Journeying in Genesis: Image Bearing Restored

“Then God said,

‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.

And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea

and over the birds of the heavens

and over the livestock and over all the earth

and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’”

Genesis 1:26

Before the image bearers (humans) began to multiply, Satan entered to sow harmful seed. (See Matthew 13:24-43.) He tempted Eve, Adam joined in, and sin entered the Garden. It tainted the image bearers whose sin now bore the image of Satan.

Since humans could no longer to bear the full likeness of God, Jesus came to do it for us. Hebrews 1:3 says,

“He is the radiance of the glory of God

and the exact imprint of his nature,

and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

After making purification for sins,

he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…”

Romans 8:3-4 speaks of our redemption through the only One who could truly bear God’s image,

“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do.

By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,

he condemned sin in the flesh,

in order that the righteous requirement of the law

might be fulfilled in us,

who walk not according to the flesh

but according to the Spirit.”

Jesus took on the likeness of sinful flesh, so we could take on His likeness through salvation. And one day the full redemption of the plan will become manifest:

“For the earth will be filled

with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD

as the waters cover the sea.”

Habakkuk 2:14