Man Created with God’s Image

“God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Gen. 1:26a). Image refers to God’s attributes, such as love, righteousness, holiness, kindness, and much more. Likeness is the outward physical appearance, as in Genesis 18:1-2.

God’s creation is the realm in which He will accomplish His eternal purpose which culminates in New Jerusalem as an expression of God in a corporate humanity built together by His divine life.

Although man was created in God’s image and has virtues corresponding to God’s attributes, man does not have the reality of these attributes.

To have the reality, man needs the divine, eternal life. Thus, in Genesis 2 man was placed in in the garden of Eden with the tree of life good for food, which is a picture of God as life to man.

Because of Satan’s rebellion against God and the fall of man, man was put out of the garden away from the tree of life (Gen. 3). But God came in the man Jesus, who died to redeem us from the fall and to grant us forgiveness of sins in order to requalify us to receive God’s life.

This is the life that makes us children of God (John 1:4, 12), builds God’s people together, expresses the reality of God, brings us to New Jerusalem, and fulfills God’s purpose.

Posted by Don on June 25, 2025

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2025/06/25/man-created-with-gods-image/