Can man become a god?

Recently there was a conversation I was privy to where a woman believes we as Christians are/or can become  "gods".  This, of course, is a misunderstanding of an O.T. passage in Psalms 82:6,7 where it says, “I said you are gods, and you are children of the Most High. But, you shall die like men, and  fall like one of the princes.”

The word gods in vs. 6 is the Hebrew word Elohim. In the general sense, it means one who is a magistrate or a judge. In the supreme sense, it making reference to the Lord of all. In regards to humans, it is not making reference to deity at all. Judges are those who have great authority from Almighty God in the earth to execute justice and fairness, make right decisions regarding the welfare of man. These gods are to exonerate the innocent and punish the guilty. These gods are God’s representatives on the earth.

In Roman 13:1-2 says, “Let every soul be subject to the higher powers or governing authorities. For there is no authority except God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.”

This passage is parallel to the Psalm passage in that it tells us all power ultimately comes from God. He is the one that gives it to men. So, in the sense of ruling authority, some men are gods; whether they are a Christian or not. We are all subject to these authorities as long as they do what is right. When they violate the law of God, we are to civily defy them and obey God (Acts 5:29).

For a human or an angel to purport to be God was damning. Two accounts come to mind. The first one is in Acts 12:21-23, “So on a set day Herod arrayed in royal apparel sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. And the people kept shouting, “THE VOICE OF A GOD AND NOT A MAN!” Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten of worms and died.”

Scripture tells us that God will not share His glory with anyone else (Isaiah 42:8).

The second account involves Lucifer who we better know as the devil and Satan.  Isaiah 14:12-17 reads,

How you have fallen from heaven,
    morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
    you who once laid low the nations!
¹³ You said in your heart,
    “I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
    above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
    on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
¹⁴ I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
    I will make myself like the Most High.”
¹⁵ But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,
    to the depths of the pit.

¹⁶ Those who see you stare at you,
    they ponder your fate:
“Is this the man who shook the earth
    and made kingdoms tremble,
¹⁷ the man who made the world a wilderness,
    who overthrew its cities
    and would not let his captives go home?

The Lord here is speaking through his prophet to the evil nation of Babylon locally, but then in the preceding verses the Spirit of God goes to the root source of Babylon’s wickedness and that is the devil himself who is a cherub (Read Ezekiel 28). Here, Isaiah describes Satan’s epic fall from glory because he wanted to dethrone God. This event most likely may have taken place before the world was created. No one actually knows.

A very clear  text that man can not be a god is in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. And you shall love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and with all your strength.” If we are commanded to love God, why would one aspire to be what he can never become?

So we see, aspiring to be a god or to become God is foolishness at best, and blasphemous at the very worst. Man can not be a god.

This type of belief is unbiblical and cultic.[i]

Notes

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[i] For another view on man attempting to become a god please read the following

Article regarding Mormonism: http://www.gotquestions.org/Printer/Mormonism-PF.html