While He Tarries Ministries
What does "in the image of God" mean?

• Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image (Reference 1-Strong's 6754), after our likeness
• Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God
• Reference (1) Strong's 6754: tselem: from an unused root meaning to shade, phantom, an illusion
• 1Corinthians 11:7 ---forasmuch as he is the image (Reference 2-Strong's 1504) and glory of God
• Reference (2) Strong's 1504: eikon: a likeness, a representation, a resemblance, an image
• Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
• Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.
• Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
• Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen (-elect-see reference 3 below) us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
• Ephesians 1:5 Having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.
• Reference 3: 1 Peter 1:2 Elect--- thru sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:

• Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image (Reference 4: Strong's 5481) of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
• Reference 4: Strong's 5481: charakter: a graver, the figure stamped, ie. an exact copy--express image

Some people on television and in print say that we are little gods. Instead of being a new revelation of God, it is actually an old heresy of Apotheosis that was condemned about 1500 years ago.

When used about man, THE GREEK OR HEBREW WORD for image is always 6754 or 1504, an illusion, a likeness. We are not created on terms of equality with God. We are not an exact duplication of God. We are not little gods.

Some people try to use John 10:34 to show that we are little gods.
John 10:34 Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are gods?"

What they really show is their poor way of studying the bible. This verse refers to Psalms 82:6 which is really making fun of the judges. They are judging unjustly and are acting like gods. God is saying in verse 6 "ye are gods." but he is really mocking them because in verse 7 he is saying that they will die like men.

Now back in John 10:34, they are trying once again to judge him as gods like they did in Psalms 82, so by using Psalms 82:6, he is once again mocking them.

In Exodus 4:16 Moses was to act as a godlike judge over Pharaoh. In Exodus 21 and 22, the Israelite judges were called gods because they held the power of life or death over men.

Satan is referred to as a god in 2 Corinthians 4:4. Does that mean that he is an exact duplicate of God? Of course not! See how easy it is to WRONGLY divide the word of truth!

Let's look at another way to wrongly divide the word of truth.

• 2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be (See reference 5) partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
• Reference 5: Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
• Hebrews 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 1 John 3:2
• This verse is talking about moving from corruption in verse 4 to having a moral transformation to reflect the character of God in verses 5-11 and also in the cross-references (talking about holiness and righteousness.) plus 2 Peter 1:5-12.

We are only sons of God by adoption, not by nature Galatians 4:5-8.
Only Jesus is God by nature
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh
Philippians 2:6 Who,...did not consider it robbery to be equal to God.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word
Galatians 4:8,9 ...

It is dangerous to take a verse out of context without seeing what the rest of the chapter is talking about or what the qualifications are. Genesis 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Satan wants to be as God and anyone who is thinking that they are little gods has been listening to the deceptive lure of Satan.

1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.

We are only deified in the sense that we are adopted as sons of God, indwelt by the Spirit of God, and brought in communion with God which ultimately leads to glorification.

If you run across people who say they are little gods, run from them. They will be wrong about a lot of other things also.

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