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Genesis 1:26–31
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Gen. 1:27).
We have seen that the end toward which Christians are to struggle can be understood in numerous ways: holiness, Christlikeness, obedience, and so forth. But the Bible also sets the goal before us in terms of the very purpose for which mankind was created. Simply put, Christians are to strive to reflect God’s character accurately.
Having created and ordered the cosmos, formed the world, and brought forth all plant and animal life in five days, God on the sixth day prepared for the crowning act of creation with these words: “ ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.’ ” And so He did. Like nothing else in creation, man is, in some sense, like God. We are His image-bearers. The idea here is not physical resemblance; after all, God is a spirit (John 4:24) and does not have a body as we do. It may have to do with shared faculties—the capacity to think, to make volitional choices, and so on. However, in speaking of man being made in God’s image, the Scriptures are getting at something even deeper. Man is created with a unique capacity to reflect the character of God, particularly His holiness. We are not holy in and of ourselves. Nevertheless, He has called us as human beings in creation to bear witness to Him and to reflect His holy character to the world. The Westminster Shorter Catechism puts it this way: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” In other words, we are commissioned to show the world what God is like, lifting Him up for all to see. In a very real sense, we are to follow our Lord Jesus Christ’s example here. He is declared to be “the brightness of God’s glory and the express image of His person” (Heb. 1:3). He fulfilled the purpose for which humanity was made, perfectly reflecting the character of God. Our challenge, therefore, is to do the same by becoming more like Him. This is the intended purpose of the human race, and we who profess to love God must be attentive to it.
When Adam and Eve fell into sin, the image of God was soiled and defaced, but it was not erased. And God immediately inaugurated His plan of redemption. Through the promise of the Seed of the woman, a promise fulfilled by Christ, God is restoring His image in His people. If you are His child, His desire for you is holiness, and He will bring it to pass.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Unbelievers in the world have every right to expect Christians to mirror the character of God. In fact, we should aspire to do so. Though none of us will ever be perfect in this life, there should be differences between the way we live and the practices of the surrounding culture, differences unbelievers can see. How are you doing?
For Further Study
- Matthew 5:14–16
- Philippians 2:15
- 1 Peter 1:13–16
- 1 Peter 2:11–12