Genesis 1:27 – Created In His Image

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

Mankind, being created “in the image of God,” brings light to so much of our existence. When we long for perfect justice, to love and to be loved, to provide for the needs of others, to see evil and pain eradicated from this earth, to create beautiful things and useful things, to enjoy friendship and partnership, to lead and to rule, to do strictly for the sake of enjoyment, to plant and to grow, and to have children and raise them up,  we are experiencing the truth that we were made “in the image of God.” These things were written on our hearts, they are a definitive part of who we are.

Because we are made in God’s image, our lives have value. Because of Christ our lives have potential. By the grace of God we are well aware of the sin within us that we cannot escape without fellowship with the Holy Spirit and the saving intercession of Christ. In this fallen state, it can be confounding to consider why God loves us, but God loved us before sin entered the world, before we fell short, before we disobeyed. God choosing to create us in His image helps us to understand that God has loved us from the beginning, and because of His perfect love for us, He sent His Son to die to save us.

When we look around our world, and see the diversity of attributes, we see God’s creativity. He made us with different interests, abilities, personalities, and strengths. He also set universal standards for mankind, things that all humans have in common. One example is being made either male or female. This God designed division and interdependence for procreation is in itself such a beautiful gift. God lovingly made us in His image, He lovingly made us diverse, and He lovingly made us interdependent. “All its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body,”(1 Cor. 12:12).

Prayer

Lord, help us to see our diversity and our differences as necessary and beautiful, contributing to the church body and helping us to see a more full picture of who You are.