What Does The Bible Say About Being Made in the Image of God?

by | Articles, Humanity

I. What does “Image of God” Mean?

  • Genesis 1:26 – “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'”
  • Genesis 5:3 – “When Adam had lived a hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.”

Summary: The Bible introduces the concept of being made in the image of God, emphasizing the creation of man in God’s image and granting him dominion over the earthly realm.

II. The Fall: God’s Image Broken

  • Genesis 9:6 – “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his own image.”
  • Ecclesiastes 7:29 – “God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.”
  • James 3:9 – “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.”

Summary: Despite the fall of humanity into sin, the Bible reaffirms that man still bears the image of God, although it is distorted. This is evident in God’s recognition of the sanctity of human life.

III. In Christ Our Image Renewed

  • Colossians 3:10 – “and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”
  • 2 Corinthians 3:18 – “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.”
  • Romans 8:29 – “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

Summary: Through redemption in Christ, humans can progressively grow into greater likeness to God, renewing their knowledge and character in His image.

IV. Future Restoration of the Image of God At Jesus’s Return

  • 1 Corinthians 15:49 – “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.”
  • 2 Corinthians 4:4 – “In whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
  • Colossians 1:15 – “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”
  • Romans 8:29 – “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.”
  • 1 John 3:2 – “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him because we shall see him as he is.”

Summary: The promise of the New Testament is that, at Christ’s return, humanity will experience the complete restoration of God’s image, becoming morally pure and immortal like Christ.

V. In What Ways Do We Image God?

a. Moral

  • Moral Accountability – Romans 14:12 – “So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.”
  • Inner Sense of Right and Wrong – Romans 2:14-15 – “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.”
  • Behavior Reflecting Likeness to God – Leviticus 19:2 – “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”

b. Spiritual

  • Immaterial Spirits – Ecclesiastes 12:7- “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
  • Spiritual Life and Prayer – 1 Thessalonians 5:17- “Pray without ceasing.”
  • Immortality – 1 Corinthians 15:53 – “For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.”

c. Reason

  • Reasoning and Logical Thinking: Isaiah 1:18 – “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”
  • Complex Language: Genesis 11:7 – “Come, let us go down and there confuse their language so that they may not understand one another’s speech.”
  • Awareness of the Distant Future: Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “He has put eternity into man’s heart.”
  • Human Creativity: Exodus 35:31 – “And he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship.”
  • Emotions: Psalm 103:13 – “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.”

d. Community

  • Human Community and Interpersonal Harmony: Psalm 133:1 – “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”
  • Equality and Difference in Marriage: Genesis 2:24 – “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
  • Dominion Over Creation: Genesis 1:26 – “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

e. Physical

  • Ability to See with Our Eyes: Psalm 34:15 (Psalm 34:15) – “The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.”
  • Ability to Hear: Isaiah 59:1 (Isaiah 59:1) – “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear.”
  • Ability to Speak: Exodus 4:12 (Exodus 4:12) – “Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”
  • Senses of Taste, Touch, and Smell: Psalm 34:8 (Psalm 34:8) – “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”
  • Physical Movement: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) – “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Summary: While God is a spiritual being, our physical bodies, though distinct from God’s nature, still reflect aspects of His character and His creation. Our abilities, such as seeing, hearing, speaking, and sensing the world around us, mirror God’s capacity to perceive, communicate, and appreciate His creation, even though His ways are far beyond our human limitations

VI. Bearing God’s Image Gives Deep Value

Genesis 1:26 – “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'”

Summary: Reflecting on our likeness to God should instill a profound sense of value and significance as human beings. This dignity extends to all, regardless of the marred image due to sin, emphasizing the importance of treating every individual with respect and honor.