Are we really God’s images?
While Muslims believe that we are not created in the likeness of God, Christians hold a different belief. Muslims argue that likening ourselves to the creator is denigrating God, his holiness and sanctity. But what do Christians base their argument on? Our religion reporter, WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR, engages Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints media relations officer, Edward Matale, on the contentious topic.
In what context do you understand the term ‘image of God’?
The Bible first mentions about the image of God in the scriptures found on Genesis 1:26 -27. This is where the Bible says God created man in His image. The word image means a picture or statue or seen through a lens of a camera or in a mirror. Now, this means that as image of God, man is a picture of how God looks. One of the leaders of our church, president Brigham Young, once said: “Man is made in the image of his maker,…He is His exact image, having eye for eye, forehead for forehead, eyebrows for eyebrows, nose for nose, cheekbones for cheekbones, mouth for mouth, chin for chin, ears for ears, precisely like our father in heaven.”
So we are like God?
Truly, we are the images of God. This tells us what kind of being our heavenly father is. We heard of the saviour Jesus Christ when he responded to the question of Philip in the book of John 14:8 -9 and I quote: Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
These passages of the scripture confirm that we are really the images of God. The saviour wanted to show Philip in what image the Father in heaven is by saying that “he who has seen me, has seen the Father.” Jesus came on earth in human nature, a thing that further solidifies our faith and belief that we are images of God.
But God created us with so many differences such as colours, facial shapes, heights and body sizes. How is it possible that God should resemble all of us with all these differences?
The differences we see in people are a result of the state in which we are as mortals. But once we have gone to the other side of life, we will be able to comprehend all the things we are unable to understand while in this life. We are alike to God, whether white or black, in bondage or free, male or female, Jews or Gentiles.
How can you convince those doubting this ‘image of God’ factor in us?
Honest sharing of the gospel can help those who doubt our likeness to God. James 1:5-6 says: “if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given to him.”
No matter how we try to convince people, we should remember that truth is independent and doesn’t change with time. It stands forever. Our claim of being images of God is based on the truth taught by Jesus Christ.
