Did Adam physically look like God? Or was there something deeper in the "image and likeness" he bore? Learn what the image of God in man really meant, how Adam lost it, and why its restoration is central to understanding salvation.
Introduction: What Was the Image of God in Adam—and Did We Lose It Forever?
Have you ever stopped to ask:
What exactly did Adam lose in the fall?
Was it just innocence? A paradise home? Or something far more profound?
More specifically—
What did it mean that Adam was made in the "image and likeness" of God?
Does that mean God has two hands, eyes, legs, and ears just like us?
Let’s slow down and take a closer look, because how we answer these questions determines how we understand:
- Our identity
- Our spiritual authority
- Our need for redemption
- And the full scope of what Christ came to restore
First, What Is the “Image of God” in Man?
“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 (NKJV)
Let’s ask a tough question:
Does this mean God has a body like ours?
Hands, feet, a nose, skin, organs?
Let’s look deeper.
The Bible teaches that:
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
— John 4:24 (NKJV)
God is not a physical being like man. He manifests in different forms—like a burning bush (Exodus 3:2), thick darkness (Deuteronomy 5:22), fire (Leviticus 9:24), or even as a man wrestling Jacob (Genesis 32:24–30)—but these are called anthropomorphisms. They are expressions so that humans can relate to God using familiar language.
So if God is spirit, the image of God in man cannot be physical. Then what is it?
The “Image of God” Means:
- Spiritual Nature – The capacity to commune with God
- Moral Integrity – Holiness, righteousness, innocence
- Creative and Intellectual Power – Reasoning, naming, building
- Authority and Dominion – Rule over creation
- Free Will and Accountability – The ability to choose and be held responsible
That’s what Adam had. That was what made him like God, even though he was created from dust.
What Did Adam Lose in the Fall?
Let’s now explore what was stripped away when Adam sinned—line by line, with biblical backing—and how that broken image affects us today.
1. He Lost the Likeness of God and Passed on His Own
“Adam… begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.”
— Genesis 5:3 (NKJV)
This verse is crucial.
Notice: After the fall, Adam didn’t pass on God’s image. He passed on his own fallen image—a nature marred by sin. This marks a huge shift in human identity.
Ask yourself:
- Why didn’t it say Seth was made in God's image?
- What had changed?
Adam’s sin severed that unbroken line of divine likeness. From then on, every child born inherited not just physical genetics, but a spiritual deformity—a bent away from God.
2. He Lost Intimate, Fearless Fellowship with God
“Adam and his wife hid themselves… and said, ‘I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’”
— Genesis 3:8–10 (KJV)
Before the fall, Adam walked with God, naked and unashamed. After the fall, that intimacy was replaced by fear, guilt, and distance.
Why? Because the image of moral innocence was gone. Man’s spirit was now darkened, unable to stand in God’s presence.
Can you imagine walking with God in the cool of the day—and suddenly hiding from the very One who gave you breath?
3. He Lost Dominion Over Creation and Communication with Animals
“And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast… and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them.”
— Genesis 2:19 (KJV)“The fear of you… shall be upon every beast of the earth.”
— Genesis 9:2 (KJV)
Adam didn’t just name the animals—he ruled them.
They respected him. They responded to his voice. He had a level of nonverbal communication and authority that mirrored God’s rulership.
But after sin?
- Creation feared man.
- Hostility replaced harmony.
- Adam lost both connection and control.
What kind of world did we fall from, that lions and birds once recognized Adam’s authority without fear?
4. He Lost Immortality and Introduced Death to His Seed
“In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
— Genesis 2:17 (KJV)“By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin…”
— Romans 5:12 (KJV)
Adam was created to live forever.
But death—both spiritual and physical—entered through disobedience. Now, even though we accept Jesus as Lord, we still die physically because the body still carries Adam’s curse.
Have you ever wondered:
- If we are saved, why do we still die?
- Why don’t we immediately regain the original Edenic state?
Because salvation restores our spirit, but the body and world still await redemption (Romans 8:23). We’re saved, but not yet glorified.
5. He Lost the Light of Innocence and Took On Shame
“The eyes of both were opened, and they knew they were naked.”
— Genesis 3:7 (KJV)
Adam and Eve were once clothed in glory (Psalm 8:5)—they had no shame, no guilt, no self-consciousness. But sin unclothed their spirits.
Have you ever felt naked—not physically, but morally, emotionally, or spiritually?
That vulnerability came from Adam. And no fig leaves or filters can cover it—only Christ's righteousness can.
So, Is the Image of God Still in Us?
Yes—but it is damaged.
Every human still carries a shadow of that image (Genesis 9:6, James 3:9). But only in Christ is that image being renewed:
“And have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.”
— Colossians 3:10 (NKJV)
We are in restoration, not full restoration. The process is spiritual now; the completion will be both bodily and universal when Christ returns.
Final Questions to Reflect On
- If the image of God isn’t your face, what part of you needs to look like God again?
- Have you been content carrying a warped identity?
- Are you waiting for heaven to reflect God fully—or living in daily renewal now?
Adam Lost a Kingdom—Christ Offers a Cross
The fall of Adam took more than Eden. It took identity, authority, innocence, intimacy, and immortality. We’re not just sinners—we’re image-bearers with a broken mirror.
But Jesus came to begin the restoration of that divine likeness—first in our hearts, and eventually in our world.
“As we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:49 (NKJV)
Would you like me to continue this into a second part?
For example:
“How Christ Restores the Lost Image of God in Man (Part 2)”
Or should I convert this into a teaching outline or sermon guide?
Let me know your thoughts in the comment section.
Comments
Post a Comment