The Bible teaches that every human being was created in the image of God. This means that every person has inherent value, dignity, and worth because they reflect something of their Creator.
“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27)
Before Adam disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, the world was exactly as God meant it to be—whole, peaceful, and “very good.” There was no death, pain, guilt, fear, or shame. Adam and Eve lived openly with God, with each other, and with creation in perfect harmony. But when Adam sinned, everything changed. Sin brought guilt, brokenness, suffering, and death into the world, and those effects spread to all people who came after him. In simple terms, Adam’s fall explains why the world is no longer perfect and why every person is touched by sin and death. Yet this also helps us better understand the greatness of what Christ has done: Jesus came not only to undo the damage caused by Adam’s sin, but to bring blessings far greater than what was lost.
When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, the image of God in people was not completely erased, but it was badly damaged. In other words, humans still have great worth because we are made by God and still reflect Him in ways such as thinking, loving, creating, choosing, and relating to others. But sin twisted what was once pure and good. Our minds became confused, our desires became selfish, our relationships became strained, and our hearts turned away from God. So, while people still carry God’s image, that image is now like a beautiful mirror that has been cracked—it still reflects, but not as clearly as it was meant to.
Sin affected every part of human nature. Instead of loving God fully and loving our neighbors as ourselves, we became self-centered. Pride replaced humility. Suspicion replaced trust. Fear replaced love.
One of the clearest results of sin is our tendency to divide people into groups of “us” and “them.” We often view those who are different from us, whether by race, culture, nationality, politics, social status, or background, as “the other.” Rather than seeing them as image-bearers of God, we can treat them with indifference, hostility, or intolerance.
This is the opposite of God’s heart.
Jesus challenged these sinful barriers throughout His ministry. He spoke with Samaritans, touched lepers, welcomed outcasts, and taught His followers to love beyond their social boundaries. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, the hero was someone considered an outsider by many Jews of the day.
“Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:31)
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)
The early church also learned that God’s love transcends human divisions.
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
Because every person bears God’s image, Christians are called to treat all people with dignity and respect, regardless of differences. The gospel confronts our natural tendency toward intolerance and invites us into a new way of living marked by grace, compassion, and reconciliation.
While sin has marred the image of God in humanity, Christ is restoring what was broken. As we grow in Him, we become more loving, more compassionate, and more able to see others as God sees them.
“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” (Colossians 3:9-10)
The answer to the problem of “the other” is not merely greater tolerance, but a renewed vision of humanity through the lens of the Creator. When we remember that every person is made in God’s image, we begin to treat others not as strangers, threats, or outsiders, but as fellow image-bearers worthy of love, honor, and care. In Christ, the fractured image is being restored, and with it comes the ability to love as God intended from the beginning.
Minister A Francine Green, August 2026