Imago Dei Part 3 — Restoration & Glorification

Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus (knew) perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? 19 Show Me the tax money.”

So they brought Him a denarius. 20 And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” 21 They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render (pay) therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way. Matthew 22:17-22 NKJV.

We’re looking at Imago Dei, (pronounced “E-mago Day-e”), which directly translates from Latin to mean the “image of God.”

You and I are made in the image of God. This is phenomenal. But it is a key doctrine and helps us understand our humanity.

Imago Dei describes humanity’s unique created relationship, resemblance and responsibility to God. We don’t look physically like God — because “God is Spirit” (John 4:24). But we reflect God in ways appropriate to creatures.

We have rational and moral, creative and responsibility abilities — God is a rational, moral, creative, and responsible Being, and humanity reflects something of that character.

When sin entered humanity through the fall, that changed things a bit, but not completely in regard to our bearing the image of God. Yes, it was marred, distorted and corrupted, but humanity still remains God’s image bearer.

When Christ came, He came to pay the price of our sin; that’s Salvation. But He also came to restore the image of God in us; that’s Restoration.

“ … put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.”
Colossians 3:10 NKJV.

Remember; Our identity does not begin with sin. It begins with God’s creative intention.

Here’s the process.

1. Creation: God creates humanity in His image.
2. Corruption: Through the fall, sin corrupts and distorts that image.
3. Salvation: Christ comes as the perfect image and revelation of God.
4. Restoration: God begins restoring His image in His people.
5. Glorification: That restoration will ultimately be completed.

Becoming born again, accepting His forgiveness, receiving His mercy and grace through Jesus who went to the Cross for us, gives us Salvation. Hallelujah! But that’s not the full story. A work of Restoration began. The marred image of our Creator, is being restored as we become more and more like Christ.

Remember:

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image …”
2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV.

One day, that work of Restoration will be complete.

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Romans 8:16-17 NKJV.

Being a child of God also means having an inheritance. In Luke 18:18 the rich young ruler asked Jesus, “what must I do to inherit?” But the rich young ruler missed the point because inheritance is not a matter of doing, it is a matter of being — of being in the right family.

If indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together: In fact, our sharing in present suffering is a condition of our future glorification. As far as God is concerned, it is all part of the same package of sonship, no matter how much our flesh may want to have the inheritance and the glory without the suffering. — David Guzik, www.enduringword.com.

For the Christian, suffering should have its effect of making us more and more Christ-like.

Our text for this Brief Word reveals a fascinating contrast. Jesus asked: “Whose image and inscription is this?” (Matthew 22:20 NKJV). The answer was Caesar’s.

Jesus then said: “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21 NKJV).

There is a profound theological observation here. The coin bore Caesar’s image, therefore it belonged to Caesar. But we bear God’s image. Therefore, ultimately, we belong to God.

That gives Imago Dei a beautiful conclusion: The image identifies the owner.

Yes! We’ve been bought with a very great price.

• For you were bought at a price …
  1 Corinthians 6:20 NKJV
• You were bought at a price …
  1 Corinthians 7:23 NKJV
• Knowing that you were not redeemed with (perishable) corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
  1 Peter 1:18-19 NKJV

Here it is in a nutshell.

1. We’ve been created by God, in His image. (Genesis 1:27). We are His workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10).
2. Our sin, marred and corrupted that image, but it was still there.
   (Romans 1:23).

• Jesus came, not merely someone who reflects God’s image. He is the perfect revelation of God Himself. “ … who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person…” (Hebrews 1:3 NKJV).

1. Jesus, took all our sin, plus He began a work of restoring the image of God in us. (2 Corinthians 3:18).
2. That restoration will be complete one day when He will take us – because we are His – and we will be in His glory and presence, forever! (Romans 8:17).

I love this: The image identifies the owner.

Wow! I was so proud as a young boy when they said of me to my father; “Doesn’t he look like his Dad.” I belonged to him. He was my father! As we grow and mature in Christ, what a humbling and immense privilege, to carry the image of Almighty God, our Heavenly Father.

Imago Dei.