Though there are many theories about the origin of life, God’s infallible Word teaches that on the sixth day of Creation, God made man. Not only that, but the Bible tells us, “God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:27).

An image is a representation or depiction of something or someone. When Scripture tells us we are made in the image of God, it conveys that we are a representation of Him. We are similar to Him, but not identical—we are not God.

Often, when we think of being made in God’s image, our moral nature is what first comes to mind. Certainly, Adam and Eve, the first humans, were created in the moral image of God with righteous natures, having pure hearts and a bias toward holiness. However, Genesis 1:27 refers to much more than our moral nature--God endued man with several qualities that are in His likeness. Therefore, even after Adam and Eve committed the first sin, corrupting their righteousness, they continued to bear God’s image. This is true for all of fallen man, so in essence, God has stamped His image on every human heart.

Understanding the ways in which humanity bears the image of God reveals part of the special purpose He intended for our lives in comparison with the rest of creation. Let’s consider a few of them.

We are relational

Man is a relational being in that he has a need for fellowship. Though the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are separate persons, they are united as one—they are relational. This Trinitarian aspect of God is mirrored in humanity as a group.

The word “man” can refer to a single entity, but also to a community of males and females. This is illustrated by Genesis 5:1-2: “In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.” We notice that “Adam” in this context refers to both male and female. In the Hebrew language, the word Adam means “man or mankind.” Another way of stating this is “human or humankind.” So, God created two genders in His own image.

In Genesis, chapter 2, we find further details regarding the creation of humans. After first creating Adam, God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” He created Eve and then we read, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (verses 18 and 24). Though this speaks of marriage, it also reveals the Biblical truth that humans have a natural need for companionship.

God’s intention from the beginning was that the two human counterparts, male and female, would be life-long marriage partners. However, when the first created couple sinned, breaking their relationship with God, they also damaged their relationship with each other. When God asked Adam if he had disobeyed, his reply was, “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat” (Genesis 3:12). It wasn’t long after this, as we read in the next chapter, that one of Adam and Eve’s own children murdered his brother. Often, we see that when a person severs his or her relationship with God, other relationships are impacted. This is a reminder that the best way to repair broken relationships among ourselves is to reconcile with God first. 

Apart from marriage, we are social creatures who need to be part of a group. It is purposeful that the Body of Christ is a living organism with Christ as the head and believers as the members. We were not designed to live in isolation; we need each other. Being part of the body of believers makes us less vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks. As a group, we are able to encourage and support one another, hold each other accountable, and learn to serve and love God as well as one another. God designed us in His image as relational beings, having a need for companionship, social interaction, and fellowship.

We are intellectual

As with God, man has the ability to think and reason. Humans are intellectual beings capable of taking in, processing, and acting on information. In addition, we have the capacity to think an unlimited number of original thoughts. We contemplate philosophical questions, and this is one of the ways in which we differ from animals. Cats and dogs don’t ponder life’s big questions. Animals don’t wonder, “Why am I here? Where did I come from?” or “What is my purpose in life?” Humans do, because God created mankind with a capacity for higher consciousness or awareness.  

Human beings have a consciousness of God—we are aware of Him. In addition, man is a self-conscious being. We have an awareness of self and the capacity for self-evaluation and determination. We were not preprogrammed or prewired but have free wills and the power to make our own choices and act upon them.

The original sin was an act of free will. Though Adam and Eve were created in a state of innocence and knew no sin, they were intelligent beings with the ability to reason. They were fully aware of the decision they were making. When Satan tempted them, they chose to yield to temptation, disobey God, and separate themselves from His will. In essence, they were telling God by their actions, “We don’t want to live by Your rule.” Adam and Eve knew what they were doing, and when we disobey God, we know it. God has given us a free will, and we are fully responsible for the choices that we make.  

We are moral

We have a moral awareness, or a sense of right and wrong. When we do something wrong, we feel guilt. When we see harm done to another human being, there is something within us that cries out and says it is wrong. That sense of justice is unique to man.

Adam and Eve’s act of defiance not only corrupted their own moral natures, but plunged humanity into a depraved condition. Every descendant of Adam inherited his corrupt or sinful nature, and was born with an inclination to do evil—to break God’s Law.

There is a trend in our world today to believe that humanity is inherently good. The theory is that society corrupts man, and if society could be righted, man’s problems would dissipate. The Bible teaches just the opposite: only when the human heart is purified by cleansing it from sin will society improve. The reality is that fallen man, when left to his own devices, will only corrupt himself more and more. Without divine intervention, mankind is utterly wicked and eternally lost. There is only one remedy for sin, and that is the shed Blood of Jesus. Christ’s death on the Cross provided for our salvation—the forgiveness of committed sins—and sanctification, a cleansing from all unrighteousness. It is entire sanctification that eradicates, or purges, our sin nature, restoring our moral nature to be in unity with God.

We are spiritual

We are spiritual beings. This means that part of us will live on eternally after our mortal bodies die. King Solomon captured this concept well in Ecclesiastes 12:7. He said, “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was,” speaking of the body, “and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” According to Zechariah 12:1, our spirits are formed by God. Zechariah said, “The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.”

In the account of man’s creation, we read of both the body being formed and the spirit being given by God. Genesis 2:7 states, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” The word translated here as “formed” indicates shaping, as a potter shapes clay, and the word “breath” has an alternate meaning of “spirit.” This account of man’s creation differs from that of all other living creatures. Whereas God spoke the animals into existence, saying, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature . . .” (Genesis 1:24), He fashioned man from the soil and breathed the spirit of life into him.

Because we are spiritual beings, we have the privilege of prayer and communing with God both here and in eternity.

Other likenesses

In addition to the four qualities already named, God has endued man with several other attributes reflecting His nature. Among these are an appreciation for beauty, the ability to feel and express a wide variety of emotions, our sense of order, and our ability to create new things from the resources God has given us. We also have an extensive capacity for communication, which sets us apart from the animal kingdom. All these attributes in us are a reflection of God and clear evidence of His image stamped on our hearts.  

Our purpose

Knowing that among all God’s Creation we were uniquely made in His image, we might wonder if we serve a special purpose. Though we can’t fully understand God’s motives for making us in the way He did, His Word reveals several reasons.

As relational beings, we have the ability to return God’s love and enter into fellowship with Him. More than anything else in creation, mankind is the object of God’s love, both as the human race and as individuals. Throughout the Bible, we see His concern for humanity. We see that He continually comes to mankind and enters into relationships with us. This is demonstrated when we read that Enoch walked with God, Noah found grace in God’s sight, and Abraham was called the friend of God. It is apparent that we were designed to have an intimate relationship with our Creator.

As intellectual beings with free will, we can choose whether or not to please God. The Bible tells us in Revelation 4:11 that God is worthy “to receive glory and honour” and that all things were created for His pleasure. However, we have a unique opportunity to please God by our free-will choice to serve Him.

As moral beings, we have the capacity to be holy. As already stated, the shed Blood of Jesus will save and sanctify. It will restore our moral natures, bringing us into unity with God’s nature, resulting in lives that glorify Him. All that is required on our parts is to surrender our lives to Him and continue to submit ourselves to His will.

As spiritual beings, we alone are able to commune with God through prayer and worship. As the Bible tells us in John 4:24, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” From the moment of salvation, our spirits are knit to God’s as “the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16). This bond is further strengthened when we invite God’s Holy Spirit to indwell us as we were designed to do.

In addition, as spiritual beings, we are meant to spend eternity with God. At the end of this age, all of creation will be destroyed except for the spirits of mankind. Our spirits will continue to live because it is God’s intention for us to be with Him forever in Heaven. Rejecting God’s offer of salvation will result in eternal separation from God in Hell. However, that is not what He wants for us. God did not create Hell for humanity; it was created for the devil and his angels (see Matthew 25:41). For us, God created Heaven, where our communion with Him will be eternal.

Being made in the image and likeness of God, we are blessed above all of creation. We have the opportunity to love and be loved by Him, to choose to serve Him, to partake of His holiness, to worship Him in spirit and in truth, and to be with Him for eternity. People look for satisfaction in many places—in success, wealth, fame, and vices to name a few, but they won’t find it in this world. Satisfaction will only come when we fulfill our God-given purpose as bearers of His image.

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