Introduction
The New Testament transforms the Image of God theme by re-centering it around Christ. What was fractured in Genesis 3 finds restoration in Jesus, the true Image. Through Him, the church is re-created as a new humanity reflecting God's glory and extending His mission throughout creation.
This isn't merely individual salvation but cosmic restoration — the renewal of humanity's original vocation as God's royal-priestly representatives. The NT shows how Christ embodies perfect image-bearing and empowers His people to fulfill their Genesis calling.
From Broken to Restored
The NT doesn't abandon the Genesis vision but fulfills it. Christ becomes the "last Adam" (1 Cor 15:45) who succeeds where the first Adam failed, and believers participate in this restored humanity through union with Him.
Christ as the True Image
The Perfect Image Revealed
Key New Testament Passages
Christ embodies what humanity was meant to be. He rules creation as King, reconciles as Priest, reveals as Prophet. The hymn presents Jesus as both source and goal of creation — through Him all things were made, and in Him all things hold together.
Christ is "the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." To see Christ is to see God's glory. Imaging God is no longer abstract — it is incarnate in Jesus.
"He is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being." Christ perfectly represents God, unlike distorted idols or fallen humanity. He is the ultimate revelation of divine character.
Christ's Threefold Office
Royal
Christ rules as the King of kings, exercising perfect dominion over creation through love, justice, and wisdom.
Priestly
Christ mediates between God and humanity, offering Himself as sacrifice and interceding for His people.
Prophetic
Christ reveals God's truth perfectly, speaking and embodying the Word that brings light to darkness.
Two Adams Comparison (Romans 5, 1 Corinthians 15)
| Theme | First Adam | Last Adam (Christ) |
|---|---|---|
| Image | Marred, distorted through disobedience | Perfect, true image of God |
| Outcome | Death, condemnation, curse | Life, justification, blessing |
| Nature | From dust, earthly, natural | From heaven, spiritual, life-giving |
| Scope | Many made sinners through one | Many made righteous through one |
| Dominion | Lost authority, subjected to futility | Restored authority, all things under feet |
| Vocation | Failed as image-bearer | Fulfilled humanity's calling perfectly |
"The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit." (1 Corinthians 15:45)
Believers Renewed in the Image
The Process of Transformation
- New Creation — "Put on the new self, created in righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:24)
- Knowledge Renewal — "The new self is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator" (Colossians 3:10)
- Conformity to Christ — "Predestined to be conformed to the image of the Son" (Romans 8:29)
- Glory Transformation — "Transformed into Christ's image from glory to glory" (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Key Theological Insights
In baptism, believers "put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27). The church becomes a new humanity where:
- Ethnic distinctions no longer define image-bearing
- Social status cannot diminish divine dignity
- Gender differences enrich rather than divide
- Unity in Christ creates a new community of image-bearers
Spirit-Empowered Transformation
This renewal isn't human effort but Spirit-empowered transformation. As believers behold Christ's glory, they are "transformed into the same image from glory to glory" (2 Cor 3:18). The Spirit works to conform believers to Christ's character and calling.
Vocation of the New Humanity
The church inherits humanity's original threefold calling, now empowered by the Spirit and patterned after Christ:
Royal Calling
Believers share in Christ's reign, but as servant-leaders who exercise authority through love, sacrifice, and service. This isn't domination but cultivation — bringing order, justice, and flourishing to communities and creation.
Priestly Calling
The church serves as mediator between God and creation, offering prayers, worship, and intercession while serving as stewards of God's presence in the world.
Prophetic Calling
Believers proclaim the gospel of reconciliation, bearing witness to Christ as truth in a world of idolatry, speaking God's word into broken situations.
The Already/Not Yet Tension
The NT presents image renewal as both present reality and future hope:
Already
- Believers are new creations (2 Cor 5:17)
- Being transformed daily (2 Cor 3:18)
- Seated with Christ in heavenly places (Eph 2:6)
- Partakers of divine nature (2 Pet 1:4)
- Spirit dwells within us (1 Cor 6:19)
Not Yet
- Await full conformity to Christ's image (1 John 3:2)
- Final resurrection body (1 Cor 15:49)
- Complete restoration of creation (Rom 8:18-25)
- Face-to-face vision of God (1 Cor 13:12)
- No more sin or death (Rev 21:4)
Eschatological Fulfillment
The Ultimate Destiny
Revelation 21–22 presents the new creation as the universalized Eden. Humanity's vocation finds its consummation in eternal fellowship with God, where the redeemed exercise their calling perfectly:
- Reigning — "They will reign for ever and ever" (Rev 22:5)
- Serving — "His servants will serve him" (Rev 22:3)
- Seeing — "They will see his face" (Rev 22:4)
Cosmic Restoration
The image of God isn't abolished in the new creation but perfected. The NT vision shows:
- Heaven and earth united (Rev 21:1-3)
- God's presence filling all things (Rev 21:22-23)
- Humanity exercising renewed dominion (Rev 22:5)
- Creation itself liberated and restored (Rom 8:18-25)
Continuity and Transformation
The new creation doesn't replace the Genesis mandate but fulfills it. Humans will still bear God's image, still exercise dominion, still serve as royal priests — but now perfectly, eternally, and in complete harmony with God's will.
Theological Synthesis
- Christ is the Image — He is the pattern, fulfillment, and revelation of what it means to bear God's image perfectly
- Believers are Renewed — Restored through union with Christ and empowered by the Spirit to fulfill humanity's calling
- Church as New Humanity — The community of believers collectively embodies God's presence and extends His mission in the world
- Future Consummation — The image of God finds its destiny in new creation, where heaven and earth unite in eternal worship and service
Implications for Today
Identity
Human dignity is grounded in Christ, not achievement. Every person — believer or not — bears the image of God and deserves respect, but believers have the additional identity of being "in Christ" and part of the new humanity.
Mission
The church embodies God's presence as royal-priestly witnesses. Our mission isn't just evangelism but the full restoration of human flourishing — addressing systemic injustice, caring for creation, building communities of shalom.
Work and Calling
All legitimate work participates in the cultural mandate. Whether in business, education, government, or the arts, believers can see their vocations as expressions of image-bearing and participation in God's ongoing work of cultivation and restoration.
Hope
Our future is participation in God's reign in the new creation. This isn't escape from the material world but its transformation. We work now for justice, beauty, and truth because these will endure into eternity.
The Great Reversal
The NT shows that in Christ, the Genesis calling is not only restored but elevated. Humans don't just tend a garden but inherit a kingdom. We don't just name animals but proclaim the gospel. We don't just serve in a temple but become living temples of the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion
The New Testament proclaims the stunning news:
- Christ is the true Image — embodying perfect image-bearing
- The church is renewed in His likeness — being transformed into His image
- The new creation is the destiny — where humanity's vocation finds eternal fulfillment
This isn't a different story from Genesis but its completion. The same God who breathed into Adam's nostrils breathes His Spirit into the church. The same mandate to fill and subdue the earth becomes the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations. The same calling to be royal priests becomes the church's mission to mediate God's presence to the world.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)
In Christ, humanity's ancient calling is not only restored but glorified. We are not just dust that bears God's image — we are being transformed into the very likeness of Christ, destined for eternal participation in the divine life and mission.