What does it mean that humanity is made in the image of God (imago dei)?
By Rod Dreher
Rawlings School of Divinity
CLED 800: Biblical & Theological Foundations of Education
Genevieve Hamer
July 3, 2022
On the last day of creation, God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness”
(Genesis 1:26). Thus, He finished His work with a “personal touch.” God formed Adam from the
dust and gave him life by sharing His own breath (Genesis 2:7). Accordingly, humanity is unique
among all God’s creations, having both a material body and an immaterial soul/spirit.
Having the “image” or “likeness” of God means, in the simplest terms, that we were made
to resemble God. Adam did not resemble God in the sense of God’s having flesh and blood.
Scripture says that “God is spirit” (John 4:24) and therefore exists without a body. However,
Adam’s body did mirror the life of God insofar as it was created in perfect health and was not
subject to death.
The image of God (Latin, imago dei) refers to the immaterial part of humanity. It sets human
beings apart from the animal world, fits them for the dominion God intended them to have
over the earth (Genesis 1:28), and enables them to commune with their Maker. It is a likeness
mentally, morally, and socially.
Mentally, humanity was created as a rational, volitional agent. In other words, human beings
can reason and choose. This is a reflection of God’s intellect and freedom. Anytime someone
invents a machine, writes a book, paints a landscape, enjoys a symphony, calculates a sum, or
names a pet, he or she is proclaiming the fact that we are made in God’s image.
Morally, humanity was created in righteousness and perfect innocence, a reflection of God’s
holiness. God saw all He had made (humanity included) and called it “very good” (Genesis
1:31). Our conscience or “moral compass” is a vestige of that original state. Whenever someone
writes a law, recoils from evil, praises good behavior, or feels guilty, he or she is confirming the
fact that we are made in God’s own image.
Socially, humanity was created for fellowship. This reflects God’s triune nature and His love. In
Eden, humanity’s primary relationship was with God (Genesis 3:8 implies fellowship with God),
and God made the first woman because “it is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18).
Every time someone marries, makes a friend, hugs a child, or attends church, he or she is
demonstrating the fact that we are made in the likeness of God.
Part of being made in God’s image is that Adam had the capacity to make free choices.
Although they were given a righteous nature, Adam and Eve made an evil choice to rebel
against their Creator. In so doing, they marred the image of God within themselves, and passed
that damaged likeness on to all their descendants (Romans 5:12). Today, we still bear the image
of God (James 3:9), but we also bear the scars of sin. Mentally, morally, socially, and physically,
we show the effects of sin.
The good news is that when God redeems an individual, He begins to restore the original image
of God, creating a “new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness”
(Ephesians 4:24). That redemption is only available by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ
as our Savior from the sin that separates us from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Through Christ, we are
made new creations in the likeness of God (2 Corinthians 5:17).
