204 – Man in the Image of God

SEMESTER 1

204 – Man in the Image of God

BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE

COURSE:  SOTERIOLOGY I LESSON # 4
MAN IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

 INTRODUCTION:

1. No fact is more clearly and repeatedly stated in Scripture than that man was created in God’s image. (Gen 1:31, Gen 1:27, Jam 3:9)
2. There are two obvious and biblical facts which drive us to investigate this truth.

i. That God is a spirit, thus not a physical image.
ii. That God is holy, thus the image is somewhat altered.

I. THE IMAGE OF GOD IN MAN NEGATIVELY

1. It is not referring to Him as a body, soul and spirit as some carelessly state.

i. Because God is not essentially a body.
ii. God is not referred to scripturally as a soul.
iii. God is a spirit (invisible). (Joh 4:24)

2. In this careless interpretation men fail to remember that Christ’s eternal state was not a bodily one at all.

II. THE IMAGE OF GOD CONSIDERED POSITIVELY

1. We must then consider, if we exclude the physical or component theory, what is the image of God?
2. It refers to the attributes of God, which have to do with essence of character and spirituality.

III. HOLINESS

1. It is stoutly declared by many that man was created innocent.
2. This says nothing, for so were the trees and the animals.
3. Innocence says nothing, necessarily, of either character or personali­ty.
4. The image of God in man then consisted first of holiness.

i. This is necessary as a fundamental, communicable attribute of God.
ii. It is assured because it is an attribute restored in regeneration. (Eph 4:24, Col 3:10)

IV. PERSONALITY

1. In this I refer to man’s self-conscience, and self-determination.

i. By self-conscious, I mean he is aware of himself as an individu­al, apart from all others.
ii. By self-determination, I mean the ability and nature to choose in view of motives.

2. Notice that this corresponds to the elements of human nature, intellect, conscience and will.
3. These areas of holiness and personality are the separating factors between man and beast.
4. The beast is amoral and acts instinctively. Habit, change, anticipa­tion, and apprehension are effects from without (enviro­nmental) such as domestication, etc.
5. The man (person-ality) observes, analyzes, decides and acts accord­ingly, in view of character, and thus according to im­minent prefer­ence, and executive volition.
6. The logical questions then are these: If man was created, a positively holy personality, why did he fall? How could he have fallen to what he is? Indeed how far has he fallen? What is he now?
7. We will approach this next under the subject of the Fall of Man.