israel they ended up no better than the Gentiles. (Rom. 3:9ff).
This was the dilemma God faced. How could He create the means to give those lost in sin and darkness the ability to restore God’s image within them? God knew there were men and women who longed to be restored and He wanted to save and help them. His amazing solution was to send “the Word who was with God and was God” into the world: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.” Jesus entered this world of darkness to bring the light of God’s image. As Cain before them, most did not want to be corrected by Jesus. So, when “He came to His own, His own did not receive Him.” Ultimately, they did the same thing to Jesus that Cain did to Abel. " (Jn. 1:1-14).
“And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” (Jn. 3:19-20) This is the sad reality of what God sees. Those who hate the light and refuse to come to the light want no part of God. From the days of Cain to the flood, from Babel to days of Jesus, and from Jesus until today, man has not changed. All God’s love, mercy and compassion cannot move them to leave their selfish and destructive ways to return to Him. On the last day, it will not be God rejecting them. It will be God acknowledging and revealing how they rejected Him and refused to return.
But Abel and those like him have a different heart. Though a minority, “their love for the truth that they might be saved” leads them to pass over every obstacle in their desire to return to God. They will seek for and enter the narrow gate. They will diligently walk the narrow path to regain God’s image. Judging themselves by the truth of God’s word: “He who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (Jn. 3:19-21; 2Th. 2:10).
For those living today, Jesus is the key. When He said in Jn. 14:6-7: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,” He was affirming this truth. If we can’t see Jesus as flawlessly perfect and seek to imitate everything about Him, there is no path to return to God.
Even before God created the heavens and the earth, He had made the decision to send Jesus and make those who received Him His children: “He predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Rom. 8:29). Those who wish to become just like Jesus, believing and obeying everything He said, receive Him: “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (Jn. 1:12-13)
This is what Jesus affirmed when He said: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.“ (John 14:9) Jesus is the perfect reflection of the divine nature and of God’s image. If the Father had come instead of Jesus, there would have been no difference between them. When John the Baptist expressed his concern that Jesus was not meeting his expectations, Jesus responded: “Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” If anyone has an issue with Jesus, it is actually an issue with God. Blessed are those who are not offended by anything Jesus has said, done or commanded through His apostles.
Conclusion. Since Jesus flawlessly revealed the Father’s image to a world of darkness that had forgotten it, anyone who refuses to conform to His image and accept everything He said as absolute truth will never be transformed into God’s image. This is why every command He gave, revealed by the Holy Spirit to His apostles and prophets must be obeyed (Mt. 28:18-20). Just as Jesus is the reflection of God’s image, God’s word is a reflection of His image. Reading the Scriptures and seeking to imitate them is “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2Cor. 3:18)
Our submission and loyalty to the revelations brought to us by the Holy Spirit will determine the degree to which we once again can reflect the image of God into this dark world. Fellowship with the divine nature and escape from corruption is now available to anyone who masters the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.
- “as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2Pet 1:3-4)