Genesis 1:26-27 – Created in God’s Image

Jon Beck

Genesis 1:26–27

INTRO: Sanctity of Human Life

  • The sanctity of human life is a biblical truth, not a political slogan or cultural argument.
  • It is rooted in creation, clarified by God’s holiness, and answered by the gospel.
  • All human life is created in God’s image.
  • Therefore, all human life has God-given worth.
  • God is holy and hates sin—including the shedding of innocent blood.
  • Yet God’s mercy in Christ is sufficient to save repentant sinners.

Identity — Who We Are (vv. 26–27)

  • We are image-bearers, not accidents or afterthoughts.
  • Human identity begins with God’s act of creation, not human recognition.
  • Personhood is received from God, not granted by society, law, or medicine.
  • Life begins with God; therefore life belongs to God.

Worth — Why Life Matters (v. 27)

  • Being made “in His image” establishes inherent value.
  • Worth is built in, not conditional—unchanged by age, ability, dependence, or circumstance.
  • No human being is more or less valuable than another.
  • Because God’s image is present, human life is never disposable.

Our image … likeness. This speaks of the creation of Adam in terms that are uniquely personal. It establishes a personal relationship between God and man that does not exist with any other aspect of creation. It is the very thing that makes humanity different from every other created animal. It explains why the Bible places so much stress on God’s hands-on creation of Adam. He fashioned this creature in a special way—to bear the stamp of His own likeness. It suggests that God was, in essence, the pattern for the personhood of man. The image of God is personhood, and personhood can function only in the context of relationships. Man’s capacity for intimate, personal relationships needed fulfillment. Most important, man was designed to have a personal relationship with God. It is impossible to divorce this truth from the fact that man is an ethical creature. All true relationships have ethical ramifications. It is at this point that God’s communicable attributes come into play. Man is a living being capable of embodying God’s communicable attributes (cf. 9:6; Rom. 8:29; Col. 3:10; James 3:9). In his rational life, he was like God in that he could reason and had intellect, will, and emotion. In the moral sense, he was like God because he was good and sinless. However, it did not bestow deity upon man.

John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2005), Ge 1:26.

Wayne Grudem — Created in the Image of God (Summary)

  • Image = representation: Humans are created to represent God on earth.
  • Broad, not narrow: The image includes the whole person, not one trait.
  • Shared by all: Every human being bears God’s image—without exception.
  • Marred, not lost: Sin distorts the image but does not erase it.
  • Ground of worth: The image of God is the biblical basis for human dignity.
  • Male and female: Equal in worth, distinct by God’s design.
  • Restored in Christ: Salvation renews image-bearers into Christlikeness.
    (Systematic Theology – Doctrine of Man)

To be created in the image of God means that every human being is made by God with dignity, value, and purpose. We uniquely reflect Him, are accountable to Him, and therefore every human life matters from conception to death.

Calling — How We Must Live (v. 26)

  • Image-bearers are called to reflect God’s character, not redefine His standards.
  • We protect life because identity and worth demand it.
  • We defend life with:
    • Truth — naming sin honestly
    • Compassion — loving the broken and wounded
    • Courage — refusing silence
    • Gospel hope — pointing sinners to forgiveness in Christ
  • The church must be clear in conviction and rich in mercy.

Sanctity of Life Concerns

  • Beginning-of-life: abortion, embryo ethics,
  • End-of-life: euthanasia/assisted suicide, elder care/neglect
  • Violence and oppression: murder, domestic abuse, trafficking/exploitation
  • Dehumanization: racism/ethnic hatred, pornography, degrading speech
  • Vulnerable neighbors: disability, poverty, the marginalized

Abortion

  • Equal protection:
    • The preborn deserve the same legal protection as any other human being.
    • They are image-bearers, not a lesser category of life.
  • Moral clarity:
    • Abortion is the unjust taking of innocent human life.
    • Scripture treats innocent bloodshed as a grave moral evil.
  • Full protection:
    • Anything less than full protection fails to uphold the sanctity of life.
    • Partial protection limits harm but does not fully honor God’s design.

Our Gospel Response

  • We must be clear about the sin of abortion, but never careless with sinners.
  • Many carry silent grief, regret, or shame connected to abortion.
  • The gospel speaks here: Christ does not minimize sin, but He fully paid for it.
  • There is forgiveness for the repentant, cleansing for the guilty, and healing for the broken.
  • No sin is beyond His mercy; no past is beyond His redeeming grace.
  • The church must be a place where truth is spoken plainly and grace is offered freely.

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