Genesis 1:26-27 – “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”  NKJV

I have heard enough preaching and teaching on what constitutes the “Image of God” to become so thoroughly confused it is almost depressing.  Is possessing intellect, having the possibility of spiritual knowledge, love and wisdom enough to explain that description of created man?  Did man completely lose God’s image in the Fall of man in the Garden of Eden?  Is man a dichotomy or trichotomy?

Genesis 2:7 reveals, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground [BODY], and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life [SPIRIT]; and man became a living being. [SOUL].”  [Emphasis mine.]  If I take that, and I do, as a basis for understanding man I see him as a trichotomy having body, soul, and spirit.

In our composition our bodies are aligned with the earth.  Our human bodies are closely aligned with the inorganic creation on planet earth.  In discussing man’s soul, we realize that man is aligned with the other members of intelligent creation, at first it was Eve and then other men that Adam was aligned with.  In viewing his spirit man is aligned with God.  It was through his spirit that he knew and knows God.  Someone suggested that THE BODY is the seat and instrument of the senses, THE SOUL is the seat and instrument of the emotions and THE SPIRIT is the seat of the knowledge of God.  (1 Corinthians 2:11).  When Jesus died on the Cross they laid his BODY in a tomb, His SOUL descended into Hades and His SPIRIT was commended to God.  (Luke 23:46).

The Tabernacle and Temple have a clear similarity to man’s makeup.  There was the Outer Court and the only of the three compartments visible to all.  Then there was the Holy Place where the priests fellowshipped with each other.  Then the Holy of Holies.  Behind the veil dwelt the presence of God.  I believe you can see that the Outer Court represents the human body and Romans 12:1 admonishes us to present our bodies to God, a living sacrifice.  It was in the body that Jesus bore our sin on the Cross.  The Holy Place is representative of the soul.  That place of worship and fellowship interacting with others.  Then the Holy of Holies represents the spirit for God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.  God’s spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.

Man was created in the Image and Likeness of God and through the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the garden man lost his connection to God.  In today’s world of modernism I hear sermons more akin to motivational speaking and self-help gurus than biblical truth.  No amount of personal discipline, moral reform, ethical teaching, education, or religion can transform man that only comes through the NEW BIRTH.  When we come to Christ and are born-again we are restored to the Image of God and are able to commune spirit to spirit with the LORD.  You and I are fearfully and wonderfully made but this physical house is just the outer shell and not the complete representation of THE IMAGE OF GOD.  If you want to see God you have to see beyond the physical for man is Body, Soul and Spirit.

Someone said, “We are the only Bibles some people will ever read.”  Therefore it is imperative that we allow the Holy Spirit, through the new-birth, to restore us to the Image and Likeness of God so when people read us they see God.

            God bless you as you go through this day!