Sneak Peek:

Chapter One: Celebrating the Image of God

The phrase “the spitting image” is often used to describe a child who looks like a parent, and it comes from melding the phrase “spirit and image.” Friends and family members may notice similarities between parents and their children. They see a likeness in characteristics or physical traits and claim he’s got his father’s looks, or she’s got her mother’s disposition.

I have certain characteristics and physical traits that would remind you of my father. I have passed down some traits to each of my sons. I remember showing one of my sons a picture of myself as a young child. He claimed it was a picture of himself because of the similarities. These similarities often go beyond physical traits. I had a couple of longtime friends of my parents whom I hadn’t seen for 15 years. When we met, they instantly recognized me, even though I had grown from a boy to a man.

They said, “We knew who you were.”

I asked, “How did you recognize me?”

“We said to one another, ‘He even walks like his father.’”

Now, of course, I don’t try to walk like my father, but it seems like it’s just baked into my DNA. We all carry a unique stamp from our parents, and even if we aren’t the spitting image of them, we inherit characteristics passed down from generation to generation.

God said in Genesis 1:26 that He uniquely made men and women “in His image.” He didn’t say that about plants or any of the animal kingdom. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God,” and we reflect on the goodness of God when we look around and the splendor of His creation. However, men and women are uniquely made in God’s image. We will find our purpose as we celebrate the image of God in each person.

When we look at the world today, we often see people trying to understand their identity and express themselves in various ways. But the answer isn’t to merely tolerate God’s design; it’s to celebrate it. God has intentionally created us in His image, setting us apart from the rest of creation.

Howard Hughes, a famous aviator, filmmaker, and business tycoon, flew a prototype aircraft called the Hughes XF-11 in 1946. He had received warnings from the aircraft’s designer, Richard Palmer, who informed him that the aircraft wasn’t built to withstand severe storms. However, Hughes ignored the warning, believing he could do as he pleased. In doing so, he put himself in danger and ultimately crashed the plane in a Beverly Hills neighborhood. Despite surviving, he suffered severe injuries.

Had Hughes heeded the designer’s advice, he could have avoided the pain and damage he endured. Similarly, God looks at us and says, “I made you; I created you.” He’s not only aware of our being but has a purpose for our lives. He has revealed in His Word how we should live and relate to one another. It would be unwise for us to disregard His design and wisdom.

In a world that often seeks to redefine human identity and to deviate from God’s design, we need to understand, appreciate, and celebrate that we are created in God’s image and that He has declared us “very good” (Genesis 1:31). This allows us to live according to His divine purposes. We should revel in the unique beauty and significance of every individual, recognizing that we are masterfully crafted by the Creator of the universe.

Today, our children are being taught the theory of evolution as fact. As one person jokingly stated, “From the goo to the zoo to me and you!” First, there was the primordial soup; then, through the process of evolution, single-cell organisms developed into more complex lifeforms. They have evolved further into more complex animals, and humans today are simply highly evolved, highly developed animals. This theory, being promoted as fact, has led to the belief that there’s nothing truly unique about humanity; we’re just slightly more evolved animals. One natural outcome from such thinking is that children today are not viewing themselves as the unique creations of God, made in His image.

Adrian Rogers once said, “When you believe that men sprang from animals, it’s much easier to treat them like animals rather than people made in the image of God. Do you want me to tell you why we have so much difficulty with young people today and … [the] philosophy, ‘If it feels good, do it’? Because we’ve finally gotten across the idea that man is an animal, … [and] an animal lives for three things: self-preservation, self-propagation, and self-gratification. That’s … what we’ve taught our generation. They have been taught that they are not made in the image of God - that they just happened, that they’re an accident - out of spontaneous generation. God forbid.”^[i]

A better approach is to return to Genesis, back to what God revealed. God made humanity differently from the rest of the animal kingdom and plant life. It’s essential not to disregard God’s teaching but to celebrate it. Even amid the chaos and confusion in the world, we can anchor our hope in God’s infallible, unchanging Word.

Two decades ago, certain biological realities existed, and as adults, we didn’t have to address some of the philosophies our children face today. The confusion surrounding gender is a prime example - there’s a modern belief that gender is distinct from one’s physical body and must be discovered. Just a few years ago, an ultrasound could confirm a baby’s sex, but today there is considerable confusion. Why? It’s because people are rejecting God’s Word, thinking they can figure things out on their own. The Designer has spoken, but His guidance is being ignored.

Genesis 1:26-28 emphasizes the unique status of men and women, which stands in contrast to the secular humanism that is advocated today by those who seek to omit God from the narrative of creation.

Genesis 1:26–28

²⁶ Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

²⁷ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

²⁸ Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

This passage challenges prevailing assumptions, particularly those ingrained in our educational system. When someone seeks answers about their origin, exploring various theories becomes challenging because of the education system’s reluctance to incorporate what the Bible teaches. The theory of evolution claims that mankind evolved over millions of years. Yet our education system seems content to present this theory as an absolute fact, rejecting all other ideas (including what the Bible says here).

Where the secularist sees chaos, time, and chance, the Christian sees order, complexity, and design, all of which point toward an Intelligent Designer. Suggesting this Intelligent Design theory arrives too close to our creator God described in the Bible, and is met with resistance from secularists, hindering anyone’s open exploration of an alternative theory to evolution.

Michael Behe, a former biochemistry professor at Rutgers University, wrote Darwin’s Black Box. Evolution is based on the progression from simplicity to complexity and from chaos to order. According to Charles Darwin, for his theory of evolution to hold, nothing should be irreducibly complex. Everything must reduce to simple, single-cell organisms. Darwin suggested that if anything could be shown to be irreducibly complex, the theory of evolution would collapse.

Irreducible complexity can be illustrated with a snap mousetrap. In order for a mousetrap to perform its function, you need the following: the base, the hammer, the spring, and the holding bar.  Connecting to the theory of evolution, if you only had the base and the hammer, you would catch a few mice; if you add the spring, you would catch a few more mice, etc. Of course, if any of these components are removed, no mice are caught. The mousetrap is irreducibly complex.

Behe uses the human eye as a real-life example of something that is irreducibly complex. The cornea, lens, retina, and iris all need to function properly in order for someone to see. Connecting it to evolution, if you only have a cornea and lens, you would see a little and if you added the iris, you would see better. In truth, you would see nothing unless all components are working properly. The human eye is irreducibly complex.

Behe uses the cell as an example to show that some things are indeed irreducibly complex. He suggests that if Darwin had more fully understood the intricacies of genetics, he would not have formulated his theory of evolution. Even elements as seemingly simple as cells reveal astonishing complexity, suggesting the involvement of an intelligent designer - illustrating, according to Behe, the actions of the creator God depicted in the Bible.

Young people will continue to grapple with misconceptions about their identity and value as they listen to secularists who explain humanity’s existence as a cosmic accident, unless we go back to God’s Word, affirming our worth as unique creations. It’s crucial to appreciate how we are created in God’s image, and we can see it in five areas.

Our Design

First, we can see God’s image in our design. John 4:24 states, “God is a Spirit and those who worship Him will worship Him in Spirit and in truth.” God is a spiritual Being, and we are made in His image. We, too, are spiritual beings.

Notice the three-part nature of man in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, which says, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” While Christians sometimes use the terms “spirit” and “soul” interchangeably, the Bible describes humans as three-part beings: spirit, soul, and body.

Hebrews 4:12 distinguishes between spirit and soul when it states, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Though some Christians and theologians would like to say the spirit and soul are the same, and though they are difficult to divide, the Bible says they can be divided.

The spirit and soul make up the inner part of who we are, the invisible but very real aspects of our existence. Our spirits reflect God’s image, as God Himself is a Spirit, and it’s this aspect that allows us to communicate with Him. The Greek word for “soul” is psuche, from which we get the word “psychology.” Our soul is the part that gives us our unique personality – it involves our mind, will, and emotions. This individuality distinguishes us from one another.

Take a look at a litter of kittens, and you can observe these personality differences. These kittens are raised in the same environment, but some are shy, some are aggressive, and some are tender. They just have different personalities. However, they do not possess a spirit. What distinguishes us from animals is our spirit, which allows us to communicate with God.

James Montgomery Boice once wrote, “[M]en and women possess the attributes of personality, as God himself does, but as the animals, plants, and matter do not. To have personality one must possess knowledge, feelings (including religious feelings), and a will. This God has, and so do we. We can say that animals possess a certain kind of personality. But an animal does not reason as men do; it only reacts to certain problems or stimuli. It does not create; it only conforms to certain behavior patterns, even in as elaborate a pattern as constructing a nest, hive, or dam. … It does not worship. Personality, in the sense we are speaking of it here, is something that links man to God but does not link either man or God to the rest of creation.”^[ii]

We are a spirit, we have a soul (a mind, a will, and emotions), and we live in a physical body. This body enables us to walk, talk, work, and communicate. We can only live in this world if our bodies work the way they need to. As people get older, some may experience their bodies breaking down. Their mind may still be sharp, but their body is not functioning like it once did.

God warned the original couple in the Garden of Eden that if they chose to disobey Him, they would surely die. Actually, the original Hebrew of Genesis 2:17 reads, “In dying you shall die.” It is plural. If they chose to sin against God, they would immediately die spiritually, which would lead to eventually dying physically. We know that Adam and Eve didn’t immediately die physically, but they did experience spiritual death. In the end, spiritual death is separation from God (see Isaiah 59:1-2). We have all experienced that separation from God, which is why Jesus Christ came. He died on the cross for our sins so that we could experience new spiritual life. Now, though our bodies will still die, our spirits are alive with God and can be in a relationship with Him.

Romans 5:11, in the Living Bible, reads, “Now we rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God - all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done in dying for our sins - making us friends of God.” Boice continues, “[M]an is made for communion with God, who is Spirit (John 4:24), and that this communion is intended to be eternal as God is eternal. Although man shares a body with such forms of life as plants or flowers and a soul with animals, only he possesses a spirit. It is on the level of the spirit that he is aware of God and communes with Him.”^[iii]

God is eternal, with no beginning and no end. Mankind had a beginning, but will have no end. When the body is dead, the spiritual part of man will live on throughout eternity. All of this distinguishes mankind from everything else in God’s creation. We are designed as spiritual beings who can commune with God and live with Him through eternity. God’s image is reflected in our design.

Our Differences

Second, we can see God’s image in our differences as men and women. God says in Genesis 1:27, “male and female He created them.” We, as human beings, are different from the animal kingdom, and not simply evolved animals. We, as male or female, are different biologically from one another. The Bible portrays God in male imagery and terms, such as Father. Jesus, God’s Son (male), came to this earth as a man. However, both men and women alike reflect the image of God as we live out who He created us to be.

John Macarthur explains, “Genetic research has shown that one pair of human chromosomes, labeled X and Y, determine the gender of our offspring. All males have both X and Y chromosomes; all females have only a pair of X chromosomes. From a purely biological point of view, therefore, the Y chromosome is what determines maleness. If the offspring inherits an X chromosome from the father, it will be female. If the chromosome is Y, the offspring will be male. The father’s seed is the determining factor.”^[iv]

It is important that we believe and understand that there are God-given differences between men and women, but we should never argue that those differences create a rank in God’s system. After God said in Genesis 1:26 that He would give “them” (referring to both men and women) dominion, he refers to mankind as man in Genesis 1:27, which says, “So God created man… male and female He created them.” After reading this volume, I do hope you will understand and appreciate the differences between men and women, but the point here is that men and women are both equally made in the image of God. Every single person on planet Earth has the stamp of God on his or her life, male and female.

Our Discernment

Third, we can see God’s image in our discernment. We are moral beings, and we internally know right from wrong. This is another difference between humans and animals. Animals have instincts, but they do not know right from wrong. Tom Holladay and Kay Warren write, “We know right from wrong. A dog doesn’t know right from wrong. You can train a dog to do what you tell it, but it has no moral conscience that causes it to think, “I shouldn’t be eating out of garbage cans, I need to get into a recovery program.” “Hi, my name is Spot and I eat garbage.” A mouse that invades your house doesn’t have a conscience. It doesn’t lay awake at night wondering if it was right to steal that piece of cheese, agonizing over its place in the world. When Adam and Eve sinned, they immediately felt shame. God created us to be moral beings. (Genesis 3:7; Acts 24:16).”^[v]

A lion does not have the slightest guilt over chasing, killing, and devouring his prey, though he will usually seek out and catch the weakest in the herd. He never thinks back, saying, “I’ve got to stop doing this. This is bad.” John Phillips writes,

Man is in no way related to the beasts. What animal can transmit accumulated achievements from one generation to another? What animal experiences a true sense of guilt when it does wrong or has a developed consciousness of judgment to come? What animal shows any desire to worship? What animal has hope of immortality beyond the grave? What beast can exercise abstract moral judgment or show appreciation of the beauties of nature? (When did we ever see a dog admiring a sunset or a horse standing breathless before the rugged grandeur of a mountain range?) What animal ever learned to read and write, to act with deliberate purpose, and set goals and achieve long-range objectives? What animal ever learned to cook its food, to cut cloth and make clothes, or invent elaborate tools? What animal ever enjoyed a hearty laugh? What animal has the gift for speech? Even the most primitive human tribe possesses linguistics of a subtle, complex, and eloquent nature. Man stands alone. Physically, he alone of all the creatures on the globe, walks upright; mentally, he alone has the ability to communicate in a sophisticated manner; spiritually, he alone has the capacity to know the mind and will of God.”^[vi]

Mankind has been given these moral faculties by God. If you go to primitive cultures throughout history that lack courts or written laws, you will still find people with distinct codes of conduct. God has placed His law on our hearts so that we are without excuse.

Romans 2:14–15 (NLT)

¹⁴ Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it.

¹⁵ They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.

Most of the 10 commandments, found in Exodus 20:1-17, can be seen in these cultures throughout the history of the world. Why? Because God has placed them on man’s heart. We are moral beings, as God’s image bearers, and distinct from the animal kingdom.

Our Dominion

Fourth, we can see God’s image in our dominion. We are responsible beings, and we have been given the authority to rule the earth, including the animals and the plants. God told mankind in Genesis 1:28 to “subdue the earth” and “have dominion.” Genesis 1:26 says, “Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every creeping thing.” John Macarthur explains, “Man’s very posture, standing upright, distinguishes him from four–footed beasts and creeping things. The animals’ natural posture directs their gaze downward, toward the earth. Man, on the other hand, is naturally positioned to look upward, toward the heavens, where he can contemplate the glory of God displayed there.”^[vii]

Genesis 2:15 describes how God gave Adam the job to “tend” and “keep” the Garden of Eden. Adam was also tasked with naming the animals in Genesis 2:19. When people move to a place that is desolate or underdeveloped, and they begin to cultivate the area, this is accomplishing our responsibility to “tend” and “keep” this world. Our dominion involves placing farms where there was once undeveloped land. “One young man complained to his pastor about the things going on in the world. ‘I could make a better world than this,’ claimed the young man. The pastor responded, ‘That’s just what God wants you to do.’ God has placed us in an unfinished world, a universe in the making. We are responsible to control, protect, and develop it.”^[viii]

It includes domesticating animals and training them for our benefit. Proverbs 12:10 (NLT) reads, “The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel.” We should never be cruel to the animals under our care, but we should recognize them as gifts from God.

When Jesus walked this earth, He exercised dominion over the animals, which may give us some insight into how God originally intended man to demonstrate dominion in the Garden of Eden. In Mark 11:2, Jesus demonstrated dominion over a wild donkey, one that had never been ridden. He rode this untamed animal into Jerusalem. In Matthew 26:34, Jesus predicted Peter’s denial three times before the rooster crowed, showing dominion over the actions of the birds. In Matthew 17:27, Jesus directed Peter to find a coin in a fish’s mouth to pay their taxes, exercising dominion over the fish.

Sin distorted everything, including man’s original dominion over this earth. Martin Luther observed, “I am fully convinced that before Adam’s sin his eyes were so sharp and clear that they surpassed those of the lynx and eagle. He was stronger than the lions and the bears, whose strength is very great; and he handled them the way we handle puppies.” Luther states about Adam’s intellectual powers, “If … we are looking for an outstanding philosopher, let us not overlook our first parents while they were still free from sin.”[ix] Our capacity may be different today, but the image of God is still seen in our dominion.

Our Destiny

Fifth, we can see God’s image in our destiny. We are eternal beings, just as God is an eternal Being. God has no beginning and no end. Mankind had a beginning but will have no end. Our eternal destiny is a fundamental part of being made in God’s image. Hebrews 9:27 states, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Animals, as much as we may love them, do not have an eternal destiny. They have life, they have personality, but they do not have eternal spirits that will go out into eternity like humanity.

Our Response

Understanding the value of every human life should impact every person in several ways. First, because all mankind is made in the image of God, both males and females have equal value and worth. Galatians 3:28 states, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Second, each ethnicity has equal value and worth. Acts 17:26 declares, “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth…” We often wonder what the answer can be to racial strife and division in our country and around the world. Paul states that Jesus is the Answer:

Ephesians 2:13–15

¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,

¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace.

When people give their lives to Jesus Christ, He not only tears down the wall of separation between holy God and sinful man but also between two people surrendered to Jesus as well. We should see the value that God has placed in every life and treat people with dignity, honor, and respect.

Third, because human life begins at conception, and those babies are made in the image of God, they should be given the same chance to live that each of us has had. Exodus 20:13 says plainly, “You shall not murder.” This means only God has the right to number our days. We are infinitely valuable to God, not because of what we can do for society, but because of who we are. Notice how the Psalmist describes life in the womb:

Psalm 139:13–16

¹³ For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴ I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

¹⁶ Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

Luke’s Gospel describes the story of when Mary, who was carrying Jesus in her womb, came to the home of Elizabeth, who was carrying John the Baptist in her womb. Luke 1:41 says, “And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” Elizabeth tells Mary, “…the babe leaped in my womb for joy” in Luke 1:44. These verses should help all of us to see that it is right to protect the lives of the unborn. Christians should be unashamedly pro-life, from the womb to the end of life. Proverbs 31:8 says, “Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die.” Each is made in the image of God and infinitely valuable to God.

Lastly, because we bear God’s image, we belong to God. Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:19-21). That answer was not just to pay your taxes. Included in that answer was the truth that you and I bear the image of God. Jesus said, “Give your taxes to Caesar, but give your heart to God. You belong to Him. You are made in His image.”

Discussion or Reflection Questions:

1.     Howard Hughes ignored his aircraft designer’s warnings and crashed. How is our culture making the same mistake by ignoring God’s design for humanity? What warnings is our Designer giving that people are choosing to ignore?

2.     How does understanding that we’re made in God’s image change the way we view ourselves and others? What practical difference should this make in our daily interactions?

3.     Which of the five aspects of God’s image (design, differences, discernment, dominion, destiny) resonates most with you, and why?

4.     We are spirit, soul, and body - not just advanced animals. How does understanding this change how we view ourselves and others? What makes humans fundamentally different from even the smartest animals?

5.     How should the truth that every person bears God’s image influence our stance on issues like abortion, racial reconciliation, and caring for the disabled or elderly?

Teaching the Next Generation:

Ages 0-6:

·       You are made in God’s image, which makes you very special - more special than any animal or plant!

·       You can think, choose, and love because God made you in His image.

Ages 7-12:

·       Being made in God’s image means you have a spirit that can talk to God, a mind that can know right from wrong, and that you will live forever. These are some ways humans are unique and different from animals.

·       Every person you meet - no matter what they look like or where they come from - is made in God’s image and deserves to be treated with kindness and respect.

Ages 13-18:

·       You’re not just an evolved animal - you’re created in the image of God with a spirit, soul, and body designed for a relation-ship with your Creator.

·       Your identity comes from being God’s image-bearer, not from your feelings, achievements, or what others think of you.

·       Michael Behe’s research on irreducible complexity shows that even our cells are too complex to have evolved by accident - you are fearfully and wonderfully made by an Intelligent Designer – God Himself.

·       The value of human life doesn’t come from what you can do for society but from being one of God’s image-bearers - this is why we protect life from conception to natural death.

^[i] Adrian Rogers, “The World in a Week,” in Sermon Archive (Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust, 2017), Ge 1:1–5.

^[ii] James Montgomery Boice, Genesis: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1998), 90.

^[iii] Boice, 91.

^[iv] John MacArthur, The Battle for the Beginning (Nashville, TN: W Pub. Group, 2001), 169.

[v] Holladay and Warren, Foundations church curriculum (Saddleback Resources, Lake Forest, CA), under “Creation.”

^[vi] John Phillips, Exploring Genesis: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Ge 1:26–31.

^[vii] MacArthur, 165–166.

^[viii] Brian L. Harbour, Notable Harbour Doctrine Collection, vol. 5 (WORDsearch, 2009).

[ix] Martin Luther, Lectures on Genesis Chapters 1–5, vol. 1 of Luther’s Works, ed. Jaroslav Pelikan (St. Louis: Concordia, 1958), 62, 66.