Dave spoke recently from Gen 1:26-27 about being made in the image of God. Many scientists and educators deny the Biblical account of creation.They claim that man has evolved over millions of years, that modern man is the result of mutation, that modern man is the result of some random, genetic transformation, that man is the product of the survival of the fittest, but the Genesis account makes it clear that God created the heavens and the earth, including all that is in the earth (see Gen 1 & 2, Is 45:12, Job 33:4, Deut 4:32), a fact which gives immense significance to humanity. As Martin Lloyd Jones states in his book ‘God the Father’, “the theory of evolution is an utter insult to man from the standpoint of the Biblical account — man is great and glorious and wonderful in the mind and conception of God.”
Being made in the image of God does not mean that God has a body like we do, but that we possess characteristics that are also found in God. There is a huge difference between a photograph of a person and the whole essence of that person, but there are several aspects of being made in God’s likeness which must be explored:
- There is a spiritual dimension. We were created as people with a soul and spirit. It is the part of us that nobody sees. In that sense we are like God who is Spirit.
- There is an intellectual dimension. Only human beings can reason and think, analyse and meditate. We are able to weigh options. We wrestle with our conscience and make reasoned choices. These traits reflect God’s unmatched wisdom.
- There is a moral dimension that was originally given to us by God which reflects His integrity, righteousness and upright character.
Being made in God’s image meant God gave mankind the ability to evaluate, reason and think, and ultimately this free will led to sin and to rebellion against God. God’s image in us may seem tarnished nowadays, but because we are made in God’s image, there is a God-shaped hole in all of us which can only be filled by the relationship with God for which we were created. The gospel message reminds us all that God is waiting for us to return to Him, to dependence and trust, and that God is waiting patiently for our return. We were made to belong to God and only in Him can we find our true purpose and full contentment.
