The image

[Hashe]

Aronofsky’s movie Noah attracted a lot of attention and comment when it first came out. It seems like he initially did a great job getting Christians on side only to disappoint them when the movie came out. There was one thing that he got right, in the biblical picture of the time of Noah, the world was filled with nasty people.

In Gen 9:6 we read God’s commandment not to shed human blood. The reason given is that people are made in God’s image. There is something of value in people because they are made in God’s image. This passage is after the flood and it says that God’s image is still in all people – even after the world was filled violent nasty people. In other words, even in nasty violent people is the image of God. It carries on in people despite sin.

I sometimes go out to cafes or restaurants with friends to watch some sport. The last time I was out watching sports, there was some people who got passionate and hot tempered and acted in horribly offensive ways.

As I was leaving and thinking about those people and thinking about the movie Noah, I realised that I struggled to see something of God’s image in those people. I struggled to understand the value God puts on them. But I know he does, and I know that I need to respond to them with God’s love and compassion.

It also made me wonder at what other times if I fail to treat people as they deserved to be treated, not because of their actions, but because of the image of God in them. I wondered, what does it actually mean to me that other people have the image of God in them?

 

[KingJ]

Amen. We need to always remind ourselves that all living still have hope. If there was no hope they would be dead....and of course God has put us with them for a reason.

Every fight is an opportunity to jump in and 'try' be Christ in that moment. Why else would we be there to witness it?
We are the light in that place where chaos is breaking out. There is no other light. We must let our light shine before others.

This is quite a challenge to all of us!

 

[kjw47]

Aronofsky’s movie Noah attracted a lot of attention and comment when it first came out. It seems like he initially did a great job getting Christians on side only to disappoint them when the movie came out. There was one thing that he got right, in the biblical picture of the time of Noah, the world was filled with nasty people.

In Gen 9:6 we read God’s commandment not to shed human blood. The reason given is that people are made in God’s image. There is something of value in people because they are made in God’s image. This passage is after the flood and it says that God’s image is still in all people – even after the world was filled violent nasty people. In other words, even in nasty violent people is the image of God. It carries on in people despite sin.

I sometimes go out to cafes or restaurants with friends to watch some sport. The last time I was out watching sports, there was some people who got passionate and hot tempered and acted in horribly offensive ways.

As I was leaving and thinking about those people and thinking about the movie Noah, I realised that I struggled to see something of God’s image in those people. I struggled to understand the value God puts on them. But I know he does, and I know that I need to respond to them with God’s love and compassion.

It also made me wonder at what other times if I fail to treat people as they deserved to be treated, not because of their actions, but because of the image of God in them. I wondered, what does it actually mean to me that other people have the image of God in them?

The image of God = the capability to reason and love.

 

[Hashe]

The image of God = the capability to reason and love.

Haven't apes been trained to reason and show love? I suspect it is more than this.

 

[kjw47]

Haven't apes been trained to reason and show love? I suspect it is more than this.

Not even close to the human capabilities.

 

[Hashe]

so it is a matter of measure, rather than the capabilities in themselves?

 

[kjw47]

so it is a matter of measure, rather than the capabilities in themselves?

The reasoning of a human far exceeds the reasoning of a monkey.

 

[Hashe]

The reasoning of a human far exceeds the reasoning of a monkey.

I agree. But if you say 'the image is in the ability to reason' and a monkey can reason, then aren't you saying that a monkey has SOME of the image?
God can reason far more than humans.

 

[kjw47]

I agree. But if you say 'the image is in the ability to reason' and a monkey can reason, then aren't you saying that a monkey has SOME of the image?
God can reason far more than humans.

Just about all living things can reason and love to an extent--there are higher plains--God--angels--mortals--animals.

 

[brakelite]

With the greatest respect, I beg to differ. I do not believe that mankind has any of the image of God remaining in him. That is why death is the only possible remedy for the evil within. That is why Jesus died. If there was anything of the image of God remaining, then there would be a possibility of remedial action onthe part of the man, and death to the carnal selfish nature would be unecessary. But Jesus plainly informs us that our only hope of ever seeing or entering God's kingdom is to be born again spiritually...this entails a radical change of heart; a complete death, burial, and a resurrection of the inner nature. The only image we inherit is not the nature or character of unfallen Adam. Only he had the image of God. We inherit the fallen nature of 6000 years of collective wickedness of man.

Genesis 5:1 ¶ This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
3 And Adam ...... begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:

And the result by the time of the flood ,just a few generations later, was .....

Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

....and then a 1000 or so years later still....

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

....and today?

Lu 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

What God sees in us is not any image of His own, but the image of sin....

Psalm 144:3 LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!
4 Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.

....Yet what He also sees, because He has the power to create, is potential. ....

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

 

[kjw47]

With the greatest respect, I beg to differ. I do not believe that mankind has any of the image of God remaining in him. That is why death is the only possible remedy for the evil within. That is why Jesus died. If there was anything of the image of God remaining, then there would be a possibility of remedial action onthe part of the man, and death to the carnal selfish nature would be unecessary. But Jesus plainly informs us that our only hope of ever seeing or entering God's kingdom is to be born again spiritually...this entails a radical change of heart; a complete death, burial, and a resurrection of the inner nature. The only image we inherit is not the nature or character of unfallen Adam. Only he had the image of God. We inherit the fallen nature of 6000 years of collective wickedness of man.

Genesis 5:1 ¶ This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
3 And Adam ...... begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:

And the result by the time of the flood ,just a few generations later, was .....

Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

....and then a 1000 or so years later still....

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

....and today?

Lu 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

What God sees in us is not any image of His own, but the image of sin....

Psalm 144:3 LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!
4 Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.

....Yet what He also sees, because He has the power to create, is potential. ....

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Gods word teaches at Harmageddon--some flesh( righteous) will be brought through it--these are the ones who will never taste death that Jesus mentioned.

 

[brakelite]

Yes, I agree. But their righteousness will not be their own. Revel. 14:12 says these people, a small group known as a 'remnant', are distinguished by three things. They are commandment keepers, they have the faith of Jesus,and (See also Revel.12:17) they have the testimony of Jesus, which elsewhere is said to be the Spirit of prophecy. The righteousness they have comes to them by faith. It is not their own, it is Christ's. Our righteousness is but filthy rags. Worthless. The only way we can attain to righteousness is through faith, both imputed and imparted. Thus we must be born again. I said above, quoting Jeremiah, that man's heart is desperately wicked. Our only hope of life is to have a change of heart. This comes from above. It doesn't come through our churches, our own attampts to live ight, nor by self improvement, nor following particular creeds or dogmas. Every man, woman, and child on the face of the earth needs a miracle. This miracle is called the new birth. Without it, we have no hope.
The new birth is not a fanciful theory. It is an experiential reality in the life of the Christian. Everyones experience however is not the same. We all come from different backgrounds, we have different propblems and come with different baggage. The result however, after time, is the same. That result, the fruit of our relationship with Christ, is to become just like Him, "for by beholding we become changed".

 

[kjw47]

Yes, I agree. But their righteousness will not be their own. Revel. 14:12 says these people, a small group known as a 'remnant', are distinguished by three things. They are commandment keepers, they have the faith of Jesus,and (See also Revel.12:17) they have the testimony of Jesus, which elsewhere is said to be the Spirit of prophecy. The righteousness they have comes to them by faith. It is not their own, it is Christ's. Our righteousness is but filthy rags. Worthless. The only way we can attain to righteousness is through faith, both imputed and imparted. Thus we must be born again. I said above, quoting Jeremiah, that man's heart is desperately wicked. Our only hope of life is to have a change of heart. This comes from above. It doesn't come through our churches, our own attampts to live ight, nor by self improvement, nor following particular creeds or dogmas. Every man, woman, and child on the face of the earth needs a miracle. This miracle is called the new birth. Without it, we have no hope.
The new birth is not a fanciful theory. It is an experiential reality in the life of the Christian. Everyones experience however is not the same. We all come from different backgrounds, we have different propblems and come with different baggage. The result however, after time, is the same. That result, the fruit of our relationship with Christ, is to become just like Him, "for by beholding we become changed".

The small remnant is most likely the little flock= the bride of Christ = 144,000 bought from the earth--no more--no less--
The great crowd will be brought through har-mageddon here on earth.