Everyone in the world is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). We are not created in the image of monkeys, nor did we come from a biological soup, evolving over millions of years. We came from God and his word, and we are created in his image.
It’s important to know where we came from. Since every person is created in God’s image, every person has dignity and is valuable. This is why we are called to do good to everyone, especially to Christians (Galatians 6:10). We are to love our neighbors as ourselves, because they are created in God’s image.
However, just because every person is created in the image of God doesn’t mean that every person is saved. To be saved and go to heaven, we need to trust in Christ and be born again.
One false teaching popular in some churches today says that we are little gods or can become gods. This is wrong. There is only one God, and although we are created in his image, we are not him.
God’s intention in creating mankind is that they have dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26). This is so the earth can reveal the glory of God. To the extent that humans are conformed to the image of God, to that extent they can fulfill their purpose, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God.
In the beginning, Adam and Eve perfectly reflected God’s glory and power. They manifested the dominion of the spiritual kingdom of God over the entire earth because they were without sin.
When Adam and Eve sinned, the image of God in them was marred. They no longer fully reflected the glory and presence of God into the world. They lost his spiritual life and power. Decay, sickness, demonization, and corruption entered the world. The creation was cursed, and it began bringing forth thorns and thistles. Animals began devouring each other. Death entered the world.Before the Fall there was no death in the world, but all death entered after Adam sinned (Romans 5:12).
Sin didn’t cause humans to completely lose the image of God (James 3:9), but it caused the image of God in them to become terribly marred. It weakened them so they were no longer able to fully accomplish God’s will.
Because humans lost the perfect image of God, they lost the ability to have dominion over the creation, and Satan took over the world.
This is why Jesus Christ came.
Jesus Christ is the image of God (Hebrews 1:3, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Colossians 1:15). He is a perfect representation of his Father. He has no sin. This means that when he came to earth he radiated the full presence and power of the kingdom of God into the world. Wherever he went, he said “the kingdom of God has come near to you,” for he walked in full spiritual dominion and power over the earth.
Jesus came to earth and took on human flesh in order to heal us and restore us back to the full image of God.
God’s will for everyone who trusts in Christ is to be conformed to the image of Jesus.
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
This is a process that is currently going on in all of our lives.
As we follow Jesus, we are being “transformed” or “transfigured” into his image, from one degree of glory to a higher degree of glory. This happens as we obey God’s word and walk in the Spirit in fellowship with other believers. God’s goal in redeeming us is to bring many sons to glory (Hebrews 2:10). This is possible through what Jesus Christ did on the cross. He paid for all of our sins, rose up again, and poured out the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes we don’t see much spiritual growth in our lives, and we might feel we are not making much progress. But as we continue to grow spiritually, we can be sure this transformation is happening.
As we become more conformed to the image of Jesus, and the image of God is healed in us, we become more spiritually effective for the Lord. We become more fruitful. We operate in more spiritual authority. We have greater discernment. We walk in more holiness. We receive forgiveness from Christ, and we are quicker to forgive others. We will experience more miracles and spiritual gifts.
God wants all of us to grow spiritually so that we are able fulfill our destiny.
When this process culminates, eventually God’s people will impact the entire creation.
“because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:21)
God himself, and the entire creation, is waiting for us to fulfill our destiny.
This will be completed when Christ returns to the earth, and we reign with him in his eternal kingdom.
We are all a work in progress. God is healing us and conforming us to the image of his Son Jesus Christ. As this process goes on, we reflect more of the light and life of God into the world. Ultimately, it will result in the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose, to reveal the fullness of his glory to the world.
Lincoln House Churches 