The Image of God in Others

In his last article, guest author Ben explored the simple truth that we have been made in the image of God and are being remade every day in the image of Jesus. When we fully grasp this, it is a life-changing concept that gives us inherent value and worth beyond anything we can imagine. In this article, he writes about how this truth should have an impact on how we view others, especially when it comes to sex, porn, and lust.

The Image of God in Others

I have to begin by confessing a mistake. A couple of weeks ago a girl that I had a crush on in high school popped into my mind. I decided I would look her up on social media, “just to see what she was up to.” I had no intention of contacting her but you can probably see as well as I that nothing good would come from this not-so-innocent curiosity. I looked her up and what I saw shocked me: she had several suggestive pictures on her profile with links to view her content on an adult website.

This was a new temptation. I have never known anyone personally, who was involved in making adult content. Now a girl I have a crush on, and (if I’m honest) would have loved to see naked, was revealing herself for all the world to see. I went away from her profile quickly and got in touch with some brothers in Reclaimed. I praise God that in that moment I was able to do what was right!

And yet as I sit here writing this, the thoughts and temptations keep returning. I have been struggling through a major battle against sin and Satan. 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us we are to, “take every thought captive to obey Christ.” One way I am doing that is to remember that this woman is made in the image of God. We can begin to take our lustful thoughts captive when we start to think about the image of God in others.

Think About Her Life

When we watch porn or give into our fantasies, we are reducing humans made in the image of God to mere bodies. We begin to view them as a collection of body parts that exist solely for our pleasure. The term that is often used is “objectify.” Porn turns people into objects.

How can we think about people like the girl in my story differently? Instead of just telling ourselves to stop thinking about them, I want to challenge us to start thinking about them and their life in an intentional way.

Every person made in the image of God has dreams and hopes that go beyond sex. They are sons or daughters of someone. They may have families, loved ones, and friends. They have trials and struggles. They were “knit together in their mother’s womb.” (Ps. 139:13) They need to be viewed as more than just objects, they need to be viewed as people.

When I was checking out this woman on social media, I saw something that made me pause immediately. She had a picture of her daughter on a playground. This young girl looked to be about the age of my daughter. What is her life like? What is she exposed to? What does the future hold for her? Does she know her father? Is he a good father? Is she safe? Does this little girl feel loved and valued as an image bearer of God? All of these thoughts are quite sobering and make it much harder to objectify her mother.

Think About Her Soul

Every person has an eternal soul that God wants to see redeemed and forgiven. Jesus said that he came to, “seek and to save the lost.”(Lk 19:10) Those in the porn industry are souls that are lost and need Jesus.

If we believe in the power of the gospel to save sinners, then we should consider that those we see in porn could one day become our brothers and sisters in Christ. They need to experience the saving power of Jesus. This knowledge can help us move beyond the realm of objectification into the realm of sanctification.

Think About Her God

One of the saddest things about the whole experience was that this woman went to the same church as me growing up. I don’t know if she was ever truly a Christian or not, but it greatly saddens me to think that she could get into pornography after being exposed to the truth of God’s Word every week. When I stop to think about her God – the one who made her and gave her his image – I stop lusting and start mourning.

The truth is, I am not so different. I listened to those same gospel truths and yet I got deeply involved with porn. I have been on the other side of the same sin. For both of us, the sobering reality is this: our sin grieves the Father. Both of us forget about God’s image in us when we engage in sexual sin.

One of the most powerful things that I have done to view others as image-bearers of God is to pray. When you see a woman on the screen, stop and pray for her. Pray for her life, her soul, and her relationship with God. Ask God to bless her and save her from her sin. Ask God to help you view her as He views her: as loved and valuable. Ask God to help both of you live as image bearers of God almighty, and you might be surprised at how quickly the temptation can be weakened while His image is strengthened and His name is glorified.