Page 16 - Outline of Our Christian Faith

cease to be for them. Although we did not lose our distinctive human capacities completely, we did
lose our ability to use them rightly, especially in relation to God. Having ruined our connection with
God by distrusting and then disobeying God's will, we are persons with hearts curved in upon
ourselves. Having become enslaved to sin, we are unable to free ourselves. Though some freedom
remains for us as sinners, our freedom is exercised only within the bounds of sin and is always
exposed to the power of sin, which looks to take advantage of the weakness of human nature. (John
8:34; Rom. 3:23; 3:10; 1:21; Is. 59:1-3)

6.8 How does Jesus restore to us the image of God?
Though humankind turned from God by falling into sin, God did not turn from us. Instead, he sent
Jesus to restore our broken humanity. In living completely for God, Jesus gave himself completely
for us, even to the point of dying on our behalf. In doing so, he perfectly fulfilled the two Great
Commandments on our behalf: loving God with all he is and all he has; and loving all people in a
way that reflects how the Father loves him. By living so completely for others in the name of the
Father, Jesus manifested what he was—the perfect image of God. In union with Christ by the Spirit,
we, by grace, become conformed to Christ through faith. In communion with Christ, we share by
the Holy Spirit in his regenerated human nature. In fellowship with our risen Lord, our humanity is
renewed in such a way that the image of God that was lost in Adam is restored in us. (Is. 65:2; Phil.
2:8; Col. 1:15; Rom. 8:29)

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