So just what does being made in the image of God mean?

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, … Genesis1:26 NIV

In order to understand, we have to go way back to the days of Creation. Where we will note only in one living thing did God place His image. That, of course, was humankind. We are unique among all of God’s creations. As a result, mankind possesses a capacity to think, to reason, to make choices. We have a sense of right and wrong. But, Wait!, you may ask. The image of God in people isn’t very obvious these days. And considering all the darkness in the world today, you would be right.

For you see, after Adam and Eve’s rebellion, the image of God within them was marred. And as a result all of mankind has inherited that damaged image (a sinful nature). Yet, God in His unfathomable love for mankind, sent His sinless self in the form of His sinless son to restore the original image of Himself.  Because God is not only the God of love, He is also the God of wrath. Evidenced by the price Adam & Eve (and humankind) paid for their rebellion against God by being driven out of the garden of Eden and suffering death of God’s original image.

We can’t sin against God and expect God to look the other way. A price has to be paid when we sin against God. So enters Jesus (God’s love) to pay that price which is death (God’s wrath) to restore the image of Himself within us. In accepting Christ’s payment for our sins, God immediately places a new nature within us and the process of restoration begins.

And yet, the enemy of mankind is unrelenting is his determination to deceive and expand his darkness. It is only the Light of Christ that can expose him. For he spreads his darkness through a resistance to receive Christ and be transformed by this new nature.

As this transformation takes place, we are reminded of something that our old sinful nature had all but forgotten. All humankind bears the image of God and therefore possesses value. Our new nature uses this filter to replace anger, jealously, and resentment, etc. Attitudes and actions of our old nature. Our new filter replaces them with acts of kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. It is our new nature, that reflects God’s character/image. Our old nature isn’t capable of doing that.