Understanding Man Created in the Image of God

Man was created as the crowning work of the Creator, formed with a physical body that resembles God's own form and a moral nature designed to reflect His holy characterDG 21.2+2. This divine likeness encompasses the entire being, including man's physical frame, mental capabilities, and noble qualities of soulEd 16.1+1.

The Physical Image and Form

The creation of man involved a personal God literally forming a being after His own likeness7MR 373.1+1.

• A Personal Form: Man was not made prone like the beasts but was created to walk upright, reflecting the personal and visible form of his MakerARSH July 8, 1858, page 60.9+1.

• Formed from Dust: The Lord God formed man's physical structure from the dust of the ground Genesis 2:7. Although formed from humble materials, this structure was a perfect arrangement of machinery, including the heart, arteries, and senses, all placed under physical lawCCh 74.4+1.

• The Breath of Life: After the form was completed, God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living, intelligent soul Genesis 2:7CCh 74.4.

• Divine Representation: Christ is the express image of God’s person, and through Him, we see that God has a definite shape and personality which man was made to resemble Hebrews 1:317MR 338.3+2.

The Moral and Mental Image

In addition to physical form, man was endowed with a character that was originally a counterpart to the character of GodHL 12.1+1.

• Noble Qualities: At creation, man possessed a well-balanced mind and harmonious powers of beingCE 63.3. He was holy and free from sin, with every faculty designed to be a faculty of the divine mindARSH July 8, 1858, page 60.9+2.

• Dominion and Agency: Man was created a little lower than the angels and crowned with glory and honor, appointed as a ruler and representative of God to have dominion over all the earth Psalms 8:5-6HSFD 12.2+1.

• Godlike Attributes: Being made in God's image included the power of independent willing, allowing man to be godlike in his choices and actionsGCDB February 19, 1897, page 83.5.

Restoration of the Image

While sin has marred and almost obliterated this divine likeness, the plan of salvation was devised to restore the image of God in the soul1SAT 33.1+2.

• The Work of Christ: Jesus came in human flesh to reveal God's true character and to recreate the divine image in those who believeARSH March 17, 1896, page 169.1+1.

• Transformation of Character: Through the aid of the Holy Spirit, the human will is blended with the divine, renewing the inward man and restoring the lost similitude of God2MCP 692.2+2.

• The Goal of Education: The true object of all education and medical missionary work is to bring man back to the perfection in which he was first created, restoring the divine likeness in the body, mind, and soulCE 63.3+2.

God continues to regard man with great care because he is the image and glory of his Maker 1 Corinthians 11:7SC 123.2+1. By beholding the character of Christ, we can be changed back into that same glorious image from glory to glory 2 Corinthians 3:18ARSH April 21, 1896, page 249.1+1.