MADE IN HIS IMAGE

By Charles N. Spence Jr.

A sister in Christ had inquired as to the meaning of Genesis 1:27, “And God created man in his own image.” I thought the inquiry was a valid one and I certainly appreciate the Sister's desire to know exactly what that image is. We know that God is Spirit (John 4:24). Just as man is flesh and bone. But just as man is more than flesh and bone, God is more than Spirit. He has a particular personality that exposes His identity. God is holy (1 Pet. 1:15-16). He is just (Rom. 3:26). He is loving (1 John 4:16). He is faithful and true (Rev. 19:11). When one considers the personality and character of God, he can get the sense of what God wants him to be. A better picture is seen in Jesus Christ. When Philip said to Jesus, “Show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us,” Jesus replied by saying, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:5-6). The character of Jesus bore the Father's image. They agree as one (John 10:30). Paul said of Jesus, “He is the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1: 15). So we can take notice of Jesus Christ to get the image we as Christians are supposed to reflect.

Christians are instructed to “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phi. 2:5). Also, they are to “Walk just as he walked” (1 John 2:6). Each Christian must “Purify himself as He is pure” (1 John 3:3). Christians are to reflect in the world who Jesus is (1 John 4:17). For this reason Paul refers to Jesus as “the measure of our stature” (Eph. 4:13). The idea of Christians trying to measure up to Christ is certainly an awesome task in and of itself. Such a task demands our undivided attention. There is no room to get slack or complacent with our service to the Lord. If He is the measuring stick, we are sure to fall short. So, we must constantly be about the business of striving toward that goal to reflect the image of Christ in our lives.

Man was made in the image of God. Man had tarnished that image by his willful disobedience to the Lord's commands. God sent his son, not just to rescue that fallen image, but also to be a constant reminder to us of what that image is supposed to be. Let’s do everything we can to live our lives in such a way as to reflect the very image after which God had made man.