Created in His Image, Called by His Voice

The starting point is not ambiguous. God literally created the heavens and the earth, formed Adam from the dust, fashioned Eve from Adam, and established humanity as male and female. Scripture speaks plainly and we receive it gladly. “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).

This truth tells us who we are and what we are for. We are not accidents or upgraded animals. We are image-bearers, appointed to reflect God’s character, steward His world, and fill the earth with His glory (Genesis 1:26–28; 2:15; Psalm 8). Jesus confirmed the goodness of God’s original design: “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female’” (Mark 10:6).

Dignity That Will Not Be Erased

Because we bear God’s image, every human life is sacred from conception to natural death. Scripture ties the sanctity of life to the image, not to utility or capacity (Genesis 9:6; Psalm 139:13–16; Luke 1:41–44). The image gives weight to our ethics, our laws, and our love.

This dignity shapes the way we speak and act. James warns us about cursing “men who have been made in God’s likeness” (James 3:9). The tongue should bless, not degrade. The body should honor, not exploit (1 Corinthians 6:18–20). The church should welcome the weak, not prefer the powerful (Romans 12:16; 1 Corinthians 12:22–25).

- Protect life and speak for those who cannot speak (Proverbs 24:11; Proverbs 31:8–9).

- Show impartial love across ethnicity, status, and stage of life (Acts 17:26; James 2:1–9).

- Pursue purity, because “you were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

What the Image Means—and What It Does Not

The image does not mean we look like God physically. God is spirit (John 4:24). The image is about representation and reflection. God made us to know Him, love Him, rule under Him, and resemble His righteousness in creaturely ways (Genesis 1:26; Psalm 8; Ephesians 4:24).

The image also does not mean we are divine. We are creatures. We are dependent. We are accountable. Sin did not erase the image, but it marred it. The fall bent our loves, darkened our understanding, and corrupted our rule (Genesis 3; Romans 1:18–25; 5:12; James 3:9).

- The image gives identity and dignity.

- The fall explains distortion and depravity.

- Redemption restores and renews the image.

Christ, the True Image, and Our Renewal

God did not abandon His design. He sent His Son. Jesus is the true and perfect image. “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature” (Hebrews 1:3). In Christ, the image is not only revealed but given back to us.

Through union with Christ, we are being refashioned to reflect Him. We “have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Colossians 3:10). Those God foreknew He predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 4:4–6).

- Look to Christ, the true image (Colossians 1:15).

- Walk by the Spirit who forms Christ in us (Galatians 5:16–25).

- Practice the new self in righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22–24; Colossians 3:12–17).

Stewardship and Dominion Under Christ

In creation God entrusted real authority to humanity. Dominion is not domination. It is stewarding God’s world in God’s way for God’s glory, cultivating order, beauty, and justice (Genesis 1:28; 2:15; Psalm 24:1; Proverbs 12:10).

Under the Lordship of Christ, the dominion mandate and the Great Commission reinforce each other. Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (Matthew 28:18). He sends us to disciple the nations, teaching them to obey all He commanded, with the promise, “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:19–20).

- Steward creation wisely and gratefully (Genesis 2:15; Psalm 115:16).

- Build culture that adorns truth and serves neighbor (Jeremiah 29:7; Titus 3:1–2).

- Make disciples who bear Christ’s image into every sphere (Matthew 28:18–20; 2 Timothy 2:2).

Everyday Ways to Honor God’s Image

Honoring the image is not theoretical. It fills ordinary life with holy purpose.

- Guard your speech. Speak life, not contempt (James 3:9–12; Ephesians 4:29).

- Honor marriage and sexual purity as image-bearing gift and covenant (Genesis 2:24; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5).

- Protect the unborn, cherish the elderly, and care for the disabled (Psalm 139:13–16; Proverbs 23:22; Luke 14:12–14).

- Work diligently as worship and witness (Genesis 2:15; Colossians 3:23–24).

- Practice hospitality that sees Christ in the least (Matthew 25:40; Romans 12:13; 1 Peter 4:9).

- Pursue justice with humility and mercy (Micah 6:8; Isaiah 1:17; Proverbs 21:3).

- Share the gospel as the heart of true human flourishing (Mark 8:34–38; Romans 1:16–17).

Hard Realities and Unshakable Hope

We live amid brokenness. Wars, hatred, exploitation, and confusion about identity and purpose flow from sin’s vandalism of the image (Romans 3:9–18; Titus 3:3). Yet the image remains, and grace is stronger. No person is beyond the reach of mercy. No story is beyond redemption.

This is why the church embraces both truth and tenderness. We refuse lies about God’s design, and we refuse to despise image-bearers. We hold the line on holiness and hold out the hand of hope. The gospel dignifies the sinner and sanctifies the saint (John 1:17; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11).

The Image Perfected in Glory

Our future is not vague. Scripture says that when Christ appears “we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). The image will be fully restored. Glory will crown grace. Bodies will be raised, creation renewed, and righteousness will dwell (1 Corinthians 15:42–49; Romans 8:18–23; 2 Peter 3:13).

This hope fuels faithfulness today. We present our bodies as a living sacrifice and seek transformation by the renewing of our minds, anticipating the day when faith becomes sight (Romans 12:1–2; Revelation 21:1–5).

Scripture grounds personhood in God’s creative action, not in developmental milestones. David speaks of God’s work in the womb, and John the Baptist leaped in utero at the presence of Christ (Psalm 139:13–16; Luke 1:41–44). Genesis 9:6 anchors the prohibition of murder in the image. Pro-life conviction flows from creation, not culture.

- Advocate for laws and practices that protect life.

- Support crisis pregnancy care, adoption, foster care, and post-abortion healing.

- Couple conviction with compassion, grace, and practical help.

Male and Female, Marriage and the Image

God’s image is expressed in male-and-female complementarity, not erased by it (Genesis 1:27; Mark 10:6–9). Marriage signifies covenant love and fruitful mission, and sexual ethics flow from that design (Genesis 2:24; 1 Corinthians 6:13–20; Ephesians 5:31–33).

- Honor the goodness of embodied maleness and femaleness.

- Celebrate singleness and marriage as distinct callings for kingdom service (1 Corinthians 7).

- Reject both misogyny and androgyny, embracing holy difference for mutual upbuilding.

Race, Ethnicity, and the Unity of the Image

From one man God made every nation, and in Christ He forms one new humanity (Acts 17:26; Ephesians 2:14–16). Partiality denies the gospel, and love across difference displays it (James 2:1–9; Revelation 7:9–10).

- Oppose ethnic pride and contempt with repentance and reconciliation.

- Practice table fellowship that crosses lines the world draws.

- Invest in multiethnic disciple-making and leadership development.

Work, Vocation, and Culture-Making

Work began before the fall and remains a primary venue for image-bearing. We cultivate, create, and contribute as stewards, not owners (Genesis 2:15; Psalm 24:1; Colossians 3:23–24). The cross redeems our labor, and the Spirit empowers our witness.

- See your job as worship, service, and mission.

- Build with excellence, integrity, and neighbor-love.

- Resist idolatry of career and embrace sabbath rhythms (Exodus 20:8–11; Matthew 16:26).

Power, Justice, and Mercy

Authority is from God and must be used to bless, protect, and set right, never to exploit (Romans 13:1–4; Deuteronomy 16:18–20; Proverbs 29:4). The image demands justice for the oppressed and due process for the accused. Mercy triumphs over judgment when the guilty repent and believe (Micah 6:8; Isaiah 1:17; James 2:13).

- Seek justice without vengeance.

- Uphold truth without cruelty.

- Combine courageous advocacy with gospel reconciliation.

Suffering, Disability, and the Image

Disability does not diminish the image. God’s purposes often shine brightest in weakness, and the church must esteem and include every member as indispensable (John 9:1–3; 1 Corinthians 12:22–26). The resurrection secures the healing our groaning hearts long for (Romans 8:18–25).

- Design congregational life for accessibility and belonging.

- Learn from the faith of sufferers and caregivers.

- Offer tangible help, patient friendship, and persevering prayer.

Technology, AI, and What We Are Not

No artifact, algorithm, or avatar bears the image. Only human beings do. Tools can serve neighbor-love or amplify folly. Wisdom tests everything by Scripture, loves truth, guards privacy, protects the vulnerable, and resists disembodied counterfeit community (Proverbs 4:7; 14:15; Ephesians 4:25).

- Refuse to outsource moral agency to machines.

- Prioritize embodied presence over virtual substitutes.

- Aim technology toward stewardship, healing, and mission, not vanity.

Evangelism and Discipleship as Image-Restoration

The gospel is the power of God to save, restore, and re-image sinners in Christ (Romans 1:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17). Teaching believers to obey all that Jesus commanded forms a people who look like their Lord, bearing His likeness into homes, workplaces, and nations (Matthew 28:18–20; Titus 2:11–14).

- Share Christ with clarity, compassion, and courage.

- Disciple toward Christlike character and kingdom competence.

- Plant and strengthen churches that display a foretaste of the new creation.

The End Toward Which We Press

History moves toward a city where the Lamb’s light transfigures everything, where God’s face is seen, and where the image is unbroken forever (Revelation 21–22). Until that day we walk by faith, work with hope, and love with His love, confident that He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6).