Gen 1:26a, 27 "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to our likeness…So God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
This is a wild thing. God created us to be like Him. In the span of these two verses, God stated that He made man in His image according to His likeness and he repeated the word image three times and used a similar word (likeness) once. So this must be a big deal, that we have been made in the image of God.
The word "image" actually means that we resemble God. The word "likeness" means that we are similar to Him. These are words that we usually use when we talk about family. I know that when Maddie was born people were asking: "Who does she resemble? Michelle, Jeremy or one of her grandparents? Actually, when you look at her now she resembles Grandpa Dave (Jeremy's Dad). Last week I was in North Carolina visiting my sister and her family. As I was walking toward her she said to me: "You look like Dad." Funny how that happens.
What about our resemblance to God? What is that like? I am sure that it is God's heart that all mankind look like Him. After all, He made all of us to bear His image. Now that may mean that God actually has a form like ours. But most likely it means more.
Look at this verse. It says: "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness." God was not talking in a singular sense. He is using plural words…Us and Our. That must mean that God is not just one entity, and this makes sense when you consider the trinity. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. We have God the Father who is in control of it all. We have God the Son…"in beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God…and the word became flesh and dwelt among us…" (John 1) And then we have the Holy Spirit who is the unseen mover and shaker. So we have the Father (mind), Son (body), and Holy Spirit (spirit). Guess what we are like? We also have a mind, body and spirit. We have been made in a trinity…just like God. We bear the tri-part image of God…all of us. No one is left out. Every human being has this three part image where God wants to work.
The problem is, we lose the resemblance when we don't let God control these three areas of our lives. When God does not control my mind, when God does not control my body, when God does not control my spirit, I lose His likeness. I become deformed and I no longer bear the family resemblance.
It is only when God has control of my mind, my body and my spirit that I reflect His image…that I bear a family resemblance…that I look like my Dad and this family resemblance can only begin when we are born again…born into His family and yield every part of who we are to Him…mind, body and spirit.
May I look like God.
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