Many are familiar with the Scriptural texts which read: "God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness," and, "God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him" (Gen. 1:26, 27). It is well to consider whether this creation of God's image was temporal or eternal. Was it just for a passing moment, a fancy to delight God, or is this man the eternal, infinite, immortal likeness of God Himself? Then when the questions are asked, "What has happened to this man, the image of God? Where is he? Is he dead?" we shall have thought through the truths revealed in Christian Science and can reply that man is ever living and that the spiritual selfhood of each individual is the man of God's creating.
Great good comes to us when we realize that in our true being we are the man spoken of when God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness," for the spiritual truth immediately begins to replace the physical concept of man with the new understanding that man is spiritual, perfect. Through the teachings of Christian Science we know that what God creates is permanent. Consequently, He did not express man and send him forth, as it were, to sink or swim in physicality; but He sustains man in all spiritual goodness and immortality. It is well for us to declare, to understand, and to demonstrate that we in truth are the immortal image of God, the man of God's creating.
Let us become acquainted with our true selfhood. It is a wonderful, glorious selfhood, reflecting all of God's qualities, including dominion. Because of man's unity with the infinitude of good the Master could say that the kingdom of God is within us. This kingdom is infinite; it constitutes our true consciousness, and there is no place for evil within this kingdom of good. In Isaiah we find this statement (43:7): "I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him." To whom does this statement refer? Is it to someone in the past, someone who has ceased to be, someone who lasted but a flash of a moment and is gone? Or does it refer to the image of God? Of course we know that it refers to God's likeness, to our true selfhood.
