It sounds to me like Jesus was PERFECT! In as many words stated above, he was without sin while on this planet.

How then was Jesus like one of us, if he was perfect? And yes, I'm taking those words "literally", as those words are "literally" what God has given me to know Jesus's character.

Jesus was like us - that is, like Christians - in mind, body and spirit: The Holy, Spirit of God ruled his human mind, his body was burdened with sinfulness, and his human spirit was trained heavenward by God.

There were perhaps four differences: he was born with the Spirit (that experience is a mystery to human knowledge and understanding, since we consider our time as children not exactly perfect), he never fell into sin, he learned righteous by perfect obedience - i.e. never falling, and he built his righteous character without having to replace sinful traits with righteousness. As of receiving God's Spirit into our lives we may follow his example by the same power he used.

He was like each of us in our Christian, biological, moral and spiritual set up, but, despite that set up, an example to us of righteous living by faith in his - and our - Father. The unblemished perfector of character he was, pioneering converted/justified sinful human nature that he took for his own, fulfulled the law with, and offered as the sacrifice for sin.

As a small side issue, you mean "literally" as in what is read in the SOP, not "literally" as in dictated by God like verbal inspiration? I took the "clearly read" option as your clear intention...

Depending on exactly what it means to be made in Gods image, are we not still made in the same image? In either case, as satan lacks creative powers, he cannot make anyone in his own image.

The image is there, but it is marred and well-nigh obliterated.


Satan cannot make one in his own image. Rather, he fools others into making themselves in his image.

Essentially, when one is selfish, he is in Satan's image.

How do you know? What exactly does it mean to be made in God's image?

Yeah, gonna have to second that motion, or question as it is. What exactly is God's image, where is that described, and what is inclusive of the term "image"? Does that mean a physical thing, like color of hair or skin, or number of appendages, or our biology? Or does "image" refer more to a mental/spirit thing? Is it our "person" and not our body that is in the image of God?

And what is the image of satan? Does he have horns and a spikey tail? Does he hold a shape that we would even recognize? Does he look like God? Was his image changed when he was expelled from heaven? And if so, from what into what? How will we know when someone else is in his image?

Here's a short passage for now:

"God created man in his own image" does not convey as much info to me as it does to you. You seem to believe that means in his physical, mental, and spiritual nature. But it does not say that. It only say's "His own image". And since we don't in fact know what "His" image is, then how can we infer that our image is that of His in all those respects? The answer, I think, is that "a likeness" is an ill defined statement. And we all have to come to our own conclusion. I think that's why God gave us the ability to reason. He want's us to think about these things, I don't think He want's us to just blindly follow and believe what other humans say. I think He want's us to know Him personally, so we can talk to Him, and learn from the true master, not some fallable human.

But I say again, we should work together. I do not advocate isolationism, nor only personal worship, or only learning on your own. We can, and should learn from each other, but ultimately we have to use our own "critical thinking skills" to asses what's right for us, in our own personal relationship with God.

Yes, Scripture says merely that "God created man in his own image", but it also says of Jesus, "his Son...who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person" and Jesus said he reflected his Father's appearance and character.

But this sentence, "When Adam came from the Creator's hand, he bore, in his physical, mental, and spiritual nature, a likeness to his Maker." (which Asygo quoted above) - comes from the Spirit of Prophecy and agrees with Scripture, doesn't it? - is that not more than "what other humans say"? It isn't solely Asygo's belief, surely, that we are made physically, mentally and spiritually in God's own image - as opposed to just mentally and spiritually? All prophets are fallible - even the Man Jesus while on earth, but prophetic messages are the infallible part - from God - and the SOP is not to be brought down from that level by the likes of Graeme Bradford!

As for what his image actually is, the Son of God himself passed before Moses while hiding his face and declared his divine virtues, and Sister White asked Jesus in vision, while in the throne room of God, whether the Father looked like him and was told he did but was shrouded in light unapproachable for mortal eyes. Now Ellen related to Jesus quite closely!! We must, m u s t, have a correct knowledge of God and his Christ else we cannot know the Father through Jesus, and relating to God personally would be on misinformation if our understanding is wrong.

The words "his own image" use the Greek word for character I'm told (feel f r e e to check!), but appearance cannot be excluded, for did Adam recognise the Son of God as his Creator by appearance or something else????

Indeed a very important issue to sort out correctly, with much study and discussion, but there is an adventist minister who met the devil in his previous job (see below)...we can read what he, the Adventist, suggests, instead of asking him to explain...

As for colour and western or oriental features, we have no guide, but biologically or physically yes, we are in God's image, but the mental, spiritual and character likeness is marred - badly. Is the SOP wrong to include physical appearance in our likeness to God?

The Bible implies very strongly that we share physical likeness while stating his character traits, which Jesus emphasised we are to obtain through his gospel, and SOP states a physical likeness. Need more?

As for the Devil, I could say, as was indeed written about him in an exam essay comparing Jesus and Satan - in the last line of 3 pages - "for the devil I have no time": look him up in Patriarchs and Prophets and Early Writings, I understand: Will Baron, an Adventist minister and former New Age priest, read a physical description of Satan in Ellen White's book (ER) and recognised his New Age, meditation mentor who physically met with him while he was in trance, as he wrote in his autobiography, "Deceived by the New Age," available through the ABC. A dark complexion with forehead leaning backwards a great deal,etc.: totally immoral...

The Devil probably can shapeshift - possibly the serpent in Eden (no, it was likely just demon possession), but definitely retains a semblance of his created, pure glory, as we are told he may just show up as an angel of light. No horns, though...!...he almost definitely doesn't have time for them!!