Some individuals would assert that “image is everything.” And in our contemporary society, this statement often resonates with a profound sense of superficial self-absorption. However, long before the advent of Hollywood, social media, or fashion magazines, the Bible proclaimed a far more profound truth regarding our image: indeed, we were created in the image of Yahweh Himself—the Trinity.
Then God declared, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness…”
Therefore, God created man in His own image,
in the image of God He created him.
— Genesis 1:26-27
This revelation is seemingly unfathomable to the human mind. The Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—intentionally and graciously fashioned us into the imago dei, the image of God, the spiritual imprint that embodies a likeness of Himself upon us. Given that God is Spirit, this image surpasses mere physical attributes. It transcends the physical realm and possesses a profound depth. We were endowed with rationality, enabling us to think and reason. We were designed for relational connections, fostering love and community. We possess a moral compass that discerns right from wrong. We are creative, capable of appreciating and reflecting beauty. We are emotional beings, capable of experiencing joy, grief, compassion, and wonder. Furthermore, we are eternal spiritual beings residing within physical bodies, destined to live forever in relationship with our Creator.
We were created pure, devoid of sin, perfectly reflecting the goodness and glory of the One who brought us into existence. However, a catastrophic event transpired.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam rebelled. Though the image did not vanish; rather, it was horrendously distorted. Our thinking became skewed. Our desires became inward-focused. Our moral compass deviated from its true course. Selfishness supplanted selflessness. Isolation replaced communion. What was once vibrant and clear now bears the ravages of our depravity. Looking at the world around us, or even into the depths of our own hearts— we discern the evidence: compromised reasoning, fractured relationships, moral confusion, and an enduring restlessness that no amount of success, pleasure, or discipline can alleviate.
Despite our deviation from our original design, the image remains a lingering presence.
Fortunately, this is not the end of the story. “Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8:29). The remedy for our distorted image lies in Christ, who embodies the perfect image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
This transformation is not instantaneous; it is our lifelong journey. Each day, the Holy Spirit refines our old, self-centered likeness and renews us in true knowledge after the image of our Creator (Colossians 3:10). We grow in love, wisdom, holiness, and joy, learning to reflect more clearly the person of Jesus.
Whatever fails to reflect the image of Christ will be forcefully and mercifully removed. However, in this life, we will never attain the complete perfection of perfect reflection. The final restoration awaits the day when Christ appears. As John prophesies, “We know that when He is manifested, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2).
Until that day, every believer lives in the tension between two images: the broken likeness tainted by sin and the glorious likeness we will eventually fully bear in Christ.
Therefore, take heart, sheep. You are not lost. You are not forsaken. You are not stuck. You are situated between two images—being gently, patiently, and powerfully refashioned by the Holy Spirit.
Be content with the process.
Listen attentively to the Shepherd’s voice.
Stay close at the heels of the Good Shepherd.
And trust that the One who initiated this benevolent and merciful work in you will continue it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).
[Between Two Images is Chapter 13 of a forthcoming book The Sheep of His Pasture]
(The Shepherd’s Echo is a reposting of a previously published TheShepherdsPen)
