The image of God in mankind according to Genesis 1:26-27

¶ … God in mankind

Image of God and mankind

According to Genesis 1;26-27

Then God said Let Us make man in our image, according to our likeness: and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping things that creep on earth.

God created man in His own image .In the image of God He created him: male and female he created them.]

This simply means that God finished his work with a personal touch according to his own image. God made man from dust and gave life to him by sharing his own breath with man. This therefore means that man is unique among all God's creations since man has both a material body and an immaterial body which is the spirit or soul. Having the image or likeness of God simply means that man was made to resemble God. However man does not resemble god simply because he has flesh and blood. This is because the bible says that God is spirit and hence God exists without the body. However, Adam's body was a mirror to the life of God since it was created in perfect health and was not supposed to die or subject to death.

The image of God refers to the part of man that is not material. This is what sets apart man from the world of animals and fits him for the dominion that was intended by God for him and therefore he is able to commune with his creator. This likeness is mentally, socially and morally.

Mentally man was made to be rational, volitional agent. This means that he can reason and make a choice. Man was endowed with the intellectual ability that was superior to any other animal that was created. He was given a mind that was able to understand and communicate with God and emotions that would respond to God and a will to make choice of what was good and bad. This is a reflection of God's intellectual nature and his freedom. Therefore anyone writes a book, invents a machine, tackles a sum they are affirming the fact that man was made in the image of God.

Socially man was created so that he can fellowship. This gives a reflection of the nature of God which is triune and his perfect love for mankind. God made woman since he thought that it was not wise for a man to live alone.at the garden of Eden Adams primary relation was God himself hence the fellowship. Therefore any time one marries, goes to church, and makes a friend they are illustrating that man is made in the likeness of God.

Morally man was made in righteousness and perfectly innocence a true reflection of the holiness of God. When God saw what he had created man included he referred to it as being good. The conscience that man has is a vestige of the original state that he was created in. therefore whenever one gives praise to good behavior, shans away from what is evil, comes up with laws, feels guilty of something they have done they are confirming that man is made in the image of God.