Imago Dei is Latin for "the image of God." Imago Dei is an essential theological concept in Scripture,

 "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth' God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:26-27).

Understanding the image of God is key to the debate about sexual identity.

The image of God is what separates us from the rest of God's creation. It separates us from the animal kingdom. All living things have the breath of life in them, but only human beings have the image of God stamped within them. What does this mean? "The fact that man is in the image of God means that man is like God and represents God" (Grudem, W. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine). All human beings bear in themselves something of God and represent something about God to the rest of creation.

Imago Dei is one aspect of common grace, which is God's favor shown to all human beings. People are the crowning glory of God's creation. Before the foundation of the world, God's plan was the redemption of human beings through Christ as the means of restoring that which was lost at the fall.

But what about the fall? Does the doctrine of depravity erase the image of God? No, it does not. After the fall, the image of man was defaced. Still, the doctrine of depravity does not mean this image is entirely erased.

After the fall, God gave this reasoning for capital punishment, "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God, He made man" (Genesis 9:6). Murder is a particularly egregious offense against God because it destroys a human being made in His image. James bears this out in the New Testament as well, "But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God."

In the words of Calvin,

In this way only we attain to what is not to say difficult but altogether against nature, to love those that hate us, render good for evil, and blessing for cursing, remembering that we are not to reflect on the wickedness of men, but look to the image of God in them, an image which, covering and obliterating their faults, should by its beauty and dignity allure us to love and embrace them.

—John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion

Christians would do well to remember that all people are created in God's image. Lost sinners should therefore be treated accordingly by us.

It is a great temptation to dismiss and reject people because of their depraved views of sexuality. When we see outlandish sexual behavior and brazen disregard for the things of God, it is easy to wish God's wrath upon the world. People are lost, corrupt, and shameless in their sin but still created in God's image. Our goal is to see God lead them to a proper understanding of true identity as a creation of God and, by His grace, to a complete identity of redemption in Christ. After all, isn't that what evangelism is all about?

We must help people see how the current view of sexual identity diminishes them. When one's identity is reduced to sexual identity, they are devalued, for the image of God within them is denigrated.

The current cultural controversy about sexual identity does violence to the image of God. Though the stated purpose of having people embrace their sexual identity is so that they find value in their lives, the very opposite occurs. They end up settling for less, much less. They define themselves by one small aspect of humanity, which has to do with sexual practice. And most often, sinful sexual practice. You are not your sexual identity. You are not defined by your sins or your temptations to sin. But when one finds their identity in God's image, and ultimately in Christ Himself, one experiences God's completed design for life and a fulfilling identity that is eternal.

And this is where Imago Dei helps in our proclamation of the Gospel. We should seek to lead people to understand God's grace for sinners and how God's image in them is defaced by sin. The only remedy for sin is through Christ crucified. One who longs for identity must see that sin stands in the way and that true identity is in Christ alone.

Beloved, I know this is hard, for we want to defend the honor of God in the face of the decline of our culture. We mourn when we see people rail against God and His perfect design for marriage. But people are blind and enslaved to sin. They do not understand God's gracious plan. But we have the remedy and have been given our marching orders to boldly proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth. It is a message for sinners, no matter how depraved.

This message restores that which is lost. For the purpose in the words of Jesus is, "To open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me" (Acts 26:18). In this, the Imago Dei is restored for those who believe.