Posted on 11/19/2018 7:15:49 PM PST by pastorbillrandles
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)
The description of the Creation tells us that man is special. All of the rest of Creation seems to have been fashioned for the Man and the Woman and their children. No other creature shares the distinction bestowed upon man; He (and she) alone bares the Image of God.
“…In the image of God created he him; male and female created he them…”.
In what sense does man bare the Image of God? Man can speak, and choose his Words, He is self conscious, pondering eternity, He can reason and choose, He is creative and has been given dominion over Creation.
Perhaps most crucially, the Image of God imprinted on man’s being, enables him to have the capacity to enter into a communion with the Father and the Son, for all men are spiritual, and have a capacity to worship God, and enter into fellowship with Him on a level none of the rest of Creation is capable of.
Even after the fall of man, Man bares the Image of God. The Image is defaced and marred by our sin, but Man still bares the Image of God, and thus is worthy of the respect due to God’s highest Creation.
Modern man has forgotten this truth, which is the only basis for complete human dignity.
Dennis Prager, the author, thinker, Rabbi and Radio talk show host, tells of frequently asking his callers or those who come to his popular speaking tours, ‘If there was a fire in a building , would they seek to save a person or their favorite pet?’ He reports that many, many of those questioned were conflicted. They could not instantly tell you which they would save, a person or an animal!
Recently in a zoo in America, a small child inadvertently made his way into an enclosure which featured a magnificent Silver backed Ape. The Ape treated the child as a plaything, dragging him through pump puddles across the enclosure, until a Marksman shot Him, (The Ape).
When the news came out that the Ape was killed to save the child there was an immediate outcry! People treated the incident as though the marksman and those who authorized him had done something wrong.
This is the consequence of our modern repudiation of Genesis. People are now confused about the value of Human Beings, no longer seeing them as being bearers of the Image of God, and worthy of infinitely more respect and consideration than a thousand silver backed Apes.
Men and women are not mere animals. They are something much higher than animals or mountains, trees, birds or oceans. Man and Woman are bearers of the Image of God, and have been bestowed that honor by their Creator.
Once that basic denigration has occurred, it becomes possible to see and treat people in a vast variety of ways. Are we animals too? Are we mere matter, to be experimented upon, or improved upon? Should we use technology to ‘improve’ upon nature? Are we interchangeable in function and role?
Welcome to the ‘brave new (godless) world’ which we are embarking upon.
Image definition: a representation of the external form of a person or thing in art. The pastor does not answer that. Why?
I certainly hope man does not bare God's image.
That is what the ancient Greeks did with their gods--make them bare.
I would hope that we bear God's image (be similar to, resemble).
My pets are family. They are nonhuman family members.
I will kill to protect all members of my family. They are all irreplaceable.
is your article suggesting that God is both male and female? That God has qualities of both sexes, therefore both sexes resemble God? or that both sexes Bear God’s likeness in terms of physical attributes, therefore God has both male and female qualities?
A Tree can ‘bear a likeness to’ an individual- a rock can bear a likeness to a man ‘Old man on the mountain’ in N.H- That formation was ‘Created in the image of’ a man, (By natural forces)
A Created child can ‘bear a likeness to’ their parent, either in appearance, or some non physical attribute such as attitude, gestures, etc- or in many ways, physical and non physical- This child can bear the image of both parents, both in features and non physical ways- that doesn’t make both parents both male and female, nor the child both male and female-
Sex, not gender.
God is a Spirit, and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth.
We are spiritual beings. To paraphrase CSL, We are not bodies with spirits, bit spirits with bodies.
Lewis delineates these things well in That Hideous Strength, I think.
God the Father is masculine, not male. It is in truth heretical to call him a she.
Jesus, who became Man, is a male.
Yogic Thanks, I am trying to reach those who think in terms of gender but will eventually do an article in this series called “Sex, not gender” thanks for the heads up
No it is not. Infact this is a series aimed at gender confusion and I intend to point out that their who philosophy is gnostic and idolatrous. I believe in God the Father...
LOL, Thanks I appreciate the correction Friend
True I failed to give that specific answer, Rather I gave another answer to the question, “In what sense...” I spoke of shared attributes with God that the rest of Creation doesn’t share in...
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