Made in God’s Image
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26).
Man was to bear God’s image, both in outward resemblance and in character. But that image was most seen in his spiritual nature. Man became a living being, with the power to think, and have a free will, a self-conscious character, and the had the ability to rule over God’s other creatures. These are godlike characteristics, higher than any other creature.
Man’s character reflected the divine holiness of his Creator until sin ruined the divine likeness. It is only through Jesus, the light of the glory of God and the “express image of his person” (Hebrews 1:3), that our nature is changed into the image of God again. Paul wrote, “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Colossians 3:10 and Ephesians 4:24).
As Christ is the express image of His Father, so the believer is to grow “unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). For both the Christian and the church, likeness to Christ is the ultimate goal to be sought (Romans 8:29) by the grace of God. And this could be done through Christ’s enabling power. “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).
In 1 John 4:8, the scripture says, “God is love.” Therefore, all those that reflect God’s image will reflect His love. Jesus taught, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30, 31). And these 2 great commandments are summation of the law of God (Exodus 20: 2-17). “Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
