Article May 5, 1906 Issue

Man, the Image of God

SCHUYLER S. CLARK.

IT is generally admitted that Christ Jesus knew something about God and man of which men were ignorant, and that he came to bring them this information. We therefore take him as an authority on this subject. A careful study of this authority shows a consistent, uniform teaching and practice in regard to what man is. Whenever Jesus referred to himself, he did so as the type of the real man, and repeatedly emphasized the fact that man is the son of God, wholly dependent on Him for his being; in other words, man possesses nothing of his own apart from God, can of himself do nothing. Man is an image of some one; not that one. This One is God—the divine Life, infinite intelligence or Mind, infinite Spirit, Soul. God's image has, by reflection, the substance of God, which is immutable. This image has by reflection eternal, uninterrupted life, which is not born into so-called human existence, or life in the body, and does not die. In fact these experiences cannot be thought of as belonging to God's image.

God's image has by reflection the intelligence, knowledge, wisdom of God. This is the "mind of the Lord" "which was also in Christ Jesus," and in this way it was expressed, according to his own words, "I can of mine own self do nothing: . . . I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." In the Book of Job we read, "There is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding." If man had a soul of his own he would be a god. If he had life of his own, he would be a creator,—another god. But man is not God, he is the son of God, and if we had the true sense of man as the expression of God, as His image, this would be continually clear in our thought.

One of the perplexing, fear-producing problems of mankind is the question of supply; but how simple becomes its solution if we insist hourly, regarding ourselves or others, that man is God's image. We have always said that in God is abundance—the fulness of life, of intelligence, of wisdom, of energy, of strength. What, then, of His image? Must he not be the reflection of the abundance, of everything that is good? Physical comforts are needed today. It is scientific to have them, and we can take Jesus' word for it, that if we are seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness all these things will be added unto us.

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