The Image of God

By Brother Uche Nwosu

Christians believe that there is one God. We believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – Jehovah, the God spoken of throughout the Bible (Exodus 3:15, 6:2-3). Now, when we begin to discuss the nature of God, a division arises with non Christians who also profess there is one God. In fact, some even dare to accuse us of idolatry because we worship Jesus Christ.

To us, although there is one God, He is revealed in three distinguishable Persons – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (1 John 5:7, See John 1:1, 1:14, Matthew 28:18-20). We can also picture them as three Functionaries. What is vitally important to note is that they always act in unison of purpose because despite being distinct, they constitute one and the same God.

To unravel difficult teaching, humility, prayer, fasting, obedience, patience, and devotion is indispensable. The Holy Spirit is our personal Guide towards truth, and in the Name of Jesus, He is ever present to instruct. Pray now that the Lord open the eyes of your understanding.

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you”
(John 15:26)

The Scriptures are not only to be studied in a secular or conventional manner. This is because God communicates in a multimodal way. Although generally speaking, He talks directly, and plainly, He often speaks through symbolism or allegory. Facts pertaining to the divine, or God’s nature, in the Scriptures, are mostly concealed in allegories.

The story of Noah’s Ark presents one of the most vivid examples of the use of symbolism in the Scriptures. The entire story depicts God’s salvation and judgment from a dispensational — end-of- age standpoint.

The actual Ark is an allegory or portrayal of God. He is the Savior of His own. He was the Architect of the Ark. Its purpose was to provide a refuge to those fleeing the coming judgment waters of the flood. Anyone that made his way into the Ark before the door was shut, was saved.

The door of the Ark is a portrait of God’s Son. Jesus said He was the only Avenue to reach the Father. He even portrayed Himself as “The Door”, which might have been a hint to the Jews, who were familiar with the story of Noah’s Ark, that He was the Gateway to salvation. The Ark had a single entrance. Therefore there was no other legitimate nor possible accessway.

“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture” (John 10:9)

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6)

Although the door serves a unique function, it is part of the Ark. In fact, the the Ark would be purposeless without the door. This is another way of saying that even though their functions might differ, God the Father and God the Son are fundamentally one. Moreover, the entirety of the Ark was constructed out of the same wooden material. The Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, are of the same essence.

The window, which was accessible in the third and uppermost story of the Ark, is a representation of the Holy Spirit. This is where Noah let out the dove that eventually returned with an olive branch. The Lord’s use of symbolism is far reaching. Noah is a portrait of God’s Son. In the same manner, the dove signified the Holy Spirit. More than one allegory can be used to depict something. The door of the Ark portrayed God’s Son, and Noah also did.

Further investigation into the door of Noah’s Ark reveals more about the role of the Son of God. All three stories of the Ark were accessible by the door (Genesis 6:16). Here again we see why there’s no getting around Jesus Christ. One can neither communicate with God the Father nor God the Holy Spirit without God the Son.

By this time, hopefully the point has been made. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, despite being distinguishable, are one and the same God. When the Name Jehovah means the Lord. It can refer to God Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Likewise, the Name Jesus Christ is the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead (divine nature); so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20)

This divine portrait is imprinted in man. The Bible teaches that humankind was made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27). Just like the Ark which represents God had a door, we have a mouth. It is the doorway into our being. It is the principal channel by which we communicate. It facilitates our eating and drinking. Our entire sustenance depends on our mouths. Most importantly, it is with our mouths that we praise the Lord. Jesus Christ is not only described as the Door, but as the Word (John 1:10-14). He also called Himself the Bread of life (John 6:35).

Then we have eyes in the uppermost part of our heads. Jesus said that the eye was the light of the body (Matthew 6:22). He said that its condition revealed one’s spiritual condition. It was through the window of the Ark that Noah determined the condition of the world.

Noah walked up to the third floor of the Ark and sent ravens out of the window, then doves, to find out if the flood waters had subsided (Genesis 8:6-11). In the superstructure of the Ark, the window represents the Holy Spirit.

Remember also that Noah is an allegory of God’s Son, and that the dove depicts the Holy Spirit. Jesus told the disciples that He would ascend to the Father and that He would send the Holy Spirit.

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me” (John 15:26)

The image of God is pictured in yet another allegory. The creation of the male and female, and the Holy matrimony called marriage. God first created the man from the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7). Afterwards, He created the woman. He took out a rib from the man from which He created the woman (Genesis 2:21-22).

Symbolically-speaking, the woman was already in the man when He was made. She was thereafter taken out of him. They were one, and now they became two functionally separate beings. Afterwards, God officiated the marriage of Adam and Eve and declared that the two were one. In a twist, although Adam and Eve were separate individuals, God had symbolically-speaking rejoined them.

Eve’s making is reflective of the Son of God’s emergence. Jesus Christ said He came out from the Father, and that when all was done, He would be going back to the Father. He, also known as the Word, was existing with the Father from eternity, prior to His worldly conception.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1)

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth (John 1:14)

Therefore, like Eve, that was taken out from Adam, Jesus was taken out from God Father to fulfill a separate role. Afterwards He was baptized with the Holy Spirit. This symbolic rejoining to God the Father is like that of Eve to Adam. God the Father and God the Son had become one again. Therefore, not only is marriage sacred, it bears the divine portrait of the Almighty.

 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him
(Matthew 3:16)

Marriage is a sacred union between a man, and a woman. It is a reflection of God’s own nature. Any attempt to alter God’s definition of marriage is a desecration of God’s Holy image, and blasphemy.

The so-called Gay Marriage, and Lesbian Marriage, is an affront against God. He will not accept a society that legitimizes homosexuality, because it distorts His image. He destroyed the entire nation of Sodom and Gomorah with fire and brimstone when it had become pervaded with homosexuality.

Let’s not look at “God’s image” as a “Photo shoot” issue. When you redefine marriage, you by consequence change family. When you alter family, children’s behaviors are affected. Toying around with God’s will in the name of social progressiveness, is ignorance and foolishness.

The end result of such sinful secular thinking is social degradation, marked by violence, on a scale previously unknown – as was witnessable in Sodom. God had to wipe them out. I believe He did so, first and foremost, to make His disposition to a homosexuality movement known for all history.

Furthermore, He wanted to salvage the spiritual integrity of the rest of the world. This is why He commanded Abraham’s relative, Lot, and his family that had lived in Sodom, despite the fact Lot did not subscribe to the system, not to look back at the land of Sodom while making their escape. He didn’t want anyone with any kind of sentiment towards the depraved culture of Sodom, to remain. Lot’s wife, the typical fairweather Christian, turned around and got turned into a pillar of salt.

What her unique demise indicates is that such hypocrites will perish and their shameful memory will serve as a foundation instruction for successive generations.

Finally, let those that have ears hear, and those that have eyes see. We have been warned of this era, and how quickly it has arrived (2 Timothy 3:1-7). People esteem good for evil, and bad for good. The upright and just are persecuted, while the amoral and unjust are celebrated. The drumbeats of rain are sounding, only this time it will not rain down water but fire (2 Peter 3:1-12).

Brother Uche Nwosu encountered the Lord Jesus Christ in 1996. Along with his wife of blessed memory, Mma, he began full time ministry in 2002. They coauthored A Divine Portrait and Tongues Of Christ, in addition to several gospel songs, hymns, and psalms. Their outreach ministry has greatly impacted the South Bay of Los Angeles.