Genesis 1:24-31

Genesis 1:24-31
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 On the 6th day life, in all its abundance, is made.
  Here, we see the God of life pouring out creativity -- the warthog and the toad, the elephant and the ant.  We see the earth filled with all kinds of wondrous life, and then humans are made.
  But humans are not just another animal -- we are made in the image of God, and we are given dominion over the earth, to rule with responsibility for creation.  We are given charge over the earth, and we are supplied with plenty to eat.
  Made in the image of God -- this is not something to be taken lightly.  We often forget this, and when we opt for sinful choices, it is like putting a coat of paint over this image, covering it with something else.  When we do this enough, we so obscure the image of God that it's hard for others to see how we are made.
  But it is still there, and God's love and grace for us never changes.  This is the power of love, of grace, of forgiveness -- even when we choose sin, God is ready for us to repent, to make us new, to cleanse us of all unrighteousness and offer us a new heart, free from sin and the death to which sin leads.
  Thanks be to God for grace, for the new life available in Christ.