This sermon on Genesis 1:26-31 is entitled “Let Them Have Dominion”. It was preached during Morning Worship on Sunday, October 19, 2025 by Pastor Jeremy Brandenburg. This sermon is part of a series on the book of Genesis.
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Transcript
Genesis 1:26–31
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
When God created humanity, He gave us something unique—something He did not give to any other creature: dominion. Dominion is the right and responsibility to rule over creation under God’s authority.
This is an important concept because it defines humanity’s purpose and role in the world. Dominion is not a license to abuse or exploit the earth; it is a calling to steward it faithfully. God gave man dominion so that His own character—His justice, His wisdom, His care—would be reflected through human rule over creation.
Today, I want to look at this in two points:
The meaning of dominion
The redemption of dominion
1. The Meaning of Dominion
When God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion,” He established a connection between His image and human dominion. Being made in God’s image means being equipped to rule as His representatives on earth.
God is King over all things. The heavens declare His glory, and the earth is His footstool. Yet, He chose to share a reflection of His kingly rule with humanity. Man was made to rule creation as God rules the universe—righteously, wisely, and for the good of all He has made.
Psalm 8 celebrates this reality:
“What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.”
Dominion, then, is not merely power—it is a sacred trust. Humanity was placed in God’s creation to work it and keep it, to bring order, fruitfulness, and flourishing.
In Genesis 2, Adam is placed in the garden “to work it and keep it.” This language carries priestly overtones. Adam’s work was not just agricultural; it was spiritual service. His dominion was an act of worship.
So when God told Adam and Eve to “fill the earth and subdue it,” He was giving them a mission—to extend the order of the garden throughout the world. They were to build culture, establish families, cultivate the land, and fill the earth with God’s glory.
Dominion also involves relationship. It is carried out in partnership between man and woman, both created in God’s image. God blessed them together and gave them the command to rule and subdue. Dominion was never meant to be selfish or oppressive—it was meant to be shared, cooperative, and fruitful.
Yet this dominion was soon corrupted. When Adam sinned, he surrendered the righteous rule God had given him. The ground was cursed, work became toilsome, and creation itself began to groan under the weight of sin. Humanity’s dominion became distorted—turned toward selfishness, violence, and exploitation rather than stewardship and service.
Romans 8 says,
“The creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”
Dominion was meant to bring blessing to the world—but sin turned it into a curse.
2. The Redemption of Dominion
Even after the Fall, God did not abandon His purpose for humanity. From the very beginning, He promised a Redeemer—the seed of the woman who would crush the serpent’s head.
Jesus Christ came into the world as the true image of God, the perfect ruler, the second Adam. Where the first Adam failed, the second Adam triumphed.
Hebrews 2 says of Christ:
“At present we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him. But we see Him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”
Christ came to redeem not only fallen humanity but all of creation. Through His life, death, and resurrection, He began restoring God’s design for dominion. In His miracles—stilling storms, healing the sick, casting out demons—He demonstrated His authority over creation, over evil, and even over death itself.
When Jesus rose from the grave, He declared, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” That is the language of dominion restored. Christ has taken back what Adam lost.
Now, those who are united to Christ share in His dominion. We are being renewed in His image and called to live as His representatives once more. Paul says in Romans 5:17:
“If, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.”
That’s redeemed dominion—reigning in life through Christ.
The dominion that was lost in Eden is being restored in the kingdom of God. Christ reigns even now, and one day His rule will be complete. Revelation 5 pictures the redeemed around the throne singing:
“Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”
In Christ, dominion is no longer corrupted by sin but perfected in righteousness. The redeemed will reign with Him forever—not as tyrants, but as servants reflecting His glory and love.
So, dominion began as God’s gift to humanity—His calling for us to reflect His rule in creation. It was lost through sin, but in Christ it is redeemed and will one day be fully restored.
Our task now, as those who belong to Christ, is to live under His lordship and extend His righteous rule in every sphere of life—our work, our relationships, our care for creation, and our witness to the world.
Let’s pray:
Our Father, we thank You that You have made us in Your image and called us to rule under You. Forgive us for the ways we have twisted that dominion into selfishness and pride. Thank You for sending Your Son, the true and perfect King, who redeems and restores what was lost.
Grant that we would live as those renewed in His image—faithful stewards, wise rulers, humble servants—until the day when all creation is made new and we reign with Christ forever.
In His name we pray, Amen.
