August 23, 2019 Show with Angus Stewart on “Are All Humans Created in the Image of God? A Controversial & Unique Position Examined” (Part 2)

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Live from the historic parsonage of the 19th century Gospel Minister George Norcross in downtown

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Carlisle, Pennsylvania, it's Iron Sharpens Iron. This is a radio platform in which pastors,

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Christian scholars, and theologians address the burning issues facing the Church and the world today.

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Proverbs chapter 27 verse 17 tells us, Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

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Matthew Henry said that in this passage, we are cautioned to take heed with whom we converse and directed to have in view in conversation to make one another wiser and better.

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It is our hope that this goal will be accomplished over the next two hours and we hope to hear from you, the listener, with your own questions.

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And now, here's your host, Chris Arnzen. Good afternoon,

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Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Lake City, Florida, and the rest of humanity living on the planet Earth who are listening via live streaming at ironsharpensironradio .com.

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This is Chris Arnzen, your host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, wishing you all a happy Friday, and I completely forgot what date today is.

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Hold on a second. August 23rd, on this 23rd day of August 2019.

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I have been busier than usual today and completely forgot the date. I am thrilled to have back on the program somebody who has really become one of my favorite guests.

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I don't agree with him on everything, but I think that he is well informed, fascinating, and just a wonderful communicator and guest.

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And his name is Angus Stewart. He is the pastor of Covenant Protestant Reformed Church of Ballymena, Northern Ireland.

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And today we are going to be addressing part two of a discussion that I think warranted a second discussion.

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This is part two of our topic, Are All Humans Created in the

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Image of God? A Controversial and Unique Position Examined. And as we found out the last time he was on, discussing this topic, although today it may be a unique perhaps even unusual view, it was not so in history.

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It has very weighty support in the Confessions of the Reformed Faith and many great figures from history.

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And by the way, if anybody wants to hear part one of that interview, after this one is over of course, the first interview is held on August 12, 2019, and you can just go to www .irontripandsironradio

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.com and go to the past shows podcast section. And if you type in Angus, he is the only person

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I have ever interviewed I believe named Angus, his interviews will come up and finally, after a long delay, we finally have the

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August 12 program up there for part one of Are All Humans Created in the

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Image of God? My webmaster was away and got very backed up but thankfully that is now finally up there.

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But it's my honor and privilege to welcome you back to Iron Tripands Iron Radio, Angus Stewart. I'm very glad to be back,

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Chris, and you convinced me that this topic needed a second session because it's a great topic and there's a lot, lot more to say.

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I'd like to quote Romans 8 verse 29, 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.

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That is the destiny of all the elect, of everyone who believes in Jesus Christ.

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So it not only is the truth of the image of God a vital issue with the creation of man, not only is

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Jesus Christ the image of God, he's called that in at least three places in the New Testament, not only are we regenerated in the image of God, there are loads of texts for that too, and sanctified by growing in the image of God, and not only is our resurrection spoken of in terms of the image and likeness of God in Psalm 17 and 1

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Corinthians 11 but the whole work of God with the believer has the goal and result that we're going to be conformed to God's image in Jesus Christ.

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Amen, and before we go into our actual subject today, tell our listeners who have not heard you before about Covenant Protestant Reformed Church of Bellarmine in Northern Ireland.

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Covenant Protestant Reformed Church I should say, especially for those who listened last time we were on, actually has one less member on earth,

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Chris. Oh, that brother did go home to be with the Lord. Went to be home on the

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Lord's Day and he was in the spirit of the Lord's Day, Brother John McCauley, like he never was before.

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He departed this world and was perfectly conformed to Christ's image. John went from being a former mayor of Bellarmine to living and reigning with Christ above, and it was a very sad day.

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He was a wonderful man. The funeral was held on Wednesday but it was mixed with a lot of joy.

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The man finished his course, he fought a good fight, and he gave a wonderful testimony to us, and it was a good occasion for the saints to work together, worship at the funeral, make tea, and remember the happy, fond recollections we had of our brother.

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Well, praise God. And by the way, did you happen to see my longtime friend, who

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I haven't spoken with in quite a long time, Pastor John Greer of the Free Presbyterian Church of Bellarmine?

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I was indeed talking to Reverend John Greer. Reverend John Greer led at the committal where the brother's body was laid into the earth, because one day he's going to bear the image of Christ as 1

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Corinthians 15 verse 49 says, put away the earthly Adamic image to the heavenly image.

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Well, John Greer spoke at John's committal. It was raining very heavily.

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You'd hardly believe that, Chris. Every now and again in Northern Ireland, we get a little bit of rain.

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Every movie I've ever seen, I've never been to Northern Ireland, I would love to go, but every movie I've ever seen, I think it's always raining.

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Chris, we have two spare bedrooms. Oh, great. We have a double bed and we have a bunk bed, so if you come with your wife, you can see how your relationship's going, and you can pick either room.

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Well, my wife is in heaven, Angus, so I'll be coming, and I don't think she would want to trade places as nice as your house might be.

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No. So where was I? Yes, I mentioned to John Greer. I mentioned to John Greer about this, and I was glad that I did not forget, and I told him that, and I told him your email number was an

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Iron Sharp on Iron website. He's a busy man, but he said he will think on that one, and you may be hearing from him, but he didn't make any promises, because he probably had to look at his filofax or diary to see how his work was piling up.

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Well, I hope that he agrees to be on again. It's been a long time since I've had him on my program, and now that I'm thinking about it,

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I'm not 100 % sure I ever got him on my program. Before I had my own show,

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I arranged interviews for John on Andy Anderson Live, which was also at one point called

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Talk New York, which was the in -house radio station, which the in -house radio program of the radio station

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I worked for for 15 years, WMCA 570 AM in New York, before I had my own show, but I had developed a friendship with John going all the way back to the 1990s, and when he was here in Pennsylvania at the

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Malvern Free Presbyterian Church, I had him, I invited him to come preach at the church where I was a member on Long Island, New York, Grace Reformed Baptist Church of Long Island, and he was a part of a conference on the,

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I believe it was on the Five Points of Calvinism in the 1990s, and everyone was richly blessed by John.

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He is one of my favorite preachers, and as I'm looking at his picture on the

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Bellarmine Free Presbyterian Church website, I'm recognizing or realizing that that was a long time ago, because his hair was pitch black back then, now it's as white as snow, and it just reminds me of how much older I am.

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Well, he is a dear brother, but now that we have that information about your church, oh, by the way,

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I want to make sure I give the new website for your church.

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In fact, why don't you give it, I don't want to mess it up, because I still have the old website up here.

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No problem. The Covenant Protestant Reformed Church in Northern Ireland's website is cprc, as the initials of Covenant Protestant Reformed Church, cprc .co

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.uk because we're a part of the United Kingdom. cprc .co .uk

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If you go to the home page of cprc .co

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.uk, near the top and a little bit on the right, there's a link to the special resources page we have on the image of God in man.

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Chris, you'll remember that I gave parts of a lot of quotes last week from theologians on the image of God.

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Mary and I have been busy since the last session with yourself. We've added a lot more quotes.

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Now we have eleven pages, and those are good full pages with a very little margin to the left, right, top and bottom.

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Eleven full pages of quotes from theologians on the image of God.

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We've added, I think, we maybe doubled the list from last week. Almost doubled it, Chris. And we have quotes from the

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Reformed Creed teaching the same thing. There are a whole host of them. I could cite numbers of them again, and I've been very impressed with the large support that we have in the tradition.

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I should also add there's a young man, Sam Watterson, from Limerick, who wrote another article for us on the image of God, and that too is on our special image of God resource pages.

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So we have sermons, videos, lectures. We'll put these two interviews on there too,

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Chris. And then we have articles and lists of quotes. So if someone goes to cprc .co .uk

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and then hits the link near the top, a little bit to the right, they can enjoy themselves and thrill their heart with all these wonderful quotes about God's grace in renewing lost, fallen sinners in the image of God after our

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Lord Jesus Christ. Well, I think it would be wise you don't have to perhaps go into as lengthy an explanation as you did the last time, but I think it would be wise for those of our listeners who missed part one of this discussion to have you explain what would probably be viewed as the

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Achilles heel to your position I'm not saying it is the Achilles heel, but it would probably be viewed as the

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Achilles heel to your position by many Christians who disagree with you that only the regenerate are created in the image of God.

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And this is, of course, Genesis chapter 9, verse 6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man's shall his blood be shed.

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For in the image of God made he man. And that's the King James Version reading of that text,

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Genesis 9, verse 6 Therefore, those that disagree with you on this position on this text, or on this doctrine would say, well, if it is a violation of God's law, in fact it's even a violation of God's law in the

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Decalogue itself for a man to murder any man, not just a Christian man but any man, including children in the womb in an abortion therefore, this must mean that all men are created in the image of God, whether they are of the elect, whether they are regenerate or not.

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So if you could explain your position as you exegete this text here.

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Very good. I'll try to make my explanation this time a little bit fresher and maybe even longer than last time.

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Here goes. First of all the view that I'm taking of Genesis 9, verse 6 is no novelty.

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On our website we have quotes from John Owen, that's a mighty quote you can't even infer it from Genesis 9, verse 6.

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Homer Hoeksema, I'm going to add another one by him on that subject A. D.

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R. Polman, Cornelis Vonk, who wrote a commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism Klaas Skilder, the theologian who founded the liberated churches and was arrested by the

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Nazis during World War II. Edmund Schlink, a German Robin D.

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Fish, there are just some theologians who hold that view. The canons of Dort in heads 3 and 4, the very first few articles.

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The first article states that man was made in the image of God. Then it teaches that, next article that man lost that image, that he's fallen and depraved and then man begat children in his own likeness.

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But let me get now to some of those exegetical issues. Genesis 9, verse 6 says,

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Whoso shedeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God made he man.

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The first thing we should notice is that this text is appealed to an awful awful lot, and that's fine.

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The difficulty is that it's appealed to without exegesis and what we need to notice is that first of all the phrase, for in the image of God made he man, gives a reason.

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And when this text is quoted, most people don't even think, is it the reason why is it referring to the murdered person?

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Whoso sheds man's blood should be killed, for in the image of God made he the victim, the murdered one.

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Or is it saying that the person who executes the murderer should do so? By man shall his blood be shed, for this is where he gets the authority from in the image of God made he man.

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So is it referring to the victim? Or the executioner? Or you could even read it, and some have approached it this way, from the point of view of the murderer as explaining why this is particularly bad.

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So here's one point of saying that this text is referred to, and people don't even give any thought or even compare that. But then the second thing about the text is the text does not say, in the image of God is man.

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It says, in the image of God made he man. It's a reference not to man being in the image of God now, but it's a reference to the creation of man in the image of God in Genesis 1 verses 26 and 27.

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To refresh our readers' memories, the early chapters of Genesis Genesis 1, man is created in the image of God.

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Genesis 3 is the fall. Ecclesiastes 7 verse 29 says,

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God made man upright there's Genesis 1, his creation, but they've sought out many inventions.

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He's not like that anymore. He's not upright. He's sought out many inventions. Then comes

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Genesis 4 you knew it was going to come after Genesis 3 but Genesis 4 deals with the murder of Cain Cain's murder of Abel and 1

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John chapter 3 deals with this. 1 John chapter 3 tells us that Abel was righteous he was born again, he was a child of God, and Cain 1

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John 3 verse 12 was of that wicked one. He was a child of the devil. In this, the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil.

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So here's Cain he's a child of the devil, and children look like their father. Children bear the image of their father.

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And Abel, he's a child of God he's in the image of God because he was regenerated, he was a believer Then we come to Genesis chapter 5, and Genesis 5 verse 3 tells us that Adam, the begat children in his own likeness after his image.

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Adam did not begat children in the image of God. Adam begat children in his own likeness, after his image

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And when you look at 1 Corinthians 15 verse 49, it says, as we believers have borne the image of the earthy,

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Adam before we were converted, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly, Christ, with glorified bodies in the future

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And then you come to Genesis 6, 7, and 8, and there's one thing that Genesis 6, 7, and 8 say with regard to the flood, it's that man isn't very good, there's not much reflection of man in the ones whom

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God destroyed in the flood especially because Genesis 6 verse 5 says,

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God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually

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Moses is laying it on thick there, the imagination of the thoughts of his heart, every one of them is evil only, continually, that's the wickedness of man, great in the earth

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Then after the flood, we read in Genesis 8 verse 21, the same story, the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth

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In fact, if man, including the people who were destroyed in the flood really was in the image of God, you would wonder why it would repent the

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Lord, use the language of Genesis 6 verse 6, why to repent the Lord that ever made men in the heart, and why these people grieved him in his heart and he repents that he's even made them, this is verse 7

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Then we come to Genesis 9 verse 6, and it says

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In the image of God made he man Referring back to Genesis 1, and it's telling us why we're allowed to kill animals for food, and why a human being who kills another human being, murder, or an animal which kills a human being ought to be executed

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It's telling us that mankind is radically different from the animals, because mankind was made in the image of God and this teaches us two things, one, that man is the pinnacle of creation, created in fellowship with God on the sixth day, to rule over the earth and it tells us, secondly, that man being created in the image of God is a different order of creature than the fish, or the birds or the insects, or the animals, because man has a capacity to bear the image of God.

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You can't add the image of God to a frog, or a dog, but man you can't

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You're surprised at many arguments I could come up with there You're making a very good case,

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I have to admit and by the way, I was not militantly opposed to this view that you have before the first part of our discussion,

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I just was unaware of the view that you had. Now let me ask you a question

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Why is it that this view, in your opinion from what you've heard from the writings and from the lips of your opponents on this issue, who are reformed, and who are very perhaps even meticulous about their confessional strictness, about being full subscriptionists to the major confessions like the three forms of unity

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What explanations do they give for not holding your view that only the regenerate are made in the image of God?

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Various things could be said, and it would probably vary from person to person I would guess that for many it's just something they've never really thought about They've never really thought,

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I'll say this without trying to be condescending and I'll say it about myself, I'd never really give it any thought

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Then I began to look at Genesis 9 verse 6 and I saw that it didn't say that we're not to kill people because everybody is in the image of man.

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And then I looked at Genesis 5 verse 3 and it doesn't say that Adam begat children in the image of God, it says that he begat children in his own image, a fallen image, a totally depraved image

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And Romans 5 verse 12 says that as in Adam all die, and I'm conflating it with 1

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Corinthians 15 So in large part they hadn't thought about it

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That's one thing, that's a suggestion, a proposal Another one is that the other view in the 21st century is well now ubiquitous You just hear it, and so few people really look at Genesis 9 verse 6.

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I mean, I was reading today Lewis Burkhoff's Systematic Theology, a key textbook, and Burkhoff thinks that Genesis 9 verse 6 and the two other passages teach that everybody is in the image of God, but he even offers no exegesis of the passages either

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He just asserts it. And here is a man who was aware, and who mentions a number of theologians who differed with it, but he offers no view or no arguments for his own position

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So those are some of the factors, and that's why I've written an article on our website, and it's on the

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Image of God page It's called, The Image of God in Man And a reformed reassessment.

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We need to reassess Look at the text. And this is a very strange thing, and I pointed out last time that there are some 17 texts which speak of the image of God in the

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Bible. And the Genesis 9 verse 6 is the best one you can use for it.

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But unless you already hold that view, you read into the text what isn't there, you're begging the question

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So there's 17 texts And there's one that could be read that way

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There are another two, but I think they're even weaker They beg the question as well.

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But what is wrong with much of the Christian world that we hear so little about the image of God, in their terminology the narrow sense.

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Regained and regeneration wrought in us by sanctification by the Spirit of our

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Lord Jesus Christ the image of God. Why is it we hear so little about that?

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The whole thing is totally disproportionate. And earlier today I read a book that I often turn to in times like these.

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The Catechism of the Catholic Church. I don't turn to it for comfort

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Chris, just in case you're wondering I never thought for a minute that you did

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Chris, you thought I'd lost my marbles completely This is the position of the

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Roman Catholic Church and it's bang up to date. And if you look at its treatment on the image of God, you'll see it as hardly anything to say about believers being in the image of God.

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Reference after reference after reference is to everybody being in the image of God. And for Rome, and for the

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Eastern Orthodox and for the Arminians, and for liberal Protestantism in general, the gospel in these whole systems is reduced to God loves everybody, the fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of men, and everybody's in the image of God And this is the alternative gospel which is being pushed from liberalism.

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And this is another reason why we as Reformed people should examine the tradition and realize there are better exegetical arguments for it than most realize.

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It's deeply embedded in the Reformed tradition the historic position of Lutheranism and the

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Reformed creeds where you have to, in the creeds you have to be more clearly and explicitly

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Biblical. And the Reformed creeds don't talk about the image of God in a broader or wider sense.

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It's just not there that terminology or any terminology like it isn't found. The Reformed creeds define the image of God after Ephesians 4 verse 24 and Colossians 3 verse 10 in terms of knowledge, righteousness and holiness as an ethical spiritual power

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And so instead of philosophizing about this image of God referring to everybody and trying to pour new content in it we have a definition in the

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Bible. Chris, for your video interview tonight, I have arranged in my own mind and here

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I'm going to lean heavily on another article which I wrote and bring in fresh material, a whole host of arguments, theological arguments.

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Could I go through these, Chris, one by one and fill the case, sort of like a lawyer? Yes, you can as soon as we come back from the first break, which we're going to right now.

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If anybody would like to join us on the air with a question of your own our email address is chrisarnson at gmail dot com, chrisarnson at gmail dot com.

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Please as always give us your first name, at least your city and state of residence and your country of residence if you live outside the

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USA. Please only remain anonymous if your question involves a personal and private matter.

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Don't go away, God willing we'll be right back with Angus Stewart and the question, are all humans made in the image of God?

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That's solid -ground -books .com. And by the way, I very often during the show mention cvbbs .com,

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and you can kill two birds with one stone. If you go first to solid -ground -books .com

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and make a long list of the books that you want to purchase and then go to cvbbs .com and purchase them there, you are helping both of our advertisers.

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40:05

People ask me, why do you have so many commercials? Well, that's the only way we can remain on the air. That's why.

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We have a steady trickle of donations that come in from very loyal and faithful and generous people.

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Even if you can't buy anything from them or use their services, try to contact them from time to time and let them know that you thank them for sponsoring

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Iron Sharpens Iron Radio. That will help as well. We are back now with our guest,

40:53

Angus Stewart. We are discussing part two of a discussion that we began on August 12th, and that is,

41:03

Are All Humans Created in the Image of God? And if you'd like to join us on the air, our email address is chrisarnson at gmail .com,

41:11

chrisarnson at gmail .com. And I know that you have a long list of things you want to address, proving your point as acting as an attorney, a defense attorney for your view.

41:23

But before you do that, I just want to take one listener question, because I think it's a very good one. Susan Margaret in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania asks,

41:33

What is it exactly to be made in the image of God? I think that's a very good question, because that really explains a lot of what we are discussing.

41:43

Susan has asked, What is it to be made in the image of God? Genesis 1, verses 26 and 27.

41:53

The idea of an image is that it images something else.

42:00

Now, for the Dodge car, there's a stylized ram.

42:08

So when people see that ram, and I'm not an American, but even I would recognize it, they think

42:15

Dodge cars. Well, man is an image of God, but he's not only an image of God that sort of doesn't look like it, but he's in the image and likeness of God.

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That's what Genesis 1, 26 and 27 says. God made man in his image after his own likeness.

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And likeness is an image that corresponds to, so that man is like God, reflects him.

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And then, since Genesis 1 doesn't actually say in what way, how does

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God, does man image God? How is man like God, Adam and Eve in the beginning?

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Then we go to Colossians 3, verse 10 and Ephesians 4, verse 24, which talk about the renewing of the image of God.

43:07

And G .C. Birkelaar calls this the reformed hermeneutic. You look at those two texts, and this is what all the reformed creeds do, and this is what reformed theologians do, although some spring in later on a little bit of some other broader sense.

43:21

And you see, there it is, that's what the image of God is, moral, spiritual, ethical virtues.

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So man, in creation, and also in Christ, is like God, in that he has these virtues.

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And then, there's a striking phrase in 1 Corinthians 11, verse 7, which talks about man, and it's dealing with man in the church, in terms of worship and prayer before God, man is called to imitate

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God. But it says there, he is, quote, the image and glory of God.

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And that's a powerful argument, too, so that if man, we're dealing with man as created now, is in the image of God, and he's like God, since God is glorious, man is glorious too, as created and as in Jesus Christ.

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And Christ himself is called the image of God, and the express likeness of his person, and it talks about Christ as being the glory of God, in that same context.

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Christ is the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person. In 2

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Corinthians 3, verse 18, we're renewed after the image of God, it says we're changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the

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Spirit of the Lord. Christ in 2 Corinthians 4, verse 6, we read of the light of the glorious gospel of Christ is the image of God, Christ brings the glory of God in his face.

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So what I'm doing is saying that man's in the image of God, he's in the likeness of God, he looks like God, and it's a glorious image.

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And then to go further, if someone is in the image of God, or is in the likeness of God, or is in the glory of God, that person is the image of God.

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Not just a bearer, but is the image of God, is the likeness of God, and is the glory of God.

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And that's why the idea that everybody today, totally depraved men, unbelieving men and women, those who sat there outside Jesus Christ, are in the image of God, it can't be, because if you make them the image of God, then along with image goes likeness, so they image

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God, they're like God, and they are the glory of God.

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So here's Stalin, Hitler, unbelieving people, I picked a couple of, you know, particularly nasty ones, and I think

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Stalin will be even worse than Hitler, from what I've been reading recently. But Stalin, Hitler, Richard Dawkins, are the image, likeness, and glory of God.

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Because this idea proves too much. That's my argument. It answered Susan's question, and I also took the occasion to bat for the home side there,

46:23

Chris, but you'll let me off with that. Well, now you can continue with your litany of evidence.

46:32

Okay. Well, my first argument is the nature of the image of God.

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What the image of God is, and I have already appealed to Colossians 3 .10, Ephesians 4, verse 24, this is the standard definition of the confessions

46:47

I've also said, but once you go for this idea of the image of God in a wider, broader sense, in which everybody is the image of God, and therefore the likeness of God, and everybody is the glory of God, the

46:59

Bible doesn't define what this is, and whenever people put content into this broader sense of the image of God, or wider sense, they say things like morality, rationality, spirituality, personality, possession of memory, intellect, will, conscience, personhood, freedom, dignity, language, et cetera.

47:19

These things are undoubtedly true of human beings. They're a bit abstract in the formulation, but they're undoubtedly true of human beings.

47:26

We fully agree with them. We believe in the manishness of man, but the problem is, there isn't anywhere in scripture that teaches that these things are the image of God.

47:36

It's just not there. You've got 66 books, you've got two testaments, you've got over 1 ,000 chapters, and so on, but you haven't got any content for this.

47:47

So that's the nature of the image of God. We know what the image of God is, we can prove it from the Bible, my position, but in the other argument,

47:53

I mean, who's to say? And this is where this image of God becomes, in the hands especially of liberals, a wax nose.

48:01

You can pour into this image of God practically whatever you want. And then you end up with people saying, well, homosexuals are an image of God, women ministers are an image of God, and if there's anything else contrary to scripture, you can argue for it, well,

48:14

God loves everybody, the fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of men, we're all in the image of God, and there we go.

48:20

So that's the argument, what I'm calling the argument from the nature of the image of God.

48:27

Chris, I'm going to give you another N argument, if you're still with me. Yes, another what argument?

48:33

The one that begins with the letter N. Oh, okay. From the nature of the image of God to the number of the image of God.

48:40

The number of the image of God. Because you don't read anywhere of two images of God.

48:48

There's nowhere in the scriptures that says that there's an image of God in two senses. This is based upon what

48:54

I believe to be an erroneous reading of a few, one or possibly even a few texts, and then you pour into this broader sense the image of God content, which again isn't proved in the

49:05

Bible, and then you never read in the Bible of two images of God, or two senses of the image of God.

49:12

And then think what happens to somebody who's a lech, someone like myself, converted later in life. I start off, according to this theory, in the image of God in the broader sense.

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No. And then, so I have one image of God, then I get converted, and I have two images of God.

49:29

You know, you would expect that this really was biblical teaching to see some of this in the

49:35

Bible. So somebody went from one image of God to two images of God, and instead what you get is that man is in the image of corruptible

49:44

Adam, 1 Corinthians 15 verse 49, totally depraved, a child of the devil, walking in darkness, and anything,

49:54

I mean, as one guy once said, man's sinfulness is blacker than anthracite. And then he goes from this image of God, and he gets a second image of God.

50:04

But where do you get this? And then, G .C. Burkhart points this out, how do you actually relate these two images?

50:13

Because it's all very mechanical, and not organic. And this duality of these two images, and he explores it in his book,

50:22

Man, the Image of God. Nobody, including great theologians like Bavinck, who held the view which

50:27

I'm controverting, have managed, despite all of Bavinck's immense theological knowledge and massive intellect, have managed to integrate these two things and relate them properly.

50:38

You still end up with two things sitting side by side. The number of the image of God, and the nature of the image of God.

50:48

And then there's the idea of the image of God. That's my third argument, but in answering Susan, I made that clear.

50:56

Image of God, likeness of God, glory of God in the Bible are all the same things, and it proves too much to say that the unbeliever is the image of God, is the likeness of God, is the glory of God.

51:09

Chris, you're going to like this next one. This is my fourth argument, and I know I talk fast at the best of times, and I'm trying to get in because we only have two hours,

51:18

Chris. I think you're doing a fine job with your pace and everything else. You can still follow me, and I'm not going to be responsible for anybody trying to listen out of their radio,

51:28

Chris, around Pennsylvania, driving off the hedge, driving over the hedgerow.

51:35

Strange accent. Okay, this one, Chris, I call amazing incongruities and massive equivocations.

51:44

Amazing incongruities and massive equivocations.

51:50

So here we've got the unbeliever. He's supposedly the image of God, the likeness of God, and the glory of God, yet he doesn't worship the

52:00

God of glory. Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible

52:06

God, but unbelievers who are supposedly in the image of God do not recognize

52:12

Jesus Christ as the image of God. Instead, in 2

52:17

Corinthians 4, verse 4, we read that those who are allegedly God's image bearers are, quote, blinded by Satan with regard to the light of Jesus Christ, who is the image of God.

52:28

And then what happened at the cross was that 2 ,000 years ago, people who were allegedly the image, likeness, and glory of God crucified the

52:38

Messiah, who's the perfect image, likeness, and glory of God. Are you feeling the force,

52:44

Chris, and I hope our readers are too, of the amazing incongruities and massive equivocations?

52:50

Let's go to the plain of Dura in Daniel, chapter 3. Here are unbelievers supposedly in the image of God, and they're bowing down to Nebuchadnezzar's golden image, some image of God.

53:06

If we look at Isaiah 46, verse 7, people who are supposedly God's image bearers are actually bearing images of idols,

53:16

Baal and Nebo. If we look at Romans 1, verse 23, those who are the image and likeness of God worship images in the likeness of men, birds, beasts, and creeping things.

53:31

They change the glory of God, those who are supposedly the image and glory of God, they change the glory of the incorruptible

53:38

God into images of corruptible creatures. And then if we skip to the last books of the

53:45

Bible, we have people who are supposedly the image of God, and they're actually worshipping the image of the beast, and bearing the mark of the beast.

53:58

Well, if you could, hold off right there, and when we return from our midway break, you could pick up right where you left off.

54:07

This is our longer than normal break, because Grace Life Radio, 90 .1 FM in Lake City, Florida, requires a longer break in the middle of our show to localize our program to Lake City, Florida.

54:19

According to FCC regulations, they have to do that, and they air their own public service announcements. So, while they air their own announcements, we air our globally heard commercials, and I ask you to use this time wisely, write down the information provided by our advertisers so that you can more successfully and frequently patronize them, which will further ensure that we remain on the air, because we require the advertising dollars from our advertisers to exist.

54:44

But also write down questions for Angus Stewart, whether you agree with him, whether you disagree with him, or whether you're just not sure.

54:50

On the question, are all humans made in the image of God? The email address is chrisarnson at gmail .com,

54:57

chrisarnson at gmail .com, and as always, give us your first name, your city and state of residence, and your country of residence if you live outside of the

55:07

USA, and please only remain anonymous if your question involves a personal and private matter.

55:14

So send in those questions to chrisarnson at gmail .com, chrisarnson at gmail .com, we'll be right back.

55:20

Hi, I'm Stephan Limblad, Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at IRBS Theological Seminary in Mansfield, Texas.

55:28

I accepted this call to teach at the seminary because I'm firmly convinced that the people of God in the churches of our

55:36

Lord Jesus Christ need to be firmly grounded in the truth of Holy Scripture. I'm excited to be teaching such subjects as the nature of theology and the doctrine of Scripture and even the doctrine of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

55:52

Our churches and our people need to be well -grounded in these truths. Indeed, future ministers of the gospel need to understand these truths in order to proclaim them to all of God's people.

56:05

If you want to learn more about our program, visit us online at irbsseminary .org.

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Chris Arnzen, host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio here. I want to tell you about a man I have personally known for many years.

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Dan also has a master's degree in theology. Dan handles serious injury and medical malpractice cases in all 50 states.

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He represents many Christians in serious injury matters all over the country. Dan is an exceptional trial lawyer.

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He wrote the test for the National Board of Trial Advocacy. And currently his firm has over 100 cases that have settled for $1 million or more, and in approximately 10 different states.

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Dan Buttafuoco's number is 1 -800 -669 -4878. 1 -800 -669 -4878.

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Or email me for Dan's contact information at chrisarnson at gmail dot com.

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That's chrisarnson at gmail dot com. Hi this is

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John Sampson, pastor of King's Church in Peoria, Arizona. Taking a moment of your day to talk about Chris Arnson and the

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Iron Sharpens Iron podcast. I consider Chris a true friend and a man of high integrity. He's a skilled interviewer who's not afraid to ask the big penetrating questions while always defending the key doctrines of the

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Christian faith. I've always been happy to point people to this podcast knowing it's one of the very few safe places on the internet where folk won't be led astray.

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I believe this podcast needs to be heard far and wide. This is a day of great spiritual compromise and yet God has raised

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Chris up for just such a time and knowing this, it's up to us as members of the body of Christ to stand with such a ministry in prayer and in finances.

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I'm pleased to do so and would like to ask you to prayerfully consider joining me in supporting

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Iron Sharpens Iron financially. Would you consider sending either a one -time gift or even becoming a regular monthly partner with this ministry?

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I know it would be a huge encouragement to Chris if you would. All the details can be found at ironsharpensironradio .com

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where you can click support. That's ironsharpensironradio .com.

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And the NASB is my Bible of choice. I'm Pastor Jeff Downs of Knox Reform Presbyterian Church in Mechanicsville, Virginia, and the

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NASB is my Bible of choice. I'm Pastor Mark Rimaldi of Grace Reform Baptist Church of Long Island in Merritt, New York, and the

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NASB is my Bible of choice. I'm Pastor Scott Pasolo of the

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Bible of choice. I'm Pastor Kevin Venio of the Bible Church of Port Washington, New York, and the

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NASB is my Bible of choice. I'm Pastor Andrew Smith of Christ Reformed Community Church in St.

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Augustine, Florida, and the NASB is my Bible of choice. I'm Pastor Clint Leiter of High William Chapel, Sedalia, Missouri, and the

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James White of Alpha and Omega Ministries and the Dividing Line webcast here. Although God has brought me all over the globe for many years to teach, preach, and debate at numerous venues, some of my very fondest memories are from those precious times of fellowship with Pastor Rich Jensen and the brethren at Hope Reformed Baptist Church, now located at their new, beautiful facilities in Coram, Long Island, New York.

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I've had the privilege of opening God's Word from their pulpit on many occasions, have led youth retreats for them, and have always been thrilled to see their members filling many seats at my

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New York debates. I do not hesitate to highly recommend Hope Reformed Baptist Church of Coram, Long Island to anyone who wants to be accurately taught, discipled, and edified by the

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I also want to congratulate Hope Reformed Baptist Church of Coram for their recent appointment of Pastor Rich Jensen's co -elder,

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Pastor Christopher McDowell. For more information on Hope Reformed Baptist Church, go to hopereformedli .net.

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That's hopereformedli .net, or call 631 -696 -5711.

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That's 631 -696 -5711. Tell the folks at Hope Reformed Baptist Church of Coram, Long Island that you heard about them from James White on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.

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Chris Arnsen, host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, announcing a new website with an exciting offer from World Magazine, my trusted source for news from a

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Got to tell you, for my money, Chris Arnzen's radio program is just the best.

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Iron. Criticizing. Iron. I think that's what it's called.

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This is Todd Friel of Wretched Radio and TV with Phil Johnson of Grace to You, inviting everybody to come to the

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It's a great conference. I love it. And Chris Arnzen was there last year. He's been there, I think, every year.

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It's great to see him there. You and I actually did some recordings in the lobby at that place, which is a highlight for me.

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So tons of stuff going on. Tons of great speakers. And no matter where you are in the building, you will hear Chris Arnzen's laugh.

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Go to G3conference .com, G3conference .com. See you there! I'm Pastor Bill Shishko, host of A Visit to the

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Tell Pastor Dunn that you heard about Grace Covenant Baptist Church on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio. Hi, I'm Buzz Taylor, frequent co -host with Chris Arnzen on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.

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800 -656 -0231. Remember, they only man that phone line Monday through Friday between 10 a .m.

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and 430 p .m. Eastern Time. Before we return to my guest, Angus Stewart, I just have a few announcements about special events we hope you attend.

01:09:51

The first is on Saturday, September 7th at 6 .30 p .m. at the Word of Truth Church in Farmingville, Long Island, New York.

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My friend Pastor Bruce Bennett, who is the pastor at Word of Truth Church, will be debating a

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Roman Catholic apologist, Matthew Luke Broderick, on the theme, Is the Office of Pope Biblical?

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Is the Office of Pope Biblical? That's Saturday, September 7th, 6 .30 p .m. at Word of Truth Church in Farmingville, Long Island, New York.

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If you want more details, call 631 -806 -0614. 631 -806 -0614.

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Or go to their website, wotchurch .com. That's wotchurch .com.

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Then coming up in December during the Christmas season, I can't wait to head back to my old stomping grounds in Manhattan.

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I can't think of a better place to spend a part of the Christmas season than in New York City. That's where the

01:10:50

Foundations Conference is being held, a conference of sermonaudio .com.

01:10:56

They always have a phenomenal lineup of speakers, and this

01:11:02

December is no exception. Dr. Stephen J. Lawson, Paul Washer, Reverend Jeff Thomas, Reverend Armand Tomasi, Richard Colwell Jr.,

01:11:11

and Andrew Quigley are on the lineup. That's Thursday and Friday, December 19th and 20th, in New York City.

01:11:17

And this is a conference only for men in ministry leadership. They have a very small venue that can hold less than 200 people, so they are narrowing the audience to specifically men in ministry leadership.

01:11:31

If you'd like to register and see me there, go to thefoundationsconference .com, thefoundationsconference .com.

01:11:38

Then in January, I'm packing up my bags again, and this time I'm heading down south to Atlanta, more specifically

01:11:45

College Park, Georgia, which is a suburb of Atlanta. I'm going to the

01:11:51

Georgia International Convention Center, Thursday, January 16th, through Saturday, January 18th, for the

01:11:58

G3 Conference. That stands for Gospel, Grace, and Glory. And this is a phenomenal conference.

01:12:04

This January it will be on the theme, Worship Matters. The speakers include

01:12:09

Kosti Hinn, who is the nephew of the notorious heretic and charlatan

01:12:15

Benny Hinn, and Kosti has renounced the heresies of his uncle and the heresies of his own youth.

01:12:21

He is now a Reformed Baptist pastor. He was in California and has just recently accepted a church, a position at a church in Arizona.

01:12:30

And I'm having him on the program this Monday, I believe. So mark your calendars for that, and you can hear

01:12:36

Kosti Hinn coming up. If it's not this Monday, it's the Monday after. I don't have my calendar right at my fingertips, but I know it's one of these

01:12:44

Mondays. Not only is Kosti Hinn on the calendar, or on the roster,

01:12:51

I should say. Derek Thomas, very familiar to most Reformed Christians. My friend, Dr.

01:12:56

James R. White of Alpha Omega Ministries, who I've called a dear friend since 1995.

01:13:02

Another friend that I've known since the 1990s is Dr. Joel Beeke, president of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

01:13:11

I was one of the very first people to get Dr. Joel Beeke on the radio, by the way. Another conference here where we have both

01:13:19

Stephen J. Lawson and Paul Washer on the roster. Stephen J.

01:13:25

Nichols, who is the president of the Reformation Bible College, the college founded by the late R .C. Sproul and Ligonier Ministries.

01:13:31

My friend, Todd Friel of Wretched TV and Wretched Radio. My friend, Dr. Tom Askell, executive director of Founders Ministries, which is the ministry, the

01:13:40

Calvinistic ministry within the Southern Baptist Convention. Vody Baucom, who is one of my favorite of all time preachers in the 21st century.

01:13:47

What a phenomenal man of God he is. And we have Phil Johnson, the executive director of Grace to You, the ministry of John MacArthur.

01:13:57

And we have also added to the roster John MacArthur himself.

01:14:02

So if you want to join me Thursday, January 16th through Saturday, January 18th at the

01:14:08

Georgia International Convention Center in College Park, Georgia for the G3 Conference, go to g3conference .com,

01:14:15

g3conference .com, and I would strongly urge you to register not only to attend but for an exhibitor's booth if you have a business, parachurch organization, or other

01:14:28

Christian event or something that you want to promote to the body of Christ because they typically have over 5 ,000 people there.

01:14:37

That's why my exhibitor's booth for Iron Shrub and Zion Radio has always borne much fruit and has received great benefit from having an exhibitor's booth at the

01:14:47

G3 Conference and yours may too as well. So in fact,

01:14:53

I would remind Pastor Angus that he should urge Reform Free Publishing to have an exhibitor's booth there.

01:15:03

But anyway, if you want to register either to attend for an exhibitor's booth or for both, go to g3conference .com,

01:15:11

g3conference .com. And a final word before we return to my guest.

01:15:18

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01:15:43

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click support, then click click to donate now. Donate as frequently and as generously as you can if you want us to remain on the air.

01:16:53

If you want to advertise with us, send me an email to chrisarnson at gmail .com and put advertising in the subject line.

01:16:58

We surely could use your advertising dollars. As long as whatever it is you're promoting is compatible with what we believe.

01:17:04

You don't have to believe identically with me, but you need to be promoting something compatible with what I believe. Also, if you are not a member of a

01:17:11

Bible -believing church in your area, and you're not even prayerfully looking for one, you are living in rebellion against God.

01:17:18

Please rectify that situation. I have lists of biblically faithful churches all over the globe, and I have helped people in our audience find churches in many parts of the world where they have joined or where they have visited on vacation or where they have referred their family, friends, and loved ones to who do not have churches of their own.

01:17:40

Send me an email to chrisarnson at gmail .com chrisarnson at gmail .com and put I need a church or something like that in the subject line.

01:17:48

That's also the email address where you could send in a question to Angus Stewart on the question, Are all humans created in the image of God?

01:17:57

And that's chrisarnson at gmail .com chrisarnson at gmail .com Give us your first name, at least, your city and state of residence, and your country of residence if you live outside the

01:18:05

USA, and only remain anonymous if your question involves a personal, private matter. So, Angus, you could pick up right where you left off.

01:18:12

You were going through a list of things that gave weight to your position that only the regenerate, only

01:18:18

Christians are made in the image of God. Yes. I argued from the nature of the image of God that we have a definition of the image of God that fits with believers and Adam and Eve before the fall, but no definition of any sort of image of God from the

01:18:35

Bible that unbelievers are supposed to be in. And then I noted that the Bible talks about the image or the likeness of God, but never the images or the likenesses of God.

01:18:47

There only is one image of God in the Bible, not two, and nobody goes from being the image of God in the brother sense.

01:18:54

Then they get converted and then they get two images. And then I mentioned that the idea of the image of God is that image and likeness and glory are used together in these texts, and that the unbeliever, according to the view

01:19:07

I'm opposing, is the image and the glory and the likeness of God.

01:19:12

But Romans 3, verse 23 says, All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

01:19:19

But the image of God, broader sense idea, includes by scriptural necessity that they are the glory of God, yet the

01:19:26

Bible says they've come short of it. Then we noted forth some amazing incongruities.

01:19:31

One more in this connection. What about Stephen? As Martin Luther pointed out, if the image of God in this alleged broader sense consists of rationality and personality, the possession of intellect and will and creaturely freedom and language, then it follows necessarily that the devil is the image of God.

01:19:53

He is the image of God, the likeness of God, and the glory of God. In fact, because he has such a good memory, powerful intellect and resolute will, the devil has a much, much greater image of God in this alleged broader sense than any of us.

01:20:10

And in Isaiah 14, verse 14, the king of Babylon, and he's speaking there as the mouthpiece of Satan, says, quote,

01:20:17

I will be like the most high. But this theory says resolutely by necessity, this theory that everybody's an image of God that consists of these rationality and so on.

01:20:30

This theory actually says that Satan is like the most high, and he is the image of the most high, whereas Satan only aspires to it in Isaiah 14, verse 14, but according to this theory, he's actually installed into that office.

01:20:44

So it's not just all of humanity that's in the image of God, according to this theory, but also

01:20:49

Beelzebub and his whole nefarious host. And yet I believe that does necessarily follows, and Martin Luther did too.

01:20:59

Let's move to another argument. This is what we call, Chris, the argument from divine sonship.

01:21:06

And here I'm going to mention four parties that everybody agrees are the image of God. Number one, the second person of the

01:21:14

Trinity is the image of God, the father, and he's the eternal son.

01:21:20

So image and son go together there. Then with the incarnation, Jesus Christ is both the image of God and the incarnate son of God.

01:21:31

So again, image and sonship. And then if we think of Adam and Eve created in the image of God, thirdly,

01:21:41

Adam is called a son of God in Luke 3, verse 38, and therefore

01:21:46

Eve's a daughter of God. There's a third instance, image and sonship.

01:21:52

And then fourth, when we move to believers, we have been regenerated in the image of God and we are the sons and daughters of God.

01:22:00

So there's the pattern. All four parties are both the son or sons of God and the image of God because sons look like their father.

01:22:11

And God the son is called the express image of God the father in Hebrews 1, verse 15.

01:22:17

But if unbelievers are the image of God since you look like your father, then we've got problems because Scripture declares that impenitent human beings are the seed of Satan the old serpent,

01:22:32

Genesis 3, verse 15, and the sons and daughters of the devil.

01:22:38

And Jesus told the ungodly Jews who claimed that God was their father in John 8, he told them instead, you are of your father the devil, which makes those in unbelief the devil's sons and daughters if he's the father and they're sons and daughters.

01:22:55

And the lusts of your father you will do. You're going to image him because you're like him. And then

01:23:01

Jesus went on to say that the devil was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there's no truth in him.

01:23:09

When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own for he is a liar and the father of it. And those outside of Christ, including ourselves before we were converted, that's what we did.

01:23:20

So there's the argument from sonship. And here's the nice thing, you see, because words have meaning, and you can define a word in a funny sort of way, but the word carries its own freight.

01:23:34

If man is really in the image of God, then if everybody's in the image of God, then everybody is a child of God.

01:23:42

And everybody, there's a brotherhood of man, a spiritual universal brotherhood. And if everybody's in the image of God, then since the image of God is something good,

01:23:53

I mean, that's what the word carries with it. Then what about total depravity? And the number of theologians and churches who argue that since we're in the image of God, we must have free will is amazing.

01:24:06

And then we end up with this idea that, you know, man is the image, likeness and glory of God, but then

01:24:13

God must love them. And then if God loves them, and they still have rationality and a soul in hell or in the lake of fire, well then is

01:24:25

God sort of loving people in hell? And there's one theologian,

01:24:32

Harry Boer, who wrote a book called An Ember Still Glowing, Humankind as the

01:24:38

Image of God. And I don't know what Eerdmans were doing, but they published it. Eerdmans published this in 1990.

01:24:45

And Harry Boer says humankind as the image of God. Everybody, absolutely everybody is the image of God.

01:24:52

And the point isn't quantity of image of God, it's quality. There's a little bit of the image of God in there.

01:24:57

It's an ember still glowing. And he goes through every doctrine of the reformed faith that's anywhere near this, and even the

01:25:05

Christian faith, and overthrows the whole lot. And he says, so man's the image of God. Well, you know what? God loves his image.

01:25:11

People can be saved without hearing the gospel. And if man's in the image of God, well then there can't be any reprobation, and there's no election, and there's no predestination.

01:25:19

And you know what? He holds out the hope that ultimately everybody will be saved. But here's one for you,

01:25:25

Chris. I find this one very interesting. Abraham Kuyper's son, Abraham Kuyper Jr.,

01:25:31

Abraham Kuyper Jr. believed that everybody was in the image of God, apart from the

01:25:37

Antichrist. So if everybody minus one is the image of God.

01:25:45

You know, it's always puzzled me, and I know that Abraham Kuyper, and I don't know much about his son, but I'm assuming his son did believe in unconditional election, and did not believe that man had an unfettered free will.

01:26:05

But it has always puzzled me when I have heard my

01:26:12

Calvinist -hating fundamentalist friends, or just Christians in general who oppose the doctrines of sovereign grace and Reformed theology, when they insist everybody has free will.

01:26:25

But then when it comes to the Antichrist, they have to say, well, not him. You know what's really funny, too, with regard to the

01:26:33

Antichrist and Abraham Kuyper Jr.'s position, is that if you define the image of God in the broader sense as involving personality and intellect and will, well, the

01:26:45

Antichrist, he's going to be able to rule the world. I mean, you were getting into eschatology,

01:26:51

Chris, I could be in troubled waters here again. But anybody who can rule the world and get all the world to worship the image of the beast, and so forth, and yet,

01:27:03

I mean, he must have those things, those intellectual abilities, but somehow or other

01:27:08

Abraham Kuyper says he doesn't have it. Well, I don't know if you're finished with your list yet, but we do have another listener who has a question, if you're ready.

01:27:18

Okay, I could throw in a couple of references to the Psalms, Chris. Okay, go ahead. I think our, and we want to have questions, too, but I think our listeners would be impressed that there's a couple of references in the

01:27:29

Psalms that teach our position, too. Here's Psalm 73. Psalm 73, verse 20.

01:27:38

As a dream when one awaketh, so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.

01:27:48

God is here. He's not acting, as it were, to the observer. God's not doing anything, but then he comes and acts, and he's like a man who awakes, and he despises their image, the image of the ungodly.

01:28:01

And then the question is, if the unbeliever was in the image of God, and it's the same Hebrew word used here, what in the wide world is

01:28:09

God doing, despising their image? And verse 19 says, the verse before, they're brought to destruction as in a moment.

01:28:17

They're utterly consumed with terrors. And the idea of the image here, it's a rather nice one, because it's like God has asleep.

01:28:29

This is figurative language, of course. God is sleeping, as it were. And like us, as it were, when he sleeps, sometimes we wake up, and we have an image of the dream which we just had.

01:28:40

We can remember a wee bit of it, and sometimes it's really vivid. And God, as it were, when he awakes, has the image of his dream that he just woke, and that was the ungodly.

01:28:51

And God despises even the image that he has, that little bit of the memory of the dream.

01:28:59

And therefore, he destroys them. Well, but if the wicked were truly the image and likeness and glory of God, why would he do this?

01:29:11

And then I think the other psalm, Psalm 17, verse 15, which was penned by David.

01:29:20

Psalm 73 was penned by Esau. David says, Again, the word used in Genesis 1, verse 26 -27.

01:29:38

David says, as a believer, I will awake with God's likeness, and on the resurrection mourn, and I will behold

01:29:46

God's face in righteousness. And so when Paul, in Ephesians and Colossians, defines the image of God in terms of righteousness, it's already there from David.

01:29:56

Psalm 17, verse 15. So Chris, you have a question? Yes, we have an anonymous listener who says,

01:30:07

A lot of what you are saying makes sense, but how are we to view a basically and general, dignified way to treat all of humanity if they are not all made in the image of God?

01:30:24

We even, in the United States at least, and other parts of the civilized world, have prison systems where we don't have people being tortured on racks and being skinned alive and being disemboweled and burned alive, like the

01:30:39

Church of Rome was once infamous for doing. We treat even those who are on death row and those who are violent criminals with a level of dignity and respect because we believe humans deserve this.

01:30:53

Not that they are innately good or deserving of God's grace or anything like that, but that we just treat humans differently than animals, or at least we should.

01:31:05

How, then, can we maintain this understanding of humankind while denying that they are made in the image of God?

01:31:12

That's a very good question. In fact, I remember being horrified years ago when

01:31:18

I was listening to a radio interview. I'm not going to mention the person's name, who was the guest. It wasn't my show.

01:31:23

It was a different radio program. The guest had such an overemphasis on Christianizing the earth through basically breeding

01:31:39

Christians, having large families, and through procreation, we would eventually assist in Christianizing the earth just because of the numbers.

01:31:51

He had a warped view that was overemphasizing that notion, and when he was asked about his views on abortion,

01:32:01

I was shocked because the man, even though I disagreed with his views or his overemphasis on procreation as a means of Christianizing the earth,

01:32:12

I was shocked to hear him say, Now, for the Christian, abortion is murder, and it's a damnable sin for a

01:32:20

Christian to commit that sin. But, as far as I'm concerned, let the wicked abort their babies out of existence.

01:32:30

Let their family line come to an end. I don't care. I was shocked to hear him say that.

01:32:36

Obviously, I'm fairly certain you don't hold that view as well. If you could answer the listener's question.

01:32:43

We repudiate his ethics, and though I haven't time to prove it,

01:32:50

I'm a foe of Christian Reconstructionism. I know it has done a lot of damage with some people here in Northern Ireland, so we condemn his ethics, that guy, and we condemn his system of theology.

01:33:04

Of course, not all theonomists and Reconstructionists would agree with that gentleman's position. In fact,

01:33:09

I would say it's probably a tiny minority. Yes, I would think it's better of most of them, too.

01:33:16

Going back to the question, a very good question it is, too, and it gives me a chance to explore some other issues.

01:33:24

He mentioned, was it he or she? It was an anonymous person. Anonymous. The anonymous person mentioned that Rome, especially in the

01:33:36

Middle Ages and around the time of the Reformation, did some horrible things and murdered people and so forth.

01:33:44

Here's the interesting thing, is that Rome, then and now, steadfastly proclaims that everyone is in the image of God.

01:33:54

So the Roman Church, when they did that to people and all the horrible things that that church does, where it has the power to attack

01:34:01

Christians to this day, it didn't stop them believing that everybody is in the image of God. And, you know, somebody says, well, if we don't believe that the image of God includes all the factors of man's humanity, we believe man's human language, rationality, personality, we believe that.

01:34:20

We just don't put that into the image of God category. But Rome, and Arminianism, they claim that if you believe in total depravity, like the

01:34:32

Bible teaches in Romans chapter 3, that total depravity threatens and denies man's humanity.

01:34:40

And Arminianism teaches the same thing. It teaches the absolute sovereignty of God denies man's humanity. And it makes man, this is the language from the talons of Dorth, stocks and blocks.

01:34:52

So if somebody says, you know, look, unless you teach, you know, the image of God, everybody's in the image of God, then man's not really man.

01:34:59

Well, then you can say, well, maybe we have to deny total depravity too, because other groups will say, well, you're denying the humanity of man.

01:35:05

And our response is to say, Genesis 2, Genesis 11, and indeed the whole of the

01:35:11

Bible, man is language, man is tongue. Man is able to relate to God. And one of the key things, of course, about man is that man is either for God or against God.

01:35:21

He's intrinsically always in the sight of God. God knows him. He knows his thoughts, his words, and deeds.

01:35:26

God judges man at the last day. God's the God who created Adam and Eve in the beginning. He brings us all into existence.

01:35:33

In God we live and move and have our being. Unbelievers too.

01:35:39

And then when we come to the issue of ethics, it's very simple. The Ten Commandments, or rather the second table, you know, honor your father and mother, you know, whether your parents are in Christ or not.

01:35:54

Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

01:36:00

Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Thou shalt not covet. And the

01:36:06

Bible's teaching is love your neighbor. And love your neighbor all by itself would deal with all those ethical issues.

01:36:14

And Jesus taught us the golden rule, do unto others as you'd have them do unto you. And in fact, one of the things that maybe isn't appreciated that widely is that the two classic texts,

01:36:26

Ephesians 4, 24, Colossians 3, verse 10, which identify the nature of the image of God, come in intensely ethical context.

01:36:36

So, you've put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him, says

01:36:42

Colossians 3, verse 10. And then it says, Christ is all in all, verse 11, is the unity of the church, neither

01:36:48

Greek nor Jew, circumcision, uncircumcision, barbarians, Barbarians, Scythians, bond or free.

01:36:54

And in the next verse, verse 12 says, put on, therefore, the elect of God, the elect of God in the image of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long -suffering.

01:37:10

Verse 14, above all these things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts because your knowledge, righteousness and true holiness, you're called in one body.

01:37:23

Be thankful that the word of God dwell on you richly, singing with grace in your hearts. Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, you who are in the image of God, do all in the name of the

01:37:34

Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. And then it gives the calling of wives and husbands and children and fathers and servants or employees.

01:37:42

And whatsoever ye do, you who are in the image of God, do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men, knowing that of the

01:37:49

Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ. So all sorts of ethics come out of the image of God.

01:37:58

That's just Colossians 3. I could go to Ephesians chapter 4 or 2 Corinthians 3 and 4.

01:38:04

There's lots of rich, rich scope there. So I hope the brother, the anonymous person, is happy with that answer.

01:38:12

And we are going to our final break right now. It's more brief than the last one, but if you have a question, please send it immediately because we are running out of time.

01:38:20

Our email address is chrisarnson at gmail dot com. chrisarnson at gmail dot com.

01:38:26

Please give us your first name at least, your city and state of residence, and your country of residence if you live outside the U .S .A. Only remain anonymous if your question involves a personal and private matter.

01:38:35

Don't go away. We'll be right back with more of Angus Stewart and the question, Are all humans created in the image of God?

01:38:54

I'm James White of Alpha Omega Ministries and my friend Chris Arnson and I are excited to be attending another

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Reformed Baptist pastor and cessationist in California. Come join me and Chris Arnson at G3 2020

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He represents many Christians in serious injury matters all over the country. Dan is an exceptional trial lawyer.

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He wrote the test for the National Board of Trial Advocacy. And currently his firm has over 100 cases that have settled for $1 million or more and in approximately 10 different states.

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In Illinois, his lawyers had the fourth largest settlement in the state's history. In New York, his case involving a paralyzed police officer made the front page of the

01:41:42

Law Journal. If you have a serious personal injury or medical malpractice claim in any state,

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I recommend that you call Dan. Consultations are free. There is no fee unless you win.

01:41:56

Dan Buttafuoco's number is 1 -800 -669 -4878. 1 -800 -669 -4878.

01:42:04

Or email me for Dan's contact information at chrisarnson at gmail dot com.

01:42:10

That's chrisarnson at gmail dot com. Paul wrote to the church at Galatia, For am

01:42:18

I now seeking the approval of man or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man,

01:42:25

I would not be a servant of Christ. Hi, I'm Mark Lukens, Pastor of Providence Baptist Church. We are a

01:42:31

Reformed Baptist Church and we hold to the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689. We are in Norfolk, Massachusetts.

01:42:38

We strive to reflect Paul's mindset to be much more concerned with how God views what we say and what we do than how men view these things.

01:42:46

That's not the best recipe for popularity, but since that wasn't the Apostles' priority, it must not be ours either.

01:42:53

We believe, by God's grace, that we are called to demonstrate love and compassion to our fellow man, and to be vessels of Christ's mercy to a lost and hurting community around us, and to build up the

01:43:03

Body of Christ in truth and love. If you live near Norfolk, Massachusetts or plan to visit our area, please come and join us for worship and fellowship.

01:43:11

You can call us at 508 -528 -5750. That's 508 -528 -5750.

01:43:18

Or go to our website to email us, listen to past sermons, worship songs, or watch our TV program entitled,

01:43:24

Resting in Grace. You can find us at ProvidenceBaptistChurchMA .org That's ProvidenceBaptistChurchMA .org

01:43:31

or even on sermonaudio .com Providence Baptist Church is delighted to sponsor

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Iron Sharpens Iron Radio. Iron Sharpens Iron welcomes

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01:44:52

James White of Alpha Omega Ministries here. If you've watched my Dividing Line webcast often enough, you know

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I have a great love for getting Bibles and other documents vital to my ministry rebound to preserve and ensure their longevity.

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And besides that, they feel so good. I'm so delighted I discovered post -Tenebrous Lux Bible rebinding.

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When Iron Sharpens Iron Radio first launched in 2005 the publishers of the

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New American Standard Bible were among my very first sponsors. It gives me joy knowing that many scholars and pastors in the

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Iron Sharpens Iron Radio audience have been sticking with or switching to the NASB.

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I'm Pastor Nate Pickowitz of Harvest Bible Church in Gilmanton Ironworks, New Hampshire and the

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NASB is my Bible of Choice. I'm Pastor Rich Jensen of Hope Reform Baptist Church in Quorum, New York and the

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NASB is my Bible of Choice. I'm Pastor Sule Prince of Oakwood Wesleyan Church in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and the

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NASB is my Bible of Choice. I'm Pastor John Sampson of Kings Church in Peoria, Arizona and the

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NASB is my Bible of Choice. I'm Pastor Chuck Volo of New Life Community Church in Kingsville, Maryland and the

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NASB is my Bible of Choice. I'm Pastor Steve Herford of Eastport Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida and the

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Church in Friendship in Hockley, Texas and the NASB is my Bible of Choice.

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Go to nasbible .com to place your order.

01:48:05

I'm Dr. Gary Kimbrell, Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Laurel, Mississippi. God tells us in James 1 -27 that pure and undefiled religion is a visit to fatherless and widows and their affliction.

01:48:14

In the providence of God, three years ago, I discovered a poor small church outside Lusaka, Zambia, in a township called

01:48:20

Kabanana, who are taking care of 24 orphans. I found them just at the time when they had lost all their funding.

01:48:26

What was I to do? Could I just say God bless you and walk away? The situation of the children set heavily upon me.

01:48:31

As I was praying concerning this need, it came to me, I trust from the Lord, to tell the orphans' plight to a broader audience.

01:48:37

The entire need for their clothing, food, education, and some medical services is $73 per month per child.

01:48:43

If just 50 of us would give $35 a month, we could meet the need. Bethlehem Baptist Church will pay the fee to get the funds there, so if you give a dollar, a dollar will get to the orphans.

01:48:53

In this season of hope and giving, will you consider giving hope to 24 orphans? Please send your gift of any amount to Bethlehem Baptist Church, 838

01:49:01

Reed Road, Laurel, Mississippi 39443, or donate through our website, bbclaurel .com.

01:49:09

Again, the address is Bethlehem Baptist Church, 838 Reed Road, Laurel, Mississippi 39443, or bbclaurel .com.

01:49:18

Thank you. Listening to Christian radio can be a big gamble spiritually.

01:49:37

Even many of the major Christian networks that include excellent biblically faithful teachers on their lineup, sadly often also include the worst of doctrinally dangerous heretics.

01:49:48

If you are a lover of the doctrines of sovereign grace, you need not fear listening 24 hours a day to firstloveradio .org.

01:49:56

They feature Christ -centered programming from Reformed pastors and teachers you can rely upon for theological soundness and biblical faithfulness, such as Dr.

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W .R. Downing, Dr. Peter Masters, Pastor Joe Jakowitz, Pastor Robert Gifford, Al Martin, Edward Delcor, and more.

01:50:15

firstloveradio .org also livestreams my Iron Sharpens Iron radio program daily.

01:50:21

Please stick around on firstloveradio .org after Iron Sharpens Iron radio is over to continue being blessed by the unwavering proclamation of the gospel of sovereign grace.

01:50:32

Spread the word about firstloveradio .org And remember to keep

01:50:45

Joe Jakowitz in your prayer. He is the founder and president of firstloveradio, founder and president of firstlovemissions, and the founder and president of firstlovepublications, a very dear friend of mine who provides a platform, an internet platform, for Iron Sharpens Iron radio every day and considers it his flagship program on the network.

01:51:07

Joe Jakowitz, as you have heard from me, if you've been listening to the show every day, was very recently diagnosed with leukemia, and the doctor's prognosis is that he has a 70 % chance of survival.

01:51:21

Now, of course, his doctor is not omniscient. Only God knows how much time

01:51:27

Joe has left, and only God knows whether Joe will be healed or not.

01:51:33

But we ask of you to please pray for Joe not only for the great physician to heal him if it is his will, but also just to give

01:51:42

Joe complete confidence in God, knowing that the judge of all the earth will do what is right, that Romans 828 will remain true in his life during this time, that all things work together for the good for those who love

01:51:59

God and are the called according to his purpose. So please pray for Joe Jakowitz. Please pray that we hear a wonderful praise report soon on an update on his health, and I will give you updates as I have them.

01:52:14

Also, please continue to pray for my dear friend for many years who I consider a modern -day hero of mine,

01:52:20

Richard Bennett, former Roman Catholic priest who came to Christ and became a

01:52:26

Reformed Baptist and founded Berean Beacon Ministries. His wife fears that he is close to entering to eternity, and Richard, unlike my friend

01:52:40

Joe Jakowitz, Richard is very elderly, so this is not really a shock, but these same reports have come from Richard Bennett's household in the past, and he has recovered, so I for sure would love him to stick around longer as long as he is not in extreme discomfort so that he can continue to bless the body of Christ and the world with his phenomenal ministry, but obviously if he leaves this earth, he will be far better off and in the arms of a merciful and gracious Savior for eternity.

01:53:13

But please pray for the Richard Bennett family and for Richard Bennett himself. This is our final portion of our interview with Angus Stewart.

01:53:20

If you have a question, send it in quickly because we're going to be over before you know it. ChrisArnson at gmail .com,

01:53:26

ChrisArnson at gmail .com. Angus, I'd like you to summarize what you most want etched in the hearts and minds of our listeners today regarding this subject of only the elect and more specifically the regenerate being made in the image of God.

01:53:43

Chris, I'll sort of answer that one. I want our listeners to know that this truth about the image of God only in God's people, only through Jesus Christ, only by the work of the

01:53:55

Holy Spirit in us, and only through the gospel of sovereign grace. Contrary to much of the opposing view, has a really powerful ethics and besides all the texts that mention image and likeness, there are a whole host of them.

01:54:12

Think of the word even as. Be ye therefore perfect even as your

01:54:17

Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5. Because you're the image of God. Forgive one another even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you.

01:54:28

Ephesians 4 .32 Colossians 3 .13 Walk in love as Christ also has loved us.

01:54:35

The even as's in the New Testament are all references to the image of God, even as Christ did this, even as God did this.

01:54:41

You're in his image. He who abides in Christ ought himself also to walk even as he walked.

01:54:48

1 John 2 .6 1 John 3 .2 We shall be like him for we shall see him as he is like him.

01:54:58

2 Peter 1 .1 1 Peter 1 .2

01:55:05

1 Peter 1 .3 1 Peter 1 .4 1 Peter 1 .5

01:55:17

1 Peter 1 .6 1 Peter 1 .7

01:55:23

1 Peter 1 .8 1 Peter 1 .9 1 Peter 1 .10 1 Peter 1 .11 1 Peter 1 .13 1 Peter 1 .17 1 Peter 1 .22 1 Peter 1 .23

01:55:31

1 Peter 1 .24

01:55:57

River Magone, if at all possible. He said you've been talking about conferences. The British Reform Fellowship Conference invites you,

01:56:06

Chris, if you're able to make it, I know you're busy, and all your listeners to a conference in sunny Northern Ireland on the 11th to the 18th of July, week -long conference in Northern Ireland, Castlewellne Conference, Castlewellne Castle in 2020, next year, 11th to 18th of July, on the theme

01:56:26

Union with Christ. Prof. David Engelsma and Rev. Andy Lanning are the main speakers.

01:56:33

I'm seriously considering, because I'm going to give one of the Sunday sermons, Lord willing, speaking about Union with Christ, the main theme, in connection with the image of God.

01:56:42

My wife would like me to do that. Union with Christ and the image of God. It's in a castle, in a forest, with a lake.

01:56:49

We're the only ones who are going to be there, and I'd like to invite people to that, especially if they want to hear more about the image of God and its closeness to this great theme of Union with Jesus Christ.

01:57:01

Now should Arminians be frightened to be in the woods in a castle with the Reform people?

01:57:10

Far away from civilization, where no one can hear them, but I'm just kidding.

01:57:17

Well, I would love to be there. I don't know if my finances will enable me to be there, but I do know folks in Northern Ireland and in Ireland, so I will let them know about that.

01:57:27

Make sure you email me all of the details. Before we go off the air, Dr. Julian Kennedy, who's a member of your church, as you know, sent in an email saying,

01:57:37

Pastor Angus has mentioned Colossians 3 .10 and Ephesians 4 .24

01:57:42

numerous times, but he needs to quote them again to spell out of what the image of God consists.

01:57:51

Knowledge of God, righteousness, and true holiness. Okay, Colossians 3 .10

01:57:57

says, We have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that is

01:58:06

God that created him. There's the image of God, and creation here is the new creation, and it's renewed in knowledge.

01:58:13

So the image of God in the new creation is knowledge, and it's the equivalent of the new man, which is contrasted with the old man in the previous verse.

01:58:22

So there's knowledge, Colossians 3. Ephesians 4 .24 says, You put on the new man, that's like the image of God in Colossians 3 .10,

01:58:32

which after God, there again God is the model, that image of God is created, because we're recreated in the image of God, just as Adam and Eve were created in it in the first place, is created in righteousness and true holiness.

01:58:46

And those three things, knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, are equivalent to prophet, priest, and king.

01:58:52

Those three virtues of knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, it's saving knowledge of God, knowledge of trust, and faith through Jesus Christ, include all the ethical perfections.

01:59:03

God made man upright. The creation is very good, including man.

01:59:08

So all sorts of ethical virtues and spiritual realities are included in that.

01:59:14

My thanks to Julian. Okay, we're out of time, brother, and I want to remind our listeners that the website for Covenant Protestant Reformed Church is cprc .co

01:59:28

.uk. That's cprc .co .uk.

01:59:34

And I want to thank you so much for being my guest again. I look forward to having you come back very soon,

01:59:40

Angus. I want to thank everybody who listened. I hope that you all have a blessed, and safe, and joyful weekend, and a

01:59:47

Christ -honoring Lord's Day. And I want you all to always remember for the rest of your lives that Jesus Christ is a far greater