Image of God/ Image of Christ

What's the difference?



Man was created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27). Perhaps we should determine what exactly that is before comparing it. Unfortunately, no explicit description awaits us anywher in Scripture. Man alone was created in the image of God, so this image is something that no animal, plant, or solar body posseses. Varying views describe this something as the soul, the conscience, moral sense, higher intelligence, etc. I believe that the image of God includes but is not limited to these things. An exact list may be inescapable, but this list is sufficient for discussion.

This image of God in man survived the Fall of man, according to God's command to Noah in Gen. 9 (the unlawful destruction of an image-bearer of God requires capital punishment). Apparently, even fallen humans, born with a sin nature, are still image-bearers of God. If one views the image of God as merely higher intelligence or a conscience, then this would be no surprise. However, if the image of God is viewed as a scaled-down collection of His character, including moral qualities, then the survival of this image through man's fall would result in a marred image of God in every human since Adam and Eve.

As bearers of a marred image of God, humans all have the potential to accurately portray that image, but are withheld by their own sin natures. Coincidentally (or not so), as we are now taught in the New Testament, that which prohibits man from accurately bearing the image of God is removed (presupposing salvation) by being changed into the image of Christ(Rom. 8:29). In other words, we were created in the image of God, we were corrupted by sin, we get saved, and by the power of the God in whose image we were created, we are transformed back to that perfect image, now manifested in the person of Christ.