Deeper Reflection
God designed mankind to bear His image and likeness (v.26). Mankind alone, in all creation, is given this privilege and responsibility! Thus, as Christ-followers, we need to understand the doctrine of the Imago Dei (image of God). What does it mean for us to bear God’s image? In what ways do we share God’s likeness? There are certainly many attributes of God we don’t have, such as omniscience and omnipotence. In the final two Devotional Journal entries for this week, we will look at three ways that we share the image of God: the functional, ontological and relational.Functional. The command for us to have dominion over all of God’s creation (v.26) immediately follows God’s resolution to make humanity in His image. Hence, our functional role in exercising dominion over God’s creation is part of what it means to resemble God.³⁰Ontological. Ontology refers to being – who we are. Like God, we are beings with free will and rationality.³¹ Because God gave us free will, we have a genuine choice to obey or reject Him. God doesn’t coerce us into loving Him. God also gave us rational minds, that we may “think His thoughts after Him”³² ! We have a Christian duty not just to love God with all our heart and soul, but also with all our minds (Matt 22:37). We are not called to park our brains outside the church door. May God renew our minds through Scripture³³ and enable us to understand His character, His works and His world, so that we may discern how to be better witnesses of His in these challenging and chaotic times.

³⁰ Refer to yesterday’s Devotional Journal (20 April 2023) for more on our role in creation ³¹ Merrill, E. H. (2003). Image of God. In T. D. Alexander & D. W. Baker (eds.), Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch (p. 443). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press ³² This phrase was coined by the astronomer Johannes Kepler, who believed that all scientific research and discovery was “thinking God’s thoughts after Him” ³³  Romans 12:1-2.