The Image of God
If we want to comprehend what it means to be human, we must grow in our understanding of “imago Dei” or the image of God in man. What does it mean to be made in the image of God? The words used in Genesis 1:26-27, “image” (tselem), and “likeness” (demut) in the Hebrew “refers to something similar but not identical to the thing it represents. With this understanding Genesis, 1:26 could be read “‘Let us make man to be like us and to represent us.” Therefore, we are divine representations of God…” images”. We were made to represent God and carry out our divine purposes. Bruce Ware noted “the image of God in man involves God’s creation of divine representations (images of God) who, in relationship with God and each other, function to represent God (imaging God) in carrying out God’s designated responsibilities.” Anthony Hoekema wrote the image of God “describes not just something that man has, but something man is.” Building on these observations, a theological construct for Imago Dei begins to crystallize. In the following paragraphs, we will discuss some of the divine characteristics of man.
We are eternal. We are material and spiritual beings. When God created the first man, He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). The dust of the earth became a living soul with the potential for spiritual life. Our physical bodies die but our souls are eternal.
We worship. Only humans relate to God through worship. Only humans communicate with God through prayer. One of the words we encounter in the scripture for worship is proskeneo. It means to pay homage, kneel before, revere, or adore. We worship all manner of things. We revere our favorite football team. Adore our favorite politicians. It really is not a matter of if we worship but what we worship. Humans are worshippers.
We are personal beings created by a personal God, and our personhood reflects the image of God. He created humans with personality. We are unique individuals with self-consciousness and purpose. While every man and woman share common characteristics, no two people are exactly alike. Each individual is stamped with the image of God. Every human life has significance before God.
We are moral beings. God is holy and He created humans with a moral compass. We each have a conscience that enables us to know the difference between right and wrong. The conscience may be deadened or seared by sin, but it remains hardwired in man. The hardest question for both atheists and evolutionists is how to explain the moral nature of the human race. In every culture, in every people group, and even in every religion we see the moral nature of man. Man’s moral capacity makes him accountable to God for his actions.
We are relational beings. God reveals His relational nature in the Trinity. “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). God created us with the capacity to relate. Because of this gift, we can enjoy a relationship with God and others. As we have seen in recent days humans were not made to live in isolation. God is involved in how we relate in marriage and in the fellowship. We are commanded to represent God by sharing the Gospel. The Great Commission demands we relate to a lost world. When we obey this command we are emulating our Savior. (see Genesis 2:18-25; Matthew 19: 1-12; Galatians 3:26-29).
We are rational beings. God is a God of knowledge and He has created us with the capacity to think, to know, and to learn. Christianity is not a mindless faith. Just the opposite! The intellectual aspect of “Imago Dei” means that our minds are a vital part of how we are to love God (Matthew 22:37). We are to cultivate our minds (Ephesians 4:23). We are instructed to renew our minds for transformation (Romans 12:2).
We are emotional beings. God who is love has created us to experience intimacy. We feel compassion for others. We can experience the deep awe of God and delight in the satisfaction He provides.
We are creative beings. God is the Creator. Scripture tells us God’s glory is revealed in creation. Like God, we have an insatiable desire to create. Painting a piece of art, starting a business, writing a book, or landscaping the yard are examples or our creative nature. Our creativity is different from God’s but it is linked to God. God’s mandate in Genesis 1:26-28 speaks to our creative responsibility. Nancy Pearcey observes the first phrase in Genesis 1:26-27, “Be fruitful and multiply”, may mean: “to develop the social world: build families, churches, schools, cities, government, laws.” She suggests the second phrase, “subdue the earth”, means: “to harness the natural world: plant crops, build bridges, design computers, compose music. This passage … tells us our original purpose was to create culture and build civilizations — nothing less.” We are the bearers of God’s image. It is revealed in many ways. As we will witness in future discussions sin as horribly marred the image of God in us. Furthermore, we will find our greatest hope in the power of the Gospel.