When God announced “Let Us make man” He was revealing his nature, as being plural. The image of God in humanity is spiritual not physical, because God is Spirit, (Jn. 4:24), and His Spirit was over the waters in the creation, 1:2. The plurality of God was active in making us. Unlike worldly kings making many distinctions between themselves and their subjects. A monarch is removed from the rank of the people by princes of royal blood, dukes, earls, barons, viscounts, baronets, knights, esquires; and all kinds of outward appearances, especially on public occasions, as to impress people with their own distance; All this may be necessary and even useful, where the ruling is human. But in bold contrast with this is the conduct of the supreme Sovereign — God. The King of kings formed His first earthly subjects with affinities between them and Himself most near and intimate.
But our humanity is diseased with sin we commit, and Christ came to give each person the choice to heal this diseased image. Paul tells us that the “new man,” .. is “created after God” — i.e., after the likeness of God — “in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). In another passage he says that we are “renewed in knowledge, after the image of Him that created him” (Colossians 3:10). Knowledge not speculative but practical, holiness not relative but real; knowledge illuminating the mind, holiness governing the heart — the make up, in the apostle’s view, that “image of God” in which He declares that He created us. There are three ways in which we can see our spirituality as emulating God’s spiritual nature.
Firstly, We humans have the POWER to choose. This is different than any other part of God’s creation. God chose to create, mandate, execute and pardon. We as humans, can choose to serve evil or good. Joshua 24:15 states that ultimate choice was made public in ancient Israel. Today in Christ we are asked by the gospel to choose whether or not we will ‘save ourselves from a perverted generation…receive his word…and devote ourselves” Acts 2:40-42.
Secondly, We have the power to make a promise, once we have chosen to confess Christ as our Lord, The promise to repent, and live a life of faithfulness is essential, if we are truly going to change and grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. This is made clear in 1st Corinthians 9:27 & Galatians 5:16-18. This helps us cooperate with God in CREATING the change needed in us to help restore His IMAGE.
Thirdly, we as humans have the power to submit to the Lordship of Christ’s Spirit and walk with him, in order to grow the fruit of His Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23. This helps us OWN the change that God makes in us. The nature of God can be seen in these three spiritual attributes, the power to make a choice, the power to create change in repenting, and the power to make a promise and grow. We also see three very often used titles for God’s name in these attributes.
Elohim – God, usually used in the context of CREATOR, Gen. 1.
Jehovah – I AM, used in the context of His all POWERFUL self-existence, Ex. 3:14
Adonai – Lord, usually used in the context of OWNERSHIP, Ex. 34:23
Genesis 34:23 is one of the rare verses that has all three of these titles for God. Where He claims the creation, existence and ownership of Israel being exclusively His, and therefore mandates worship. This love is human, but when we direct our love to Christ, his wisdom helps us emulate a divine love and thereby grows the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness & self-control. Initially our humanity was given dominion over the rest of God’s creation all around & outside us. Why shouldn’t we exercise dominion over God’s creation WITHIN our self? Read 2nd Corinthians 10:3-7.
Epaggelia 