With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Jas 3:9
“Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed for in the image of God has God made mankind. Gen 9:6
What is the image of God?
What makes us different from the animals and plants? A carrot has only a body. A dog has a body and soul (mind, will, emotions). You can teach a dog to roll over (mind), he’ll chase cars, even when you tell him not to (will), and he may growl because he is angry (emotions). Man has a body, soul and spirit 1 Th 5:23—a trinity, with two invisible and one material part (the human spirit is rational Ro 12:1 AMP, creative (rule over creation Gen 1:28 / name all animals Gen 2:19) can communicate intelligently with man and God, has a conscience of right and wrong, but can be seared 1 Ti 4:2).
Click on chart to enlarge.
Genesis 1: explains man’s physiologically aspect (body) Gen 1:27 male/female
Genesis 2: explains man’s sociability aspect (soul) Gen 2:18-25 Man was lonely, named animals-no suitable helper-God made Eve from Adam. Man and woman engaging in a social relationship.
Genesis 3: explains man’s ethical aspect/made in the image of God Eph 4:24: man does not live on bread alone Mt 4:4/ animals do! Spiritual component (spirit) Gen 3:3-7. Man failed, (dead spirit/Holy Spirit departed from Adam Gen 2:17). Man will decide for himself, what is good and evil. Later new test- believe the gospel and receive Christ (sealed with the Holy Spirit Eph 1:13,14) spirit to Spirit communication/ OT-God’s spirit could come and go. Examples: Holy Spirit came upon people: Nu 11:25; Jdg 3:10; 1 Sa 16:13; Holy Spirit can depart: David Ps 51:11, Samson Jdg 16:20, Saul 1 Sa 16:14.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. Jn 14:16,17
By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified Jn 7:39. After Adam sinned the indwelling Holy Spirit departed from mankind Gen 2:17. He would come upon people in the old Testament whose sins were covered by the blood of animals but could not reside in them until man’s sin was taken away by Jesus Christ Jn 1:29.
Adam’s spirit was alive to God but dead to the world until he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He changed from desiring to be God’s representative to rule over creation (live for God) to be his own god thus becoming alive to the world and dead to God in his spirit. Gen 5:1-3 In Seth’s human spirit: he was dead to God/but alive to the world.
A person who is dead to God (living for themselves: old man Col 3:9) can still do good things like a person who is alive to God (living for God: new man Col 3:10). Oprah Winfrey doesn’t believe in Jesus but built a school in Africa that has a Yoga classroom), so did I and my friends (but we created a Christian classroom).
Jesus humbled himself, emptied himself of his divine right Php 2:6,7
When we come to Christ we have to humble (empty ourselves of our sinful nature) that rules us and allow Christ to rule us Gal 2:20.
Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax.” And they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” Then He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.” Mt 22:19-21 Make no image of God for He already has an image of himself, mankind.
We are created in God’s image so we are to respect and honor all of humanity because we are God’s representatives to rule over all of creation.
God made humanity in His image. This image has a very focused meaning in the Old Testament—being God’s representative rulers over his creation Gen1:26; Ps 8:4,5,6; Ps 2:2, 6, 7. That image was marred and eventually restored and transformed in Jesus, the Son of Man, the exact representation (man = likeness), of the image of God. Those who are in Christ take part in this new humanity.
Kings and their gods were worshipped but not kings of Israel. Est 3:2 4; Lk 4:8; Dan 3:28. They were even called to account for their actions (Nathan confronts David) 2 Sa 12:9. John the Baptist was killed for rebuking King Herod Mt 14:3,4,5.
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—Ro 6:6
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Eph 4:22-24
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Col 3:9,10
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin (dead to the world/old man) but alive to God (new man) in Christ Jesus. Ro 6:11
tselem: an image form (1), image (5), images (6), likenesses (3), phantom (1).
a representation of the external form of a person or thing in art.
demuth: likeness, similitude figure (1), figures like (1), figures resembling (1), form (4), like (4), likeness (8), pattern (1), resembling (1), something resembling (1), which resembled (1), who resembled (1).
the fact or quality of being alike; resemblance. internal form: rational, creative, communitive, moral