“Then God said, Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27, New International Version)
Made in His Image
As we ponder together the origin of humankind, not only do I offer the statement in Genesis 1, but I also offer John 1:3 KJV, “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” Though one scripture comes from the Old Testament and one scripture comes from the New Testament, it is clear in both narratives that God made humankind.
God in his infinite wisdom made the earth and then on the sixth day He created man. The earth, with an abundance of animal species created by God, is described as having birds, beasts of the field, an abundance of water and waters teaming with fish. Yet, the earth is incomplete without a caretaker. Then God in His creative wisdom does something new on the sixth day, the All-Powerful God, God the Creator, God the Father, makes man in His image.
Humankind created in God’s image is not a discussion of physical attributes so much as that which is spiritual. God is described in John 4:24 as a “spirit.” In John 1:18 we are reminded that no one has even seen God except the Son who was sent by God. Consequently, we do not necessarily have attributes such as face shape, eye color, height, weight or color of skin that represents to the world that we are earthly images of God the Father. Therefore, we move from a physical semblance to something that is much more profound.
We are created in His image because we are created as a trinity. The Bible tells us that God is a triune God (Matthew 3:16).
We are body, spirit, and soul. With our bodies we show the world who we are and who we represent. Our bodies will testify to whether we are a temple to the Lord or an altar for ungodliness. The spirit, an unseen force, is the connecting vehicle to God. The spirit allows us to commune with God and our soul is that beautiful uniqueness that each of us possess it is our personality and mind (Psalm 139:4 Lamentations 3:20). Peter was different from Paul who was different from Timothy, who were all servants of God. We are all created in His image, but we are beautifully different.
Anyone who does not love does not know God. A child of God shows love. 1 John 4:20 has a stern critique on how a Christian can recognize if they are on the right track. “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”
Christians crave fellowship with God and other Christians, just as God desires fellowship with his creation (Revelation 3:20). Not everyone is a social butterfly, but even for the introvert there is a joy that cannot be replicated outside of corporate praise and worship service.
St John 4:23-24 says, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
Hebrews 13:15 (ESV) notes, “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.”
Worship is a fragrance to God! One flower has a beautiful smell, but imagine many flowers, mature in growth, in corporate praise giving off a beautiful fragrance as a bouquet.
St. James AME Church is located at 360 Dorothy St. in Charleston, and worship service is held on the first and third Sunday of each month at 11 a.m.
