God declares in Genesis 1:26-27 that man is created in His image and likeness, reflecting His form and shape. This physical resemblance, supported by terms like tselem and icon, indicates God has a tangible body with features like hair, eyes, and hands. Scriptures consistently show God with a visible form and audible voice, as seen by Abraham, Moses, and others. Jesus, post-resurrection, confirmed His corporeality with spirit flesh and bones. We are destined to be like Christ, bearing His glorious image, as affirmed in I John 3:2 and I Corinthians 15:47-49. Beyond form, we mirror God's intellectual powers, emotions, and potential for character, aiming for eternal fellowship with Him.

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Image and Likeness of God (Part One)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God has clearly revealed in His Word that He possesses form and shape, as stated in Genesis 1:26-27, where He declares that man is made in His image and likeness. This foundational truth, laid out in the very first chapter of the Bible, establishes that we are created with a physical resemblance to Him, contrasting us with animals who reproduce after their own kind. The implication is evident: just as offspring bear the image of their parents, we bear the image of God, with the potential to be exactly like Him, reflecting His purpose for us. The Hebrew word "tselem," translated as image, means shape, resemblance, or figure, carrying no abstract connotation when applied to human reproduction, as seen with Adam and Eve. Yet, when applied to God, some question this clear meaning, assuming He has no true form or shape. This same word "tselem" appears in contexts like Exodus 20:4 and Leviticus 26:1, where it undeniably refers to physical likeness in idols, showing consistency in its usage. Similarly, the Greek word "icon," used in the New Testament, reinforces this direct relationship of resemblance, as seen in Romans 1:23 and Matthew 22:20, indicating a prototype drawn from the original, much like a reflection on water mirrors the sun. God's revelation through His Spirit to His children affirms that He is not a mystery beyond comprehension, but One who discloses Himself plainly. Scriptures such as John 5:37 and Luke 3 confirm that He has a visible form and an audible voice, witnessed by those present. Jesus Himself taught that a spirit being's body is not vaporous but solid, possessing spirit flesh and bones, as He demonstrated after His resurrection. Nowhere in Scripture is it stated that God lacks a body or only assumes one temporarily; rather, the consistent testimony is that He has outward form and shape, and we are made in His image bodily. To deny this is to contradict the plain statements of His Word, accusing Him of not meaning what He says, which is contrary to His nature, for He does not lie.

Image and Likeness of God (Part Two)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The concept of being made in the image and likeness of God is central to understanding our potential and purpose. God has declared that we are His children, and He is our Father, having given us His Spirit. Yet, it is now taught that we are not to be in His image or to be God as He is God, which defies the patterns established in creation where offspring reflect their parents. Bears beget bears in their own image, and so it should be with us as children of God, reflecting His form and shape. God's revelations in His word consistently show Him with form and shape like a man. From Genesis, where the Lord appeared to Abraham as a man, to the accounts of Moses, the seventy elders, Gideon, Manoah and his wife, Job, Isaiah, and Amos, all describe God with the appearance of a man, possessing tangible qualities such as feet, a voice, and the ability to eat and converse. Even in His glory, as seen by Moses, God retained shape and form, demonstrating solidity and substance. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ, after His resurrection, emphasized His corporeality to His disciples, showing He was not a ghost but had flesh and bone, a tangible body with shape and size. He was restored to the glory He had before the world was, returning to the form He held as the model for Adam, composed of spirit but still possessing a recognizable body. We are to be transformed to be like His glorious body, indicating that if we are to have a body like His, then He must have a body now. The terms used for image and likeness, such as tselem, demooth, and icon, overwhelmingly refer to outward form and shape in their biblical contexts, not merely moral or spiritual likeness. If man is made in the image and likeness of God bodily, then God must have a body, an outward form and shape. This is further supported by visions in the New Testament where Jesus retains His form even when glorified, as seen by Peter during the transfiguration and by Stephen, who recognized Him standing beside another God being. God's consistent self-revelation shows Him with a face, as promised to the redeemed who will see His face in the kingdom of God. Scriptures affirm that we will see Him face to face, without need for figures of speech or disguises, confirming His tangible presence. This clear testimony from numerous biblical witnesses stands against modern notions that God is incomprehensible or without form, aligning with the simple truth that we are made in His image and likeness, both in form and potential character.

Image and Likeness of God (Part Four)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Right from the beginning in Genesis 1, He assures us we are made in His image, and if we look at ourselves, we see that God has hair, eyes, a forehead, ears, a nose, a mouth, teeth, a chin, a face, hands, arms, shoulders, a waist, legs, and feet. When He says that we are made in His image, we are in the same form and shape, and in addition, we have intellectual powers, are capable of character, and possess personality that we can detect and project, even as He does. When He states that we are in His image, He includes the whole person, from what we look like to how we act. Hundreds of scriptures affirm that God has a body, and if so many scriptures do not mean what they say, then how can we trust any scripture to mean what it says? If numerous scriptures describe God as having parts and feelings, and He does not possess them, it should be shown in at least one place that He does not, so we can take such statements as figurative; otherwise, we have no authority to interpret all such passages as figures of speech. A figure of speech always has something real behind it at its base. God is not universal mind, conscience, or goodness, nor an abstract power filling space; except for the vast difference in power and potential, the only difference between men and God is that mankind is earthly flesh and bone, mortal, while God's body is spirit, immortal, perfect, and self-existent.

Image and Likeness of God (Part Five)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

We are created in the image and likeness of God, reflecting His form and shape as well as His intellectual power. We possess the ability to set our will, make choices, and come to knowledge, mirroring His nature in these capacities. Just as He does, we can choose to fellowship with Him or with others, including those of like minds or even the world. Our potential to develop into His character image is central to His purpose for us, aiming to share eternity with Him on His level. Carrying His presence with us wherever we go is a vital aspect of becoming like Him in character, dependent upon a relationship built on knowledge, shared experiences, fellowship, and memory. The greater our true knowledge of Him, both intellectual and experiential, and the stronger our devotion to Him, the more profound His presence becomes in our lives, motivating us to make the relationship work through submission to Him. If we are not obeying Him, we cannot claim to have His presence, as obedience to His commandments is essential for oneness with Him. Without a basis for a relationship, there can be no presence, underscoring the importance of aligning our actions with His will to truly reflect His image.

Image and Likeness of God (Part Three)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The invisible things of God are clearly seen by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, which indicates His divine nature. This creation serves as a constant and natural revelation, available to all who stop to think about it, allowing them to learn much about God. Mankind is made in His image and likeness, reflecting His characteristics in profound ways. God possesses a body with head, hair, face, arms, fingers, hands, waist, loins, eyes, eyelids, nostrils, ears, mouth, lips, tongue, breath, feet, and back parts, suggesting front parts as well. He speaks of His heart, rests without tiring, feels emotions, eats, drinks, and experiences the effects of wine cheering His heart. He laughs, gets angry, speaks in a small still voice, roars from Zion, and as a Man, He wept. These traits mirror human experiences because we are created in His image and likeness. God goes about from place to place in a body, rides in a vehicle, walks, plants, works, and lives in a spiritual place called heaven. He expresses a wide range of emotions such as grief, repentance, sorrow, jealousy, anger, hate, love, pity, mercy, joy, peace, long-suffering, graciousness, compassion, gentleness, goodness, meekness, kindness, pleasure, and delight, serving as the model for the right use of these qualities in mankind. Additionally, God has a soul, a personal possession that is the seat of His feelings, capable of longing, loathing, abhorring, lusting, desiring, thirsting, knowing, fainting, rejoicing, humbling, chastening, and delighting. This soul is reflected in man, who also possesses a soul as the seat of passions and feelings, further demonstrating the likeness between God and humanity. God also speaks of His Spirit as a personal possession, an invisible force or power that expresses intelligence, will, truth, hope, faith, knowledge, wisdom, discernment, omnipotence, omnipresence, infinity, invisibility, and holiness. This Spirit is uniquely His, distinct as the human spirit is distinct in each individual, projecting personal mind, attitudes, knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and discernment. The human spirit, more than any other component, enables mankind to be in God's image, highlighting the profound connection and similarity between God and those created in His likeness.

'Like Father, Like Son'

CGG Weekly by John Reiss

God declares His purpose early in Genesis 1:26, stating, Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. Mankind was created after the God-kind, not merely as adopted, but as sired by God Himself. Luke 3:38 records Adam as the son of God, emphasizing this direct connection. Beyond physical creation, Christians are chosen by God before the foundation of the world, as noted in Ephesians 1:4. Scripture further reveals that humans bear the image of the earthly man, Adam, but are destined to bear the image of the heavenly man, Jesus Christ, according to I Corinthians 15:47-49. David expresses confidence in this transformation in Psalm 17:15, declaring he will be satisfied when he awakes in God's likeness. Similarly, I John 3:2 assures that when this change occurs, we shall be like Christ, seeing Him as He is. Hebrews 2:5-9, quoting Psalm 8:4-6, notes that man was made for a little while lower than elohim, indicating a temporary state below the God-kind with the potential for elevation. In the Kingdom of God, all will fit into its framework as elohim of the God-kind, fully members of the God Family. Revelation 5:9-10 prophesies that God has made men to be kings and priests, reigning on the earth. Jesus Christ, as the firstborn among many brethren in Romans 8:29, leads as King of kings and Lord of lords, with believers as His sisters and brothers, embodying the ultimate expression of like Father, like son.

God's Master Plan

Bible Study by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

God states His goal to make man in His own image. By using both image and likeness, God explained that He would create man to be just like Him. Man would not only look like God, but humanity would also have a spiritual ability to understand His nature and learn to conform to it. Through the experiences of life and the process of building godly character, humankind can put on the image of God and be resurrected into His Family.

God's Non-Transmittable Attributes (Part Two): Omnipresence

Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

The Bible describes God with the same body parts as humans, thereby confirming that He possesses shape and form and manifests in a specific location. This description rests upon the creation of humanity in the image and likeness of God. The same principle applies to the Son, who, together with the Father, maintains an autonomous body while remaining united in mind and purpose. These bodily realities demonstrate that God is not an indescribable, vapor-like entity but exists as spiritual substance governed by higher laws. The recognition of God's definite form stands alongside His omnipresence, which is exercised through the Holy Spirit and allows Him to be present everywhere at all times without spatial restriction.

God the Father (Part 1)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

God created humanity in His image and according to His likeness, granting man the same form, shape, and appearance as the divine Being. This resemblance includes a face, eyes, ears, mouth, arms, legs, hands, fingers, feet, toes, and hair, so that knowledge of human appearance directly conveys the visible form of God. Jesus Christ, as the only begotten Son, embodied this exact likeness during His earthly life and thereby displayed the Father to those granted revelation. The same image and likeness already mark the saints, who are children of God through the Spirit, even as they await fuller conformity at the revelation of Christ. This foundational truth underscores the dynamic nature of the God family, which expands beyond two original Spirit Beings to include glorified sons and daughters who share the divine form and character. Because God fashioned man after Himself, the physical creation testifies to the personal, relational essence of the Father and the Son rather than an abstract or impersonal deity.

God Is . . . What?

Booklet by John W. Ritenbaugh

In Genesis 1:26 Moses records that man is created in the image and likeness of God. These terms reinforce each other to indicate that humans resemble God in form and possess a spiritual capacity and potential absent in animals. This creation establishes the foundation for family parallels that run throughout Scripture. Jesus consistently speaks of God as Father and of Himself as Son, while describing those who do the will of God as brother, sister, or mother. Paul states that those led by the Spirit of God are sons of God and children of God, and John adds that believers are already children of God yet will one day be more fully like Him. Ephesians 3:14-15 summarizes the pattern by identifying the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ as the source from whom the whole family in heaven and earth derives its name. The material therefore presents the image and likeness of God as the basis for an existing heavenly Family into which converted humans enter as sons and daughters while still on earth. This family relationship mirrors the unity already shared by two distinct divine Personalities who work in complete harmony. Jesus prays that His followers may be one with the Father and with Him in the same manner that the Father and the Son are one, sharing one nature, one mind, and one purpose. The image and likeness thus point forward to the believer's inheritance in the Kingdom, where personal identity is retained within the expanded divine Family rather than absorbed or lost.

Knowing God

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The material presents the image and likeness of God as the state of possessing an undivided, whole, and unchanging mind that remains constantly aligned with His purpose. God Himself is described as one, complete, and unchanging, with all His attributes inseparably joined so that sovereignty cannot be separated from love, judgment from mercy, or grace from omniscience. This unity enables Him to act always with perfect wisdom and love, never confused or uncertain. Humanity, by contrast, begins with a divided mind marked by fickleness, curiosity, and unbelief that produces wavering, confusion, and self-opposition. The process of becoming like God therefore requires deliberate cooperation to develop singleness of purpose, focus, and constancy. This occurs through seeking Him by prayer, study, meditation, and obedience, all driven by thankfulness for His gifts and passionate desire to live as He lives. Such seeking produces oneness with the Father and Son, allowing believers to imitate their way of life and receive the same undivided character. The material connects this directly to the call to reject division, avoid the confusion of Babylon, and prepare for the return of Christ by becoming one with Him now rather than remaining conformed to the world.

Our Divine Destiny

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

God's called-ones have been given the ability to decipher the scattered concepts, revealing the purpose of their destiny throughout the Scriptures.

The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part One)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The doctrinal changes made by the Worldwide Church of God have devastating ramifications. Predictably, when the vision was changed, God's law was cast aside.

The Father-Son Relationship (Part One)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Father is the source of everything and the Son is the channel through which He carries out His purpose. Jesus declared that the Father is superior to Him.

These Things We Know

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The writings of John contain nine categories of "we know" assertions. Fully knowing consists of developing a deep intense relationship with God.

Lessons from the Count to Pentecost

Sermon by Mark Schindler

The Sabbaths midway through the count to Pentecost represent times of faithlessness among our ancestors who complained about food and rejected God's leadership.

His Eye Is on the Sparrow (Part Four)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

From the beginning, God has set apart certain individuals, putting them through a sanctifying process, perfecting their character until they reflect His image.

Our Affinity to Christ (2002)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Our lives must be totally wrapped up in Christ, exemplifying His character. As we overcome, taking the same steps as Christ did, we will receive His reward.

What Is Real Conversion? (Part Four)

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Sometimes we are so caught up in our activities that we forget the goal of the conversion process. Where do we want to end up when our lives are complete?

Why Are We Here and What Is Our Focus?

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Mark Schindler

God has a plan to bring all to Christ, but each in his own order. We cannot have a proper understanding of the plan if we do not keep Christ as the focus.

Of Snowflakes and Suns and Glory

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021)

The glory we reflect to God goes all the way over the sun to God's throne room; God in turn reciprocates with spiritual assets and gifts.

Self-Government (Part One)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Regardless of whether one submits to God, government, or community, self-government is the best means to having a safe, smooth course toward an objective.