In His Image

What is God’s Image?

So, what does it mean to be created in God’s image? …

Let’s start by looking at the word “IMAGE” itself. The Hebrew word for image as used in Genesis one is the word TSELEM. Variously translated as a phantom, an illusion, a resemblance, or a representative figure. It comes from a root word meaning a shadow, a shape, an outline, or a form. Referring to the same subject in Genesis 1:27, we also see the word “LIKENESS”, translated from the Hebrew word DEMOOTH, which means a resemblance, a model, a shape, or a similitude…

something that resembles the characteristics and quality of another, but which is not exactly the same in all respects as the other.

Here we have a first clue as what God has created us for, and a preview of what we shall be if we continue on to the ultimate fulfillment of God’s purpose in us. We have been created as a representation of God.

We are modelled on God. We are different from other forms of God’s creation order. We are given dominion over all other orders of creation. We are in a high and privileged position in God’s order. We are in the likeness of God, but we are not born exactly like Him in our physical state. We are something of a shadow of the true nature of God.

A physical example can help us grasp this concept

When light falls on a solid object, say from above or at an angle, it forms a shadow on the surface that the object stands on or the background to the object. When we examine the shadow, we can see the shape of the object. Although it is not a perfect resemblance, it’s merely an outline or a form. It’s often a bit fuzzy around the edges. There may also be some distortions in the shadow when compared to the proportions of the real object. Nevertheless, we get an idea of what the object is like through the shape of the shadow it creates. If there’s no object, there is no shadow.

The presence of the shadow indicate.s the existence, the reality, of the real object

This is an analogy of us in relation to our Creator, God. We have all been endowed with the potential to become like God, that is, immortal, if we so choose to follow God’s plan and purpose. God sent his son Jesus Christ to act as the prototype of the kind of people God wants us to be. The Bible records how Jesus revealed the true nature of God to us.

God is a spirit and he must be worshiped in spirit and in truth

as we read in John 4:24. He is also described as the invisible God. Nevertheless, he can be seen in human form.

We read a description of Jesus Christ in Colossians 1:15-17…

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. For by him were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers. all things were created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.

And in Hebrews 1:1-3 …

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds, who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Christ – The Expression of God in Human Form

In this Hebrews 1:1-3 Jesus Christ is described as the EXPRESS image of God’s person. The word translated as “express” is the Greek word CHARAKTER, meaning an engraver or engraving, a stamped-out figure, an exact copy, or a representation. Whereas an impression is a mark produced by something pressed from the outside in, an expression is pressed from the inside out. that is the outward expression of that which is within.

The word translated as “person” is the Greek HUPOSTASIS, which means a setting under or support, the essence or assurance. from hupo meaning under and histemi meaning to stand.

In English, this means the underlying essence or nature. So combining these words, we get a picture of Jesus Christ as the outwardly visible manifestation of God, the image of God in human form – more than a mere shadow – the very essence of God. Although God is otherwise invisible, yet He chose to manifest Himself in the form of a man. Jesus Christ came as the outward expression of God, not just a part of God, but God in His fullness.

In Colossians chapter 2:9 we read…

For in Him [that is, in Christ Jesus], dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily

that is, in a physical sense. The man, Jesus Christ, was a perfect reflection of God in human form.

In John 1:18, we read …

No man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

The word translated as declared is the Greek verb EXEGIOMAI, which means to rehearse, tell out loud, announce, to unfold. Again, we have a word picture that describes Jesus Christ, the Son of God, making an announcement to the world of the nature of God. The testimony of Christ is God’s statement of purpose or intent to the world. Christ unfolded or revealed God to us. This is why the prophet Isaiah announced beforehand that the Messiah would be known as Immanuel, which means God with us…

Isaiah 7:14 …

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

 

Hebrews 2:14 …

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil.

God would give us a supernatural sign. Jesus Christ is that sign. He is the evidence of God, the manifestation of God in the flesh. The name Emmanuel is interpreted as “God with us”. We also are to interpret that this man is God in human form, sent to us, because we (that is mankind), are flesh and blood. He took part of the same. He also became a partaker of the human form.

The Interaction between Light, Objects and Shadow

Now, to continue with the analogy of light and shadows, there’s an interesting feature of the interaction between light and objects. When the light source is immediately and directly overhead the object upon which the light falls, and we view the object directly overhead, all shadows disappear and we see the full details of the actual object, the substance.

It is no coincidence that the Bible identifies Jesus Christ as THE TRUE LIGHT of the world. When he was baptized at the River Jordan by John the Baptist, we see the first instance of the manifestation of God in Jesus Christ.

Matthew 3:16-17…

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water, and, lo, the heavens were open unto him. And he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him. and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

The Spirit of God descended upon Jesus and, as it describes in the Scripture, lighted upon Him.

John visibly seen the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove coming down from heaven and resting upon Jesus. This was accompanied by a verbal declaration from the Father …

This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

This event was the equivalent to the light of God’s presence coming directly overhead at that point. As the Spirit of God lighted upon Jesus, the shadows disappeared to be replaced by the true light of God’s presence in Him.

All that came before were mere shadows in comparison to the glory of God in Christ. The presence of God in Christ, that is, THE IMAGE OF GOD IN CHRIST, was kept hidden from view to mankind until the proclamation of His anointing as the Messiah – the Christ.

John the Baptist bore witness to what he had seen.

John 1:33-34 …

And I knew him not, but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw and bear record that this is the Son of God.

In effect, the Son of God is the image of God, whereas we, as natural humans, are only a shadow of God. Nevertheless, we have the potential to become the true sons of God through the Son, who is Jesus Christ.

The Transfiguration

We see another example of God illuminating His presence in Christ in a later event we refer to as the Transfiguration.

We read in Matthew 17:1-8 …

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them, and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias, talking with them. Then answered Peter and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold a voice out of the cloud which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them and said, ‘Arise and be not afraid.’ And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man save Jesus only.

This was a vision of the true glory of God in Jesus Christ. The bright cloud was representative of the essence of God’s presence, like the Shekinah presence of God’s glory in the Old Testament. This was no ordinary cloud. Normal clouds obscure the light, but from this cloud, light emanated. It was the source of the light. The cloud of God’s essence overshadowed them, and the appearance of Christ became brilliant, pure white light. The fullness of God was being revealed in the body of Christ, manifested before these witnesses. This event took place on a high mountain. Christ took the three disciples to an elevated place where he would be revealed in his glory. Moses and Elijah appeared in a vision. Moses represented the law and Elijah represented the prophets. These were the two witnesses required to verify who Christ is. The Father completed the witness by again audibly announcing out of the cloud …

“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him”.

In this incident, we’re reminded of Moses on Mount Sinai in the presence of God. When he descended from the mountain, the light of God shone upon his face. So intense was that light that Moses had to wear a veil when speaking to the children of Israel.

At the time, Moses stood as a figure of the Christ to come. Like Moses came down from the presence of God, so Jesus Christ came down to us from the presence of the Father. The glory of God had illuminated Moses’ face, and likewise, when Christ came down to us, He came as the true light of the world. Yet as in Moses’ day the light was too intense to bear, and as Moses wore a veil, Christ also, the eternal Son, the Word of God, was made flesh. He came veiled in human form, in flesh. and we beheld His glory as it were through the veil of His humanity. Only on very special and significant occasions did we see a glimpse of His true glory as the veil was partially lifted.

Such events included His baptism and anointing with the Holy Spirit as previously described, also the Transfiguration, And later, the resurrected and glorified Christ appearing to Saul on the road to Damascus as a blinding light, with a brightness that exceeded the midday sun in its glory.

1 John 1:5 states …

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

The Light of The Holy Spirit 

God is pure light, and we are the shadow upon which God’s presence, that is the true light, falls. The further the light source is away from the object (us), the less representative is the shadow created. The closer and more direct the light falls upon us, the closer we resemble the real object. God’s plan is to develop us into his true sons and daughters through the perfecting of the Holy Spirit.

In 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 we read …

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

The Christian shall be Changed

The ultimate destiny of the overcoming Christian is to be changed into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ at his coming and the first resurrection. This is the resurrection power of God. It is sown in corruption, in a limited, natural, carnal state. It is raised in an immortal, incorruptible, everlasting body, a body like unto the resurrected Jesus Christ. This is the great hope, the expectation of all those who truly follow after Christ, who seek immortality.

We read in 1 Corinthians 15: 47-54 …

The first man is of the earth, earthy, the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy. And as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory.

The ultimate fulfillment of what God created us to be in Genesis chapter 1 will be realized at the coming of Jesus Christ, in which the overcoming Christian will be changed into the likeness and image of Jesus Christ.

1 John 3:2 states …

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

In Summary

So, to summarize the underlying truths we can learn from the physical analogy of man being a shadow of God, and the ultimate fulfillment of being in His image …

1. We are temporal. We only exist in natural human form for a temporary period of time. The same way as a shadow is temporal, it only exists as long as the light falls upon the object, and the image of the object forms upon the background. In Job 14:2, Job describes man in the very same terms of being a shadow. Like a shadow, he flees. His life is short.

2. Without light, a shadow cannot exist. It only exists because the light exists. God is the creator of light, and this light is necessary to support all life. In a spiritual sense, we also need the illumination of God’s Spirit to enlighten the eyes of our understanding.

3. The Bible describes the righteousness and judgment of God as the light.

4. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came as the true light of the world to bring us true spiritual life.

5. Jesus revealed to us that God is spirit. He is eternal. We cannot physically see a spirit. Yet when the spiritual light of God falls upon us, it illuminates the presence of the nature of God in us. For us, this is the infilling, the baptism, the immersion of the Holy Spirit.

6. When we trace any shadow created by light, eventually we come to the real object that casts the shadow, the substance. As the light of God falls upon us and ever reaches its zenith, its highest point, directly overhead, upon us, we get closer to fulfilling that ultimate purpose, to be ever changed closer to the image of Jesus Christ, brought into alignment with the direct light of God.

7. When Jesus Christ returns, the light of His presence will encompass and overshadow this entire universe. The earth will be lighted with His glory, and His light will transfigure the true believers. The overcoming Christians will be raised up and changed from the earthly corruptible image into the heavenly incorruptible image of Christ.

And finally …

8. This will fulfill God’s original intention for us in Genesis chapter one, that we would be IN HIS IMAGE.