The image of God is a massive theme in Scripture. From Genesis we discover we were made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-28). In Genesis 3 we learn of the Fall of man and the ensuing chaos it caused on the human race—resulting in our sin nature. Even in the Garden of Eden it was revealed that the Lord had a plan to redeem man (Genesis 3:15), which we see fulfilled in the person and work of the Lord Jesus. The image of God that was marred at the Fall can be restored only by man being reconciled to Christ in repentance and faith in Him alone.
What we are witnessing in this age is not only an outright attack on the Genesis narrative (questioning whether it should be taken literally), but also the concept of Adam and Eve as real persons in real history. Additionally, we are observing (with increasing frequency) attacks on the image of God through homosexuality, pornography, polygamy, transgenderism, etc. We are seeing the fruits of the image of God further being marred through advocates of social justice, who preach a “social gospel” and aim to bring division between people groups—both inside and outside the Church.
The sexual revolution has aimed to “unhinge” people from biblical morality and a sexual ethic that many people argue is “Puritanical” (an insult that falls flat, since the Puritans were thoroughly grounded in the Bible). But these same people who argue that biblical morality and the biblical sexual ethic are “Puritanical”, are the same ones guilty of being the very thing they accuse Christians of being: hypocritical. Opponents of biblical morality and the biblical sexual ethic accuse of Christians being “intolerant” and “unkind”, while they also command us to stop being “judgmental” of people’s “choices”.
The real question is whether it is the person who is being consistent about their viewpoint from Scripture or the person who aims to “expose the inconsistencies” and yet silence the opposing side that is being “judgmental”. In this era, those who opposes a biblical view of morality and sexuality aim to silence those who do stand on the truth of God’s Word. Christians are marginalized in the media, while homosexuality and transgenderism are celebrated.
Meanwhile, in the United States our citizens celebrate the First Amendment (freedom of speech) as a virtue, despite the fact that Christians (and those who consider themselves “Conservative”) are maligned and mistreated, while simultaneously the opposing side gets the “all clear” to say (and do) whatever they want. If the definition of judgment is making a decision based on facts, and the “liberal” side lacks the desire to recognize the facts (especially with regards to science and physiology), then Christians need to understand that we are not dealing with people who are willing to engage in facts.
What we are seeing with regards to homosexuality and transgenderism, and the larger attack on the image of God, is an outright assault on the glory of our sovereign Lord, who made man and woman in His image and likeness. We are witnessing the continued rebellion against the very God who made us in His image and likeness; the One who upholds the very world and gives them breath.
Remembering this, we can remind ourselves that we are messengers pleading with men (as Paul said in 2nd Corinthians 5) to be reconciled to God, through Christ alone. We are engaging in a very real war—not of flesh and blood, as Paul said in Ephesians 6—but a very real war, nonetheless.
As Christians, we must speak the truth in love. We must be growing in Christ, despite our lack of perfection, and we must admit our own failings, confessing our sin, repenting, and continuing on in our mission of making disciples of the nations. We must contend earnestly for the sake of the Word for the good of all men and women, that they may be saved.
And that is precisely why, here at Theology for Life, we are doing this issue on the image of God. We want to equip you as you go out into your world to stand on what Scripture says about the image of God, as we help bring to light a biblical view of morality and a biblical sexual ethic, so that you might make disciples of the Lord Jesus. As you read this issue, our prayer is you’ll be instructed in the Word and equipped to speak the truth to others in your local church, neighborhood, and workplace(s), and to contend for the faith once and for all delivered to the saints.
In Christ Alone,
Dave Jenkins
Executive Editor, Theology for Life Magazine
Download the rest of October 2023 issue of Theology for Life on the Image of God.
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
