Image and likeness of God

Genesis 1:26 says we were made in the image and likeness of God. What does this mean?

This is what sets us apart from the animal world. Having his image and likeness doesn't mean Adam's body looked like God, but his body did reflect God in that it had perfect health and wasn't prone to death. When Adam sinned, that "likeness" was distorted, and we got the altered version. We are made in the image of God in 3 particular categories: mentally, morally, and socially.

Mentally: We can reason and choose. We're able to rationally think and make free choices. Unfortunately, Adam made the free choice to sin.

Morally: We were made innocent, in perfection, without sin, just like God. When Adam and Eve sinned, it perverted this. We still have the "leftovers" of this likeness though. It's called our conscience. It's why we feel guilty.

Socially: We communicate, talk, laugh, eat together, and fellowship. It's why we make friends, hug people, pray for people, and call friends. It reflects how God is in perfect fellowship and communion with Jesus and the Holy Spirit (the Trinity).

James 3:9 tells us we're still in God's likeness today, but we also clearly show the effects of sin. It's why we catch a cold (physically), get confused (mentally), sin (morally), or isolate ourselves (socially). Since sin entered the world and messed up our perfect image and likeness of God, we can't look at everything about ourselves and assume God is that way (For example, our choice to sin does not alter God's character or mean that God sins or makes mistakes). But, we can look at our existence and certain things about us and marvel at how God has given us characteristics that show us about Him.