In God’s Image

 In  God’s  Image 

The  Bible  says  surprisingly little  about  what  creation in God’s  image  might  mean.  We might  be  tempted to  assume  that  creation in God’s  image  is  what  it  means  to be  different  from the  animals  –  our rational  capacity, our personhood, our capacity for language.  But  the  term refers  to a  relationship first, and must  be  seen as  a  way of  defining what  we  are  in relation to God.  We  are, as  Genesis  1 makes  clear, creatures  of  God who live  in a  world He  created.  But  to image  God means  that  we  are, in Blocher’s  words, “to be  the  created representation of  [the] Creator, and here  on earth, as  it  were, the  image  of  the  divine  Glory, the  Glory which mankind both reflects  and beholds.” What  is  it  about  us  that  images  God?   Surely not  our physical  bodies  (God is  a  Spirit!); indeed, Genesis  2:7 symbolizes  the  transfer of  God’s  image  as  an in-breathing by God into a body previously formed “from  the  dust.”   Imaging God is  thus  related to the  spiritual  attributes of  God  –  not  in any sense  exactly, for we  are  only an image, but  in some  measure  we demonstrate  what  God is  like.   We  do this  when we  search for truth and beauty, when  we  are concerned about  justice  and other ethical  issues, when we  recognize  the  high importance  of morality;  these  are  God-like  qualities.    Perhaps  the  best  way to understand this  mystery is  to look to Jesus  Christ, whom  the  apostle Paul  refers  to as  “the  image  of  the  invisible  God…For God was  pleased to have  all  his  fullness dwell  in him.”   (Colossians  1:15 &  19).  Christ  is  the  best  representation of  God, and if  we  would image  God in our lives, then we  must  become  like  Christ.  In this  light, being    created in God’s image  means  that  we  have  the  possibility of  becoming like  him  –  in a  reflected way, for we  are still  mere  creatures.  But  think of  this  possibility:   Although God wants  us  to see  his  glory in the creation, he  has  specifically crated humankind  to reflect  his  glory, in ways  that  the  rest  of creation simply could not.  This  is  the  clearest  basis  for human dignity, for the  high value  we place  on  human life.  For this  reason, the  severely impaired, the  senile, the  most  degenerate human beings  deserve  to be  treated with respect.  All  humankind bears  God’s  image  to some degree;  and although that  image  has  been affected by the  Fall, we  are  never in a  position to judge that  a  human being is  so completely devoid of  humanity that  he  or she  can be  treated inhumanely. James  Houston (of  Regent  College, Canada) believes  that  it  is  our capacity for sovereignty that  most  closely demonstrates  how  we  image  God.  He  has  given us  capabilities  that  equip us for sovereignty over our environment, other creatures, and  over ourselves  –  the  characteristics that  make  us  human.  But  these  are  the  consequences  of  being in God’s  image  rather than the definition of  it.  We  image  him  in how  we  exercise  that  sovereignty.  And as  we  read on in Genesis, we  begin to understand what  it  means  to image  God as  sovereigns.  We  are  given, in Genesis  1:28, the  responsibility of  ruling over his  creation  –  of  having dominion.  And in Genesis  2, Adam  (as  our representative) is  given the  task of  cultivating the  Garden of  Eden  –  of using and developing this  part  of  God’s  creation.  Psalm  8:3  –  6 gives  us  an eloquent  picture  of the  relationship between imaging God  and ruling over his  creation: When I consider your heavens, the  work of  your fingers, the  moon and the  stars, which you have  set  in place, what  is  man that  you are  mindful  of  him, the  son of  man that  you care  for him?   You made  him  a  little  lower than the  heavenly beings  and crowned him  with glory and honor.  You made  him  ruler over the  works  of  your hands;  you put  everything under his  feet… The  writer of  Hebrews  tells  us  that  this  passage  also refers  to  Christ, in keeping with the  concept that  we  are  to be  like  him  as  we  image  God.  (Hebrews  2:5  –  9)