So God created man in His own image! Hmmm! That’s interesting!
This is one of those passages where ignorance can go a long way. Over the years of my ministry I have seen this passage used by believers and unbelievers alike. Usually neither of them seems to have a clue to what the Bible is talking about.
One of the false notions about the image of God is that we look like God. That we have two eyes, a nose, a mouth, two arms and two legs because God has these same things. This way of thinking totally ignores John 4:24 where Jesus says, “God is spirit.”
Another false notion about the image of God is that it has something to do with the dominion over creation that God grants in Genesis 1. Unbelievers sometimes use this as an indictment against Christians, blaming the Bible for environmental catastrophes. They speculate that Christians believe that they can play God with our planet. Humankind has been guilty of poor stewardship of creation but this has nothing to do with the image of God and Genesis 1.
So how do we discover what is meant by the image of God? Look in the Bible, there are other passages that explain this concept. By reading Colossians 3:10 and Ephesians 4:24 we can see that the image of God is not a physical likeness but rather it is the perfect knowledge of God and His holiness and righteousness.
Unfortunately, we lost that image of God with the fall into sin. Now by nature no one knows God or is holy and righteous. We all live in ignorance of the true God and captivity to sin until the day God frees us. In baptism this image of God is partially restored. Through His holy word we begin again to know the true God and by the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives we begin to do holy and righteous things.
One day when paradise is restored and we have risen from the dead, we will once again have the full image of God. We will know God perfectly and we will live perfectly.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for creating me and recreating me in Christ. Amen.
Paradise
Lucas Cranach the Elder 1472 – 1553
oil on panel (81 × 114 cm) — 1530
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
http://www.artbible.info/art/large/506.html
God’s richest blessings in Christ,
Pastor Philip Quardokus
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