Doctrine of the Week - The Imago Dei (Image of God)

The Doctrine of the Week for this Sunday is the Imago Dei, which is Latin for the image of God.

Genesis chapter 1, verses 26 and 27 say, Then God said, Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.

So what does this mean that God created man in his own image?

Well this has been the subject of great interest and debate, and really there is no one easy answer for this.

One thing we can say, one thing that it does not mean, it does not mean that God the

Father has an image or a body like we do since John 4, 24,

Jesus says that God is spirit. So what this likely refers to is that mankind, like God, has a will, we can reason, we can make choices, we also have emotions, we can relate, we can love, and we can worship and have fellowship with God because we are made in his image.

And therefore, as human beings, we have dignity. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 10 tells us that we are

God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

So while the image of God in us has been marred by sin, we in this life, by God's grace, are to live in such a way to reflect the image and character of our creator.