Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image (Hebrew: tselem), according to Our likeness (Hebrew: demut)… 27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
According to Scripture, man is the only creature that is created in the image of God (Latin: Imago Dei).
We are not an accident of cosmic energy and atoms somehow coming together. The complexities and the design of the human body tells us that we are designed with purpose and beauty
What does it mean to be ‘Created in the Image of God’?
Is it the ability to reason, to build on knowledge, to discover truths, to discern between good and evil, to have vision for a better future, to aspire to a higher purpose or heavenly calling, to have interpersonal relationships, to take dominion over the entire earth and to harness its resources?
It is all the above and more! The Hebrew text is very clear… “tselem” (image) and “demut” (likeness) conveys the meaning of something similar but not identical. The word tselem also means to-represent something else.
Simply stated… We are created to be like God, and to represent God, to communicate His character, to be His presence, to remind people of God, and to serve Him.
The Defaced Image
When we look at the condition of the human race, it doesn’t take much to realise that mankind is in trouble. We hear of wars, famine, and horrific evils perpetrated around the world… and many question if God even exists, and if he does, why doesn’t he do anything about it?
The problem is mankind, not God. The image of God has been defaced in us. How? Everyone wants to be a god to a certain extent… even Christians. Our first parents – Adam & Eve, also desired to be gods. This is the root of sin, and it was this desire that led them to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, believing this would make them equal to God.
Both Adam and Eve were created with everything good and godly – perfect in every way. Not a spot of evil was found in them because they were created in God’s own image, to represent God, and to like Him. They were also created to live forever. They already had the knowledge of everything that is good but they wanted more!
This is still the same age-old problem that torments every part of society today – this sin of wanting to be our own gods which has led to all the horrors and evils around the world and in our own backyards.
It is also the main reason why atheists choose to reject the whole idea of a god. Ultimately, they hate the idea that there is Someone who will stand over them in judgement. By rejecting God, they demand that they be the ones to determine good and evil (as long as it suits them). This is the basis of all socialist and communist ideologies. If God does not exist, then man alone must determine what is good and evil. But they foolishly think that by doing so, God somehow magically disappears!
Yet everyone realises deep down, that God is the someone who will stand in judgement over us. It is just convenient to pretend that He doesn’t exist and be able to do whatever our hearts desire. But when death is near, it becomes a fearful and terrifying ordeal.
The Eternal Value and Worth of God’s Image Bearers
It is because God’s image is stamped on us, that we are of immense worth and dignity. Regardless of race, creed, status or (dis)abilities, all people in every part of the world bear the image of the Holy God. It is why the Apostle James tells us that we ought not to curse another person because we are in effect, cursing the image of God…
James 3:8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
When Jesus was asked by a religious scholar on which was the greatest commandment, Jesus replied:
Matthew 22:37“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”
Loving God is inextricably tied to loving our fellow men (even our enemies), who are created in the image and likeness of God…
1 John 4:20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.
This has profound implications for our conduct towards one another. Christians have a mandate to build and shape society on the foundations of love and godliness. This is only possible when Christians have hearts and minds that love God and are willing subjects to his laws. This is most evident in our treatment of the down-trodden, the helpless, the elderly, the unborn children in their mothers wombs, the marginalised, and the mentally ill – all of whom deserve equal dignity and rights.
Destroying the Image
Because the image of God is upon every living soul, every soul has immense value. According to God, there is a high price to pay when the image of God is destroyed by wilful murder and destruction of this image…
Whoever sheds the blood of man,
by man shall his blood be shed,
for God made man in his own image.
Restoring the Uncorrupted Image of God
Jesus Christ – the incarnation of God in man, showed us true God-likeness. He modelled what the perfect man is capable of when he clearly reflects the uncorrupted image and character of God.
In him, Jesus showed us God’s original design of man and the relationship that man was suppose to have with his Creator.
The good news is that this design for man has not changed. The image of God is not lost but it has been distorted. Through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in our obedience to Him as Lord, we can be changed to reflect the uncorrupted character and power of God. That defaced image of God in us can be cleaned up and restored when God is truly Lord and Master over us.
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is referred to as the second Adam. He came to restore us where the first Adam had failed us.
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