The Image Of God
There has been a lot of emphasis placed on the image of God in the individual. This is right because we are each created in His likeness with the ability to know Him and have a relationship with Him.
The image of God in the individual is a clear reflection of the fact that there is only one God. Yet, the individual does not give a very clear picture of the three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that make up our one God.
How do we see the image of God-in-three-persons in people? One way is in our three part nature. We are made up of body, soul and spirit. The problem with this is that our body, soul and spirit do not interact with one another like the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit do.
The image of God-in-three-persons is more clearly seen in the family. God even uses family names, Father and Son, to describe their relationship to each other. The Holy Spirit is not called mother explicitly but much of His work is motherly. When a person is saved they are born again by the Spirit. This new babe in Christ is then nurtured, comforted, taught and brought to maturity by the working of the Holy Spirit in their life.
There are many rich pictures of our relationship to God that are rooted in the family. We are children of God the Father and Jesus, the Son, is our brother. We are the bride of Christ, chosen by the Father, who is preparing a marriage feast for us in the future.
It is clear that God intends for us to know Him and understand many things about Him. To this end, He created us in His image, both as individuals and in the most important relationships in life. It is amazing how He has revealed Himself to us by making us like Him in the most basic and fundamental ways. He intends for us to see Him in ourselves, our fathers, our mothers, our spouses and our children.
