Made in the Image

This semester, we are studying Philippians in Bible study. I came across a familiar verse the other day, and was struck with a new lesson of the gospel spanning across the entire Bible! Let me share three verses:

"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.'"
Genesis 1:26

Here we see that man was made by God in His own image. Man, made in the image of a holy and perfect God. Wow.

"Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men."
Philippians 2:6-7

Here Christ is born, made into, the image of man. As Paul writes in Colossians 2:9, 'For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.' Again, wow.

"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."
Romans 8:29

And finally here we see that Christians are conformed into the image of God's Son. This Scripture says so much, no blog could hold the depths of it's meaning, so I wont make this attempt.

How are these verses connected? They explain the gospel! When God created man, He made him in His own image. We were created to bear the image of God, what an honor! But sadly, we tarnished this perfect image with sin. A holy God could not stand by without doing something to restore perfection to His image and rescue His beloved creation.

He had to reverse what we messed up. So he put on flesh by sending His Son to be born in the likeness of men. Only this Man would do things right, restoring the rightful image we bear of God. He did just that by living a sinless life, and bore the weight of death for our sin on the cross to satisfy a just and holy God. By accepting his work, his righteousness, we too can bear again this image of God.

Not by ourselves of course. We see how well that worked out the first time. No, now He conforms us to the image of His Son; so again we are the likeness, the image, of God. Only because of what Christ accomplished on our behalf. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!!!