In the Image of God-Part 5
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:26-27)
IT MIGHT SEEM MORE LIKELY THAT GOD would want to represent His likeness in the dazzling display of stars. The Milky Way is an awesome exhibition; a continuous parade of God’s majesty and power. David slept under the canopy of the heaven hundreds of nights and was impressed by the stars. He said: He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. (Psalm 147:4) God knows exactly how many stars are out there and has given a name to each of the stars.
HE KNOWS ABOUT EVERY BIRD THAT FALLS and knows how many hairs are on your head. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-:31)
BUT, GOD DID NOT MAKE THE STARS OR THE BIRDS IN HIS IMAGE. When you look in the mirror, you are looking at something more valuable to God than the stars or anything you have ever seen on this earth. He chose to make human beings in His image. That ought to make us proud and humble at the same time. Since God made us in His image, in what way are we made like God? We’re not as smart as God. We’re not as strong as God. We’re not as good as God. We’re not as long-lasting in this world as God. We get sick and die, so just how are we made in the image of God?
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT VERSES IN THE BIBLE about what and who we are, is this verse: And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Thessalonians 5:23)
THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF US AS BEING BODY AND SOUL. The Bible also speaks of us as being body, soul and spirit. Some of the best condensed notes I know of on this subject is in the Scofield Reference Bible. I do not use this study Bible for everything because it is severely flawed in its comments in Genesis and the subject of creation. But it is an excellent teaching Bible on many other important Bible subjects.
I HAVE WORN OUT FOUR COPIES OF THE SCOFIELD BIBLE, running references and marking it up, before the days of computers. (The bindings on the Scofield Bible are weak and come apart easily.) In 1909 it had eight of the finest Bible teachers and scholars as consulting editors, including A.T. Pierson, Arno Gaebelein, and William Pettingill. The editor of the Scofield Bible was C.I. Scofield. The following notes are found on page 1270, at the close of 1Thessalonians.
“MAN A TRINITY. That the human soul and spirit are not identical is proved by the facts that they are divisible, (Hebrews 4:12), and that soul and spirit are sharply distinguished in the burial and resurrection of the body. It is sown a natural body (Greek, "soma psuchikon" meaning "soul-body"), it is raised a spiritual body (Greek, "soma pneumatikon" meaning "spirit-body"). (1Corinthians 15:44).
“To assert, therefore, that there is no difference between soul and spirit is to assert that there is no difference between the mortal body and the resurrection body. In Scripture use, the distinction between spirit and soul may be traced. Briefly, that distinction is that the spirit is that part of man which "knows" (1Corinthians 2:11) his mind; the soul is the seat of the affections, desires, and so of the emotions, and of the active will, the self. "My soul is exceeding sorrowful" (Matthew 26:38). “See also; (Matthew 11:29); (John 12:27).
“The word transliterated "soul" in the Old Testament (Hebrew, "nephesh") is the exact equivalent of the New Testament word for soul (Greek, "psuchē"), and the use of "soul" in the Old Testament is identical with the use of that word in the New Testament (see, for example); (Deuteronomy 6:5); (Deuteronomy 14:26); (1Samuel 18:1); (1Samuel 20:4); (1Samuel 20:17); (Job 7:11); (Job 7:15); (Job 14:22); (Psalm 42:6); (Psalm 84:2).
The New Testament word for spirit (Greek, "pneuma") like the Old Testament (Hebrew, "ruach"), is translated, "air", "breath", "wind," but predominantly "spirit," whether of God (for example); (Genesis 1:2); (Matthew 3:16) or of man; (Genesis 41:8); (1Corinthians 5:5).
Because man is "spirit", he is capable of God-consciousness, and of communication with God; (Job 32:8); (Psalm 18:28); (Proverbs 20:27); because he is "soul", he has self-consciousness; (Psalm 13:2); (Psalm 42:5); (Psalm 42:6); (Psalm 42:11); and, because he is "body", he has, through his senses, world consciousness. (Scofield Reference Bible Copyright 1909, 1917, 1937, 1945)
I URGE YOU TO CONSIDER LOOKING UP THE REFERENCES ABOVE (AND BELOW) and perhaps mark them in your Bible. This short assignment to study will not take long and you will be richly rewarded to understand what the Bible says about it. The comments below are from the Bible Knowledge Commentary.
“THOUGH PAUL SPOKE OF THE CHRISTIAN AS SPIRIT, SOUL, AND BODY, man is described elsewhere as having two parts — body and spirit (Jamess 2:26; 2Corinthians 7:1), or body and soul (Matthew 10:28). And man is also said to have a heart, mind, conscience, and other parts. Rather than teaching man as having only three parts, Paul was probably using the three terms here to identify the different aspects of personhood he wished to emphasize.
THE SPIRIT IS THE HIGHEST AND MOST UNIQUE PART OF MAN that enables him to communicate with God. The soul is the part of man that makes him conscious of himself; it is the seat of his personality. The body, of course, is the physical part through which the inner person expresses himself and by which he is immediately recognized. Paul was saying then that he desired that the Thessalonians would be kept blameless by God in their relationships with Him in their inner personal lives, and in their social contacts with other people.” (Bible Knowledge Commentary).
A VERY IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER ABOUT MAN and his being created in the image of God, is that man followed the leading of Satan to sin against God and we are born into the world as lost sinners. God knew we would do this. Before the creation of the world, in the mind of God, Jesus was crucified as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. Two thousand years ago, that happened. Jesus died on the cross and rose again the third day just like the Old Testament scriptures said He would.
ANYONE WHO TURNS TO GOD IN REPENTANCE (turning away from all known sin) and who receives Jesus Christ as his/her personal Savior and Lord, will be saved. Jesus took our place and the wrath of God upon our sins was poured out upon His son on the Cross. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) Ω
Read Through the Bible in a Year
JULY 24, 2018 – MONDAY
A.M. Psalms 41-43 P.M. Acts 24
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.) If you are behind in reading, read the passage for today and then go back.
●Good Memory Verse:
The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower (Psalm 18:2). (Write verse on scrap of paper and put in your pocket to memorize.)
●Song for Today:
Drinking At the Springs Of Living Water (2:10) (Melody Four Quartet)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghm4Jz2afaE&list=RDGhm4Jz2afaE (2:14)
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