God's Attributes Reflected in Us预览

Humans were created in God’s image

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’” (Genesis 1:26)

In the beginning, the Lord God created the heavens and the earth. Then He created all plants, trees, and animals “according to their kinds.” Last, He created man. Man was different from the animals in one important respect: he was created “in the image of God, after His likeness.” In some ways, man resembles his Creator. He shares certain characteristics with God that plants and animals do not have. But what are they?

Clearly, God has important qualities that humans do not possess. For example, He is a Spirit without a body. He has no beginning but was always there. He is omniscient and omnipotent. But there are also character traits of God that humans did inherit from Him. Goodness and righteousness, for example. Yet we see these reflected very little in ourselves and in the people around us. This is because God's image in people was severely damaged when we rebelled against Him. As a result, we are all “darkened in our understanding, alienated from the life of God” (Ephesians 4:18). But there is hope. God offers us a way of restoration. Restoration of our relationship with Him, and also (partially and increasingly) restoration of His image in us. In the coming days we want to look at this in more detail.

To what extent do you see attributes of God reflected in people?