6. Man in God's Image God's Purpose for Man

Chapter 6
Man in God's Image

Gen 1:26  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 tht creepeth upon the earth.

Created in God's Image

The triune God, meaning God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is acknowledged in scripture from the beginning (Gen 1:2, Gen 1:26).  This gives evident that the Holy Spirit was in on creation as He hovered over the waters. Later in verse 26, it gives evidence that God’s Son, Jesus Christ was also in on the beginnings of creation. New Testament scripture also gives evidence of Christ’s presence with creation (John 1:1-3; John 1:14). 

Adam, the first man, was created in the image and likeness of God. The new creation of man was created to eternally commune with his Divine Creator while he took dominion over the earth. God then created a help-mate for Adam by taking a rib from him and forming a woman. Adam and his new help-mate, whom he called Eve, were then given command by God to govern the earth. Together, as a team, under God’s authority, they were given charge over everything upon the earth (Gen 1:26). 

God "created" man's spirit in the likeness of Himself; however, He "formed" man from the soil of the ground. His body was formed from something that was already created. The spirit part of man, however, was a new creation from God and like God (Gen 1:27).  Our bodies then were NOT created - but molded or made (Gen 1:26).  God then breathed into Adam's nostrils the breath of life and he became a living soul.  As such, we are a spirit, we have a soul, and we live in a body. 

Spirit, soul and body

Man, just like God, was created as a triune. Man is a spirit, having a soul, and lives in a body. Since man was created in the image and likeness of God, God created him in such a way that the spirit part of him is eternal and gives him the ability to be "God conscious" so he can communicate with his Creator. The soul part of man makes him self-conscious, which gives him an awareness of what is going on within. Then man has a body, which is the sense consciousness.  We, as man, are a “whole” person, created in God’s image (Gen 2:7).  

The tri-part man

John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

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We are a spirit, we have a soul, and we live in a body

Man's spirit is immortal - eternal - made in the image of God:  Within his spirit, he also is a three-part being.  (1) He has an intuition, which gives him the ability of an inner instinctive sensing or insight.  (2) He has a conscience, which gives him the ability to know right from wrong, and (3) the ability to be God conscious and be able commune with his Creator.  In order for man to be a distinctive being, he must also be connected to his soul.  When man becomes born again, the spirit of God is activated within his spirit.

Man's soul is also immortal:  Within man's soul, he also is a three-part being - mind, will and emotions.  The soul part of man is his character of who he is.  Here is where a man thinks and reasons.  He becomes self conscious.  A soul without a spirit has no life, nor does a spirit without a soul have any character.  The two are connected together by what the Bible calls the "heart." The spirit/soul of a man lives on eternally, whether it is in heaven or hell.  The brain, however, is a physical organ - a holding bank of man's thoughts and reason. 

Man's body is the mortal part of man:  The body is also a three-part being, made up of the five physical senses:  Hearing, seeing, smell, taste, and touch.  Our flesh, with all of our organs (including our brain), blood, and bones make up our physical being.  The body dies and decays, but the spirit/soul of man lives on forever.

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 End Notes


[i] Dakes, Finis. Dakes Annotated Bible. Pg. 52. Old Testament
[ii] Dakes, Finis. Dakes Annotated Bible. Pg. 52. Old Testament

Written by Pastor Joyce A. Erickson

Believers Bible School, Founder https://believersbibleschool.com/