Are You a Reflection of the Image and Likeness of God?

There has always been a discussion about how people have been created in God’s image and likeness. The terms image and likeness have been used interchangeably, leading some to believe that they are really like God, or others to doubt how they are God’s image. Although the words are synonymous, they still carry a different meaning. “Image” describes the similarities of moral and spiritual characteristics,  and “likeness refers to human differences and limitations from God. Not truly distinguishing these terms can lead to misconceptions that being in God’s image means equality to God, which no one possesses except Christ. Understanding the creation of humanity with its ultimate fall from sin and consequences gives a more precise depiction of man’s similarities and differences to the image and likeness of God.

Humanity is the result of creation in the Bible’s first book, Genesis. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth’” Genesis 1:27-28. God has created humans in His image and likeness and given them authority over all creation, but God has the authority over all of creation. Although man is given the authority over earthly creation, he is confronted with the reality of disobedience that causes sin and results in consequences.

Being created in the image of God means that man is a model or a reflection of Him. Theologians have argued over the meaning of being created in the image of God especially since the second commandment states, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” Exodus 20:4. “God is an image, and man is made to resemble him; however, God is not a false God. Man’s relationship to creation differs from God’s relationship to creation. Therefore, it is the replication of God’s qualities that explains being in the image of him.” Humans are responsible for reflecting God’s holiness, morality, reasoning, and justice. God’s purpose for humanity is shown: “Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet…”Psalm 8:5-6. Humanity holds a responsibility even in the worst scenario of sin.

In the beginning, God created the perfect human, Adam, and from Adam, he made Eve. They were the beginning of humanity: perfect, sinless, and blameless. Interestingly, they possessed everything they needed in order to survive in an ideal place. “God declared the creation good, and that included everything, and Adam and Eve.

The serpent convinced Eve to eat, and sin was born. “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked…” Genesis 3:6-7. Humanity was now cursed.  

Sin is considered a deliberate act to rebel against God. Perhaps humans are caught thinking that they are all-knowing. Theologian, John Frame states that because humans are made in the image of God, they reflect God, and even in sin, humans attempt to be God and replace God on the throne. This is the mentality that the fall created, whether the thought is intentional or unintentional. Because of sin, humans try to rewrite right and wrong, which displays a rebellious spirit against what God expects. Humans continuously have to learn that there are consequences for sin.

Once Adam and Eve committed sin, humanity was doomed to be born into a state of enslavement to sin. Failing in their obedience, God brought down the consequences on all of Adam’s descendants. “To [Eve], “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children… To [Adam], “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.” Genesis 3:16-17.

The lesson that is learned from the fall is that God is a gracious God because, although Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden of Eden, God did not leave them without hope. God gave humanity a Savior, made entirely in his image and likeness. Jesus is the perfect image because he is without sin. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” Colossians 1:15. Sin separated humans from God, but he offered them a way of redemption and reconciliation through Jesus Christ. God’s image in humanity is to reflect his character of righteousness and to pursue holiness. Humanity is still required to honor God and not false idols and teachers; humans are responsible for maintaining faith in a risen Savior. Being born in God’s image and likeness requires humanity to continue to fulfill His ways and purposes.

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