Imago Dei
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27 ESV
The Broken Image
Our identity, our real being, has been crushed or distorted because of the power and reality of human sin. For that reason, many people in different nations, cultures, and ethnic groups carry deep pain, confusion, lack of purpose, lack of vision for life, hatred, abuse, and even struggle to discover who they truly are.
Image of God
We were all created in the image of God.
Each one of us has been made in the image of God. The Bible says we were wonderfully and beautifully created in the image of God.
Now take Note: God does not have a human physical form. So, when we read in the book of Genesis that we as humans were created in His image, it implies our ability to operate under general revelation. As humans, we can know right from wrong. Our moral ethics, our rationality, our spirituality, our need to connect with God, and our aesthetic sense all reflect His image. And we learn that God is infinite, omnipresent, and good. No one has ever seen God. God is not in a physical form. God does not have feet or hands. God is Spirit, eternal in nature. Does God have a Spirit? Yes. In John 4:24 it says, “God is spirit.”
About God – Triune Nature
When we see special appearances of God in the biblical Scriptures, known as theophanies, God chose temporary ways to manifest Himself. These were never God’s inherent eternal form. We are speaking here about God the Father.
We hold to the understanding of the Triune God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They are one, one essence, co-equal, co-eternal. They share the same attributes but have distinct roles. God the Father plans salvation. God the Son executes the plan of salvation by humbly dying on the cross. God the Holy Spirit reveals the glorious story of redemption in Christ. We can grasp this divine truth only if we have the gift of faith through the power of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, we remain in spiritual blindness and never know the truth. The truth sets us free from the crisis of identity, from not feeling accepted or loved, or from living in the gap of human wisdom without knowing who we are.
Now this is where the atonement of Christ Jesus plays a critical role. Christ did not just die on the cross to satisfy the wrath of God, forgive our sins, and disarm the powers of Satan. Yes, I am a forgiven sinner when I repent and believe in God. But more than a forgiven sinner, I am a child of God. I am His son. I am His daughter. I am part of a royal priesthood. You are special when you discover your identity.
Creation Theology
Coming back to our identity, we need to know that we were all created in the image of God. I am not sure if you believe that you or your ancestors originated from apes through evolution (Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace). But I am confident that I am not in that category, and I believe not even you. We all come from God. We believe in the creation account in the book of Genesis. Therefore, we hold to biblical anthropology, which insists:
Humans are Imago Dei (Genesis 1:26–27).
Humans have moral agency.
Humans are covenant beings.
Humans are accountable to God.
I love how Alvin Plantinga puts it:
“If humans are products of unguided evolution, then our cognitive faculties aim at survival, not truth, so our trust in reason (including science) collapses.”
We were made perfectly in His image. Sin has distorted that image. Our consistent sinful choices continue to damage who we were made to be.
The Power of Christ’s Atonement
This is why the atonement of Christ Jesus reveals the beauty of our image restored through His gracious work. We receive a fresh identity regardless of our past, regardless of the choices we made before knowing God.
Yes, we all have played a major role in distorting our image and identity given by God. But God wants to restore that image and identity of being deeply loved by Him. Now, as we put our hope and faith in Him, we become forgiven sinners, more than that, sons and daughters of the living King.
The first step is accepting Christ, recognizing that we are living in a crisis of identity that causes great pain and suffering. But there is an eternal plan to restore your original being, how God created you to be: powerful, sufficient, joyful, peaceful, purposeful, and full of hope.
2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
As Steven Furtick says, “DO THE NEW YOU.”The basis of the new you is only possible when you put your faith in Christ. He imputes a new identity, you become His sons and daughters.
John 1:12 ESV: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
2 Corinthians 6:18 ESV: “And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”
You are not defined by achievements, failures, culture. Your identity in Christ is received, not constructed. You do not come up with a superior plan to fix your life or your identity. Christ claims you and imputes it to you.
God Himself becomes your Father. You no longer feel like an orphan. He protects you, counsels you, and guides you. He is your Good Shepherd and will not lead you into pitfalls or darkness. He leads you beside still waters and green pastures. This journey is transformational and beautiful.
The new you will be secure, peaceful, joyful, and hopeful. Beyond that, there is great eternal hope regardless of difficult circumstances. No relationship is more tender than this.
“No higher honor can be conferred on mortals than to be adopted into the family of God and permitted to call the Most High our Father.”
No rank is so elevated as being sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty.
There is a deep sense of belonging to God, and nothing is impossible when we belong to Him. The sovereign God over all empires and nations, the King of kings, Lord of all, Creator of heaven and earth, calls you His son and daughter.
This is the new you. Your life will be transformed forever.Noting the context of 2 Corinthians 6:18: After we receive the gift of salvation through the work of Christ on the cross, God calls us to live like Him, holistically in our actions, deeds, decisions, and planning. Godliness should be evident. That is the purpose of a restored image in God. We must also remember that we have a responsibility to respond in love toward Him.
In summary, your identity was crushed because of human depravity. But God offers restoration through His Son, Jesus Christ, who forgives all our sins and restores us to our original identity as His sons and daughters, no longer orphans. With this powerful truth, He wants to work in your life personally as your Good Shepherd. A good and beautiful God wants the best for you. He loves you, He died for you, and He wants to restore your identity.
