By Gary Ray Branscome
Once we understand that righteousness is central to the
image of God, the words, “God created man in His own image,” tell us
that the original righteousness that man had before the fall was a part of his
created nature, not some sort of gift that was added on (Genesis 1:27). That
means that the fall into sin brought about a change in man’s nature. A change
from having a righteous heart to having a heart that is, “Deceitful above
all things, and desperately wicked,” (Jeremiah 17:9). And, that fact tells
us that fallen man no longer has the image of God. At most, all that remains of
the divine image is a trace or impression, like the impression on paper of
words that have been erased.
Because of that
impression, fallen man seems to sense instinctively that there must be a God,
even though he does not know who God is, and often prefers to believe that God
does not exist. And, the words, “That which may be known of God is known to
them; for God has shown it to them,” tell us that God makes men aware of
His existence (Romans
Likewise, fallen man
seems to recognize a difference between right and wrong, even though that
difference is often blurred in his mind, rationalized away, and ignored. And,
the words, “When the Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the
things contained in the law, they… show the work of the law written in their
hearts, their conscience also bearing witness,” tell us that the conscience
of the lost tells them that they have done things that deserve condemnation
(Romans 2:14-15).
Those passages tell us
that if the lost would take that knowledge of God seriously, and call upon
their creator, confessing their sins and seeking His mercy they could be saved.
However, do not expect that to happen, because the Bible tells us that “The
natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness to him: and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually
discerned” (1Corinthians
There are two passages
that are sometimes cited by those who do not realize that man lost the image of
God through the fall. As you read them, notice that neither of them say that man now bears the image of God, both say only that
man was created in the image of God. The first passage is, Genesis 9:6, “Whoever
sheds man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for God made man in His
own image”. The second is, James 3:6 and 9, “The tongue is a world
of evil… With it we bless our God and Father; and with it we curse men, who were
created in God’s image”.
The words, “Remember
that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth
of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope,
and without God in the world,” tell us that the unregenerate, those who
have no knowledge of God’s promise of forgiveness in Christ, are without God
and without hope (Ephesians 2:12). And,
the words, “The things that the Gentiles sacrifice are sacrificed to devils,
and not to God,” in complete contrast to the false claim that all religions
lead to God, tell us that in their blindness (without the image of God) the
religions of this world honor Satan, not God (1Corinthians
Although the seat of the
divine image (righteousness and knowledge of God) was the soul, not the body,
because body and soul are a unit the body shared in the divine image. And, the
body also shared in the loss of the divine image through sin. That loss
resulted in man’s loss of immortality, and that brought with it physical death
and all that death entails. The words, “But of the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil, you may not eat of it: for in the day that you eat of it you
will surely die,” were God’s warning to Adam and Eve that death would
result if they disobeyed (Genesis
In theology a distinction
is made between: absolute immortality, which is experienced not only by
the saints in heaven, but also by the damned who will
be conscious forever in hell; and the conditional immortality that Adam
and Eve enjoyed before the fall. The fact that the Bible speaks of hell as the
“second death” and of heaven as “everlasting life,” tells us that all of the
pains and suffering that we associate with death (and more) will be experienced
by those in hell, “Where their worm does not die, and the fire is never put
out” (Mark 9:44).
The words, “LORD,
cause me to know my end, and how many days I have left; so that I will know how
fleeting my life is. Behold, you have made my days as short as a handbreadth;
and my life is as nothing in your sight: truly every man at his best is merely
a breath. Selah. Surely every man walks about like a mere shadow: surely they
are troubled over nothing: each one heaps up riches, and does not know who will
get them,” speak of the futility of life because of man’s loss of the
divine image, death being the result (Psalm 39:4-6).
The words, “To the
woman He said, I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in sorrow
you will bring forth children; and your desire shall be to your husband, and he
will rule over you,” tell us that before sin entered into the world, Adam
and Eve did not experience painful and destructive sufferings (Genesis 3:16). And, the words, “I will
greatly multiply… your conception,” suggest that the entrance of death into
the world necessitated an increase in the sex drive.
The original condition of
man was therefore one of supreme happiness; for a) his soul was wise and holy;
b) his body was free from suffering and death; c) his condition of life was
most blessed; and d) his condition of habitation was most pleasant, since God
placed him into a garden of pleasure, called Paradise, to dwell there and enjoy
His goodness forever (Genesis 2:8-15). (John Theodore Mueller, “Christian Dogmatics,” pages 207-208)