Speratus,

John 8:44 is not addressing the topic of image bearers of God as much as it is the relationship to God. In John 8 Jesus is making it absolutely clear in terms the Jews understand that they are not children of God but children of the devil. Verse 44 is part of a statement by Jesus which began in verse 42 where He says, “If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God;” Since they rejected Jesus they were not the children of God nor the true children of Abraham but rather were deceived by the devil so He called them the devil’s children.

Romans 5:12 is discussing our federal heads: Adam being head of the human race and the one who brought sin and death into the world when he fell. Unlike Adam’s offense, which caused many to die in their sin, Jesus Christ the second Adam came by the grace of God to bring salvation. “The gift of grace which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.” (v.15) He came to make atonement for our sins and bring righteousness and life.

Psalm 73:20 is speaking about God’s disapproval of the vanity of those who trust in their wealth. Their lifestyle may look attractive now but when they awaken as from a dream their image won’t be so attractive. They will be judged. The psalmist is discussing the cause of temptation in this Psalm. In verse 3 he writes he was envious of the foolish, because he saw the prosperity of the wicked. But when he went into the sanctuary of God; then he understood their end. (v.17)

Man is created in God's image. He knows about God's eternal power and divinity, through the realities around him of time, space, and objects. (Rom. 1:20) His sinful nature continually reacts against the evidence of God, and that is why man falls into idolatry, polytheism, agnosticism, etc. In his sin, apostate man "suppress the truth" and change the glory of the incorruptible God into an image: witness the diversity of world-religions, which, while they witness to man's religiosity, are a strong evidence of man's rebellion in worshipping a man-made god, a god made in human likeness.

“The Fall diminished God’s image, not only in Adam and Eve, but in all their descendants, the whole human race. We retain the image structurally, in the sense that we remain human beings, but not functionally, for we are now slaved to sin, unable to use our powers to mirror God’s holiness. Regeneration begins the process of restoring God’s moral image in our lives. But not until we are fully sanctified and glorified shall we reflect God perfectly in thought and action as we were made to do and as the incarnate Son of God in His humanity actually did (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38; 8:29,46)” (New Geneva Study Bible, page 9).


Wes

When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride. - Isaac Watts