There’s, perhaps, no greater contrast in ideas about human origins than between the evolutionary model, which says that we, as humans, are made in the image of apes, and the biblical one, which states that we, as humans, were made “in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27).
Exactly what the Bible meant when it said that humans were made in the image of God has been discussed and debated for, literally, thousands of years. We do, however, have an insight from the apostle Paul, when writing to a church, said: “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God as dear children” (Eph 4:31-33).
Imitators of God? And in the context here, this imitation, this imitation of God, is made manifest by our moral actions. By what we don’t do, that is, by the bad things we avoid, i.e., wrath, bitterness, anger, evil speaking; and the good things that we do, i.e., being kind, tenderhearted and forgiving—we become imitators of God.
Imitators of God? How comforting to know what God is, really like, what His character is like. And to be called to reflect that character in our own lives? That’s heavy.
So, today, whatever challenges you face, whatever struggle come before you, by being kind, tenderhearted and forgiving, you will reflect the character of the God whose image we have been made in to begin with.
Contrary to popular science, we were made, not in the image of apes but in the image of God. And by His grace, we can live like it, too.
