Image of God

Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
2 Corinthians 4:4

In the original blueprint of man’s creation, the design called for a creature made in the image of God(Genesis 1:27). It was not the physical distinctions of the humanoid form that set Adam apart from the animals. After all, God is a Spirit and has no visible shape of His own. What was really unique was his power to deal in abstracts and reach conclusions.

A dog cannot see beauty or enjoy art. Right and wrong or even right and left are for beyond the comprehension of even the most intelligent ape. It is man’s capacity to reason that allows him to make intelligent choices. This is necessary to enjoy communion with God.

However, something went terribly wrong after the die was cast. The first man chose to disobey his maker thus distorting the divine likeness. As a result, he came to resemble the god of this age more than the true God of the universe. Now, when human history is recorded it is its wars and injustices that stand out, showing man’s weakness and failure of character. The image of God had become terribly flawed.

Christ is the Image of God, the high example of what the Creator's plan was for Adam’s race. If holiness was too intangible a concept for people to understand, it took shape in the person of Jesus Christ. God’s love and grace had physical form that could be seen, heard, and felt by those who lost sight of the original design. Truth, justice, and mercy became solid realities that demanded to be dealt with.

Man’s marred image of God can be remade by the Savior. The work of grace not only covers the ugliness of sin but transforms the behavior into the image of Christ. In this way, the old order of how things were supposed to be can be finally regained forever.