The 7 Biblical Categories of the Image of God in Mankind

The 7 Biblical Categories of the Image of God in Mankind

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27) This verse contains the origin of success in biblically restoring mankind to his soul’s roots in divine creation made in the image of God. All biblical counselling succeeds when it is able to share Scriptural teaching that the essence of man consists in that he is the made in the image of God. To counsel man is to know him. “The image of God in humanity is critical to our understanding of what makes us human.” 1 (Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1998), 517.)

A foundational understanding of man’s creation on Day 6 in the image and likeness of God is crucial to a deeper knowledge of who we are and how we can offer proper counsel. Understanding this ‘image of God’ in its biblical categories will allow us to use a proper counselling foundation. The biblical counsellor can share that He is different from all other creatures and stands as the head of His divine creation and that man was created in the image and after the likeness of God, Gen. 1:26,27; 9:6. 1 (Jas. 3:9 also speaks of man as as bearing the image of God, and I Cor. 11:7; 15:49.) The doctrine of the image of God in man is of the greatest importance in theology. It isn’t a question of whether we had ‘original righteousness’ in Adam, but that the image of God is the expression of what is most distinctive in man and in his relation to God.

1) Creative- The Hebrew language of verse 27 makes it clear that God’s image in mankind depicts humanity as distinct from animals. 2 (Anthony A. Hoekema, Created in God’s Image (Carlisle, U.K.; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1994), 12.)
Animals are wonderfully uncreative. They do not change the world they live in. The creativity we observe in them is instinctive. So birds build their nests but every year it has the same design. They never think to build on an extension, create a loft conversion or develop their skills. They just do the same old instinctive thing.

2) Intelligent-Mankind possesses in very small measure a capacity for understanding and rational thought. The psalmist wrote, "Do not be like the horse and mule which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle" (Ps 32:8–9). Human intelligence is unlike anything found in the animal kingdom. We ponder the meaning of our existence, the significance of our actions and the prospects of our destiny. Unlike animals, man is a thinker and capable of being instructed and growing in understanding.

3) Aesthetic-Thirdly then, our capacity to appreciate beauty. Genesis 2:9, "The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground – trees that were pleasing to the eye." God is not only the great artist who made a beautiful creation but has made us in his image so that we can appreciate beauty.

4) Moral-Fourthly, we are moral. Scripture is replete in man’s moral obligation as a result of being cerated in the image of the holy God. Matthew 15:19, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.” Also Romans 3:10, “as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE.” The creator God, the mind behind the universe, was the artist who designed a beautiful world and created mankind who could understand his moral character & purposes. Animals suffer from fear but as far as we can tell, they have no natural sense of guilt or awareness of good and evil choices.

5) Relational-People’s dominant theme of human existence, as reflected in stories and music the world over, is about relationships. In a word, Love. God is love, and its not hard to see how we we created in His image to reflect that love in our relationships.

6) Spiritual-God is Spirit, and it is but natural to expect that this element of spirituality also finds expression in man as the image of God. And that this is so is already indicated in the narrative of man’s creation. God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Gen. 2:7. The “breath of life” is the principle of his life, and the “living soul” is the very being of man when created in the image of God.

7) Glory-Man’s dominion over the lower creation formed a part of the image of God. It is indicative of the glory and honour with which man is crowned, Ps. 8:5,6.
All these themes challenge our humanity and ask us if we are really alive as He created?

Are we creative, thinking, artistic, moral, relational beings, who glorify God? How we doing on all biblical categories? We well-balanced individuals when giving proper attention to each category of life.

Now an image is but a reflection of the original. Sometimes the image may be hazy and distorted. But it does not exist on its own. Beyond the image is the reality. The Image of God in us not only helps us to see who we really are, but also reveals God to us.