Among the most beautiful part of the bible is the saying "let us make man in our own image: after our likeness." Gen 1:26-27. This saying I personally think is the most misinterpreted part of the bible as all of mankind have claimed to be in the image of God because of this.

By grace, certain people have come to the understanding of the basics of the scriptures and have been given the revelation of the truth as pertaining to this particular part and this is why we have decided to share even as it was shared with us.

There are a few rather overly popular false teachings going around in the world. This false teachings I think are borne out of genuine mistake in people's quest to know God.

Some of these teachings include:
1. The assumption that man was originally immortal
2. Adam was a spirit.
2. Adam ( first ) was in the image of God etc.

Sit tight as we try to share this light, and hope each reader receives and pass it along so that more people come to the realization of the truth.

It's written that the first Adam was made a "living Soul" Gen 2:7. While the bible categorically states that the first Adam was just a soul in his original/initial form, people have gone around this to claim that this Adam was beyond a soul in his original form. Yet, the writer of the letter to Corinth went further to help us understand this distinction by reminding us that the first Adam was "MADE" a Soul (that is how he was made). He went ahead to explain the difference between this Adam and Christ whom in his original form was spirit 1 Corinthians 15:45-47.

Despite records plainly written to help us know the truth, people have rather mistakenly claim that the first Adam was originally a spirit and that sin pulled him from being a spirit. People have also assumed that this first Adam was also in the image of God and have also continued to claim that every man is in the image of God.

As the bible authoritatively states that this Adam was not a spirit (at formation) 1 Corinthians 15:45-46, rather he was natural but a living soul. The understanding in this is that this Adam was given a choice (Will) to decide what He will be. He was originally incomplete as a soul still needs a spirit to be complete but he was given the power (in his will) to determine his complete nature, which is "to have life in himself and live or not to have life and die".

In our understanding, we do know that there's no death in God, therefore man choose to be unlike God in his completed form (this means he chose a spirit to dwell in him which is totally different from that of God). Even so, this man was devoid of a spirit before choosing, so there wasn't a time when he was in the image of God as he took upon himself a form which was contrary to God.

The second idea of immortality of the first man before his fall is also something we can easily refute in Christ. A question that comes to mind is this: was Jesus immortal at any time before his death? Rather Jesus experienced life like every other person even though he was without sin. He grew old and hungered just like everyone. This clearly refute the teachings of an immortal man before his sin.

Here lies the distinction, yes there's a man in the image of God but this man was neither the Christ nor the First Adam as these two people had the tendencies to experience things that were alien to God. Hungering, Growing old e.t.c. are experiences God cannot go through.

The man in the image in the image of God is Jesus who was raised from death, a man that cannot grow old and is the same everyday. Therefore, when God was talking about a man that is going to be in his image and after his likeness, he was referring to man in the resurrected Jesus's form. Man in this form had been the plan of God from the beginning. Man to be in the form Jesus now IS was the plan God set out to manifest in creation, and this man is the exact image of God and was the dominion over all that was created Hebrews 1:1-4.

While this might not be clear to all, the Prophet Joel prophesied about this people before the coming of the Christ. An important thing to note in his prophesy is that there had never been a kind of this people Joel 2:1-11. This means from the beginning of time (even unto the first Adam) there had not been this kind of Man (the man that is in the image of God).

It also important to recognize the importance of Will in all of this, Yes God's plan is to make everyone in his image, yet God does not enforce everyone to be in his image. Today, you and i have been given the same choices as was given to the first Adam, the power to choose what image we want to be like and what spirit we carry in our completed nature.

This choice we're meant to make in the gospel, God wants us all to believe (by choice) the gospel, and be male and female people in the image of God, and have his spirit dwell in us to give us the life that's needed for immortality. if a person rejects the gospel (also by choice), what works in them is another spirit, and making them a people that is contrary to the image of God.

Here are the key points:
1. Man's immortality is dependent on the spirit that lives in them.
2. The man in the image of God is that man who takes in the spirit of God and born as a new creation that is having no hitherto records whatsoever.
3. The first Adam was made a soul, we also are originally a soul at birth but are soon possessed by the spirit in the world in our decision and be like the first Adam and bearing his image. 1 Corinthians 15:49
4. A person is disconnected from the first Adam in their decision to accept the gospel and born in God through Christ and be like God as he's made like Jesus.

Thank you for reading, God bless us all as we walk in him to truly understand his word. Also, we will like to use this medium to encourage those who are yet to bear the image of God to Hear the word so that they might be convinced by God of his truth in the gospel and be born anew in the image of God.

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Digest this...take as much time as you wish

The image of God!

It's not about SPIRIT but ATTRIBUTES no other creature possess except humans.
God's word said "all creatures have the same spirit" so if it's about spirit then animals won't be included as creatures having SPIRIT! Ecclesiastes 3:19-20

If you want to know more i'm right here with you.
I am Maximus one of Jehovah's Witnesses, may you have PEACE!