What is the image of God?

Last updated on October 19, 2020

The Image Of God

The following four verses tell us the nature of God. According to these four verses, God is light, an invisible spirit that no one has ever seen who dwells in unapproachable light.

1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

John 4:24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.

1 Timothy 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

1 Timothy 6:16 He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

Therefore, based on the four verses above, we can conclude that our flesh is not the image of God. We are not created based on what God looks like physically because God is invisible. The image of God is his spirit. God is light. God’s spirit is light and love. The spiritual person inside our fleshly body is what was created in the image of God.

Genesis 1:27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

If you’ve noticed from the above verse, God created both male and female in his image. If we were to think of our flesh as God’s image then God should be both male and female then, right? But that is not the case. God is not both male and female. God did not make flesh based on his image but instead, he created people’s spirits in the likeness of his spirit, which is light.

Spiritual Man

So, people are spiritual beings inside the flesh. Our flesh is our natural body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:44). Our spiritual being is what the Bible is referring to with regard to the image of God.

1 Corinthians 15:49 And just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.

According to the Bible, we are being transformed into God’s image by the Lord who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Therefore, if God’s image is his spirit then we can conclude that God’s image is light because God is light.

The Son

The verse below gives us the insight on how the Father begot the Son.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

God, who is light begot his Son. The Son is the image of the invisible God. The Son of God is our Lord Jesus Christ who is the light.

Colossian 1:15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

The believers of God and of his Son are also considered sons and daughters of God in Christ Jesus. Our spirits are being conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, the light.

Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.

By letting our light shine, we are given the privilege to witness God’s glory.

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

In God’s light we are able to enter life.

John 1:4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

Conclusion

God is light and his image is light. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the light of the world. We are commanded to let our light shine and become light for the nations.

We are enlightened because we understand the truth and God let his light shine on us. Unlike the unbelievers who deny God and Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

That is all for now brethren and friends. I hope that you understand that the image of God is light. Feel free to comment and share your thoughts by filling out the comment form below. May God bless you all.