L I V I N G W E L L N E S S Made in His image

EIYPO, Made in His image | Dominion & Dependence

Don’t let a new thought concept like EIYPO make you loose your moral compass, here is what you need to remember in ADDITION to “everything is yourself pushed out”, the famous Neville Goddard idea of creation. Sometimes teachings have 99% truth to them and it can be hard to spot the 1% that is wrong. Lets’ dive deep into the “image of God” assertion!

Made in His Image, What Does it mean?

One of the most compelling concepts in the Bible is the statment that humanity is created in the image of God. This idea, found in Genesis 1:27, (And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them) and it is often misunderstood as suggesting a physical resemblance between humans and the divine. However, a closer examination of the Hebrew words used in this context—”tzelem” (image) and “demut” (likeness)—reveals a spiritual interpretation.

The True Meaning of “Image” and “Likeness”

The Hebrew word for “image,” tzelem, refers to the nature or essence of a thing rather than its physical form. In for example Psalms 73:20, “tzelmam” (their image) refers to the despised nature of certain people, not their physical appearance. Tselem is also used of false gods (Lev 26:1), it used to imply idolatry. “Demut,” translated as “likeness,” indicates a simile or similarity in nature, also used to desribe forbidden images, rather than just form (Exodus 20.4, Deut 4.16). Psalms 17:12 uses “dimyono” (like a lion) to describe a similarity in nature, not appearance.

When Genesis states that humanity was created in the image and likeness of God, it is speaking to our spiritual and intellectual nature. God is without a physical appearance, so us being created in His image can not mean our physical form. None of the other creations are in God’s image.

There is much more to this though, the complexity of our image involves male and female, (Gen 1.27) our dominion over creation, (Gen 1.26, Gen 1.28) our dependency on God (Gen 14.22-23).

The God-like Qualities of Human Nature

So, what does it mean to be created in the image of God? Fundamentally, it means we possess qualities that reflect God’s nature, particularly our intellectual and moral capacities. Unlike animals, humans have the ability to understand, discern, and perceive without relying solely on physical senses. This intellectual ability allows us to grasp abstract concepts and moral truths, akin to how God perceives without physical senses.

In Genesis 2:7, ” And the Lord God formed a man from the dust from the ground and He breathed into his nostrils the soul of life, and the man became a living soul.” God forms man, the unusual spelling of “vayyitzer” with two Yods symbolizes the dual impulses within humanity: the yetzer tov (good ) and the yetzer ra (evil ). Vayitzer, or “God fashioned,” is spelled with two yods, the second yod is not needded unless it is to reveal a divine aspect of human identity. Two natures were imparted into man. One nature that is for this world, and one nature that is for the divine. In the creation of animals only one yod is used. These two natures tells us of our duality.

The Natural Man

A common cultural argument is that if somthing is “natural” it is fine, but as you can see, we a more than natural. Resigning to be slave to our natural nature is like relinquishing the divine nature God implanted in us, and giving up dominion. Giving power away. Only recognizing our natural aspect leads to some sort of evolutionsism, or survival of the fittest, where we also fail to recognize our dependece on God, as God’s creation. We are in fact dependent on our creator, but it doesn’t stop there, we are also interdependent on His creation as we can see in Gen 1.25 which speaks of God’s pleasure at his good creation. He made everything in his creation interdependent, so that when one part suffers, everything suffers, when one part thrives, everything thrives. When we depend on Him, we are MORE than survival, more than evolving cells, more than a “master race”. When we fail to see our dependence on God things can trun ugly real quick as we have seen again and again.

“As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.”- Ecc 3.18

The Two Natures:

The yetzer tov represents our moral conscience, the inner voice that guides us to follow God’s laws and act righteously. The yetzer ra, on the other hand, is often misunderstood as a desire to commit evil. However, it more accurately represents our selfish desires and the drive to satisfy personal needs without regard for moral consequences.

The yetzer ra is not inherently bad; it is essential for survival and progress. Without it, we wouldn’t pursue basic needs or strive for achievements. However, when uncontrolled by the yetzer tov, it can lead to immoral actions. For instance, hunger can lead to theft, and sexual desire can lead to various forms of sexual immorality, adultery has an almost unlimted amount of negative consequences, as does jealousy, envy and anger.

The Role of Free Will

The Bible emphasizes that humans have the free will to choose which impulse to follow. This ability to choose is a fundamental aspect of being made in God’s image. While our bad nature (yetzer ra) can lead us astray, our good nature (yetzer tov) can guide us back to righteousness.

Galatians 5:19-23 contrasts the outcomes of following our sinful nature with the fruits of the Spirit, illustrating the results of our choices:

^“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.“

All people, being “descendants of Adam”, inherit this dual nature AND we inherit the responsibility to choose wisely. No one can blame their moral failings on anyone but themselves; each individual is accountable for their actions.

A Divine Nature

Being made in the image of God means more than having physical traits; it means embodying God’s intellectual and moral capacities. We are bestowed with the ability to discern, understand, and choose between good and evil. We are given the will to chose between the two. This gift of free will let’s us to aspire to be like God in our actions and decisions (or not). While our fleshly nature can tempt us, it is our God-given intellect and moral conscience that enable us to rise above it and fulfill our potential as reflections of the divine image. It is a choice and it is our choice.