In the Image of God

Among the most celebrated masterpieces of the Renaissance era are the Sistine Chapel frescoes painted by Michelangelo in the early 16th century. Yet in the following centuries, soot, grime, and even water slowly began to take their toll, diminishing a pure rendering of his original work. If it were not for an extensive restoration project undertaken in the early 1980s, observers today would not be able to fully appreciate his creative genius and unmatched skill as people did when it was first completed. The restoration project did not change the original, but it restored the vibrancy that had become marred.

Though all analogies have their limits, the restored masterpieces of Michelangelo can help us relate to a far grander and eternally significant restoration project – that between God and humankind. The first verse in the Bible establishes God as the Creator of everything, including time and space (Gen. 1:1). Within those measurable constructs, He created and laid out an order to the universe, culminating in the creation of humans (Gen. 1:26-27). What is significant about the uniqueness of humankind, though, is that it is the only thing created that is said to have been made in the image and likeness of God. Theologians refer to this concept by the Latin term Imago Dei. No other object or living thing bears that distinction. Thus, humans are unique in the animal kingdom because we have complex language abilities, relationship capacities, creativity, ingenuity, and a moral consciousness, among other characteristics that set us apart. Though we are not divine, we were made to reflect the Divine in our very being. The implication is clear – all humans have intrinsic worth because of the image of God stamped upon their very being.

God established that both male and female humans are image bearers. While this can imply many things, it certainly implies no less than worth and dignity, which are equally bestowed upon all humans. Irrespective of what humans do or activities they participate in, their identity is directly rooted in the person of God. Endowed as image bearers, humans are given the responsibility of ruling over the earth (Genesis 1:26) as God’s agents. This dominion reflects God’s authority and ultimate rule over the universe, including the planned stewardship of the earth. In essence, humans were created to represent the King’s image and likeness directly and to work in the Kingdom as His faithful representatives. This is highlighted in the placement of our first parents in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:15).

The subsequent fall in the garden introduced sin to the human race, with its tragic consequences that affected our relationship with God, with each other, and even our work with the earth. While all humans retain the image of God, this image has been marred due to the disobedience of our first parents. Among the many things that changed, sin and death entered the human race, causing a separation of fellowship between God and humankind. Paul sums this up when he writes, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). The corruptive nature of sin infected the human race and began to be passed on through all the following generations. This transmission is clearly seen in Genesis 5:1-3, “In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God… And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.” Certainly, humans retained their intellect, creativity, emotions, communicative abilities, and other such characteristics, as mentioned before, but the image of God as once reflected in the sinless state was now marred because of sin.

This is why the gospel is so important – it is the only thing that can transform the distorted image of God in humankind back to the proper reflection. This restored image not only signifies acceptance and communion with God, but it also transforms our character and dealings with others. In sharing about God’s love and ultimate plan for those in Christ, Paul states, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). Akin to a remodeling project, believers are in a lifelong sanctification process that is renewing the broken or blurred visages of the Imago Dei in their lives. This is not optional; it is the ordained plan of God. Paul likens this determined, transformative process as believers “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord [and] being transformed into the same image from glory to glory” (II Cor. 3:18). There is an active sense that we participate in this process, but there is also a passive sense whereby we receive from God the deep character and image adjustments needed to align with and reflect the image of Jesus. While this renovation work is never complete in this life, it is assured in the life to come. Paul encourages believers that “as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.” (1 Cor 15:49). This inclusive promise offers hope for everyone in Christ as the distorted image of Adam is replaced by the perfect image of Jesus.

I have a preacher friend who has a saying for difficult people in his life: “They are precious souls for whom Christ died.” While there is a bit of levity in the statement, it also reminds him that even the most difficult people have value – after all, Jesus loved them enough to die for them. One of the evidences of our image being transformed into that of Jesus is that we begin to see people as He sees them – people in need of salvation and restoration to God’s original blueprint. No matter how distorted and depraved that image may have become because of the effects of sin, there is transformative hope found in Jesus Christ – His grace is greater than any of our sin! May we, as image bearers being transformed by God, show love and compassion to our fellow image bearers who need to hear of God’s grace and the transformative power of salvation through Jesus Christ.