Meaning of man
"Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness..." - Genesis 1:26.
What is the meaning of man?
The answer is on page one of the Bible.
It says "and God created man in His own image."
What does it mean to be in the image of God?
It doesn't mean physical appearance, but it does mean in God's likeness.
We can think like God.
We can reason. We are creative.
We are to rule over creation.
We need to care for it, protect it, and use it in a way that is pleasing to God.
We are spiritual beings.
Unlike the animals, we can worship God.
God desires a personal relationship with us.
We are moral beings.
Man deals with right and wrong.
The best way for us to do this is to obey God's Word in faith.
If we submit to God-
- we reflect His nature.
But when we don't-
- we look more like beasts.
Understanding this-
- does your life reflect the image of God
- or are you more like an animal? In The News:
Blasphemy Charges Becoming New Weapon Against Egyptian Christians
According to a new study, blasphemy and evangelizing accusations are
disproportionately used against members of Egypt's Christian minority --
particularly those working in education, Christianity Today reports.
A study to be released at the end of this month by the Egyptian
Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) found that 41 percent of blasphemy
cases taken to court from Jan. 25, 2011, to Dec. 31, 2012, were filed
against Christians, who make up only about 10 percent of Egypt's
population of 83 million people. Ishak Ibrahim of the EIPR said people
are targeting Christians using the nation's blasphemy statues as a
weapon. The total of 36 blasphemy cases involved 63 people, and the
country's Sunni Muslim majority, which makes up almost 90 percent of
Egypt's population, were charged in 59 percent of the cases. Ibrahim
noted that approximately 30 percent of the blasphemy cases were filed
against someone in an education environment. Ibrahim also expects to see
an increase in charges against Christians, as Egypt's new constitution
employs vague language that could prohibit evangelism, though evangelism
is not specifically illegal. At the same time, the new constitution
more explicitly criminalizes criticism of Islam. Along with the
disproportionate number of Christians charged with blasphemy, sentences
are harsher for Christians compared with those handed to Muslims, EIPR
noted. The study notes that the sentences are also unusually harsh in
relation to the nature of the offenses.
Texas Prosecutors Investigate Gosnell-Like Abortionist in Houston
Just days after Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell was sentenced
to three life terms for his horrific abortion practices -- including
snipping the spines of babies born alive -- a Houston abortionist's
former employees are accusing him of similar criminal acts, WORLD reports.
Late Wednesday evening, the Harris County District Attorney's office
confirmed to Houston's local KHOU 11 News that the allegations were
under investigation and are "very similar on the surface" to the Gosnell
case. The pro-life group Operation Rescue gave Houston prosecutors a
video it produced containing interviews with three people claiming to be
former employees of abortionist Douglas Karpen. A fourth informant, who
remains anonymous, has also come forward to Operation Rescue, filing an
affidavit about her experiences. The women backed up their claims with
cell phone evidence, said to be taken at Karpen's facility, the Aaron
Women's Clinic. "The photos show babies that are huge, with gashes in
their necks, indicating that these babies were likely born alive, then
killed," said Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue. "... There are
numerous similarities between Karpen and the Gosnell case, including
the disregarding of complaints by the authorities that allowed both men
to continue their illegal operations." Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst
called for a "full-scale" investigation; the district attorney's office
said its investigation began before the lieutenant governor demanded a
probe.
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