Christians use the Latin term ' imago dei’ to describe God’s work of Creation in human beings, stamping His own likeness and image in us. Imago Dei describes the unique relationship between God and humans that makes us distinct from all other creatures. Genesis says "So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27, NLT) Since God is Spirit, it is not our temporal body, made mostly of carbon atoms, that bears His likeness. It is soul and spirit, intellect and will, emotions and relationships, primary among them - LOVE!
We were made to display His creativity in our lives, to show
His love in our relationships, to demonstrate His qualities in our character
and work. Then, sin entered the world, the image marred, and over time,
increasing obscured by corruption, selfishness, worship of created things
rather than the Creator (Romans 1), and the abuse of the gifts He gave to us.
The image of God remains but under such layers of corruption as to be all but
invisible in the lives of those who have not undergone a Divine Restoration!
The Scripture tells us this of Jesus - "The Son
reflects God’s own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly.
" (Hebrews 1:3, NLT) "Christ is the visible image of the
invisible God." (Colossians 1:15, NLT) Then there is the
amazingly wonderful promise for humanity - you and me! God acts to restore His image in us, by
conforming us to the image of Christ.
Through a gift of divine
grace, by faith, we receive union with Christ so that we are made like Him: “For
those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his
Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans
8:29). Again, we read - “Just as we have borne the image of the
man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” (1
Corinthians 15:49).
When we speak of being ‘saved,’ we must not only think of having the sting of separation from God taken from us. We are saved TO the work of showing off His goodness. The Word says that “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.” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Because we are given the Spirit, it si possible to take "off your old self with its practices and put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." (Colossians 3:9-10, NIV)
You might wonder why I am focused on this, why it matters? Because I believe that many Christians do not grasp the high calling, the joyous privilege they are given, in Christ to show off God’s glory. Many think that Jesus came to forgive their sins and help them limp into Heaven whenever they die. Yes, He did come to release us from sin’s grasp, and to open the Way to Life eternal to us, yet there is so much more. God wants to restore the imago dei in YOU. He wants our lives to be so full of Christ’s goodness, grace, love, and truth that the radiance cannot be ignored by the world around us. In colloquial terms,He wants us to look like our Dad.
The reason that so many do not find our Christian experience
compelling and beautiful is that we have turned this amazing gift into a system
of moral laws, often only known through church attendance, with rote
recitations of Scripture, and such things. Nobody is looking for more rules
in life or greater duty. But, we all love beauty!
When Christ Jesus forgives us, He washes and when we lean on Him, we are restored
through the Holy Spirit’s action. The Word
says that "we all, with open
face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the
same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. "
(2 Corinthians 3:18, KJV) We can become amazingly loving,
beautifully authentic, creative, whole, and holy people - beautiful. No
it’s not a superficial beauty of face or social status. It is a beauty that is
the reflection of Jesus.
Are you growing in the image of God, the grime and corruption peeled away by the Spirit’s work as you live in holy discipleship? Ah, yes, it is a process. The restored beauty of the Sistine Chapel emerged only over decades through the hard work of skilled craftsmen. So in us, this work - often called sanctification - happens our whole life long.
It will only be completed when Christ appears in His glory.
Take this final thought with you today as you pray for and aspire to the Imago
Dei to be more and visible in your life. "Yes, dear friends, we are
already God’s children, and we can’t even imagine what we will be like when
Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we
will see him as he really is." (1 John 3:2, NLT)
Let’s grow into His likeness anticipating the
Day when it is made complete in us and we become eternal beings of such glory
we are called “children of God!
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(Video of this blog at this link)
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart!
Naught be all else to me save that thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night.
Waking or sleeping thy presence my light.
Be thou my wisdom, be Thou my true word.
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord.
Thou my great Father, and I thy true son!
Thou in me dwelling and I with thee one.
Riches I heed not nor man's empty praise,
Thou my inheritance now and always.
Thou and thou only, first in my heart.
High King of heaven, my treasure thou art!
High King of heaven when battle is done,
Grant heaven's joy to me, Bright Heaven's Sun.
Christ of my own heart whatever befall,
Still be my vision thou ruler of all.
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