Fall into sin and the image of God
I learned in Catechism class and I’ve seen in a lot of WELS literature I’ve read that true biblical doctrine is saying that we lost the image of God at the fall into sin. This is contrary to most other Christian denominations, who say we still bear the image of God (but they define the image of God differently as well, to include our logic and reason, our consciences, and the intrinsic value of our lives and our rights as citizens). We don’t define it that way and we say the image of God, the righteousness and holiness and the perfect relationship with God, was lost at the fall. Why then, in Genesis 9:6, when God is commanding Noah’s rules for the post-Flood world, does he give his reason for murder being wrong as, “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind”? That means we still do have the image of God, doesn’t it? Or at least, that having the image of God is a valid reason to disprove of abortion? Then what is the image of God if all humans have it? Or is there something in the Hebrew that would suggest otherwise? Thanks so much for your time and concern!
Being created in the image of God meant that Adam and Eve were holy, they had perfect knowledge of God’s will, and their wills were entirely aligned with God’s will. After the fall into sin, the Bible tells us that Adam had a child in his likeness and image, not God’s (Genesis 5:1-3). Since the fall into sin, human beings born of sinful people have entered this world as sinners (Psalm 51:5), enemies of God (Romans 8:7) and people whose natural will is opposed to God’s will (Romans 7:7-23). Despite this natural sinful condition, people still have a natural knowledge of God from creation and their conscience, and they naturally know the basics of God’s law (Psalm 19:1-4; Hebrews 3:4; Romans 2:14-15).
While there are some Lutheran theologians who speak of people still being made, in a limited sense, in the image of God insofar as they have intellect and will, it is more consistent with Scripture to say that the image of God was lost through the fall into sin and is restored in Christians.
Genesis 9:6 and James 3:9 are passages that some theologians cite to indicate that after the fall into sin people are born in the image of God in a limited sense. When we understand the image of God especially denoting holiness and loving only that which God loves, then we see those particular passages speaking of the original condition of people, which is no longer the case because of sin.
Each person receives life from God (Acts 17:25), and only God or his representatives in government have the right to end a person’s life (Deuteronomy 32:39; Romans 13:4). God’s fifth commandment forbids murder, and that includes abortion.
Finally, the image of God is being restored in Christians (2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10), and it will be fully restored when Christians leave this world of sin (Psalm 17:15; 1 Corinthians 13:9-12; 1 John 3:2).