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Thoughts of a saint and slave
by Sam Isaacson
Today we begin a new series, one which I think could revolutionise the way we look at God, ourselves, one another, and the cross among many other aspects of our Christian walks. This week we will begin where things naturally tend to (the beginning), and over the next weeks I envision us taking a stroll from cover to cover of the Bible, unpacking what God has to say about a topic which has begun to really excite me recently. In any case, before I get any further off track please turn with me to Genesis 1:27:
‘So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.’
The Latin phrase imago Dei is the proper title for the study of this concept that man was created in the image of God. While many commentators have many ideas for what this actually means I would like us to look at three of these at a high level this week. Handily enough, all three begin with the same letter.
Representatives – to rule
The general idea in the ancient Middle East was that the king of the nation was the visible representative of whatever particular deity they worshipped; in extreme cases, such as in ancient Egypt, the ruler would actually take on the status of a god when in power. While we cannot, and should never, take pagan ideas to interpret Christianity this picture can help us to understand better the context of this first implication of being created in the image of God, which is taken from Genesis 1:26. '...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.' God's idea was to create every man in His image to be His visible representatives until He comes again. Before man did anything God stated that they should 'have dominion'. As God's creations we have all been given dominion, as Psalm 8:6 tells us, 'over the works of Your hands'.
Being created in the image of God gives us the responsibility to rule over His creation as good stewards of nature, finances, possessions, time, and people.
Resemblance – as a reflection
The majority of preachers I found tend to jump on the idea that we share in God's characteristics, although of course to a lesser extent. The fact that we have capability for reason, morality, language, relationships and creativity can all show us what God is like to a certain degree. By looking at ourselves and those around us it is not too hard to learn more about who God is by observing the best in ourselves and others, all the while having the unfortunate pleasure of seeing proof of our own fallen nature and therefore necessity for God. I am so excited to get to know better the God who is fun to hang around with, who will give me a hug when I need it most, who gives me those encouraging words just when I am about to achieve that victory. I am looking forward to heaven, and hearing a joke told by God, one which is so funny that it makes me laugh until I cry for literally hundreds of years. God must be so great.
Being created in the image of God gives us the responsibility to align the way we live our lives to the way He would, by increasing godly attributes like humility and patience, and decreasing fallen attributes like pride, envy, godless anger and lust.
Relationships – experience reality
The third idea derived from imago Dei is the wonderful concept that God, the Holy Trinity, is in perfect endless relationship all the time, and that therefore we have been created with a need for community. The fact that in verse 26 God said 'let us...' is one of the first glimpses of the Trinity we get in the Bible and is a pointer to us that we have not been created just so we can live our nice, personal lives. It is this concept that will underline our studies from now on, because the other ways that imago Dei is worked out are done so much better when done in relationship. I am not saying that every believer should be married, but I am saying that every believer should be actively involved in the church. Exactly what this means will be something that we investigate in far more detail over the next weeks and months but for the moment let's leave it that God has created us to be in relationship, as He is within Himself. I am so excited to take you all with me as we, together, unpack the wonderful biblical truths of God's ideas for relationship within Himself, within the Church, and between God and His Church.
Being created in the image of God gives us the reponsibility to build strong relationships within the body of Christ, imitating the perfect Godhead and the sacrifice Jesus made to reconcile us to the Father.
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