Impossible, I hear you say! However, think again, and read on.

Imagine we take a photograph of a beautiful rose, and we print out a large-size poster of this flower. Does the picture bear all the details of the subject, in this case, the rose? Yes, of course! It bears every detail of the rose, and it's very easy to see, at just a glance what the picture is of. However, it's really just an image of the original isn't it? We can't say that the picture is the actual rose, no of course not! But the picture is an image of the rose, and bears its likeness.

In Genesis 1:26-27 the Bible says:

"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.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." - Genesis 1:26-27

How amazing and wonderful is this! The human race, of which we all are a part, was created as ‘photographs' of God, in his image! Our first parents bore all the characteristics of God. Just like an image bears all the details of it's subject, so mankind came from the hand of his creator bearing His likeness. Can you imagine it? What do you think this would have been like?

"As Adam came forth from the hand of his Creator he was of noble height and of beautiful symmetry. He was more than twice as tall as men now living upon the earth, and was well proportioned. His features were perfect and beautiful. His complexion was neither white nor sallow, but ruddy, glowing with the rich tint of health. Eve was not quite as tall as Adam. Her head reached a little above his shoulders. She too was noble, perfect in symmetry, and very beautiful.
Man came from the hand of God perfect in every faculty of mind and body; in perfect soundness, therefore in perfect health." - My Life Today, pg. 126

Try to image what it was like. No taint of sin marred the perfect peace and joy of that happy couple. Rather, as each day passed they would give praise to their Creator and rejoice in His wonderful love made evident by the beautiful garden of paradise surrounding them.

Now, thousands of years later, the tragedy of what happened in that paradise still strikes home to our hearts. We lost the image of God! Yes, by choosing to do what we wanted to do rather than the will of God, we lost the beautiful noble characteristics of God. No longer, does the human race perfectly reflect the likeness of God.

By using his powers of choice, man began to receive the impress of another master. This new ruler began the terrible work of defacing the image of God in all those who would give him entrance.

Can we see the results of this work today? Do we not see crime, violence and death at every hand? How far have we fallen from the perfect image of God?

Yet have we entirely lost the divine image?

Consider this parable that Jesus spoke:

"Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find [it]?
And when she hath found [it], she calleth [her] friends and [her] neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.
Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." - Luke 15:8-10

What is inscribed on the back of each coin? Yes, it's the image of the ruling monarch of the time. Isn't humanity just like the lost coin of this parable? Although God's image has been chipped, marred and very much faded, yet it is still faintly visible.

Next week we will consider just what is God's plan to re-trace this image on us, and how we can be a part of his plan.

The lost coin, in the Saviour's parable, though lying in the dirt and rubbish, was a piece of silver still. Its owner sought it because it was of value. So every soul, however degraded by sin, is in God's sight accounted precious. As the coin bore the image and superscription of the reigning power, so man at his creation bore the image and superscription of God. Though now marred and dim through the influence of sin, the traces of this inscription remain upon every soul. God desires to recover that soul and to retrace upon it His own image in righteousness and holiness. - Ministry of Healing pg. 163