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! I. Introduction
God's desire for every man is that he learn Christ and be conformed to his image, and thereby give testimony through his very existence, of the nature and character of God, who created man in His image.
It is only as we fulfill the purpose of our creation that we reflect His image.
Frank Bush illustrates the importance of being made in the image of God by telling about the day he called one of his students into his office.
He says,"He was there because his behavior was so much less than what I expected in a Bible college student.
After discussing the matter, he crowned his long recitation with the excuse, "After all, I'm only human."
When he said that, I jumped to my feet, raised my voice about sixteen decibels, and fairly shouted, "Only human!
Do you realize what you have just said?"
He had moved back into his chair, and his eyes were wide with surprise.
I didn't wait for an answer.
"Only human!
You mean 'made in the image of God,' made a little lower than the angels, and in Christ, given the power to become greater than the angels.
Only human!
Someday you will be called on to judge angels.
Only human!
You have been given dominion over the earth and every living creature on the face of the earth.
The greatest of all God's creations.
The only creature able to think the thoughts of God.
The object of his love, and the one for whose salvation he sent Jesus to Calvary.
What do you mean, 'Only human'?"
Silence reigned heavily in the room.
For a long moment he stared at me in bewilderment, and I attempted to look through his eyes into his soul.
I was hoping that my words had driven home and important truth.
Soon he began to move uneasily in his chair, and he said, "I guess I've been less than what He wants me to be.
I'm sorry.
I will do better."
I nodded my head, and he walked out. . . .
I was disturbed then, and I am still disturbed that we expect so little from ourselves.
To use being human as an excuse for thoughtless and stupid behavior is an insult to God who made us.[1]
We are not "only human" when we allow ourselves to be controlled by selfish desires and impulses.
We are not "only human" when we promote ourselves, and the witness of Christ is harmed.
We were created to reflect our creator.
In as much as we are fulfilling our created purpose, we are human, and our created purpose is to reflect our creator "who chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight."[2]
Many a Christian recognizes the call of God to be conformed to his image, but how is he to fulfill that call?
The scripture we have read shows us how we can measure up to our intended design.
First of all:
!
II.
Imaging God Requires The Abnormal Image Be Recognized.
Ever since the Garden of Eden, man has not properly imaged God as was first intended.
Sin marred the image of God in man as a moral reflection of his creator.
This flawed image must be recognized if it is to be corrected.
!! A. The abnormal image is recognized as we learn of our corruption.
Our Scripture attests to a corruption within that is driven by our own desires, which deceives and misguides us.
We are driven by our own selfish motives.
This deviation is not normal.
It is a corruption.
If something is corrupt, it is altered from its original design.
It is disfigured in some way.
A.W. Tozer points out that:
Sin has many manifestations but its essence is one.
A moral being, created to worship before the throne of God, sits on the throne of his own selfhood and from that elevated position declares, "I AM."
That is sin in its concentrated essence; yet because it is [apparently] natural it appears to be good.
"What shall we do?" (Acts 2:37) is the deep heart cry of every man who suddenly realizes that he is a usurper and sits on a stolen throne.[3]
When sinful man begins to see his disfigurement, he takes the first step in recovery from it.
Unless man recognizes his corruption, it is impossible that he seek remedy for it.
It is good news when men begin to recognize their abnormality.
Johnathan Edwards said that:
The old original wounds must first be probed in their depth before there can be healing.
The Scripture compares sin with the wound of the soul, and says that an attempt to heal this wound without examining it first is vain and deceitful.
It is God's message to show men how awful their state is before he brings the comfort of deliverance and healing.
The gospel must be revealed as bad news before it can be good news.
[4]
We come to see our miserable state in our corruption, and that is ever so much more accentuated as we come to see Christ.
!! B. The abnormal image is recognized as we learn Christ.
One of the best ways to teach a concept is to contrast it with something else.
So it is with our abnormality.
It is as we are taught Christ, and come to know his holiness, that our corruption comes out in bold relief.
The truth is Jesus, but we are being deceived by our corrupting desires.
There is a bold contrast between deceit and truth.
As we learn the truth in Christ, the deceit becomes more evident.
We are made aware more vividly than ever before, that we are far from the image in which we were first cast.
The story is told of a woman in northern England who hung out her washing and
was so proud of its whiteness.
She thought it glistened!
Then snow came
making a beautiful blanket of white.
Seeing her clothes and the snow side by
side, she exclaimed, "What can a poor woman do against God's almighty snow?"
"So, in the white radiance of God's holiness, we are led to exclaim, 'What can
any man or woman do against the purity of God Almighty?"[5]
Christ, who is the image of the invisible God[6] defines what we should be, and it is our deviation from him that stands out like a sore thumb.
It is important to note that it is not simply learning of Christ, as in learning certain subject matter that is necessary, but it is learning Christ, the person.
It is not only /about /Christ that the Ephesians have learned, but it is the /person Himself/ that they were taught.
This speaks of relationship.
A relationship is not a bunch of facts about a person, but it is experiential knowledge of the person themselves that make relationship.
Relationship takes participation.
The Ephesians have seen their own corruption through their participation with Him in relationship.
This relationship provided the grounds for their seeing themselves more clearly.
The desire to replace our corrupt selves with the one we are taught in Christ is natural as we recognize our deficiency.
Robert Webber wrote an article in /Christianity today/ magazine puts this desire in words.
He wrote:
Some time ago I was biking in Michigan and met another biker who, like myself, was a professor of theology.
In the course of our conversation by the side of the road he said something I will never forget: "Bob, all I really want in life is for the Word fo God to take up residence inside of me and form me into Christ-likeness."
I think this statement hit me hard because my seminary training in the Bible was never that personal.
We were always asking "What does it say?" and seldom if ever made the step into a deep personal application of "How can that truth take up residence in me?"[7]
Christ is a revelation of God, not only generally, but individually and personally.
Through Christ, we learn not only a general truth, but a personal truth, and that truth reveals itself to us and addresses us personally.
As we see Christ's nature, and our sinful nature side by side, the call often stirs from deep inside to be healed within.
In order for that healing to take place, we need not only recognize our abnormality, but also that:
!
III.
Imaging God Requires The Appropriate Image Be Restored.
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