Reading the Essential 100 from Scripture Union for the next few months. I am doing my reading in the Revised English Bible, or in the New Revised Standard Version.

Reading: Genesis 1–2:25.

The verses that stands out for me today are two very important in New Thought and Unity: “Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness, to have dominion over the fish in the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, all wild animals on land, and everything that creeps on the earth.’ God created human beings in his own image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

(Genesis 1:26–27 REB).

The creation by God is done “in his own image; in the image of God.” But God’s intention is stated that we be made “in our image, after our likeness.” The word “likeness” does not appear in the sentence that describes the creation. I believe that is because, although we are created in God’s image, we are God’s likeness only in potential. We are working out the likeness to God through our lives on earth. Just as Moses built the tabernacle according to the pattern shown him on the mountain, we are building our character, our expression of God’s image, according to the image of God within us. In architectural terms, the image is the blueprint; the likeness is the building. The image is the idea, or ideal; the likeness is the manifestation of that idea. Just as the idea of chair can take many forms, so the image of God can take many forms as well, all of them being likenesses of God.