Image of God

Genesis informs us that God created male and female human beings "in the image of God." (Gen. 1:27.) The question immediately arises - what is the image of God? This question has been the subject of much discussion for centuries, usually under the phrase - Imago Dei - which is Latin for the image of God.

Is the Imago Dei to be understood in a physical sense? In other words, does it have anything at all to do with the way we physically look? There is a temptation to think of the image of God in this manner. The Mormons assert the image of God is physical since they believe God was once a man as we are who progressed into an exalted being. Thus, as God's children, we are of the same species as God is. Initially, many think of the Imago Dei in this manner, in a physical sense of the phrase.

However, Jesus informs us that God is spirit. (John 4:24.) Historic Christianity teaches that there is no physical shape or form of God that constitutes his image, since God is all or only spirit and is invisible. This is part of why the Second Commandment forbids making a graven image (an idol, a likeness) of God. (Exodus 20:4.)

Instead, the Imago Dei mainly comprises of the following characteristics which are found in all human beings:

• The capacity to reason;
• The capacity to love;
• The capacity for creativity;
• The capacity for language;
• The capacity for holiness;
• An innate knowledge of immortality;
• The capacity for making free will decisions;
• An innate sense and knowledge of morality;
• A capacity for self-transcendence;
• A capacity for self-consciousness;
• A consciousness of the existence of God;
• An understanding of the distinction between God and non-God

The Imago Dei distinguishes human beings from the animals. While animals can seem to exhibit some of the characteristics listed above, this often results from our wanting to attribute these characteristics to them.

So what does the image of God look like? The Bible points us to Jesus Christ, who is the "image of the invisible God." (Colossians 1:15.) The fullness of God dwells in Christ. (Colossians 1:19.) Jesus was the most fully human that ever walked on this earth, and is the best representative of what the Imago Dei means. However, every person on earth reflects the Imago Dei, whether they do good or evil, they cannot escape from it. We should therefore appreciate every person we come across as one made in the image of God.