6. Made in God’s Image: Restoring the Image?

6. Made in God’s Image: Restoring the Image? 

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness… So God made man; in the image of God He made him; male and female He made them.” (Gen. 1:26-27). 

“Christ is the image in which man was made, and toward which man is moving.” (Orthodox Study Bible notes).

Mankind was created in the image of Christ, and it still is true, no matter how damaged the image due to sin. The full renewal of all creation, including us, awaits the Lord’s returning at the Second Coming. In the meantime, the Jesus Christ has begun the lifelong process of renewal by appearing in the flesh, dying on the Cross, and rising from the dead. Those who accept the Holy Spirit through the Father and the Son are in the process of being restored to the original image of Christ in us. As we follow the Lord Jesus, we are being changed, transformed into His very image, restoring what was lost through sin. “God destined us from the beginning to share the likeness of His Son.” (Romans 8:29). The Cross began the restoration through the forgiveness of sins. We are in the process of being continually renewed into the likeness of Christ, and we move from one degree of glory to the next through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The longer we follow Him, the closer we get to the full image of Jesus. At the Lord’s return, we will join all of creation in the final restoration of all things for all eternity. We will be fully restored into the likeness of Christ and will be just like Him. The Lord’s work of the final restoration will renew all of creation, returning to the state of the world before sin entered Paradise. (Acts 3:21; Colossians 3:10; 2 Corinthians 3:18 and 4:16; 1 John 3:2).