Last Sunday we began with the most fundamental answer to the question, “What is man?” which is that we are created. In this respect, we are like everything else that God has made, living and non-living. We were brought into existence according to the power and purposes of God.
This Sunday we will consider a second answer to our question. We are image bearers. In this respect, we are absolutely unlike everything else that God has made.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…” (Gen. 1:26)
Genesis 1 and 2 make it clear that mankind has been given a privileged and sacred place in God’s created world. We have been uniquely fashioned to reflect and represent God.
“It would be good for us to reflect on our likeness to God more often. It will probably amaze us to realize that when the Creator of the universe wanted to create something “in his image,” something more like himself than all the rest of creation, he made us. This realization will give us a profound sense of dignity and significance as we reflect on the excellence of all the rest of God’s creation. The starry universe, the abundant earth, the world of plants and animals, and the angelic kingdoms are remarkable, even magnificent. But we are more like our Creator than any of these things. We are the culmination of God’s infinitely wise and skillful work of creation. Even though sin has greatly marred that likeness, we nonetheless now reflect much of it and shall even more as we grow in likeness to Christ. (Wayne Grudem)
That last phrase is really another way of stating our vision at Grace, which is to present everyone mature in Christ. Maturing in Christ means erasing the ways our sin distorts and obscures the image of God in us and restoring and renewing that image. “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 (2 Cor. 3:18).”
This can only be done by the power of the Holy Spirit with our eyes fixed on Jesus. And though it happens slowly by degrees, Jesus is committed to complete this work in us. “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. (1 Cor. 15:49).”
Erik Thoennes will be preaching and Kenny Clark will be leading our sung worship. Would you pray for each as they prepare? And let’s ask the Lord to help us behold His glory more clearly as we gather for worship that we might be transformed from one degree of glory to another.
See you Sunday, Grace. Come hungry!
Song Link of the Week
Very, Very Good by Songs of Grace
Very, very good! Very, very good!
Made in His image
He declared that we’re very, very good
Though we disobeyed, since full account’s been paid
Though once defiled we’ve been reconciled
And it’s very, very good