Confession of Faith, Article “c”

(Holley Gazette, April, 1998)

“(c) We believe that God created the first man, Adam, after His own image and in His likeness, and upright, and in His nature, a holy being, capable of obeying, enjoying, and glorifying Him forever.”

The key phrase is “…His own image….” The scriptures refer directly to the image or likeness of God in eight different passages and indirectly in two others (Genesis 1:26,27; 5:1, 3; 9:6; I Cor. 11:7; Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10; James 3:9; Psalm 8; and Acts 17:22-31)

In the Genesis references, four are simply statements of intent “…Let us make man in our image…” or fact “When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.” One reference is tied to his position “Let us make man in our image…and let them rule over…all the earth, and over all the creatures….” And the other is tied to the penalty for murder “Whoever sheds the blood of man by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.” I Corinthians is once again simply a statement of fact “…since he (man) is the image and glory of God….” But the other three New Testament references indicate the penalty of man’s falling into sin and the restoration we can experience in Christ.

The Scriptures do not spell out precisely what the image of God is but there are hints. As God is spirit the qualities in man that reflect the image of god must also be spiritual. Man’s unique God given ability to know and love God must be at the core of the “image.” Man is the only creature that has a moral conscience and is aware of his need for a relationship with his creator. He was (before the fall) capable of obeying God’s moral law and was intended for fellowship with Him. As a result of this relationship he was to “rule over…all the creatures…” Genesis 1:27.

The image of God was marred by the fall, but the promise of restoration is given in the redemption that a believer finds in Christ. The apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:22-24 “You were taught…to put off your old self…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.” And in Colossians 3:9-10 “…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.” What a tremendous future we have to look forward to when “…this mortal (is) replaced by the immortal.” I Corinthians 16:54