Made in the Image of God
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.Psalm 139:14
The wisdom of the world describes life as crawling out of some form of primordial soup, with the first cells evolving into the various forms of life we can observe today. Such a view implies a great lottery which eventually leads to death and nothingness.
God’s Word on the other hand describes the creation of all things, giving hope, purpose, and meaning. The final creative work described is that of people.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness…” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26-27)
There is much debate as to what the ‘image of God’ means. What is clear is that people are distinct from all other creatures in that we are like God, and that we have dominion over the earth. This brings both blessing but also great responsibility to care for all of creation, including one another.
Adam and Eve were blessed to enjoy a perfect relationship with God. They had unrestricted access to God and before the Fall they had known only good. After the Fall into sin, this divine relationship was broken, and we have been living and dying with its consequences ever since.
Even though humanity has fallen into sin, we are still born from God and He has never stopped caring for us. Psalm 139 uses beautiful language to describe this creative work. ‘For you (God) formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.’ (v13) ‘Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.’ (v16) Isaiah describes us as being the clay and God is the potter. We are all the work of His hand (Isaiah 64:8)
God’s Word gives shape and meaning to our life, but the divine image belongs to the uncorrupted person. Since the Fall we have lost the image of God in its proper sense. We are veiled in spiritual darkness.
The divine image is restored through faith in Jesus, the only person since Adam and Eve to be born without the corruption of Original Sin. The regeneration of the old Adam and the old Eve through the waters of baptism means we are joined with Jesus and our sinfulness is exchanged for Christ’s righteousness. We will always wrestle with living as 100% sinner, whilst also being at the same time 100% saint. Paul describes this well in Romans 7:14-25. But Paul also instructs us to
Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24).
Every person has been fearfully and wonderfully made, is known by God, and is loved by God. Every life, from the moment of conception has value and purpose. Since the Fall, the image of God is restored only through the gift of baptism as we are joined with Christ. The image of God may be veiled, but through faith we may bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit, serving creation and caring for all people.
Then as we draw our last breath, having run the race God has laid before us, we will see with our own eyes what we were created for, in the full image of God.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of life and for the surety of Your Word which reminds us that we are Yours and we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Continue calling us to repent so we return to Your grace given through baptism where our sins are exchanged for Jesus’ righteousness. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so we might bear fruit that cares for Your creation and that blesses all people with our faithful service. Amen.
In Christian service,
Pastor Mathew Ker
Vice President
Lutheran Mission – Australia