MAN AS A MIRROR
THE 52 GREATEST STORIES OF THE BIBLE • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 114 viewsThe purpose of man is to reflect and represent God in this world.
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
was not written to argue with atheist about God existence. It is a royal announcement to this concerning its Sovereign ruler. It not only announces God’s existence but it articulates clearly why we exist. not only tells us how everything was created but why it was created. Why do I exist is the most prevalent philosophical question in the history of humanity. It’s as old as The Garden of Eden. It’s asked by everyone.
Sometimes we may feel like the man who said, “I’ve got a clock that tells me when to get up--but some days I need one to tell me why.”
Elizabeth Gilbert in 2006 published her memoir Eat Pray Love, “One woman’s search for everything across Italy, India and Indonesia.” The book chronicles her journey to find the meaning of life, Gilbert finds that only one thing ultimately matters: yourself. Atheism in not the belief in nothing but anything but God.
Author G.K. Chesterton says, “When [you] abandon belief in the Creator, people do not begin to believe in nothing. They begin to believe in anything.”
Play Tom Brady Video Clip
If man was made through random chance how can he know that his randomness has purpose. Man does not have to be informed that he has purpose because this is intrinsic. This intrinsic knowledge is given to him by his Creator naturally and through the natural world. He knows this naturally because his creator has placed this knowledge within him
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Ecclesiastes and seeks his purpose for existing because he was created by His creator with purpose. Man looks at creation and sees purpose because he sees design.
He knows this by his observance of the natural world in which he lives
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Romans 1:and seeks his purpose for existing because he was created by His creator with purpose. Man looks at creation and sees purpose because he sees design.
Man looks at creation and sees design, order, and purpose. He ask himself; “how can I live in such a purposeful world and not have purpose”. No other portion of Scripture suffers more intense and consistent attacks than . Why? you might ask. It carries within in its words the answer to every question of life.
Today’s text and this week’s memory verse reveals to us the answer to life’s most asked question, Why am I here?
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
THE PURPOSE OF MAN
Theologians have long debated what exactly is meant by the "image of God" and there are a number of elements that are contained in that description. Let me simplify its meaning through deduction.
There are attributes that are true of God which are not true of human beings. In those attributes we are clearly not in his image. These are the attributes of God that theologians call incommunicable. This simply means he has not communicated them to anybody else. For instance, his omnipotence. God is all-powerful—we are not.
After discovering how to clone humans, two scientists challenged God:
"We don't need you anymore," they said. "We can make life by ourselves now."
"Okay," God replied, "let's have a man-making contest."
"All right," said the scientists. "We'll do it like you did in the beginning." Then they reached down to grab a handful of dirt to begin to form a man.
Then they heard God's voice from heaven: "Hold it—get your own dirt!"
He is omnipresent which means he is in all places at all times. He is omniscient which means he knows everything there is to know. We don't. God is immutable which means he does not change.
God is immutable. That means he does not change. We do change. We grow older and hopefully we grow wiser. But God is immutable. God is eternal. That means he has no beginning; He has no end. We of course have a beginning.
Memorable: The Big Idea
So there are clearly attributes that belong to God, which do not belong to human beings, and in those areas we are evidently not created in his image and likeness. However, there are attributes true of God, which are intended to be true of human beings, and these are his communicable attributes—ones that he communicated to human beings. For instance, "God is love," says Scripture, and human beings are designed to be loving. God is just and we are intended to act justly. God is merciful; we are intended to be merciful. God is kind and we are intended to be kind.
We were created to be a physical and visible images of the character of an invisible God. Image means you look at an image and you are reminded of the real thing.
Memorable: The Big Idea
The purpose of man is to reflect and represent God in this world.
The purpose of man is to reflect and represent God in this world.
Powerful
Represent = Marble
Represent = Marble
The term “image” (ṣelem) is used in the Old Testament for actual forms and shapes of idols. In Ancient cultural kings would have statues of themselves carved out of marble and place throughout their kingdom as a revelation of who they were.
Images are created to image.
Images are created to image.
We are made in His image unlike all the other animals. Whatever in his image means in detail, this it means clearly: God is the reality and we are the image. Images are created to set forth the reality. A statue is not the person but a representation of that person. Why did God create man? To show God! He created little images so that they would talk, act, and feel in a way that reveals God. He wants people to look at the way you behave, the way you think, the way you feel, and say, “God must be great, God must be real.” This is your reason for existence.
God didn’t create you as an end in yourself. He’s the end, you’re the means. Bored Christians make really bad images. God is not unhappy about himself. He is infinitely excited about his own glory. We are made in the likeness of God to exhibit his presence on earth.
Reflect = Mirror
Reflect = Mirror
You were made not to be the original, but to reflect the original.
You were made not to be the original, but to reflect the original.
Being created in God’s image means to reflect God’s image. How do you accurately reflect something? Think of a mirror. How can I get a mirror to reflect the sun? You face the mirror toward the sun. . The Bible says God will make His face shine upon us
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
). Why? So we can reflect Him! Look at . We cannot elaborate on this amazing passage fully here, but Paul says before we know Christ, it is like there is veil over our hearts. When the veil is lifted, it is like a blind person receiving sight! We receive freedom as we finally see that Christianity is not about rules, but a relationship. However, Paul contrasts this New Covenant with the Old Covenant. When Moses went up on the mountain to commune with God, he would come back and his face would shine (). This is because being with God makes you look like God! There was physical transformation which I’m sure also changed his heart as well. It was an outside-in transformation. Anyway, later, like a flashlight running out of battery, the shininess would fade and what leader wants to lose their glow in front of his people? So Moses decides to put a veil so no one would see the glory leaving (and partly because the people were afraid to look at him when he did glow).
Why? So we can reflect Him! He’s saying, “I want you to so reflect my glory that you fill the world with it. I want you to face me so that my character is reproduced in you, and then the way in which you treat the world, the way in which you treat the people around you, will bring life. They’ll all flourish.
Why? So we can reflect Him! Look at . We cannot elaborate on this amazing passage fully here, but Paul says before we know Christ, it is like there is veil over our hearts. When the veil is lifted, it is like a blind person receiving sight! We receive freedom as we finally see that Christianity is not about rules, but a relationship. However, Paul contrasts this New Covenant with the Old Covenant. When Moses went up on the mountain to commune with God, he would come back and his face would shine (). This is because being with God makes you look like God! There was physical transformation which I’m sure also changed his heart as well. It was an outside-in transformation. Anyway, later, like a flashlight running out of battery, the shininess would fade and what leader wants to lose their glow in front of his people? So Moses decides to put a veil so no one would see the glory leaving (and partly because the people were afraid to look at him when he did glow).
How are we to reflect the original? Let me answer a question with a question. What are you reflecting at this moment? Your relationships shape your reflection.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
He’s saying, “I want you to so reflect my glory that you fill the world with it. I want you to face me so that my character is reproduced in you, and then the way in which you treat the world, the way in which you treat the people around you, will bring life. They’ll all flourish.
We cannot elaborate on this amazing passage fully here, but Paul says before we know Christ, it is like there is veil over our hearts. When the veil is lifted, it is like a blind person receiving sight! We receive freedom as we finally see that Christianity is not about rules, but a relationship. However, Paul contrasts this New Covenant with the Old Covenant. When Moses went up on the mountain to commune with God, he would come back and his face would shine. Being with God makes you look like God! There was physical transformation which I’m sure also changed his heart as well. It was an outside-in transformation. Anyway, later, like a flashlight running out of battery, the shininess would fade and what leader wants to lose their glow in front of his people? So Moses decides to put a veil so no one would see the glory leaving (and partly because the people were afraid to look at him when he did glow).
Keller, T. J. (2013). The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive. New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church.
How are we to reflect the original? Let me answer a question with a question. What are you reflecting at this moment? Your relationships shape your reflection.
The problem with man is God’s image has been marred.
The problem with man is God’s image has been marred.
Our world is filled with over 7 billion images of God. Yet our world is not filled with the glory of God but gloom and godlessness. There are glimpses of God’s image in this world but our reality is man living to be like God instead of reflecting His likeness. This refusal to reflect God has led man into the depths of sin. So many of our societal problems would not exist if man would realize he was made in God’s image.
Adam’s children continue to repeat Adam’s sin. The Sneaky Snake, the great repackager of sin, tempts man to run after God-likeness rather than reflect God-likeness. Satan’s temptation is to be like God in His noncommunicable attributes. This leads man’s down a path to despair. When we believe the lie that we can be like God in this way we carve out a graven image in our likeness. Our new confession of faith becomes; the chief end of man is to glorify man and enjoy himself for forever. Sin seeks to lead man down the slippery slope of spiritual suicide. Satan wants to kill the image of God within us.
Our world is filled with over 7 billion images of God. Yet our world is not filled with the glory of God but gloom and godlessness. There are glimpses of God’s image in this world but our reality is man living to be like God instead of reflecting His likeness. This refusal to reflect God has led man into the depths of sin. So many of our societal problems would not exist if man would realize he was made in God’s image.
We live in a world that struggles with self-esteem. Self-esteem is having confidence and satisfaction in yourself. A biblical self-image is one’s conception of oneself in light of what God says. Building up one’s self-esteem is sinful but building up one’s self-image is Biblical. Our self-image comes from the understanding that we are made in His image. Therefore, as a image bearer of the creator I must possess infinite dignity and value.
We are made in God’s image, therefore we possess a sacredness.
“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously - no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption.”
because we are made in God’s image, there is sacredness to us. Remember we are not even talking as Christians here. All human beings possess value. No matter what we have done with this self-image with sin, no matter where we are from or how low we have gone, God sees us having dignity, worth and value. Notice also God emphasizing the gender in relation to His image: “male and female He created them.” The text does not say that God created man in His image and then created the woman in the man’s image. Both equally created to reflect God’s image, though different, possess value.
Remember we are not even talking as Christians here. All human beings possess value. No matter what we have done with this self-image with sin, no matter where we are from or how low we have gone, God sees us having dignity, worth and value. Notice also God emphasizing the gender in relation to His image: “male and female He created them.” The text does not say that God created man in His image and then created the woman in the man’s image. Both equally created to reflect God’s image, though different, possess value.
Science does not give us this sense of self. Science may say we are complex creatures, but in the end, we are merely creatures. I like what G.K. Chesterton says in relation to this. He says the secular politician goes to one meeting and cries out against war or genocide that we should not treat people like beasts. Then he picks up his hat and umbrella and goes to the science convention and shakes the hand of the scientist who claims, “We are merely beasts.” Very contradictory! Theologian George Weigel affirms: “We are not congealed stardust, an accidental byproduct of cosmic chemistry. We are not just something, we are someone.”
Science does not give us this sense of self. Science may say we are complex creatures, but in the end, we are merely creatures. I like what G.K. Chesterton says in relation to this. He says the secular politician goes to one meeting and cries out against war or genocide that we should not treat people like beasts. Then he picks up his hat and umbrella and goes to the science convention and shakes the hand of the scientist who claims, “We are merely beasts.”[8] Very contradictory! But God tells us here, as Roman Catholic theologian George Weigel affirms: “We are not congealed stardust, an accidental byproduct of cosmic chemistry. We are not just something, we are someone.”[9]
Man continues his search for existence as he attempts to be like God, which was the Sneaky Snakes lie, instead of reflecting the God in whose image he has been made. If God purpose in creating mankind was to represent and reflect his attributes then why has our world experience very little History proves that man has lived like the first man, Adam. Our first parents, who were made in God’s likeness and image, decided that this was not sufficient and therefore believed the Sneaky Snakes lie that they could be like God.
sin has deformed the image of God in us so that now we either sinfully think too highly of ourselves or too lowly of ourselves, which is also sin. The power is always in the balance. We are both depraved and possess dignity at the same time. So we can elevate our dignity in sinful pride or elevate our depravity also in sinful pride. So on the one hand if you think highly of yourself and value yourself above others in pride, you do not love your neighbor as you should, since you don’t think they are worth loving. On the other hand, if you have a low self-image, you also will not love your neighbor, since you feel like you have nothing to give. Both are in the end forms of pride and sin deforming the image of God in us.
Sin has deformed the image of God in us so that now we either sinfully think too highly of ourselves or too lowly of ourselves, which is also sin. The power is always in the balance. We are both depraved and possess dignity at the same time. So we can elevate our dignity in sinful pride or elevate our depravity also in sinful pride. So on the one hand if you think highly of yourself and value yourself above others in pride, you do not love your neighbor as you should, since you don’t think they are worth loving. On the other hand, if you have a low self-image, you also will not love your neighbor, since you feel like you have nothing to give. Both are in the end forms of pride and sin deforming the image of God in us.
In his book All Over but the Shoutin,' Rick Bragg shares a brief story about a bird to show just how devastating self-hatred can be. He writes: ‘”Once when I was little, I watched one of the birds attack its own reflection in the side mirror of a truck. It hurled its body again and again against that unyielding image, until it pecked a crack in the glass, until the whole mirror was smeared with blood. It was as if the bird hated what it saw there, and discovered too late that all it was seeing was itself.’”[10] We often tell others, “Hey, don’t beat yourself up.” Some of us have beaten ourselves up, not realizing that in hating ourselves, we are trying to destroy the image of God in ourselves because we don’t like what we see.
What do you see when you look in the mirror? All of this is because of the image of God is broken in us. But what happens in the gospel? The gospel allows us to be humble and confident at the same time. On the one hand, the gospel tells us we are sinful and the sins we know about ourselves are just the tip of the iceberg. This humbles us. At the same time, the gospel says, we are loved and the love we know of Christ is just tip of the iceberg. Not only did God create us, but He paid the price to redeem us when we decided to live for ourselves instead of Him, for whom we were created for. We are loved and His love is what makes us beautiful again. This gives us hope and confidence in Christ. When that collision happens is when we can grow in practicing the image of God again and brought back into the center of truth. A new beginning happens!
In his book All Over but the Shoutin,' Rick Bragg shares a brief story about a bird to show just how devastating self-hatred can be. He writes: ‘”Once when I was little, I watched one of the birds attack its own reflection in the side mirror of a truck. It hurled its body again and again against that unyielding image, until it pecked a crack in the glass, until the whole mirror was smeared with blood. It was as if the bird hated what it saw there, and discovered too late that all it was seeing was itself.’”[10] We often tell others, “Hey, don’t beat yourself up.” Some of us have beaten ourselves up, not realizing that in hating ourselves, we are trying to destroy the image of God in ourselves because we don’t like what we see.
I hate everything about my body.
What about body image? Author Diana Spechler recently launched a website where women can anonymously share how they feel about their bodies. Here are some of them:
· I hate everything about my body.
I constantly compare myself to other women.
· I constantly compare myself to other women.
I eat when I'm depressed, and then I get more depressed.
What do you see when you look in the mirror? All of this is because of the image of God is broken in us. But what happens in the gospel? The gospel allows us to be humble and confident at the same time. On the one hand, the gospel tells us “ We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.” Not only did God create us, but He paid the price to redeem us when we decided to live for ourselves instead of Him, for whom we were created for. We are loved and His love is what makes us beautiful again. This gives us hope and confidence in Christ. When that collision happens is when we can grow in practicing the image of God again and brought back into the center of truth. A new beginning happens!
· I eat when I'm depressed, and then I get more depressed.
· Sometimes when I see a woman fatter than me, I'm glad she's making me look better.
· I want to lock myself up until I'm thin again.
· I constantly compare myself to other women. Weight, skin, hair, clothes. More often than not, I
find myself lacking in most areas.
· I continually base my worth on what other people look like ….I don't know how to feel
comfortable in my own skin.
· I love food for how it makes me feel. I hate food for how it makes me feel.
· I am incredibly jealous of all those people who eat whatever they want and never gain a pound.
· I just want to look in the mirror and feel happy.[11]
THE PROVISION FOR MAN IS A MESSIAH.
THE PROVISION FOR MAN IS A MESSIAH.
God restores His image through salvation.
God restores His image through salvation.
The God, whose image we have marred, does not provide us with a 12 step program for restoration but a Savior. How does this Savior provide restoration?
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
C
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
Philippians 2:
When Adam, deformed the image of God, Christ came as the exact reflection and representation of God. He truly made the invisible God visible. He is the image of God par excellence. Where Adam and Eve failed, Christ succeeded. How did we respond to him as He came to reflect God’s image perfectly for us and fill the earth with Himself? We crushed the perfect image of God. We trampled on Him and killed Him. When He took our sin, He was deformed. But three days later, like a kernel of wheat which dies, yet lives and bears much fruit (), Christ rose again! And now we can look at Him again. We, like mirrors, though we have shattered the image of God in us can face God again and He can shine on us and transform us in Christ! Paul says we can
and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
) and again in : “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge, after the image of its creator.” And one day, we will rule with Him again! One day, everything will be put under His dominion () and we will reign with Him, perfectly reflecting His image and filling the earth and eventually the new heavens and the new earth with His glory! As Glenn Stanton says, “We serve a God who created our humanity, weeps at the fall of our humanity, became our humanity, and is redeeming our humanity.”[21]The second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, left heaven fully God, and became fully human so that those who would believe in Him can be fully conformed to His image. As one church father said, His becoming what we are enables us to become what He is.
We trampled on Him and killed Him. When He took our sin, He was deformed. But three days later, like a kernel of wheat which dies, yet lives and bears much fruit (), Christ rose again! And now we can look at Him again. We, like mirrors, though we have shattered the image of God in us, trampled on Christ and others, us, even us, can face God again and He can shine on us and reform and transform us in Christ! Paul says we can “put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” () and again in : “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge, after the image of its creator.” And one day, we will rule with Him again! One day, everything will be put under His dominion () and we will reign with Him, perfectly reflecting His image and filling the earth and eventually the new heavens and the new earth with His glory! As Glenn Stanton says, “We serve a God who created our humanity, weeps at the fall of our humanity, became our humanity, and is redeeming our humanity.”[21]The second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, left heaven fully God, and became fully human so that those who would believe in Him can be fully conformed to His image. As one church father said, His becoming what we are enables us to become what He is.
and again in
and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
And one day, we will rule with Him again! One day, everything will be put under His dominion and we will reign with Him, perfectly reflecting His image and filling the earth and eventually the new heavens and the new earth with His glory!
and again in : “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge, after the image of its creator.” And one day, we will rule with Him again! One day, everything will be put under His dominion () and we will reign with Him, perfectly reflecting His image and filling the earth and eventually the new heavens and the new earth with His glory! As Glenn Stanton says, “We serve a God who created our humanity, weeps at the fall of our humanity, became our humanity, and is redeeming our humanity.”[21]The second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, left heaven fully God, and became fully human so that those who would believe in Him can be fully conformed to His image. As one church father said, His becoming what we are enables us to become what He is.
We serve a God who created our humanity, weeps at the fall of our humanity, became our humanity, and is redeeming our humanity.
And one day, we will rule with Him again! One day, everything will be put under His dominion
For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking.
It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him?
You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor,
putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.
and we will reign with Him, perfectly reflecting His image and filling the earth and eventually the new heavens and the new earth with His glory! As Glenn Stanton says, “We serve a God who created our humanity, weeps at the fall of our humanity, became our humanity, and is redeeming our humanity.”[21]The second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, left heaven fully God, and became fully human so that those who would believe in Him can be fully conformed to His image. As one church father said, His becoming what we are enables us to become what He is.
The second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, left heaven fully God, and became fully human so that those who would believe in Him can be fully conformed to His image. As one church father said, His becoming what we are enables us to become what He is.
and we will reign with Him, perfectly reflecting His image and filling the earth and eventually the new heavens and the new earth with His glory! As Glenn Stanton says, “We serve a God who created our humanity, weeps at the fall of our humanity, became our humanity, and is redeeming our humanity.”[21]The second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, left heaven fully God, and became fully human so that those who would believe in Him can be fully conformed to His image. As one church father said, His becoming what we are enables us to become what He is.
God brings His image to completion through sanctification.
God brings His image to completion through sanctification.
God brings His image to completion through sanctification.
This is the love that restores God’s image in us. - Play Beauty and Beast Clip
Look at
God brings to completion His image in us through sanctification.
God brings to completion His image in us through sanctification.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
We cannot elaborate on this amazing passage fully here, but Paul says before we know Christ, it is like there is veil over our hearts. When the veil is lifted, it is like a blind person receiving sight! We receive freedom as we finally see that Christianity is not about rules, but a relationship. However, Paul contrasts this New Covenant with the Old Covenant. When Moses went up on the mountain to commune with God, he would come back and his face would shine. Being with God makes you look like God! There was physical transformation which I’m sure also changed his heart as well. It was an outside-in transformation. Anyway, later, like a flashlight running out of battery, the shininess would fade and what leader wants to lose their glow in front of his people? So Moses decides to put a veil so no one would see the glory leaving (and partly because the people were afraid to look at him when he did glow).
Paul says now that we are in Christ, we don’t have to worry about not being able to shine God’s glory, because the veil is lifted. We can turn to Him again and look at Him because of Christ who had God turn His face away from Him. And as we look at Him, He progressively changes us, i.e. transforming our deformed image of God in us, so that our willing exposure to the sunlight of God’s presence will burn his image ever deeper into our character and will. And so much so, that we are not merely reflecting God’s image, WE ARE RADIATING IT! And the reverse of what happened to Moses will happen to us. It is an inside-out transformation! God transforms us more and more into His image, the image of Christ and one day we will physically be like Him!
That is our hope. As one church father said, “His becoming what we are enables us to become what He is.”[13] Maybe we should not be called human beings, one commentator says, but human becomings.[14]
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
Maybe we should not be called human beings, one commentator says, but human becomings.
THE PURPOSE MANDATED
THE PURPOSE MANDATED
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The Great Commission is not a New Testament concept. Jesus is just restating what God originally said in : fill the earth with my glory! What a joy to help people formed in the image of God, deformed by sin, point to the true image of God in Christ and have Him transform them and fill the earth with God’s glory! How do we do that? We are called to put God’s character on display. Put His love on display. Put His power on display. Put His creativity on display. Put His justice on display. Put His holiness on display. Put His wisdom on display!
Man is most fully alive when he is reflecting God’s image and filling the earth with God’s character.
Man is most fully alive when he is reflecting God’s image and filling the earth with God’s character.
“The church father Irenaeus put it this way: ‘The glory of God is man fully alive, and the life of man is the vision of God.’ It’s true, God is never more glorified than when a human being comes fully alive. It’s not in sunsets and oceans. It’s not in mountain grandeur and stellar blaze. It’s in people.”
Life is what makes you come alive. Thus, Paul says Christ is our life!
When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
What is the Lord saying to you this morning? Are you are restless, confused, and lacking fulfillment. Have you been turning your face to other things? Created things?
Have you been reflecting God’s image? You can try to do it on your own, but you have no light on your own. You need to simply face the source. Turn to Him. Let Him shine on you. Yes even as deformed as we are. Even as tramplers of God’s image as we are. As you see Christ trampled for you, you can be bold and humble at the same time.
Maybe you are restless, confused and lacking fulfillment. Have you been turning your face to other things? Created things? Have you been reflecting God’s image?
How is your self-image in light of what we talked about? Have you been trampling others with our words or thoughts? Let’s repent of these things as we turn our face to Him again this morning.
You can try to do it on your own, but you have no light on your own. You need to simply face the source. Turn to Him. Let Him shine on you. Yes even as deformed as we are. Even as tramplers of God’s image as we are. As you see Christ trampled for you, you can be bold and humble at the same time. How is your self-image in light of what we talked about? Maybe we have been trampling others with our words or thoughts? Let’s repent of these things as we turn our face to Him again this morning.