The Image of God

"So God created man in his own image; he created them in 

the image of God; he created them male and female."    

Genesis 1:27

It wasn’t until l began to attend seminary and studied under Dr. Wayne Grudem that I heard much talk about humanity and “the image of God.” And yet perhaps no other biblical concept has informed my thinking more than this simple fact — that men and women have been created in the image of God (the imago dei).

In the book of the Beginning (Genesis), Scripture lays out the story of Creation. Over the course of six days, God created the universe and everything in it — the sun, moon, and stars; the deserts and the mountains; the rivers and the seas; the birds of the air, the creatures of the deep, and every animal that roams the earth — from aardvarks to zebras. God created all of it. 

And all of it, with God as our witness, is amazing! The intricacy and the design only gets more fascinating as science peels back layer after layer of God’s Creation, revealing complexities previously unfathomed. Inspiring, and rightly so, awe among those who dare to plumb its depths.

And yet one element of Creation stands above it all: Mankind. For one simple fact: They were (we are) created in the image of God.

God infused all things with His creativity and design. But mankind he infused with a piece of Himself, His image.

It’s why the birds and the bees continue to build the same hives and nests they always have, while mankind has gone from caves to condos. It’s why humans collaborate to save a fragile ecosystem or a species of endangered turtles and never the other way around. And it’s why caribou, catfish, and caterpillars remain within their designated habitats while humans explore the world — and beyond.

Because more than any other part of Creation, men and women have been created in the image of God — to reflect Him and his attributes in this world. His intelligence. His creativity. His compassion. And the list goes on.

It’s also why we believe that every human life, regardless of age or ability, has inherent value. That no person should be subjected to treatment deemed demeaning or inhumane. It’s why we should believe that regardless of nationality, religion, skin color, or sexual orientation there is no room for hate, discrimination, or oppression. Because every person of every shape, color, size, and creed is an image bearer of God, possessing inherent worth and dignity regardless of what makes them different from you and me.

It’s true… the image of God in humanity has been tainted and corrupted. Sometimes, at our worst, it’s hard to see the image of God in others, in you, or in me. We don’t reflect much of His love or compassion or goodness at all. But God is gracious to us. He is willing to look past those things to see us. And we should do the same for others. And maybe, just maybe, as we look past behavior to see the image of God in others, it might just help others see more of Him in us.