Created in God's image

[A Cast Sheep]

Hi everyone,
I have a long time friend who has fallen into the New Age, believing it is Christian. She has recently gotten a "degree in metaphysical ministries."
Our regular conversations are about spiritual beliefs and hers are often based on twisting certain Bible verses.
The one that stumped me was that we are made in God's image. She believes that because He said the creation of us was good, we are good... He is divine, so we are divine.

Thankfully she texted this to me on the heels of our discussion that mankind needs a savior, we are born with a sin nature. So I didnt have to reply to it immediately.
I know there are many verses which say there is no one like God, and that there is no one good, etc.
But what I dont know how to clarify is what it means to be made in God's image. I definitely know it doesnt mean we are "divine."
I think I once heard it means He gave us a will and a conscience. But I'm not even sure if that is a biblical interpretation. I want to be able to show with the Bible, and the original meaning of "image," that it doesnt mean people are divine or good just because our creator is.

Thank you to anyone who can help!

 

[DaveS]

Hi everyone,
I have a long time friend who has fallen into the New Age, believing it is Christian. She has recently gotten a "degree in metaphysical ministries."
Our regular conversations are about spiritual beliefs and hers are often based on twisting certain Bible verses.
The one that stumped me was that we are made in God's image. She believes that because He said the creation of us was good, we are good... He is divine, so we are divine.

Thankfully she texted this to me on the heels of our discussion that mankind needs a savior, we are born with a sin nature. So I didnt have to reply to it immediately.
I know there are many verses which say there is no one like God, and that there is no one good, etc.
But what I dont know how to clarify is what it means to be made in God's image. I definitely know it doesnt mean we are "divine."
I think I once heard it means He gave us a will and a conscience. But I'm not even sure if that is a biblical interpretation. I want to be able to show with the Bible, and the original meaning of "image," that it doesnt mean people are divine or good just because our creator is.

Thank you to anyone who can help!

Created in the image of God means we were created as moral, spiritual, and intellectual beings.

It's possible to show this scripturaly, but do you think that I need to?

Kind regards,
Dave

 

[Almost Heaven]

But what I dont know how to clarify is what it means to be made in God's image.

It means we are a three part being, body, soul, and spirit. The creation of man mirrors the Holy Trinity of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

Our soul is our mind or thoughts and emotions and will...that is the God part.
Our physical body is...the Jesus part...God became a man
Our spirit part is the holy spirit.

To make it super simple and not go on for a couple pages is this...with God there are three persons, with man there are 3 parts.

Does that help?

 

[Steve53]

Adam was created in God's image, and Eve from Adam. The rest of us, with our sin nature, are products of pro-creation.

 

[Kaatje]

On the last day of creation, God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). Thus, He finished His work with a “personal touch.” God formed Adam from the dust and gave him life by sharing His own breath (Genesis 2:7). Accordingly, humanity is unique among all God’s creations, having both a material body and an immaterial soul/spirit.

Having the “image” or “likeness” of God means, in the simplest terms, that we were made to resemble God. Adam did not resemble God in the sense of God’s having flesh and blood. Scripture says that “God is spirit” (John 4:24) and therefore exists without a body. However, Adam’s body did mirror the life of God insofar as it was created in perfect health and was not subject to death.

The image of God (Latin: imago dei) refers to the immaterial part of humanity. It sets human beings apart from the animal world, fits them for the dominion God intended them to have over the earth (Genesis 1:28), and enables them to commune with their Maker. It is a likeness mentally, morally, and socially.

Mentally, humanity was created as a rational, volitional agent. In other words, human beings can reason and choose. This is a reflection of God’s intellect and freedom. Anytime someone invents a machine, writes a book, paints a landscape, enjoys a symphony, calculates a sum, or names a pet, he or she is proclaiming the fact that we are made in God’s image.

Morally, humanity was created in righteousness and perfect innocence, a reflection of God’s holiness. God saw all He had made (humanity included) and called it “very good” (Genesis 1:31). Our conscience or “moral compass” is a vestige of that original state. Whenever someone writes a law, recoils from evil, praises good behavior, or feels guilty, he or she is confirming the fact that we are made in God’s own image.

Socially, humanity was created for fellowship. This reflects God's triune nature and His love. In Eden, humanity’s primary relationship was with God (Genesis 3:8 implies fellowship with God), and God made the first woman because “it is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Every time someone marries, makes a friend, hugs a child, or attends church, he or she is demonstrating the fact that we are made in the likeness of God.

Part of being made in God’s image is that Adam had the capacity to make free choices. Although they were given a righteous nature, Adam and Eve made an evil choice to rebel against their Creator. In so doing, they marred the image of God within themselves, and passed that damaged likeness on to all of their descendants (Romans 5:12). Today, we still bear the image of God (James 3:9), but we also bear the scars of sin. Mentally, morally, socially, and physically, we show the effects of sin.

The good news is that when God redeems an individual, He begins to restore the original image of God, creating a “new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). That redemption is only available by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior from the sin that separates us from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Through Christ, we are made new creations in the likeness of God (2 Corinthians 5:17).

https://www.gotquestions.org/image-of-God.html

 

[A Cast Sheep]

This is all so helpful so thank you to everyone! It amazes me how false teachings and mysticism can take God's word and make it mean something completely different and so completely wrong. And the way people are easily deceived-- sometimes willingly if it means they get to believe they are "divine" and "like God"-- is still no different than when Eve fell for it! I think I was just so surprised someone could take the fact that we are created in God's image and use it to justify humans' god-ness-- and it left me speechless! I truly appreciate you all! I'll read these posts over and over so I'm even more prepared when I see my friend in a few days!