Made in God’s Image — Genesis 1:20–31; 2:5–7
Introduction: Last week we began a series designed to give us a thirty-thousand-foot view of the Bible. The Bible contains many individual stories, but those stories belong to one great story:
* A good creation ruined by human sin.
* A ruined creation rescued through Jesus Christ.
* A rescued creation that will ultimately be renewed by God.
We have summarized that movement with three words: **ruin, rescue, and renewal**. This is not simply one religious story among many. It is the true story of the universe—the story in which our individual stories find their meaning.
Last week we began where both the Bible and reality begin: “In the beginning, God.” Today we come to the climax of the creation account: the creation of human beings. Human beings belong to creation. We are creatures, not the Creator. Yet human beings occupy a unique place within creation. Of everything God made, human beings alone are described as being made in God’s image.
“Made in God’s Image” is one of those enormous biblical themes that begins in Genesis and runs throughout the entire story of Scripture. God created every human being to reflect his character and represent his rule. Although sin has distorted that image, God renews it in us through Jesus Christ so that we increasingly resemble him and reflect his glory.
Three questions will guide us: 1. What does Genesis 1 tell us about being made in God’s image? 2. What does being made in God’s image mean? 3. Is the image of God still present in us?
I. What Does Genesis 1 Tell Us About Being Made in God’s Image?
The language of the creation account changes when Genesis reaches the creation of human beings.
A. Human beings are not merely created “according to their kind”. Genesis repeatedly describes the animals as being created “according to their kinds.” (sea creatures, birds, livestock, creeping things, and wild animals). But verse 26 does not say, “Let us make humanity according to their kind.” God says: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”
The animals are created according to their respective kinds. Human beings are created according to God’s image. This does not mean that humanity is divine. We remain creatures. But it gives humanity a unique status and calling within creation.
B. God does not merely speak humanity into existence; he speaks to humanity. In verses 20 and 24, the repeated expression is, “And God said.” But after God creates the man and the woman, verse 28 says: “And God said to them.”
God addresses human beings personally. He blesses them. He gives them a commission. He brings them into a conscious relationship with himself. He makes them responsible for how they live within his world. From the beginning, human beings were created not only to exist but to hear God, respond to God, and live under God’s word.
C. The creation of humanity is presented as a direct and deliberate act of God. God says: “Let the waters swarm.” and “Let the earth bring forth living creatures.” But when God creates humanity, he says: “Let us make man.” The narrative slows down and becomes more deliberate.
The plural language is not the whole truth, thus a complete proof of the Trinity by itself. Nevertheless, when read in light of the whole Bible, it fits beautifully with the revelation of the triune God introduced in last week’s sermon. At a minimum, “Let us make” emphasizes the solemnity and significance of what God is about to do.
D. Genesis 2 gives us a close-up of humanity’s creation. Chapter 1 gives us the broad view; 2 moves closer. God forms the man from the dust of the ground and breathes into him the breath of life.This picture simultaneously humbles and exalts us. We come from the dust. We share the earth with the other creatures. We are physical, dependent, and mortal. Yet our life comes directly from God. God places us in his presence and entrusts us with a particular vocation.
We do not have to deny the similarities between human beings and animals to affirm human uniqueness. Genesis acknowledges both:* We belong to creation.* We are uniquely identified as God’s image-bearers.
We have to remember that both male and female bear God’s image. Genesis 1:27 repeats the truth three times: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
The man and the woman both bear God’s image. Neither bears it more completely than the other.
So human dignity is therefore not based on: * Gender * Age * Intelligence * Physical ability * Social position
* Productivity * Independence * Achievement—Human dignity rests upon God’s creative act.
Summary of Point 1: Human beings are part of God’s creation, but we possess a unique status within it. We were deliberately created, personally addressed, divinely blessed, and commissioned as God’s image-bearers. Okay we’re made in God’s image. But what exactly does that mean?
II. What Does It Mean to Be Made in God’s Image?
The words *image* and *likeness* do not describe two separate parts of human nature. Together they communicate that humanity was created to resemble God and represent God.
We sometimes say that a child is “the spitting image” of a parent. We mean that something about the parent can be seen in the child: * Facial features * Expressions * Gestures * Mannerisms * Personality.
In a far greater way, human beings were created so that something true about God could be seen in us. An image is not the original. A reflection is not the reality it reflects. We are not divine. Yet God created human beings to reflect his character and represent his rule within creation.
Four implications follow, four answers to the “so what?” question:
A. Being made in God’s image defines us and sets us apart
Our deepest identity is something we receive from God, not something we achieve for ourselves. Before Adam and Eve accomplished anything, God had already placed his image upon them.
We should be careful about identifying the image exclusively with one particular human ability.
* If it is merely intelligence, what about an infant or a person with intellectual disabilities?
* If it is independence, what about someone who depends upon others for daily care?
* If it is productivity, what about an elderly person who can no longer work?
The image of God is not an achievement some people possess more fully than others. Every human being is an image-bearer. Your value does not rise when you succeed or fall when you fail. Your value is not determined by whether other people approve of you. You do not have to earn the right to be treated as a human being. God has already declared something about you by creating you in his image.
B. Being made in God’s image both exalts and humbles us
The expression itself holds these truths together. We are an image. That humbles us. We are not self-created or self-sufficient. We do not generate our own purpose. Like a mirror, we exist to reflect a glory that belongs to someone else.
We are the image of God. That exalts us. The Creator has crowned human beings with glory and honor. God has entrusted his world to human care.
The biblical answer to pride is not that human life is worthless. The biblical answer to despair is not that we are our own gods. We are small before God, but we are precious to God. We do not need to inflate ourselves because dignity is God’s gift. We do not need to despise ourselves because God has placed his image upon us.
C. Being made in God’s image gives every human being dignity
The image of God remains significant after the Fall. Genesis 5:1–2 repeats that God made humanity in his likeness. Genesis 9:6 forbids murder because God made humanity in his own image.
James 3:9 extends the principle from actions to words: With our tongues, we bless God. With the same tongues, we curse people made in God’s likeness. James says this contradiction “ought not to be so.” The image of God grounds not only the protection of human life but also the dignity with which human beings should be treated.
So… We cannot praise God while speaking as though other people are worthless. This truth should temper the discourse we sometimes hear—even among believers—about: * Political opponents * People of another generation * People of another race * Immigrants * The poor * The unborn * The elderly * People with disabilities * People whose beliefs or behavior we oppose.
Recognizing God’s image does not require us to approve of everything another person believes or does. It requires us to refuse contempt. We can speak truth without denying another person’s God-given dignity.
So here’s a question for you: whom are you tempted to reduce to a label, an irritation, an opponent, a failure, or a problem?
D. Being made in God’s image commissions us
The image of God is not merely a status we enjoy. It is a vocation we fulfill. In verse 22, God commands the animals to be fruitful and multiply. In verse 28, God gives humanity that same command but adds: Fill the earth/Subdue it/Exercise dominion.
Humanity is commissioned to exercise responsible rule under God’s rule. Dominion does not mean: Exploiting creation,
Abusing power, Dominating other people, Treating the world as though it belongs to us. Dominion means cultivating God’s world in a manner consistent with God’s character.
Corporate appl: A church does not exist merely to preserve itself or maintain its activities. A congregation exists to show its community what God is like. We reflect him by proclaiming his truth, practicing his love, and pursuing his mission.
So we’ve said that to be made in God’s image means that human beings possess God-given identity and dignity and have been commissioned to reflect God’s character and represent his rule. But that raises a difficult question. When we look honestly at humanity—and at ourselves—the resemblance to God is often very difficult to see. Is God’s image still present in us?
III. Is the Image of God Still Present in Us?
The short answer is yes—and no. Yes, the image of God remains present. Genesis 9 appeals to God’s image after the Fall.
James describes people as made in God’s likeness long after sin entered the world. The Fall did not turn human beings into nonpersons. Sin did not erase: human dignity, responsibility, accountability, or humanity’s relationship to its Creator. Every person still bears God’s image, including those who do not acknowledge God.
However, we no longer reflect God as clearly as he intended. Tim Keller helpfully described image-bearing with two words: reflection and representation. Like a mirror, we were created to receive God’s glory and reflect his character into the world. A damaged mirror is still a mirror, but it does not give a clear reflection. In the same way, the image remains, but the reflection has been distorted. Sin has bent our desires, corrupted our relationships, misdirected our worship, turned our capacities toward self-exaltation, and caused us to misuse the authority God entrusted to us.
Genesis is about to present a bleak picture of humanity: Adam and Eve hide from God, they blame one another, violence enters the human family, and humanity’s corruption spreads across the earth.
Sin is more than breaking God’s law. It is the vandalizing of God’s image. We were made to reflect God’s glory, but we turn the mirror toward ourselves. We were made to represent God’s rule, but we seek to establish our own. We were made to cultivate creation, but we consume it for ourselves. We were made to serve one another, but we use one another.
If the story ended there, we would retain our dignity as image-bearers but remain unable to fulfill the purpose for which God made us. However, God renews his image in us through Jesus Christ
The New Testament speaks about the renewal of God’s image:
* Ephesians 4:23–24: the new self is created after God’s likeness in righteousness and holiness.
* Colossians 3:10: the new self is being renewed after the image of its Creator.
* Romans 8:29: God is conforming believers to the image of his Son.
How does God renew the image in us? The answer is Jesus. Colossians 1:15 calls Jesus: “The image of the invisible God.” Jesus is the perfect, undistorted image. If we want to know what God is like, we look at Jesus: His holiness, compassion, authority, humility, truthfulness, obedience, self-giving love, and unending life.
Jesus did not come merely to provide ruined image-bearers with a better example. He came to rescue us. He lived the faithful human life we failed to live. He bore the guilt of our rebellion at the cross. He rose as the beginning of a renewed humanity. He gives his Spirit to everyone who trusts him.
Bottom line is that we are transformed as we behold Christ. Second Corinthians 3:18 describes believers as beholding the Lord’s glory and being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.
The context includes the veil Paul mentions in verse 14. Without Christ, people may read Scripture without seeing its true destination. When a person turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. We begin to see the biblical story as the story that leads to Jesus.
The Spirit does not merely give us information about Christ. The Spirit transforms us as we behold Christ. We become like what we worship.
However, lesser loves also shape what we reflect. Whatever receives our deepest attention and affection begins to shape what other people see in us.
If I live for human approval, I continually wonder whether people notice, praise, include, or agree with me. My anxiety and defensiveness reveal the importance I have assigned to approval. I reflect to others that approval is what really matters.
The same can happen with: * Success * Comfort * Security * Control * Self-preservation
But when we behold Jesus and his greatness becomes real to us, those rival glories begin to lose their control. Approval does not have to rule us because God has received us in Christ. Comfort does not have to rule us because Jesus is worth following through sacrifice. Fear does not have to rule us because the risen Christ holds our future. Control does not have to rule us because Jesus is Lord.
As we behold Christ, other people begin to see something of Christ reflected in us. In this sense, exercising dominion includes refusing to be dominated by created things. We receive them as gifts. We use them as stewards. We refuse to worship them as gods.
Conclusion:
Late in the account of his life, Jesus is handed a coin and asked about paying taxes to Caesar. Jesus asks: “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” The coin bears Caesar’s image, so it belongs within Caesar’s realm. But human beings bear God’s image. Therefore, the entirety of our lives belongs to God.
So here’s the story of the Bible: Creation (we were made in God’s image); Ruin (sin distorted that image); Rescue (the perfect image of God came to save us); Renewal (the Spirit is conforming us to Christ’s image)
We answered these questions this morning—What? So What? Now What?
1. What are you beholding so steadily that it is shaping what you reflect?
2. Whom are you tempted to treat as something less than an image-bearer?
3. Where has God placed you to reflect his character and represent his rule?
4. Are you trying to repair yourself, or are you turning to Christ for rescue and renewal?
We were made to reflect God. We are rescued by the Son who perfectly reveals God. We are renewed as the Spirit conforms us to the image of that Son.