God's Image or Adam's Image

We had a discussion in our housegroup last night about what image men are created in when they are first born (obviously no-one is born a Christian in their first, natural birth).Are we created in the image of God (obviously though a distorted image) or are we created in the image of Adam, or is it something else?Here are a few scriptures to browse through:Genesis 1:27So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.Genesis 51 This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created. 3And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.1 Corinthians 11:7For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.2 Corinthians 4:4whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

here is another verse to consider:Genesis 9:6 whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man is his blood shed: for in the image of God hath He made man.Murder is to be severaly punished beacuse man was made in the image of God. It dosen't say however that it is to be punished because man is in the image of God. I believe that man is in the image of Adam, who was made in the image of God but had fallen. 1 Cor 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.I don't believe that Adam was in the image of God before his fall in the exact same way that we shall be after our glorification. I beieve there was room for somthing more in adam back there, and I believe that that is what the tree of life would have brought him into. We are being conformed to the image of the Son of God, not to Adam before the fall, that to me is a glorious truth.

I don't believe that Adam was in the image of God before his fall in the exact same way that we shall be after our glorification. I beieve there was room for somthing more in adam back there, and I believe that that is what the tree of life would have brought him into. We are being conformed to the image of the Son of God, not to Adam before the fall, that to me is a glorious truth.A glorious truth indeed! This has always been God's purpose for mankind just as Paul spoke about in his letter to the Ephesians:Ephesians 1:4-5 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,God took such delight in His Son that He created man with the purpose of adopting a vast family of sons and daughters conformed to Christ's image, a glorious expression of His authority to the whole universe and a temple of living stones for the Spirit to dwell in forever!The choice was offered to Adam to enter into this divine life-union with Christ, the symbols of that choice were the two trees in the garden. Sadly, we know which way Adam chose but God's purpose still remains the same. The plan of redemption simply restores us to the path of adoption.God's initial phase of this sharing of divine life involved using Himself as the pattern after which man was created. Through Adam, the only created son, we share in the image and likeness of God. Through our rebellion that image has been marred but restoration is fully provided for "in Christ".In Christ,Ron

Was there anything about us that God thought was worth saving?

Nasher wrote:Was there anything about us that God thought was worth saving?"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son"It's God's love that caused him to save us. People will argue about the word "worth" and say that if we say that there was some worth in us then salvation is not soley from God's grace.Yes, is a lost sheep worth anything to its owner? no, abolutley nothing, that is of course unles he goes out and finds it and restores it.Has Adam any worth? no, he is fit for nothing but the grave (in Adam all die) but being found, restored and transformed he can bear the image of his God and be a joint heir with Christ.I supose what I am trying to say is that fallen humanity has a worth because God gave it a worth. If there was somthing for sale that nobody in the world wanted to buy or ever wanted to buy then surley that thing would be worthless, but if sombody wanted to pay a million dollars for it would have a worth at least to that person. Ac 20:28 Take heed therefore to yourselves, and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit placed you guardians, to tend the church of the Lord and God, which he purchased by his own blood.Mt 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Nasher wrote:Was there anything about us that God thought was worth saving?We are getting into the territory here of asking 'why does God love us'? There is a wonderful answer to that in Deut 7:7,8. which compressed and paraphrased implies 'He did not set His love on you for any reason other than that He loved you'. In other words 'He loved you because He loved you'. That's the only explanation we're going to get. Humbling, isn't it?(KISS - Keep it simple, saints)

I guess what I am trying to ask is, when God sees a unsaved person, does He see His image, although distorted, or does He see Adam's image?The hardest thing about asking a question is writing it. ;-)

I guess what I am trying to ask is, when God sees a unsaved person, does He see His image, although distorted, or does He see Adam's image?Hi Nasher, why would it matter?God sees things as they are. He is the only one who does, which is why He is the only one with the right to judge. Would a master craftsman recognise his masterpiece even when it had been vandalised? Would he still feel a connection and responsibility for it? Would he still be interested in its welfare and want to see it restored to its original glory? Would he be grieved at the vandalism? Would he be angry with the vandal?I think the answer to all these questions is 'yes'. God's anger is not contrary to His love; it is an expression of it.

I guess what I am trying to ask is, when God sees a unsaved person, does He see His image, although distorted, or does He see Adam's image?If Adam was created in God's image...If after the fall he still had God's image(though distorted)...If the unsaved are in fallen Adam's image...Then the answer to your question is...both.God sees His image (though distorted), which is Adams image.The amazing thing about God though, is that He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. Not that He was the beginning and he will be the end but he IS both.Romans 8:29-30 ¶ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.I think its also fair to say that God can and does see the finished product. Like Michelangelo, when he looked at a block of marble he saw david!Jesus saw more than just a field(the world) He saw the treasure buried in the field, and He sold all to get that treasure. Stuart.

Quote:"I think its also fair to say that God can and does see the finished product. Like Michelangelo, when he looked at a block of marble he saw david!"Stuart, That's powerful. Thanks.

Stuart, I have to disagree with your last statements, I don't believe we are like a block of marble that God has to chip away at to make us into what we are now; the bible says we are a new creation.Also I don't believe the parable you refer to signifies the field as the world, and the unregenerate as the treasure. We have no intrinsic value, and we are worthless, however because God has set His love upon as this makes us priceless. I believe the field is the gospel, Christ (i.e. salvation) is the treasure, and each person must sell all he has (i.e. give his entire life over) to get Christ.

Stuart, I have to disagree with your last statements, I don't believe we are like a block of marble that God has to chip away at to make us into what we are now; the bible says we are a new creation.I wasn't refering to the chipping away process as such. I was simply giving a very human analogy of how God may look on a fallen man. He can see the potential of the finished work of Christ. He calls those things that be not as though they were. He called Abraham the father of many nations before he had any children.

Nasher wrote:Also I don't believe the parable you refer to signifies the field as the world, and the unregenerate as the treasure. We have no intrinsic value, and we are worthless, however because God has set His love upon as this makes us priceless. I believe the field is the gospel, Christ (i.e. salvation) is the treasure, and each person must sell all he has (i.e. give his entire life over) to get Christ.I am not sure...Different people have interpreted the parable in differnt ways, I can live with the gospel being hid in Christ, but Christ hid in the gospel?...I would see the treasure not as an intrinsic value that we have, but as you have said its God's love set upon us that makes us treasure.Nevertheless, I don't wish to be dogmatic about the interpretation of a parable,Stuart

As I read through each person's comments the Scripture kept coming to me from Galatians. "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me." We are already sanctified, and yet we are still being sanctified on a daily basis. There are many mysteries that we cannot fathom, but will understand one day upon His return. After the fall, was mankind still made in the image of God? Of course, God doesn't give to take away. But He also gives us a freedom to choose to live according to God's ways or to live according to our own sinful desires. Yes, mankind is fallen but not lost unless man rejects God. My son and daughter were made in their parents' image, yet they can go out and become like the prodical son, but the fact remains that they are still made in their parents' image. That doesn't change. All 'anthropos' was/is made in the image of their creator. The Song of Solomon states that the Shulamite woman saw herself as dark (sinful) but the King saw her as lovely in spite of her many flaws. He sees us far differently than how we see ourselves as well as how we view others (Thank God). He sees the past and present, but He also sees the future.