From the beginning, God made man in His own image. As the Father of humanity, He created Adam as His son—by creation—after His likeness. Genesis 1:26 makes a distinction between image and likeness. Image refers to the glory and character of God, while likeness relates to form and features—man’s physical reflection of the divine pattern.
When Adam came from the Creator’s hand, he bore in his physical, mental, and spiritual nature a resemblance to his Maker. “God created man in His own image” (Genesis 1:27), and it was God’s purpose that, the longer man lived, the more fully he would reveal that image—the more clearly he would reflect the glory of his Creator (Education, p. 15).
But sin changed everything. The image and likeness of God in man were marred. From that moment, all who were born came not in the image of God, but in the image and likeness of Adam—a fallen man.
“This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him… And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth.” (Genesis 5:1–3)
From then on, every child of Adam inherited the tendencies, weaknesses, and brokenness of their parents. It is the law of heredity under which all humanity lives. As one inspired writer observed:
“The physical and mental condition of the parents is perpetuated in their offspring. Wherever the habits of the parents are contrary to physical law, the injury done to themselves will be repeated in the future generations.” (Adventist Home, p. 172)
When God sent His Son into the world, He too came under this law of heredity. “When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” (Galatians 4:4–5)
“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.” (Hebrews 2:14–15)
Pause and reflect:
What traits have you inherited from your parents—both good and bad? What weaknesses, attitudes, or physical conditions have been passed down your lineage? And to every parent—what traits do you see in your children that mirror your own?
To bring hope to those struggling with inherited flaws, Jesus deliberately chose for Himself a human family marked by imperfection. His earthly home was humble and, to some, scandalous. Though Mary was pure, her pregnancy before marriage drew public shame. Joseph, an older widower, was not of noble class. Yet this was the environment the Savior chose.
Tracing His genealogy in Matthew 1 reveals a lineage of brokenness and grace:
Abraham, a man of faith yet marked by deceit; Isaac, who repeated his father’s lie; Jacob, a deceiver and manipulator; Judah, who committed incest and betrayed his brother; Tamar, who deceived her father-in-law; Rahab, a prostitute; Ruth, born of an incestuous line; David, an adulterer and murderer; and Solomon, a polygamist and idolater. Christ came from this very lineage to redeem humanity.
“It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man’s nature, even when Adam stood in innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam, He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity. What these results were is shown in the history of His earthly ancestors. He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life.” (Desire of Ages, p. 48)
Christ, “of the seed of David” (Romans 1:3), lived a perfect life. The gospel offers every believer that same power—not only victory over sin, but victory over sinful tendencies inherited from our ancestors. Just as Christ was not exempt from hereditary weakness yet lived victoriously, so none of us is bound to repeat the failures of our forefathers.
God’s promise still stands:
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son… the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.” (Ezekiel 18:20)
Children are not punished for their parents’ sins unless they persist in them. Through Christ, every person has the opportunity to break the chain—to be not merely like their earthly father, but like their Heavenly Father.
Through Christ, the image of God can be restored in us. Praise be to God that through redemption and adoption, we are His sons and daughters—co-heirs with Christ.
God’s Mercy and Justice