We are supposedly made in God’s image, according to casual speech and sermons I’ve heard. But is it a presupposition or the truth? I would never want to contradict the truth in any manner. My sole goal is to discover the truth of the situation.
The Bible tells me that Adam was made in the likeness of God. I want to know: Are we? Did Adam misplace that picture? Why in the world does the Bible say that “all have fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23) if we still bear the image of God? There is no one who does good, not even one; they have all lost their way and collectively lost their value (Romans 3:12).
God said, Let US make man in OUR image after OUR likeness – the plural form of the noun here in Hebrew is the plural of majesty – or denotes the fullness of divine strength. When applying to YHWH, Elohim is used as plural majesty.
Does plural of majesty exist in Hebrew?
Majestic plural, also known as pluralis majestatis, is the use of a plural word to refer honorifically to a single person or entity.
- God asks the question: Whom shall I send, and who will go for US? (Isaiah 6:8)
- And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of US, to know good and evil (Genesis 3:22)
The two Hebrew terms for “likeness and image” are tselem and demut, which are not moral terms but both physical terms. It then means that the Adamic race bears a physical resemblance to their Creator as well. For by him were all things created (Col 1:16).
It is understood that Christ, from eternity, had a “human form” and we as human beings are made in that image – The Lord is a man of war (Exodus 15:3). We are made in the image of Christ. 1 John 3:2 talks about us going to bear his image in the future. “But we know that when he [that is, Jesus], appears, we shall be like him.”
Let’s dig in a little bit more into this and see what the Bible says. The truth is Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceived me (Psalm 51:5). For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing (Romans 7:18).
If this is the case, where is this “image of God” that we all brag about? I would like to think that Adam was a combination of a male and female structure before the Lord God segregated them – Genesis 5:1,2 – (flesh of my flesh and bone of my bones – she was taken out of Man – Genesis 2:23); and that Adam was created in the likeness of God (dmuwth – resemblance, model, shape, fashion, likeness, manner, similitude), which then mean that both genders bear the image of God. But with the fall of man, the image of God, which is the glory of God or the life of man died, got separated.
Death is nothing but being separated from that life; the New Testament portrays it as the image of the heavenly –1Cor 15:49/2Cor 5:1-4.
According to Carl Jung, Adam wasn’t a man in the traditional sense; rather, he was more like a hermaphrodite being, and within that being was an undivided perfection that was divided into male and female.
We know that Adam was the son of God – Luke 3:38 – but it is written that after the fall, Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth (Genesis 5:3). This then means, by the transgression of Adam, the human race had lost the “dmuwth”.
Since the fall, not once we see anyone being called the son of God until the commencement of the New Testament era.
In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him (Genesis 5:1).
Though we possess a vile body now, I do believe that we were fashioned after the Son and hence bear a physical likeness to the Son – Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body (Philippians 3:21)
Now I would say in Adam we were once the image of God. But after the fall we had lost it. And now we labor with God toward attaining that stature.
After the fall, do we have some problems with being immoral and sinful? Are we being recreated in the image of Christ? Is being like Christ our destiny? So that’s where we’re going and so we are going back to the garden in a certain sense. The image of God is in us, it’s been marred because of sin. We are going back to becoming like Christ. Dr. Ted Hildebrandt
Apostle Paul said, not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after (Phil 3:12) – forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before (Phil 3:13) – I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:14).
What is that high calling of God? It is us getting perfected – the spirits of just men made perfect – Heb 12:33 – Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Eph 4:12,13). But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass (the word of God – James 1:23) the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor 3:18).
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is –1 John 3:2.
If that be the case, what are we now? No doubt we still bear the image of the fallen man Adam and we haven’t yet borne the image of God according to the outward man.
As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly –1Cor 15:48 – And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly –1Cor 15: 49. And unless we come to bear that image of the heavenly we can inherit neither incorruption nor the kingdom of God –1Cor 15:50. See now how crucial it is to abide in the vine?
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out (1 Tim 6:7) – which clearly defines that, we come from somewhere apart from a physical body – the moment we enter into this world, it begins with a cry – then struggle, pain, hunger, sorrow and at the end death (depart from the body in which we dwelt – 2Cor 5:1-6).
A person is not taken from the earth, but the body is. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7) – the body without the spirit is dead – James 2:26 – and this spirit which is the life of the body shall return unto God. This spirit (Heb. ruwach – breath) of God is in my nostrils (Job 27:3) – but the spirit of man/mind (Gr. pneuma – the spirit of His Son – Gal 4:6 – is born of God – John 3:6 – that new creature/nature – 2Cor 5:17/1Cor 2:16).
The reason why we get to come into this world is first of, by predestination, for he foreknew us – Rom 8:29,30/Eph 1:5,11 – he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4). He did this to make a family for Himself as heirs of God, to be precise – Rom 8:17.
God has a Son (the wisdom and power of God Almighty), who is the express image of His person, one in essence with God – but this Son was so selfless that He wanted to include many as his brethren and share everything that His Father has. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth (James 1:18).
Before we entered this world, we were much alive in God. For we are also his offspring (Acts 17:28) – Lo, children are a heritage (nachalah – something inherited) of the Lord (Psalm 127:3) – the body that we have come into is not the image of the structure of God, but the spirit* (the born-again, this that have experienced the regeneration – paliggenesia – (spiritual) rebirth, spiritual renovation; especially, Messianic restoration – anakainosis – renovation, renewing – Matt 19:28/Titus 3:5 – because the spirit was dead in Adam – Rom 5 – the spirit got separated from its life due to sin, to be exact- and it needed this restoration by association with the Life of man, which is Christ, the Word of God – John 1:4), *is the express image of God’s Son, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness – Ephesians 4:24.
Now when you align yourself with this life – you become a new creature (ktisis – original formation/creation) – 2Cor 5:17/Gal 6:15. That’s when you come out of the chaos and into peace with God – Rom 5:1.
Orderliness comes when you associate with the one who brought order or Shalom. With God is perfect order, but the devils’ kingdom is chaotic. Satan made this world chaotic – Isaiah 14:16,17.
When God breathed into Adam – he was made a living soul –1Cor 15:45 – the breath of God that is in our nostrils – Job 27:3 – or that which God places in every creature to make it an animate being – Eccl 12:7/James 2:26 – is the soul of man. This soul was linked to its life, which is God but sin severed this union and death prevailed upon all flesh – Rom 5.
Death is nothing but separation from God or having no form or void and darkness covers the face of the person – Genesis 1:2.
Without the spirit, the soul (the person) is unsound or dead according to God. That soul walks in the vanity of mind, the understanding is darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them (Ephesians 4:18) – is alienated from God and enemies in mind by wicked works (Colossians 1:21) – without Christ, having no hope, and without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12). But when the Spirit of God gives birth to the spirit in man – John 3:6 – this lost soul becomes a new creature. Behold, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).
That’s why now as a new creature in Christ, we can say that we have passed from death unto life (1 John 3:14). When a person believes in Jesus Christ, God would speak to this chaotic, formless, and void individual, let there be light – and the light of man will shine unto him and make him/her a new creature, having form and order – restored or reinstated back to the original form before the fall. In right standing with God. Justified freely by His grace – Rom 3:24 – to walk in newness of life – Rom 6:4.
Not only did we inherit from our earthly Adam, but also from our heavenly Adam, the Spirit of sonship – Gal 4:6/1John 3:2/John 1:12. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly (1 Corinthians 15:47-49).
God hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth (Acts 17:26) – The second man is the Lord from heaven (1 Corinthians 15:47) – God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven (Acts 17:24). The Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king (Jeremiah 10:10). The great God and our Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). This is the true God, and eternal life (1 John 5:20). For he is Lord of lords, and King of kings – Revelation 17:14/19:11-16/1Timothy 6:14-16 – And the Word, who was God was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1,14). He was the brightness of God’s glory and the express image of His person, who made the worlds and upholds all things by the word of his power – Hebrews 1:2,3/Jeremiah 10:10-12.
The Spirit is life because of righteousness – our spirit man and the righteousness of Christ that is imputed upon us. Christ is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption – 1Cor 1:30.
What Adam had lost is a glorious/heavenly body – he was the son of God (the image of God) – Luke 3:38. God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them (Genesis 1:27).
The body that we possess is only a bare shell, deprived of the heavenly – the image of God is long lost – we are naked now, aren’t we? – and we must be clothed with the heavenly. How can anyone deem this vile body as the image of God? – Phil 3:20,21.
It is true that our inner man is created after God in righteousness and true holiness – Eph 4:24/Col 3:10 – but the spirit is constrained in this body until the Lord will fashion it like unto His glorious body. But we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him (1 John 3:2). When it says, the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:18) – it talks about the liberation of our spirit man in his glorious body.
The real might of our spirit shall be unleashed at that time. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God (Romans 8:19). We ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body (Romans 8:23).
The image of God becomes complete only after that we are clothed with the heavenly body. What does the Bible say? In 2 Corinthians 5:1-4 – For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
Philippians 3:20-21 says, For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2)