On the same day I completed my initial reading of Made In the Image of God, I was struck by a passage that seemed to sum up the intent and purpose of the book: Jeremiah 9:24 reads “… but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me….” More than anything else, this fine book seeks to lead the reader to increase their desire and pursuit to know God.

This study of the nature of God the Creator and man His creation, made in His likeness, stresses the discipline of searching the Scriptures to fully understand what, in fact, has already been revealed. The author operates under the presumption that the subject is approachable, there is much to be known that has been revealed in God’s Word and the effort is well worth the time. The desire of the author seems to be that this knowledge leads to love, devotion and committed Christian living, assuming as we know God more fully, we can love and worship Him more deeply.

I appreciated the systematic and logical approach taken in this book. Background information is provided when necessary, presumptions are identified, and complex concepts are clearly defined, explained, and then connected. The progression of thought is understandable, clear, and supplemented by helpful diagrams. The motivated student will find the material, although not a simple read, to be very manageable because of the logical building block approach to the study.

The author has the ability to enable the reader to get their arms around abstractions instead of running from them. I found the book to effectively demystify the area of Christian metaphysics and provide a working foundation for unintimidated further study.

The author is careful to clearly point out his chosen rules of interpretation, or hermeneutics, as he relates to the subject matter as presented in Scripture. A refreshing aspect of this book is the quantity of Scripture, not only referenced but quoted in its entirety. There is also an extensive and very helpful index of Scripture references. The author’s reliance, respect and love for the written Word is contagious, and it is easy to get carried away reading through the passages referenced.

This book is not written for the theologian, but I think it will be seriously read by them and ultimately helpful, as it addresses the drive of every true theologian, which is to know God in a fuller and deeper way. There is another audience that will greatly appreciate the information and concepts presented – those interested in apologetics. Reid’s respect for the Scriptures is immense, and his care in handling them wisely and respectfully is evident throughout all the pages of this work. The material presented, although not expressly intended to be, is among the best defenses I have ever read of the triune nature of God. Many will find this study lends itself to small group Bible studies or discipleship classes in local churches. The study of this doctrine of the nature of both the Creator and the creation, puts this truth on the lower shelf, making it accessible, without diminishing the great wealth of these doctrines.

I was especially benefited by the discussions of the personhood of God as Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. The distinction the author drew from Scripture regarding the spirit of God, shared by all three persons of the Godhead, as distinct from the person of the Holy Spirit, was very helpful to me as I read many of the referenced passages and recalled my previous study of the Lord as revealed in many of the familiar Old Testament passages.

I plan to re-read this challenging book and utilize the concepts and ideas presented in it to further my study of the nature of God and how I, as His creation, can better relate to honor and serve Him. This book did not attempt to understand God by minimizing Him in any way, but gave me a clear window pane to peer through and marvel at the magnificence of a God that is so indescribably great.

Respectfully Mark D. Yates, CPA

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I start many books but read very few all the way through. This book kept me thinking and evaluating the author’s thoughts and statements. The author laid out his thought pattern completely and supported each step with Scripture. The author has made valuable examples for all to understand the correlation of all aspects of the Trinity with relationship to God and ourselves. After fifty years of being a Christian and doing lots of Bible study, this book gave me the clearest understanding of the Trinity and their interaction with me. I would recommend all Christians read and study what Reid has laid out in this book.

Jerry Bird—Independent Insurance Adjuster