But…what is the image of God?

Watch the complete sermon here: https://www.bridges.church/messages/in-god-s-image-genesis-1-26-28/

Hey, thanks again for sending in questions related to our recent sermons. We’re in a series looking at the goodness of creation. In this last Sunday, we talked about humans, that humans are made in the image of God. We talked significantly about humans have an incredible worth, inherent value because we are made in the image of God. Every single human, even after the fall, carries the image of God and therefore has incredible worth, inherent worth.

The question this week is, but what is the image of God in us? What is that? What does it mean that we have that in looking, studying for the message? There’s people who have talked and debated about what is the image of God in us for as long as there have been people studying the scriptures. And I think the best way to say it is in terms of what it isn’t.

There’s people who would say God is triune. And so if we’re made in his image, it means that we are triune, maybe body, soul and spirit. There you go. We are trinity. But that’s not what God being triune means.

God is three persons, Father, son and holy spirit. Not body, soul and spirit. And so it’s not that, or some people would say it means that we’re divine. And it’s not that either. There’s one God, right?

And we are creature, he is creator, and the difference between us is infinite. So it is not that we are divine or that we will be divine someday. So there’s a lot of ways that we can say what the image of God isn’t. It is more difficult to say what it is. I think more evidently in scripture, we can see what the image of God gives us.

Like we said in the sermon, the image of God gives us inherent worth and value. Genesis nine, where God says, you can’t kill each other because that other person is made in my image. He doesn’t say, don’t kill each other because it would be mean or that it’s wrong, although those things are true. He says, don’t kill each other because that other person contains my image. Right.

It gives that person worth an inherent worth. And so image of God gives us worth. I think image of God probably gives us capacity for relationship with God.

We are the only part of creation that carries God’s image. And so you have to look at what is truly unique about humans. And uniquely, humans have the ability to be children of God, to be in his family, to be in a relationship with him like that. So I think the image of God gives us capacity for relationship with him. Other creatures have capacity for relationship.

I mean, animals live in pods or prides or tribes. You might have a great relationship with your dog, right? Other parts of creation have capacity for relationship. But we’re the only part of creation that has capacity of relationship with God and to be in his family and to be his children. So it gives us worth, gives us capacity relationship with him, and it really separates us from all the rest of creation.

That’s what the image of God gives. And so I hope that’s helpful. Thanks for the question and we’ll see you next time. Bye.