Let Us Make Man

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26-27

Let us make man in our image is an inspired statement that Christians don’t completely listen to. What I mean is that we try to prove the nature of God through men rather than by what is being said. Most Christians establish a triune God through the names established by the baptismal formula (Matthew 28:19). Even then the baptismal formula of Matthew appears to be more an opinion than fact as John 10:30 contradicts the trinity concept.

I think we have to ask ourselves a question, who are we listening to? It is difficult to comprehend what the truth is when we ignore it and just as difficult when our eyes and ears are not listening for truth firsthand from our creator. In the verse above are we trying to prove the nature of God as three persons or are we listening or thinking about what God is saying.

God’s word is truth and truth agrees with the actuality that God created. God created two persons as man and spoke of the two as them. In this picture God gave those who attempt to understand him an accurate picture of himself. Yet are we listening to the inspired word of God or to man who says God is three persons. Any word picture God gives as an example of his likeness has to be accurate; true and conform to what God created. With this in mind let’s pose a question we ourselves have to answer. In the picture God gave us of creation does the number of persons God created agree with reality or a group of three persons men alleges to be a trinity?

Let us make man in our image. The majority of times the word image is used, it describes an Idol that is shaped or formed to represent the God to be worshipped. Mankind was formed into the image of God that Christians throughout the world worship. To grasp this point read the visions of God as seen by Ezekiel.

Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. Ezekiel 1:26

When God made an image of himself he gave it features or attributes that man cannot reproduce. Man is a thinking being that is able to respond to God but any image made by man is a lifeless a product of his imagination. Man is able to respond to his creator but sculptured likeness of a false God cannot respond to its creator.

Whom are we listening to when God said I made man in our image and our likeness. Isn’t God saying we look like you? True the words our and us are plural but so is them. In most teachings God or Elohim is empathized as a plural word. Rarely do you hear that the term “man” is singular and the term “them” is plural or that man is also defined as mankind. Don’t we understand that both God and man can be used to describe one person; a unit of beings as well as the entire race of beings? Loving God with all our mind demands that we think to discern what God is saying.

Is it possible that when God speaks of man in the singular that he is speaking of man as a unit. At the same time when he speaks of man using the plural term of “them” that he spoke of the male and female he created. God also created man is his likeness and resemblance so man could deduct that God wanted men to know the makeup of his natural state to know what he looked like.

God has made his divine nature clear to mankind – so clear that man is without excuse.

Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:19-20

In regard to God’s nature God clearly said that he created mankind male and female in his image and likeness. When we look at mankind the world is populated with men and women in every nation on every continent. The evidence of mating is overwhelming – every living creature has a mate to replenish the earth.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them Genesis 1:27

God created Adam and Eve on the sixth day to populate the earth. Let’s remember that every creature that entered the ark Noah built had a mate. This reveals that God also created every living thing with a specific number and gender. Even plant life requires another plant to reproduce after its own kind. Truth is consistent which makes God’s word a reliable source of accurate information. When science is compared to creation the outcome of human existence supports the fact that God made his nature plain to man.

Jesus Said I and the father are one (John 10:30), And in the longest prayer of Jesus he asked the father that they (mankind) may be one as we are one (John 17:22). Because no one has seen God, only the inspiration of God and those who know Jesus Christ have direct knowledge to describe the divine nature. Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses."(2 Corinthians 13:1). This principle establishes the truth of the scriptures through agreement. The question remains whom are we listening to?

Man is capable of making a mountain out of a mole hill through his imagination. According to scriptures no man has seen God but men describe God through scholarly interpretation different from what the scriptures reveal. We have a discrepancy of actuality that doesn’t make sense because the teaching of biblical scholars is different than what God has inspired.

For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." 1 Corinthians 1:19

When I write these articles I have to ask whom am I listening to; better yet who am I going to listen to when there is contradiction? The Athanasian Creed (a creed the church holds sacred) states the Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible. Yet the person who wrote the Athanasian Creed appears to have contradicted himself by comprehending God in three persons? Do I follow his beliefs when 1 Thessalonians 5:21 tells me to test everything. Hold on to the good. Understand this, truth is not found in information that contradicts itself even when there appears to be a contradiction in God’s word. It’s not just because Jesus said thy word is truth that God’s word is the truth, it is because there is no contradiction in God’s word.

As a Christian I am not responsible for what other people believe. However it is my responsibility to be prudent and examine what I am told is truth. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure and Matthew 24:4 warns us that we can be deceived.

In Spiritual matters there is two principles God teaches. The first is we live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God and the second in to compare everything with the word of God so you will know the truth. The reward of life is so great that it is worth the time to known the truth with certainty.

Whom are we listening to? This question still bugs me as when I go to church the same passages can be interpreted entirely different from yours. The heart is deceitful above all things. I know that I have been wrong in the past but my beliefs have evolved with what I learn from studying the word. My beliefs change when God is at the helm and I have the desire to listen to him.

The irrefutable truth is that man can make an image of himself to worship through deceit. The truth is men are not capable of making anything worthy of worship or make things capable of worshipping him. The ultimate evidence of God’s creativity is found in the reality of the heavens and the earth. God made in two persons representing his likeness who are completely capable of ruling their lives due to individual autonomy. They are distinctly capable of choosing to worship their creator or ignore him altogether. You may believe whatever you want the question to have truthful answers relies on whom you listen to. 2/25/2014

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