Restoring something doesn't mean replacing something, but refurbishing it to its former estate.
When a piece of furniture is restored, you can tell it's a piece of furniture. Something about it has been broken or corrupted, but it's still identifiable. So it is with man. The image of God is still present; it has simply been marred and corrupted.
Incidentally, this is why murder is so condemned...by it, the image of God is destroyed.
When a piece of furniture is restored, you can tell it's a piece of furniture. Something about it has been broken or corrupted, but it's still identifiable. So it is with man. The image of God is still present; it has simply been marred and corrupted.
Incidentally, this is why murder is so condemned...by it, the image of God is destroyed.
You have not addressed the Scriptures which define the image as being true righteousness, holiness and an intimate knowledge of God. Does man have these things after the Fall? Is man still very good when God says he became only evil continually?
Man after the Fall did not lose his humanity, abilities or status above the animals but all of who man is and all of his abilities were affected by the Fall which is the reason for the Flood.
After the flood in Genesis 9:3, God declares to man that he can eat every moving thing. To ensure that every moving thing does not also include man, God reminds them in verse 6 that man who was originally created in His image and above the animals is not to be treated like a dog or killed and eaten like an animal (which was never made in His image), because man once bore the image of God.
Adam’s seed are like the children of a king that has lost his kingdom and crown, who should be treated in a respectful manner and different to the animals because they are able to once again wear a crown through another King that was promised to come from the seed of the woman (Gen 3:15). These are those chosen to be regenerated in Jesus Christ the eternal King.
All men are to therefore to be treated with respect because we are all equally born under the curse of our first parents and must realise that the only thing we deserve from God is His righteous justice, perfect judgement and eternal wrath because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23).
If there is anything left of the image of God in man it is the truth that he has the ability in Christ to once again bear the image of God that was lost, which is why God stated he is not to be treated or killed like an animal (Gen 9:3-6) because he once bore the image of God in the day he was made (past tense) which Gen 5:1-2 agrees with and twice confirms it was the day man and woman were created and not after the Fall.