God In His Own Image

ccording to Scripture, humankind was created in the image of God. Hoekema discusses the implications of this theme, devoting several chapters to the biblical teaching on God's image, the teaching of philosophers and theologians through the ages, and his own theological analysis. Suitable for seminary-level anthropology courses, yet accessible to educated laypeople. Extensive bibliography, fully indexed.

"Someone once noted that God made us in His image, and ever since we have tried to do God a favor by making Him in our image." It’s easy to speak to others about the Jesus who cared for the poor, healed the sick, and preached love and justice for the least of these. But what about the God who tells the Israelites to wage war and kill entire people groups? Or threatens exile and then delivers? Or sends people to hell? Can these really be the same God? The simple answer is, yes. God in His Own Image takes you on a journey through the Bible exploring God’s true nature. You’ll study instances of great mercy and great severity, and by the end, you’ll begin to see why both God’s compassion and his wrath are necessary, important, and even beautiful. Get to know the God who is both Lion and Lamb, both Judge and Father, both kind and severe, and perfect in every way.

Hailed as "the most radical repackaging of the Bible since Gutenberg", these Pocket Canons give an up-close look at each book of the Bible.

In this New Studies in Biblical Theology volume, Richard Lints argues that "idol" language in the Bible is a conceptual inversion of the "image" language of Genesis 1. He shows how the narrative of human identity runs from creation to fall to redemption in Christ, and examines the recent renaissance of interest in idolatry with its conceptual power to explain the "culture of desire."

Sometimes we ask What is God’s will for my life? when we should really be asking Who should I be? The Bible has an answer: Be like the very image of God. By exploring ten characteristics of who God is—holy, loving, just, good, merciful, gracious, faithful, patient, truthful, and wise—this book helps us understand who God intends for us to be. Through Christ, the perfect reflection of the image of God, we will discover how God’s own attributes impact how we live, leading to freedom and purpose as we follow his will and are conformed to his image.

Everyone who reads the Bible must admit that it tells us to do things that we never have done and cannot do in our fleshly bodies. One reason is that God our Creator is telling us what He wants us to be and do as created in His image and likeness. Our purpose is in our image and likeness of God our Creator, not like the dust of the ground or the flesh of our parents. Most children don’t know that they are created in the image and likeness of God, and their parents have not asked God for His spirit for their children so they can be taught this vital truth. The reason parents don’t ask God for His spirit for their children is because they don’t recognize the need for Him. There are several things mankind cannot do in the flesh, and they must recognize their origin in the image and likeness of God. Mankind must recognize being in the image and likeness of God to, first, love God with all their being and love his neighbors as himself; second, to obey God and his parents as required in God’s word; third, to trust God with all his heart; fourth, to worship God in spirit and in truth; and fifth, to glorify God in his body and spirit, which are God. The devil does not want mankind to know that he is created in the image and likeness of God because man will always defeat Satan and fulfill God's will.

What beliefs are core to the Christian faith? This book is here to help you understand the reason for your hope as a Christian so that you can see it with fresh sight and invite others into the conversation. A lot of Christians take their story—the narratives that give rise to their beliefs—for granted. They pray, go to church, perhaps even read their Bible. But they might be stuck if a stranger asked them to explain what they believe and why they believe it. Author, pastor, and theologian Mike Horton unpacks the essential and basic beliefs that all Christians share in a way that is easy to understand and applicable to our lives today. And in a way that will make you excited to be a Christian! Core Christianity covers topics like: Jesus as both fully God and fully man. The doctrine of the Trinity. The goodness of God despite a broken world. The ways God speaks. The meaning of salvation. What is the Christian calling? Includes discussion questions for individual or group use. This introduction to the basic doctrines of Christianity is perfect for those who are new to the faith, as well as those who have an interest in deepening their understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

Misunderstandings about what it means for humans to be created in God's image have wreaked devastation throughout history -- for example, slavery in the U. S., genocide in Nazi Germany, and the demeaning of women everywhere. In Dignity and Destiny John Kilner explores what the Bible itself teaches about humanity being in God's image. He discusses in detail all of the biblical references to the image of God, interacts extensively with other work on the topic, and documents how misunderstandings of it have been so problematic. People made according to God's image, Kilner says, have a special connection with God and are intended to be a meaningful reflection of him. Because of sin, they don't actually reflect him very well, but Kilner shows why the popular idea that sin has damaged the image of God is mistaken. He also clarifies the biblical difference between being God's image (which Christ is) and being in God's image (which humans are). He explains how humanity's creation and renewal in God's image are central, respectively, to human dignity and destiny. Locating Christ at the center of what God's image means, Kilner charts a constructive way forward and reflects on the tremendously liberating impact that a sound understanding of the image of God can have in the world today.

Because of the author's profound shift in his understanding of identity issues, this bestselling book has been revised to help readers find victory over faulty views of the self and help them align their view of who they are with God's view.