What happens if we interpret the image of God trinitarianly? If the image of God is the image of the triune God, what difference does this make? If we begin with the fact that God is Father, Son and Spirit in mutually-loving relations, does this mean the image of God in us is our ability to relate to God and to one another and only when we relate do we properly reveal the image of God in us.

Therefore, to be ‘in Adam’ (Rom 5) is to see the image of God marred - relationships are not what they should be and to be ‘in Christ’ is to see the image of God, through the image of Christ, relationships should be something more like God intended: see Eph 2, where Paul speaks of Ephesians being ‘in Christ - a new humanity - where the divisions between Jew and Greek are no longer there. If we take this seriously, if we are ‘in Christ’ (i.e. Christian) we should live according to Christ, and to there allow relationships to fragment and destruct is to live denying our new state ‘in Christ’ and to return to a life defined by Sin, which we have left behind. In saying that, Paul speaks of ‘being conformed to the image of the Son’ in Rom 8:29, suggesting that although we now live according to Christ and in Christ, this is not something that is fully happened this side of death.