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Imago Dei And Christ's Example For Obedience

The imago Dei—the image of God in humanity—establishes the foundation for human dignity and moral capacity, while Christ's obedience provides the pattern by which redeemed humanity fulfills its created purpose. Genesis 1:26-27 declares that God made humanity in His image, a status that includes the capacity for relationship with God, moral agency, and the call to reflect divine character. Christ's perfect obedience demonstrates what it means to bear God's image without the distortion of sin.

Christ as the Exemplar of Obedience

Scripture presents Christ as the supreme example of obedience to God. He demonstrated obedience in multiple dimensions: early rising for prayer [1], self-denial [2], resignation to the Father's will [3], intercessory prayer [4], and diligent pursuit of God's purposes [5]. The New Testament explicitly commands believers to imitate Christ's pattern: "Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ" [7]. This imitation is not merely external conformity but participation in Christ's own relationship with the Father.

Christ's obedience encompassed both his active fulfillment of the law and his passive submission to suffering. As Charles Hodge explains, Christ "was made under the law that He might redeem those who were under the law" [11]. This subjection was voluntary, undertaken solely for humanity's benefit, since as Lord of the law Christ had no personal need to obey it [11]. Calvin emphasizes that Christ's obedience began with "his voluntary subjection," noting that "the sacrifice would have been unavailing to justification if not offered spontaneously" [10]. The entire arc of Christ's life, from assuming the form of a servant to death on the cross, constitutes a unified act of obedience [10].

The Theological Significance of Christ's Obedience

Obedience to God includes obeying His voice, His law, and Christ Himself, along with keeping His commandments [6]. Without faith, such obedience is impossible [6]. Christ's obedience serves multiple theological functions. Aquinas argues it was "befitting" for human justification, since "as by the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners: so also by the obedience of one, many shall be made just" [12]. This parallels Paul's teaching in Romans 5:19, where justification is obtained through Christ's obedience [6].

The Reformed tradition distinguishes between Christ's active and passive obedience as "different phases or aspects" of the same redemptive work [9]. Hodge notes that believers "obeyed in Him" in the same sense that they "sinned in Adam," establishing a representative relationship [9]. Christ fulfilled all righteousness—the law given to Adam as a covenant of works, the Mosaic law binding Israel, and the moral law as a rule of duty [13]. This comprehensive obedience was necessary because Christ stood as the second Adam, rectifying what the first Adam failed to accomplish.

Imago Dei Restored Through Christ's Example

Augustine observes that the incarnation demonstrates "what place [man] has in the things which God has created," since human nature could be joined to God such that "one person could be made of two substances" [8]. This union reveals both humanity's dignity and its proper orientation toward God. The image of God, though marred by sin, finds its restoration through conformity to Christ.

Aquinas identifies Christ's predestination as the exemplar of believers' predestination when considered "on the part of that to which anyone is predestinated" [16]. Christ is the pattern of what redeemed humanity becomes. Early Christian writers like Clement urged believers to "yield obedience to His excellent and glorious will" by contemplating "those who have perfectly ministered to His excellent glory" [14], with Christ as the supreme model.

The connection between bearing God's image and following Christ's obedience is not incidental. Humanity was created to reflect God's character, and Christ—the perfect image of the invisible God—shows what that reflection looks like in human form. His obedience was not merely legal compliance but the expression of perfect love for the Father, the very purpose for which humanity was made. God "raises us upwards by transforming us into his own image" [15], a transformation accomplished through the Spirit's work of conforming believers to Christ's pattern of obedience.

Sources

  1. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Early Rising — Christ set an example of -- Mr 1:35; Lu 21:38; Joh 8:2. Requisite for Devotion. -- Ps 5:3; 59:16; 63:1; 88:13; Isa 26:9. Executing God's commands. -- Ge 22:3. Discharge of daily duties. -- Pr 31:15. Neglect of, leads to poverty -- Pr 6:9-11. Practised by the wicked, for Deceit. -- Pr 27:14. Executing plans of evil. -- Mic 2:1. Illustrates spiritual diligence -- Ro 13:11,12. Exemplified Abraham. -- Ge 19:27. Isaac, &c. -- Ge 26:31. Jacob. -- Ge 28:18. Joshua &c. -- Jos 3:1. Gideon. -- Jdj 6:38. Samuel. -- 1Sa 15:12. David. -- 1Sa 17:20. Mary, &c. -- Mr ”
  2. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Self-Denial — Christ set an example of -- Mt 4:8-10; 8:20; Joh 6:38; Ro 15:3; Php 2:6-8. A test of devotedness to Christ -- Mt 10:37,38; Lu 9:23,24. Necessary In following Christ. -- Lu 14:27-33. In the warfare of saints. -- 2Ti 2:4. To the triumph of saints. -- 1Co 9:25-27. Ministers especially called to exercise -- 2Co 6:4,5. Should be exercised in Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts. -- Ro 6:12; Tit 2:12. Controlling the appetite. -- Pr 23:2. Abstaining from fleshly lusts. -- 1Pe 2:11. No longer living to lusts of men. -- 1Pe 4:2. Mortifying sinful lusts. -- Mr ”
  3. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Resignation — Christ set and example of -- Mt 26:39-44; Joh 12:27; 18:11. Commanded -- Ps 37:7; 46:10. Should be exhibited in Submission to the will of God. -- 2Sa 15:26; Ps 42:5,11; Mt 6:10. Submission to the sovereignty of God in his purposes. -- Ro 9:20,21. The prospect of death. -- Ac 21:13; 2Co 4:16-5:1. Loss of goods. -- Job 1:15,16,21. Loss of children. -- Job 1:18,19,21. Chastisements. -- Heb 12:9. Bodily suffering. -- Job 2:8-10. The wicked are devoid of -- Pr 19:3. Exhortation to -- Ps 37:1-11. Motives to God's greatness. -- Ps 46:10. God's love. -- Heb 12:”
  4. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Prayer, Intercessory — Christ set an example of -- Lu 22:32; 23:34; Joh 17:9-24. Commanded -- 1Ti 2:1; Jas 5:14,16. Should be offered up for Kings. -- 1Ti 2:2. All in authority. -- 1Ti 2:2. Ministers. -- 2Co 1:11; Php 1:19. The Church. -- Ps 122:6; Isa 62:6,7. All saints. -- Eph 6:18. All men. -- 1Ti 2:1. Masters. -- Ge 24:12-14. Servants. -- Lu 7:2,3. Children. -- Ge 17:18; Mt 15:22. Friends. -- Job 42:8. Fellow-countrymen. -- Ro 10:1. The sick. -- Jas 5:14. Persecutors. -- Mt 5:44. Enemies among whom we dwell. -- Jer 29:7. Those who envy us. -- Nu 12:13. Those who ”
  5. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Diligence — Christ, an example -- Mr 1:35; Lu 2:49. Required by God in Seeking him. -- 1Ch 22:19; Heb 11:6. Obeying him. -- De 6:17; 11:13. Hearkening to him. -- Isa 55:2. Striving after perfection. -- Php 3:13,14. Cultivating Christian graces. -- 2Pe 1:5. Keeping the souls. -- De 4:9. Keeping the heart. -- Pr 4:23. Labours of love. -- Heb 6:10-12. Following every good work. -- 1Ti 5:10. Guarding against defilement. -- Heb 12:15. Seeking to be found spotless. -- 2Pe 3:14. Making our call, &c, sure. -- 2Pe 1:10. Self-examination. -- Ps 77:6. Lawful business. -- Pr 27:”
  6. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Obedience to God — Commanded -- De 13:4. Without faith, is impossible -- Heb 11:6. Includes Obeying his voice. -- Ex 19:5; Jer 7:23. Obeying his law. -- De 11:27; Isa 42:24. Obeying Christ. -- Ex 23:21; 2Co 10:5. Obeying the gospel. -- Ro 1:5; 6:17; 10:16,17. Keeping his commandments. -- Ec 12:13. Submission to higher powers. -- Ro 13:1. Better than sacrifice -- 1Sa 15:22. Justification obtained by that of Christ -- Ro 5:19. Christ, an example of -- Mt 3:15; Joh 15:20; Php 2:5-8; Heb 5:8. Angles engaged in -- Ps 103:20. A characteristic of saints -- 1Pe 1:14. Saints ”
  7. 1 Corinthians “1 Corinthians 11:1 (NASB) — Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”
  8. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 3: Augustine — On the Holy Trinity — CHAP. 17.--OTHER ADVANTAGES OF THE INCARNATION. (part 1): 22. There are many other things also in the incarnation of Christ, displeasing as it is to the proud, that are to be observed and thought of advantageously. And one of them is, that it has been demonstrated to man what place he has in the things which God has created; since human nature could so be joined to God, that one person could be made of two substances, and thereby indeed of three--God, soul, and flesh: so that those proud malignant spirits, who interpose themselves as mediators to ”
  9. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 21: the law that he 143 might redeem those who were under the law. We are freed from the law by the body of Christ. He was made sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. He is the end of the law for righteousness to all them that believe. It is by his obedience that many are made righteous. ( Rom. v. 19 .) We obeyed in Him, according to the teaching of the Apostle, in Romans v. 12-21 , in the same sense in which we sinned in Adam. The active and passive obedience of Christ, however, are only different phases or aspects of the”
  10. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 52: which he performed in life. Thus Paul comprehends, from the beginning even to the end, his having assumed the form of a servant, humbled himself, and become obedient to death, even the death of the cross ( Phil. 2:7 ). And, indeed, the first step in obedience was his voluntary subjection; for the sacrifice would have been unavailing to justification if not offered spontaneously. Hence our Lord, after testifying, “I lay down my life for the sheep,” distinctly adds, “No man taketh it from me,” 438 ( John 10:15 , 18 ). In the same sen”
  11. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 127: for our benefit. He was made under the law that He might redeem those who were under the law. ( Gal. iv. 4, 5 .) It was in his character of Redeemer that He submitted to this subjection. There was no necessity for it on his part. As He was Lord of the Sabbath, so He was Lord of the law in all its extent and in all its forms. Obedience to it was not imposed ab extra as a condition of his personal happiness and enjoyment of the divine favour. These were secured by his Godhead. It was therefore solely for us that He was made under the saw. ”
  12. theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of the Efficient Cause of Christ's Passion, Art. 2: Article: Whether Christ died out of obedience? I answer that, It was befitting that Christ should suffer out of obedience. First of all, because it was in keeping with human justification, that "as by the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners: so also by the obedience of one, many shall be made just," as is written Rm. 5:19. Secondly, it was suitable for reconciling man with God: hence it is written (Rm. 5:10): "We are reconciled to God by the death of His Son," in so far as Chris”
  13. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 127: § 2. He was made under the Law. The humiliation of Christ included also his being made under the law. The law to which Christ subjected Himself was, (1.) The law given to Adam as a covenant of works; that is, as prescribing perfect obedience as the condition of life. (2.) The Mosaic law which bound the chosen people. (3.) The moral law as a rule of duty. Christ was subject to the law in all these aspects, in that He assumed the obligation to fulfil all righteousness, i.e ., to do everything which the law in all its forms demanded. This s”
  14. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 1: Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius, Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus — CHAP. IX.--EXAMPLES OF THE SAINTS.: Wherefore, let us yield obedience to His excellent and glorious will; and imploring His mercy and loving-kindness, while we forsake all fruitless labours,(9) and strife, and envy, which leads to death, let us turn and have recourse to His compassions. Let us stedfastly contemplate those who have perfectly ministered to His excellent glory. Let us take (for instance) Enoch, who, being found righteous in obedience, was translated, and death was never known to happen to him? Noa”
  15. CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1 (Gen 1-23), section 21.26: from the certainty of our faith; because a full manifestation of Him has been made in Christ, with which it is right that we should be satisfied. Besides, although God does not daily ascend upwards in a visible form, yet, in this his majesty is not less resplendent, that he raises us upwards by transforming us into his own image. Further, he gives sufficient authority to his word, when he seals it upon our hearts by his spirit. 23. And Abraham took Ishmael Moses now commends the obedience of Abraham because he circumcised the who”
  16. theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of the Predestination of Christ, Art. 3: Article: Whether Christ's predestination is the exemplar of ours? I answer that, Predestination may be considered in two ways. First, on the part of the act of predestination: and thus Christ's predestination cannot be said to be the exemplar of ours: for in the same way and by the same eternal act God predestinated us and Christ. Secondly, predestination may be considered on the part of that to which anyone is predestinated, and this is the term and effect of predestination. In this sense Christ's pr”
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