In His Image

Genesis 1:26
                       And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.   KJV

                      “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,^[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” NIV

According to the Bible, we are made in the image of God.  That is correct.  His image.  It says nothing about being made in or with His characteristics.  But, according to many preachers, they declare that we are just like God in image and character. 

Let's look at what some preachers say about this verse.

  Kenneth Ccopeland: In The Force of Love, another sermon tape, Kenneth Copeland states, “You don’t have a god in you, you are one.”

Creflo Dollar: “And God said, I tell you what I’m going to do this time.  I’m going to have to reproduce Myself.  Like I’m God up here in heaven. I’m going to make Me a god and put Myself in the physical body so that he can guard the earth and keep out all intruders in the earth so the next time that sucker tries to come in he will meet the God of the earth Adam” (Our Equality with God through Righteousness 1/21/2001).

“But the real Creflo Dollar is a spirit made in the image of God I look just my daddy see I’m not telling you that the container is like God, I’m just telling you that what’s in the container is just like God.” (April 16, 2002, Changing your world LeSea Broadcasting)

Benny Hinn: Christians are little messiahs. Christians are little gods. (Benny Hinn, Praise-a-thon (TBN), recorded November 1990) 

"I am a 'little messiah' walking the earth" (Benny Hinn, Praise-a-Thon" on TBN, November 6, 1990).

"This spirit-man within me is a God-man. Say after me, he’s born of heaven, he’s a super-being…Say I’m born of heaven - God-man. I’m a God-man. I’m a sample of Jesus. I’m a super being. Say it! Say it! Who’s a super being? I walk in the realm of the supernatural. Get the spirit-man renewed…when he’s strong, he’ll hold off sickness…you want to prosper? Money will be falling on you from left, right and center. God will begin to prosper you, for money always follows righteousness…Say after me, I hold my destiny." ("Joel’s Army," Jewel van der Merwe, Discernment Ministries)

"This spirit-man within me is a God-man. Say after me, he’s born of heaven, he’s a super-being…Say I’m born of heaven - God-man. I’m a God-man. I’m a sample of Jesus. I’m a super being. Say it! Say it! Who’s a super being? I walk in the realm of the supernatural. Get the spirit-man renewed…when he’s strong, he’ll hold off sickness…you want to prosper? Money will be falling on you from left, right and center. God will begin to prosper you, for money always follows righteousness…Say after me, I hold my destiny." ("Joel’s Army," Jewel van der Merwe, Discernment Ministries)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SO, What be it?  Are we little Gods or little messiahs running around on earth or are we "children of God"? 

I do not adhere to the teachings of "we are gods".  What these preachers have done is to take a verse and corrupt it to become what they want it to be.  They have convinced millions of their followers that we are "gods" and have led them astray into believing that they now have the power inside them to create whatever they want.  They teach that all you have to do is "name it and claim it" and it will be yours.

This is total blasphemy in my humble opinion.  It takes the majesty and deity away from God the father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit and allows a person to become part of that deity.

“As a believer, you have a right to make commands in the name of Jesus. Each time you stand on the Word, you are commanding God to a certain extent because it is His Word.” (Our Covenant with God, KCP Publications, 1987, p. 32)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back to Genesis 1:26,

  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.   KJV

                           “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” NIV

In these verses, I see likeness, image but I see nothing about being created in his character or attributes.  As stated before, IF Adam and Eve were created with the same character and attributes as God Himself, they would have been able to reject the serpent.  They would not have sinned and would still be in the Garden of Eden, communing with God Himself.

If we were created not only with the likeness and image of God, but the character and attributes, we would not be the lost sinners wer now are. Simply because we would have the same attributes as God Himself, adam and Even would not have sinned and we wouold not be lost.  Jesus would never have had to come to earth to be our sin offering.

We are not Gods or little gods nor are we little messiahs.  We are children of God.  And we are lost because of the sin in the garden by Adam and Eve.  We are lost until we accept Jesus as our Savior.  Then still not God or little gods or  messiahs.  Just saved people who await our blessed hope.  Heaven!