When you saw the title of today’s post, you probably assumed my fingers got shifted on the keyboard and this is a major typo. This is not the case. In fact, these two words are arguably the most important of all Latin phrases. They translate as the “image of God”. It is the truth that sets us apart from any other created being in God’s universe.
As God is wrapping up the creation process in Genesis 1, he comes to the crown jewel of his imaginative power when he creates man. There is much more to this being than anything else. The reason is, God chose to create man in HIS own image! Genesis 1:26-27, Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Accordingly, humanity is unique among all God’s creation, having both a material body and an immaterial and eternal spirit.
To be created in the image of God does not mean we share physical characteristics with him. That would be an impossibility since John 4:24 teaches us that God is Spirit. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” The image we share with God is so much deeper than the shape of our face of the color of our eyes. We share his character. The image of God refers to the immaterial part of humanity. It sets human beings apart from the animal world, prepares them for the dominion God intended them to have over the earth (Genesis 1:28), and enables them to have relationship with their Heavenly Father. It is a likeness mentally, morally, and socially.
Mentally, it means that humans can reason and make choices. This reflects God’s intellect and the freedom he afforded man when he created him. This characteristic is seen in the creativity of man to invent useful items, produce art, enjoy music, or decide on what to have for lunch.
Morally, mankind was created in righteousness and perfect innocence as an expression of God’s holiness. Our conscience is evidence of this attribute. Man inherently knows right from wrong. Unfortunately, the sin nature which captured man when sin entered the picture has tainted this moral compass, but it remains.
Socially, we are created for relationships. This reflects the truth of the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In The Garden of Eden, this need for relationship was fulfilled with Adam’s bond with God. Beyond that, God gave Eve to Adam because it was not good for man to be alone. (Genesis 2:18)
One of the primary characteristics of being made in the image of God is that we are given the ability to make free choices. Adam and Eve, when given the option of obedience or pride, chose poorly. In so doing, they marred the image of God within themselves, and passed that damaged likeness on to all their descendants (Romans 5:12). Today, we still retain the image of God (James 3:9), but we also carry the scars of sin. Mentally, morally, socially, and physically, we show the effects of sin. In God’s grace, he has provided the opportunity for us to begin to restore that image through a relationship with Jesus. I have become a “New Creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This is the process by which God restores the foundation of his image in me. My role as a man seeking godliness, is to make choices that enhance the return to God’s image. I do this by finding those things that do not look like Jesus and eliminate them from my life with the power of God’s Spirit.