Imago Dei

Human beings are created in the likeness of God

Genesis 1:26–27 ESV

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

See also ; ;

Colossians 3:9–10 ESV

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

;

James 3:9 ESV

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.

Redemption includes being conformed to God’s likeness

The likeness of God the Father

Matthew 5:48 ESV

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Ephesians 4:20–24 ESV

But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

The likeness of God the Son

Romans 8:29 ESV

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.

1 Corinthians 2:16 ESV

“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

; ;

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

;

Ephesians 4:11–13 ESV

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

Jesus Christ was in the likeness of God and humanity

Jesus Christ is like God

Colossians 1:15 ESV

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

While stating that Jesus Christ is like God, Scripture also insists that this likeness is grounded in the fact that Jesus Christ is God.

While stating that Jesus Christ is like God, Scripture also insists that this likeness is grounded in the fact that Jesus Christ is God.

2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

; ;

Philippians 2:6 ESV

who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

;

Hebrews 1:3 ESV

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Jesus Christ is like human beings

Romans 8:3 ESV

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,

While stating that Jesus Christ is like humanity Scripture also insists that this likeness is grounded in the fact that Jesus Christ is human. Yet Christ did not share human sinfulness 2Co 5:21; Heb 4:15.

While stating that Jesus Christ is like humanity Scripture also insists that this likeness is grounded in the fact that Jesus Christ is human. Yet Christ did not share human sinfulness 2Co 5:21; Heb 4:15.