By Charles E. Davis
As we turn to Genesis 1:26,27 and search the pages of inspiration, we find the patriarch Moses giving this inspired testimony concerning the creation of man: “And the Lord God said, Let us make man in our image and in our likeness and let him have dominion of the fowl of the air, the fish of the sea, the beast of the field and everything that creepeth upon the face of the earth. So God created man in his image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” No matter what scientists, geologists or archaeologists say about their theory of evolution, the Scriptures assert that man was created in the image and likeness of the Almighty God.
Our adversary, the devil, is not satisfied with influencing men to reject the infallibility of the Scriptures, which affirm creation and deny the theory of evolution. He has gone a step further and reached a little deeper into his “bag” of deception. He has convinced the majority of the human race to reject the God of Heaven and earth, who is revealed in the Scriptures, and created a god in the image and likeness of mortal man (Rom. 1:18-25). This idea is not new, for in Exodus 32, the children of Israel were found guilty of making a god in their own image in the absence of Moses. Historically speaking, the Bible shows man as a habitually rebellious being. This type of rebellion allows every man of every walk of life, from the very devout to the very abased, to preach and practice his own self-righteous, egotistical belief without condemnation from his god. Even the world’s most renowned religious leaders and advocaters of Bible belief are guilty of this ungodly and despicable sin because they, being ignorant of God’s law, have not subjected themselves to the righteousness of God (Rom. 10:1-3).
A brief look at the divine nature and eternal power of the Godhead (Col. 2:9,10) should be sufficient proof for any man to know who is the Creator and who is the created. When properly trying to define and describe God, four adjectives are commonly used. They are: Omnipotent, Omnibenevolent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient. God is Omnipotent because He is unlimited in power. He depends on no outside source or agency to sustain Him. God is omnibenevolent because His love is matchless, as evidenced by His creation of man and the giving of His begotten Son as a ransom for the sins of the world (John 3:16; Rom. 5:6-9). God’s infinite love is not physical, neither is it self-serving, but rather it is as wide as the heavens and endless as space (Eph. 3:16-21). God is also omnipresent. He is everywhere He desires; He see all He needs to see. We are told in Luke 12:6 that even the sparrows are under the watchful protection of God. Nothing is withheld from the sight of the Almighty God (Heb. 4:13). The Scriptures also teach that God is omniscient, meaning that God has all knowledge and needs no counselor to advise Him. He also knows the intents and thoughts of man’s heart (Heb. 4:12). Yet God doesn’t know sin because God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. From the above definitions we can firmly attest that God is the Creator and man is the creature because man is not all powerful, he is not capable of infinite love, neither does he have access to the power of being in all places at all times. He most assuredly does not have all knowledge.
In light of the above adjectives which depict God as the Creator, man, with his finite wisdom still tries to assert himself as the creator of God. This carnal-minded man has a picture of what God looks like, whom he will accept and not accept, and what God can and cannot do. This depraved and presumptuous attitude has even crept into the body of Christ. As a result, many have soiled their garments and alienated themselves from the cleansing power of Jesus Christ. To illustrate, let’s look at some examples.
Man has created a god in his image and likeness by making god anthropomorphic (that is, to give God human traits and characteristics). This kind of rationale allows man the privilege of making God male and female. After all, God created male and female and gave them their sexuality, therefore, He must have those same qualities. Also, since we are His offsprings, it would no longer be a sin to practice alternate lifestyles. Homosexuality and lesbianism would no longer be classified as sexual deviation, but rather our liberty to express our sexual freedom. The God of the Bible is neither male nor female, neither does He have physical desires as a man. He has however, given strict judgment concerning sexual perversion and, according to Galatians 5:19, He considers them works of the flesh and those who practice such are eternally lost.
Consider this example: Man has created a god in his image and likeness who is a respecter of persons like man. This is the only way man can justify his deep-seeded hatred for his fellow man. Those who practice racial bigotry for social, economical or religious purposes stand before God condemned. The God of the Bible shows no preferential treatment to any race of people (Acts 10:34-55). Men who teach that God is partial to one race, creed or color are dangerous and poisonous. Revelation 7:9 describes heaven as a place where all nations will dwell, a place where all who have obeyed the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ will dwell. Brethren, it is pathetically sad to know that some New Testament Christians practice and embrace this same cancerous belief.
Man has also created a god in his image and likeness who has authorized man to worship at the church of his choice so long as he is sincere. This could never be farther from the truth of the Scriptures. The young, nameless prophet of God in 1 Kings 13:1-35 should be enough proof that sincerity alone does not save. The God of the universe has clearly and definitely condemned the sin of denominationalism. Religious divisions are contrary to Jesus’ prayer for unity (John 17:20-22) and it makes Jehovah, our Heavenly Father, the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33). Such heretical thinking has permeated the body of Christ also. We find God’s people becoming more and more divisive, factional, opinionated, traditional and liberal-minded.
Man has created a god in his image and his likeness whose judgments are based on finite human logic and reasoning. If this be correct, then truly God will not condemn alcoholics, drug abusers, wife abusers, child molesters, etc., because society has judged them mentally incompetent or socially misguided. The god created by man undoubtedly has judged the same. Exonerate the guilty, persecute the innocent for being his victim. Man has a warped sense of values and of the final judgment of the world by Jesus, our Lord (2 Pet. 3:9,10; 2 Thess. 1:7-9).
Unfortunately, dear friends there is almost no end to man’s god making. Man has created a god in his image and likeness who will grant a divorce or separation for almost any reason imaginable. As a result of this, divorces, separations, and remarriage are at epidemic proportions. We find more broken homes and single parenting than ever before. The home, as the God of Heaven would have it, has been reduced to social agencies, under the control of our federal government. Justification for this is simple; times have changed and so should the laws governing divorce and remarriage. Statics show that the average marriage can’t stand up under the pressures of our modern society. People sometimes fall out of love and need a way out of their stressful situations. There can be no doubt that our atheistic and humanistic society is guilty of creating this god. A god who would permit something as ridiculous as a no-fault divorce or a divorce for irreconcilable differences truly is a god created by man! The God of the Bible, in Matthew 19:1-12, has explicitly expressed His law on divorce and remarriage. In verse 9 God says: “And I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doeth commit adultery.” Can God be any plainer? How can the practice of today’s divorce courts be justified by God’s law which is the “same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8)?
Conclusion
In closing, I quote from Joshua 24:15, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Whom will you serve, the God of creation or the god whom you have created?
Guardian of Truth XXX: 18, pp. 558-559
September 18, 1986