Describing the image of God is of its very nature impossible. However with the right tools we can begin to understand some of the aspects of God’s nature. We will go through a short analysis of some of the ways we can approach this subject. We will briefly cover Biblical, Theological, and Historical approaches. Firstly Biblical, the Biblical approach is an obvious must because it is the starting place for any Theological concepts or debate. The Bible of course mentions the image of God on multiple occasions, however the most used example is from Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”1 This passage is very important because it explicitly states that we are created …show more content…
When looking at this approach we look at the work of Theologians and can come to conclusions about God. Working off of the Historical and Biblical outlook on this subject John Calvin Said “Since the image of God had been destroyed in us by the fall, we may judge from its restoration what it originally had been.”3 I think it is important to observe that we cannot truly know what it would be like to be made in the image but we can look at the restorations and see what it was like. Many Theologians have written about this subject, and we can gain a lot from their insights on this subject.
Statement Of Chosen Vocation Currently I am an undergrad studying Industrial Organizational Psychology, I/O Psych for short. After completion I plan on going to Officer candidate school and pursuing a stint in the Marine Corps as an officer. The reason for this is multifaceted, to include ideological, monetary and experiential motivations. After some years in the USMC I plan on pursuing a Masters and PHD in the I/O Psych Field. And from there working for a firm doing Professional advising.
Implications of the Image of God in Chosen
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The first way is to live out that image. I think Augustine Of Hippo summed this up well when he said, “Humans were created in the image of God. True freedom, then, is not found in moving away from that image but only in living it out.” 4 The first and primary goal I believe each Christian should have is to win over people for Christ. If I am able to live out the image of God, I hope that people will naturally want to know what it is I “have.” With this I can start a dialogue with them and hopefully bring people to Christ. A short antidotal example of where this can be useful is in the Marine Corps. Many marines don’t relate well to people who are not combat veterans. However Marines react well to those who have experienced the rigors of combat. If I have led well, and have shown the image of Christ through my actions then hopefully a natural consequence of that will at least be a interest in what sets me apart. Secondly is service over sovereignty. Akin summarizes this nicely by comparing Adam to Jesus, “a comparison of the two is Instructive: Christ Therefore Grasped not at the Sovereignty but service.”5 When working as an officer in the Marines my job should not be to command from the rear but rather to be at the forefront willing and able to dig foxholes at the front instead of siting in a command tent in the rear. Alternatively in the I/O field looking at how I
In the first chapter of God Behaving Badly, David Lamb argues that God is unfairly given a bad reputation. He claims these negative perceptions are fueled by pop culture and lead many to believe the lie that the God of the Old Testament is angry, sexist, racist, violent, legalistic, rigid, and distant. These negative perceptions, in turn, affect our faith. Ultimately, Lamb seeks to demonstrate that historical context disproves the presumptuous aforementioned. In addition, he defends his position by citing patterns of descriptions that characterize God throughout the Old Testament. “Our image of God will directly affect how we either pursue or avoid God. If we believe that the God of the Old Testament is really harsh, unfair and cruel, we won’t want anything to do with him” (Lamb 22). Clearly, they way Christians choose to see God will shape their relationship with Him.
Thomas Hobbes believed that we would submit to bloodshed and chaos if we didn’t submit ourselves to a higher authority. Likewise, the Puritans believed that this would be true of we opposed god. Puritan Jonathan Edwards strongly held the beliefs of the Puritans that god was the main authority. In his work, Images or Shadows of Divine Things, Edwards writes about presence of god in nature. In addition, Edwards writes how hell and heaven are both present around us and stresses that we need to avoid the areas of hell. Edwards writes, “The heavens’ being filled with glorious, luminous bodies is to signify the glory and happiness of the heavenly inhabitants and amongst these the sun signifies Christ and the moon the church.” This quote by Edwards
In order to make sense of these inherently opposite features, we must seek a higher authority and focus on God’s beauty, mercy, love, and grace. Our God, who is the creator of the world, has a plan for us all and intends for us to seek out His will. When we look around us and see that God created and feeds the sparrow just as he created and feeds us, we can begin to understand God’s will and His purpose for us. The entire enormity of this world and what God created becomes clearer. God seeks a relationship with us. There are times when reading the Bible, a passage or verse may seem too confusing or unrelatable in our current situation, although a God who created nature and everything in it always reveals the truth in His time for His plan for
"So god created man in his own image, in the image of god he created
2 Corinthians 3:18 states, “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” God transforms Christians into His likeness. Genesis 1:27 reveals that, in the Garden, we were completely in His likeness: “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” To the artist, in the image of God means something different than what is often taught in Sunday schools. According to Sayers, “Is it his immortal soul, his rationality, his self-consciousness, his free will, or what, that gives him a claim to this rather startling distinction? . . . Looking at man, he sees in him something essentially divine, but when we turn back to see what he says about the original upon which the ‘image’ of God was modeled, we find only the single assertion, ‘God created’. The characteristic common to God and man is that: the desire and the ability to make things” (Sayers 17). The artist, like God, creates something out of nothing. But, there is an important distinction between something beautiful and poetic and something shoddy and cheap.
God, God is able to relate to man. Nothing else was made in the image
of the Bible, Genesis, we are told we are 'made in the image of God'
a) Christians believe many different things about God’s nature; due to the huge spectrum of Christians that there are. However, as a general rule they perceive God as being one of the following four things:
Throughout life we question whether God is immanent or transcendent. Immanent theology believes that God is in everything on earth. Immanence is similar to being omnipresence in that God is present in everything at the same time. As human beings we believe that God is always around but still look up to God as being the superior one. Transcendent theology believes that God is above the earth and that God is separate from and independent of nature and humanity. God is not attached or involved in his creation. As humans living on earth we do not know who God is because God lives outside space and time. There are various arguments and examples to support immanent and transcendent theology through theologians that makes you contemplate if God is immanent or transcendent. Thomas Berry and Rudolf Bultmann are two specific examples of immanent and transcendent theologians.
Taylor then describes God as soft, gentle, feminine and has an eye for beautiful things and great designs. Taylor imagines that God is both male and female, and that he or she resides in all human endeavors and not only found in heaven, but in all objects of nature and of human construction. This evidence shows of a twofold consciousness. Taylor sees God through the interplay of the masculine and the feminine, the sacred and the profane, the temporal and the eternal, and the conscious and the unconscious
...world. Our ideas do not determine the actual nature of God. Regrettably, it is shatteringly obvious to me that the nature of God centered on sightless trust is no longer an appropriate custom to adhere to. Throughout my analysis, I had expected to discover some way of proof to keep the direction of trust in God drilled into me by my religion. Sadly, this was not the case; the ontological and teleological arguments never connected the perceived world with a supreme God. On one hand, the teleological argument developed misguided results from analogies of scientific statements and materialists offered solutions, which may be rationally legitimate. On the other hand, the ontological argument was unsuccessful since it was misleading due to terms that could not broaden into truth. Therefore, there is no adequate evidence or extensive justifications for the nature of God.
The true beauty of an individual is what makes us stand out such as, our personal character traits, morals, and aspirations. It is important to dig beneath the surface, beyond our physical appearance. The Christian leadership values that one naturally has or strives towards shows what type of person they are. TV show, movie, and book character often portray these traits, and if we look a little bit deeper we can see them. Although there are many fictional characters to choose from, one that I am inspired by is Barry Allen or the Flash. He is always striving to be the best he can be by showing excellence and loyalty. These things are important characteristics that I show in my everyday life and hope will stay with me as I age.
The concept of God can be a difficult one to grasp especially in today's world - a world in which anyone that believes in God is trying to define exactly what God is. To even attempt to grasp such a concept, one must first recognize his own beliefs in respect to the following questions: Is God our creator? Is God omnipotent (all-powerful) or omniscient (all-knowing) or both? Does God care? Is God with us? Does God interfere with life on earth? These questions should be asked and carefully answered if one should truly wish to identify his specific beliefs in God's existence and persistence.
“Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god; Who knows (all things) both secret and open; He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god; the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace (and Perfection), the Guardian of Faith, the Preserver of Safety, the Exalted in Might, the Irresistible, the Supreme: Glory to Allah! (High is He) above the partners they attribute to Him. He is Allah, the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of Forms (or Colors). To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names: whatever is in the heavens and on earth, doth declare His Praises and Glory: and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.” [Al-Qur’an 59:22-24]
Humans were created in God’s image. Because God is perfect and without error (infallible), we are a reflection of that. However, when Adam and Eve sinned against god, that infallibility was tainted....