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NASB | Genesis 5:3 ¶ When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 5:3 ¶ When Adam had lived a hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth. |
Bible Question:
Granted, man, as a species was made (past tense, at creation) in the image of God. I am not questioning that. But is God still creating man in His image everytime someone is born? The reference verse above does not say that Seth was born in the image of God. It says that Seth was born in Adam's image. I believe that, after the fall, man was no longer the exact representation of God's image. He became, through Adam's sin, a fallen creature. When Christ came, He showed us man as man was designed to be - totally dependant upon God. God was His life source. Christ said, 'I don't do or say anything unless the Father tells Me to do or say it. Why? Because My Father and I are one.' And scripture says that He (Christ) was the exact representation of God's nature. Philip said to Jesus, 'Show us the Father.' Jesus replied, 'If you've seen Me, you've seen the Father.' Now, with Christ in us, we, too, can reflect the image of God as we let Him live through us. We, as believers, are one spirit with Him. But, my question is, is man, in his fallen natural state (born dead in trespasses and sin) still being created in the image of God? On a personal note, I don't understand how the terrorist who have attacked the US could be considered 'created in the image of God.' Or someone like Adolf Hitler, who tried to exterminate the Jews, how is he the iamge of God. I see the opposite. Or someone like Bill Mc, who left to his own devices, before he was saved, could have, but for the grace of God, committed any crime I could think of. I have hated, I have lusted - in my heart I was guilty of murder and adultery. I cannot look at my life and say that it was always the image of God. People will say that we have no right to execute criminals for their crimes because man is the image of God. I think we forfeited that attribute when Adam sinned. Is God still, present tense, creating man in His image? If He is, I believe it is only at new birth - Rom 6:4, 2 Cor 5:17, Gal 6:16, Eph 2:10. What do you think? |
Bible Answer: ...continued from part one. Is God still creating man in His image? Part Two Some Christians make a mistake in thinking that because man is a sinner he is nothing. No, it is the greatness of man the image of God that makes sense of all the trouble God has gone through to save him. And it is what makes a man’s loss so tragic. “AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?” 1 Pet 4:18 Let me close by quoting what a group of many pastors have written to summarize what the Bible teaches about man. Notice that they speak of corruption of our nature and loss of righteousness, but not obliteration of the image of God: “After God had made all other creatures, he created man, male and female, with reasonable and immortal souls, endued with knowledge, righteousness and true holiness, after his own image, having the law of God written in their hearts, and power to fulfil it; and yet under a possibility of transgressing, being left to the liberty of their own will, which was subject unto change. Besides this law written in their hearts, they received a command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; which while they kept, they were happy in their communion with God, and had dominion over the creatures. “Our first parents being seduced by the subtlety and temptation of Satan, sinned in eating the forbidden fruit. This their sin God was pleased according to his wise and holy counsel to permit, having purposed to order it to his own glory. “By this sin they fell form their original righteousness and communion with God, and so became dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body. “They being the root of all mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed, and the same death in sin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity, descending from them by ordinary generation. “From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions. “This corruption of nature, during this life, doth remain in those that are regenerated, and although it be through Christ pardoned and mortified, yet both itself, and all the motions thereof, are truly and properly sin. “Every sin, both original and natural being a transgression of the righteous law of God, and contrary thereunto, doth is its own nature, bring guilt upon the sinner, whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God, and curse of the law, and so made subject to death, with all miseries spiritual, temporal, and eternal.” Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter four, section II, and chapter six. Peace, Lionstrong |