ESOCS Devotional 31 May 2026 – Mankind Mirrors the Image of God
MEMORY VERSE: “And 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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Genesis 1:26 KJV
TEXT: GENESIS 1:26-31
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
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From our memory verse above, we understand that God created mankind in His own image. However, the word “image” should be viewed beyond the physical or visible imagery of man. Armed with this understanding, we see man as thus created after the spiritual image of God. In other words, creation in the image of God does not refer to a physical appearance. Reference is therefore to the spiritual image of God that dwells within every person through the God-created spirit of man. Moreover, being in the image of God refers to the spiritual inclinations of man that make him a spiritual being, who seeks to worship a higher power than himself.
Yes! God created humanity in His image. But when Adam and Eve fell into sin, in one sense, they lost that image of God. They lost God’s image of Goodness, Holiness and Righteousness. Hence, the New Testament says that Christ came to restore us to God’s image in Him. This means renewing us in knowledge, holiness and righteousness. Jesus Christ is the true image of God par excellence. It follows therefore that, if we want to see what God looks like, we must look to Jesus. Moreover, and inasmuch as we bear His image, God wants us to rule His entire creation wisely on His behalf (Genesis 1:26). He also promises that someday, we will be fully restored to His likeness.
In another sense, all humanity retains God’s image. On that basis, God rules out murder, cursing, and other sundry sinful acts. Through the true image of God, all men and women have an inborn desire to reach out and find God, (Acts 17:27-28). Ye are gods, children of the Most High. Evolve to become like Him, once more.
Reflections
- Ye are the image of God. Act like it.
Prayer
- Lord Jesus, restore me to the full image of the Father.
Further Reading: Exodus 5:15-22; 1 John 5:1-15, Revelation 1:12-20
ESOCS Devotional 31 May 2026
