A decision was made as to what image the human should be. The choice, of course, was that the basic image would be that of God. So that, just as God has arms, legs, head, eyes, ears, etc, man would be of the same appearance. The human was destined to have the basic image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), which would be carried forward to each following generation (Genesis 5:3). The notion that God is a blob is a false doctrine, not backed up by scripture. Of course, if a religious leader can persuade you into thinking that God is a blob, then he is that much closer to alienating you from your Creator and inserting himself in place of your Creator. The important part of the image of man is the mind. This is the part that distinguishes humans from animals. The human mind is a multi-function heuristic device capable of learning and judgment.
The brain is the hardware and the spirit is the software. We have an excellent operating system given to us at birth. There is a spirit in man (Job 32:8), which is neither good nor evil. It is neutral. It allows us to carry out the simple functions of living our life. The image we have is incomplete, just like a computer that has all of its hardware and an operating system but no application programs. In other words, we are fragmented; therefore we can only know in part. However, our destiny is to know fully even as we are known.
“…now we see through a glass darkly; but then face-to-face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). How does a human become transformed from the basic image of God to the express image of God? Only through the Son who purged our sins and now sits on the right hand of Majesty (Hebrews 1:1). However that involves a process. That process is salvation. It is available only through Jesus Christ of Nazareth (Acts 4:10-12).
“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than that of gold that perishes…” (Peter 1:7). Salvation involves enduring to the end (Matthew 10:22).
God’s people are refined as silver and tried as gold (Zechariah 13:9).
A refiner of silver heats the silver until it becomes liquefied. This is an analogy to the trials we must go through with. When the silver is liquefied the impurities drop out, leaving only the pure silver. The analogy here is the dropping out of sin. The silversmith knows the process is complete when he can look down at the silver and see a reflection of his image in the silver. Our process is complete when the Father can look at us and see his express image. Then we are complete and ready for the kingdom (Matthew 25:34), because we will be like our elder brother, Christ, who is already in the express image of the Father (Hebrews 3:1).
Wily Elder, CBA, CMI
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