How Our Physical Bodies Are Part of Our Being the Image of God
Is there any sense in which our human bodies are also a part of what it means to be made in the image of God? Certainly we should not think that our physical bodies imply that God himself has a body, for “God is spirit” (John 4:24 ESV), and it is sin to think of him or to portray him in any way that would imply that he has a material or a physical body (see Exodus 20:4; Psalm 115:3–8; Romans 1:23).[1] But even though our physical bodies should in no way be taken to imply that God has a physical body, are there still some ways in which our bodies reflect something of God’s own character and thereby constitute part of what it means to be created in the image of God? Certainly this is true in some respects.
For example, our physical bodies give us the ability to see with our eyes. This is a Godlike quality because God himself sees, and sees far more than we will ever see, although he does not do it with physical eyes like we have. Our ears give us the ability to hear, and this is a Godlike ability, even though God does not have physical ears. Our mouths give us the ability to speak, reflecting the fact that God is a God who speaks. Our senses of taste and touch and smell give us the ability to understand and enjoy God’s creation, reflecting the fact that God himself understands and enjoys his creation, though in a far greater sense than we do.
It is important that we recognize that it is man in his entirety who is created in the image of God, not just his spirit or his mind. Certainly our physical bodies are a very important part of our existence, and when they are transformed when Christ returns, they will continue to be part of our existence for all eternity (see 1 Corinthians 15:43–45, 51–55). Our bodies therefore have been created by God as suitable instruments to represent in a physical way our human nature, which has been made to be like God’s own nature. In fact, almost everything we do is done by means of the use of our physical bodies. Our thinking, our moral judgments, our prayer and praise, our demonstrations of love and concern for each other—all are done using the physical bodies God has given us. Therefore, if we are careful to point out that we are not saying that God has a physical body, we may say that our physical bodies in various ways reflect something of God’s own character as well. Moreover, much physical movement and demonstration of God-given skill comes about through the use of our body. And certainly the God-given physical ability to bear and raise children who are like ourselves (see Genesis 5:3) is a reflection of God’s own ability to create human beings who are like himself.
ZONDERVAN ACADEMIC Systematic Theology, Second Edition Copyright © 1994, 2020 by Wayne Grudem ISBN 978-0-310-51797-9 (hardcover). Quoted according to fair use.
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[1] See also the discussion of God’s spirituality in chapter 12, pp. 220-22.