Consider this: the answer to “who is created in the image of God?” and “who is my neighbor?” is the same: everyone.
Rooted in Genesis 1:27, the truth that every person is created in the image of God signifies that all people, as the pinnacle of God’s good creation, hold inherent value, dignity and worth. These same people are, in fact, the neighbors I am to love according to Mark 12:31, Luke 10:25-37, Matthew 5:44. This should be the starting point of how we view and interact with others. But what if it’s not?
Three disastrous consequences will follow.
A Distorted View of God as the Image Maker
When we fail to see others first and foremost as image bearers of God, our understanding of God Himself becomes distorted. He is the one who has determined people have worth because they are created in His image. If our interactions reveal that the worth of others is based on first impressions, appearance, social status, or any other factor, we have effectively put ourselves in the place of God. We have determined that God’s view on what makes people valuable is just a bit off. And if that’s the case, what else could God be “a bit off” about?
What seems like a safe cultural home base of “everybody does it” in regard to treating people as we see fit, rapidly descends into a distortion of the character, attributes, and nature of God.
A Distorted View of Others as Image Bearers
Most (hopefully all) Christians are quick to affirm that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. As we’ve seen, God has already defined who our neighbors are and what makes them valuable. The question is, do our actions line up with our affirmations? Of course, the answer is “not perfectly,” because we are not sinless. So, what do we do?
We need to remember that our temptation to interact with people as if they are less than image bearers of God contradicts a biblically true view of others. James 3:9 highlights this inconsistency: “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.” This passage underscores the hypocrisy in worshiping God while demeaning His creation.
When we fail to uphold the biblical command to truly “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31), it breeds an environment where the dignity of individuals is not respected or protected – both of which God has ordained. The fact that “love” in that verse applies to both “neighbor” and “yourself” leads to our last consequence.
A Distorted View of Yourself as an Image Bearer
Seeing others as less than image bearers of God also distorts our view of ourselves – of our very identity. Genesis 1:27 reminds us that every human being, including ourselves, is made in God’s image. Therefore, recognizing this truth in others helps reinforce our own sense of worth and dignity. Not because of who we are, but because whose we are. An old catechism question surfaces this truth.
The first question / answer of the Heidelberg Catechism brings this out beautifully:
What is your only comfort in life and death? That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.
When we begin to treat others as less than image bearers, we are no longer starting from a place of I am not my own, but instead from I am my own and therefore we get to make our own rules for living. As sinful people, these rules will be inconsistent, contradictory, and ultimately harmful to ourselves and others.
Further, when we view others as less than God’s image bearers, we end up elevating ourselves above our peers. This will put us in direct confrontation with Philippians 2:3-4, which instructs us, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
So where do we go from here? We must start with the question “am I valuable according to God?” and then look upon those in our areas of influence and ask, “is he/she valuable according to God?” If the answer to both is “yes” (and it is), then our action step is to view everyone whom God places in our path as someone who bears His image. For that reason alone, that person is to be treated with respect, dignity, and value. The outcome will be that people who love the Lord will see Him more distinctly in your life, and some people who do not know our Savior will begin to see (possibly for the first time) a reason to listen a bit more closely when you share things of eternal significance.
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