Naylor Community Christian Church
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Genesis 1:26-30
Genesis
1:26-30
New
International Version
27 So God created
mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed
them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and
subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over
every living creature that moves on the ground.”
29 Then God said,
“I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every
tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all
the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that
move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every
green plant for food.” And it was so.
-- I want you to do something today
that a lot of adults don’t do any more -- I want you to use your imagination --
now, imagine that you are driving around town in your car -- you’re late for an
appointment so you’re trying to get there as fast as you can -- maybe you’re
even driving a little too fast for the conditions -- and as you approach the
next intersection, you see that the stoplight is changing from yellow to red
and so you hit your brakes, and they don’t work
-- there you are -- barreling
towards the intersection at a high speed -- the light’s changing -- and you’ve
got no brakes
-- so, you’ve got to do something --
because you’re going to come to a stop pretty quick, one way or the other
-- you look to your right, and you see a
brand new BMW parked on the right side of the intersection, just off the road
-- still has the dealer’s invoice taped to the window -- and you know if you
hit it, your insurance is going to make you pay dearly
-- you glance to the left, and right
there in the turn lane, there is a truck full of electronics that is sitting
there with its hazards on -- it has got its ramp down, and the driver is apparently
unloading the truck there -- in fact, he has left a dolly at the back of the
truck with a brand new TV sitting right on it, right there in the road
-- so, here you are, barreling down
towards a stop light that you can’t stop at and if you swerve to the right, you
hit a brand new BMW -- and if you swerve to the left, you destroy thousands of
dollars of new electronic equipment and possibly hit the truck, really damaging
your vehicle
-- what do you do? -- you take the risk,
don’t you? -- you grit your teeth and run the light, hoping no other cars are
coming through -- but I didn’t tell you the final piece in our imagination
experiment
-- about the time you commit to
chancing your luck with running the red light, a lady who appears to be
homeless walks right out into the cross walk in front of you
-- she’s not in good shape -- she’s
shambling along -- she appears to be very unhealthy, probably because she’s
been sleeping for years out on benches or under bridges -- her clothes are just
filthy rags -- she’s pushing a shopping cart just filled with trash and junk --
and as she moves, she’s limping and dragging one foot behind the other --
immediately, you get the sense there’s something wrong with her -- physically
and mentally
-- at this point, you have no choice
-- you’re going to hit something -- either you’re going to hit the BMW, the
truck with the electronic equipment, or you’re going to hit the old street lady
-- it flashes through your mind that this
old lady probably has no family or friends -- no one would even know or even
care that she is gone -- if you hit her, you wouldn’t hurt your car nearly as
much -- and everyone would understand that it was an unavoidable accident
-- so, what’s your choice? -- which would
you choose to sacrifice and which would you choose to save and avoid hitting?
-- now you’re probably all thinking
this is a stupid exercise because none of us would ever even considering
hitting the old lady with our car -- we’re going to crash into either the BMW
or the truck -- no question about it -- but let me ask you this -- why? -- why
not?
-- this woman is not a productive
citizen -- she’s obviously homeless -- probably has no one that cares for her
-- she’s probably a drain on society -- so why would all of us in here do
everything in our power to avoid hitting her?
-- it’s certainly not because we
found her attractive, because she’s not -- it’s certainly not because we think
she’s productive and needed by society, because that’s not true -- so why would
we avoid hitting her?
-- for the same reason people risk their lives
to save a stranger who falls in a rushing river -- for the same reason we sit
around our TV spellbound and watch as a community tries to rescue one little
girl who has fallen into a well -- for the same reason we do whatever we can to
save someone else’s life, even if we don’t like that person at all
-- we do it because -- even if we
don’t say it -- even if we don’t realize it consciously in our mind -- we know,
in our heart of hearts, that every person is created in the image of God and is
endowed by our Creator with value and worth1
-- I’ve been doing some reflecting
recently on the image of God -- on what it means to us and how it should
influence our actions and our thoughts and our beliefs -- so this morning, I
thought we’d take just a few moments to think about this concept of Imago Dei -- being made in the image of
God -- and what it means for us as Christians
II. The Image of God
-- this idea of mankind being made
in the image of God is primarily found here in the Book of Genesis -- we see it
in three passages:
-- Genesis 5:1-2 -- where it says that God
created man in His likeness
-- Genesis 9:6, when God is speaking to
Noah after the flood and warns him that whoever sheds the blood of man, by man
shall his blood be shed, because God made man in the image of God
-- and, finally, we see the first mention
of the image of God in the Bible here in the first chapter of Genesis in the
creation account
-- look back at Genesis 1:26 and
let’s read this passage again [read
Genesis 1:26-30]
-- so what is the image of God? --
what does the Bible mean when it talks about the Imago Dei -- when it
tells us that humans were made in God’s image?
-- well, that’s the question for the
ages, because you can’t find anyone with a definitive answer -- you can go from
commentary to commentary or from Bible study to Bible study, and you’re going
to find different ideas of what the Bible means when it says we are created in
the image of God
-- I did a lot of reading on this
and a lot of studying, so here’s what I took from all of it -- to be created in
the image of God means that we were created with certain attributes reflective
of God’s nature that the rest of creation does not possess -- in other words,
out of everything that He made, God chose to bless mankind by making us like
Him -- He placed in us, and us alone, a small part of His own nature and
character and attributes
-- so, when we think of being made
in the image of God, we’re not really talking about our physical being -- the
Bible doesn’t mean that we have two arms and two legs and look like we do
because that’s the way God looks -- when the Bible is referring to the image of
God, it is not referring to the physical -- to a 3-D representation of who God
is -- no, the Bible is clear that God is Spirit and so He doesn’t have a
physical body in the way that we do
-- yes, I know Jesus was in a
physical body -- fully God and fully Man -- but keep in mind that this creation
account is preincarnational -- it is before the incarnation -- before the
appearing of Christ in the flesh -- so, the image of God is not physical -- it
is something else
-- the image of God is internal --
it is within us -- to be made in the image of God refers to our minds and our
souls and our spirits -- being made in the image of God means that we have been
created with memory, intellect, will, moral understanding, and a spirit
-- because we have been created in
the image of God we can think and reason with a capacity not found in other
creatures -- we can imagine and plan out our futures -- we don’t just live in
the immediate or the near-immediate
-- your dog, no matter how smart you think
they are, doesn’t have a life plan worked out and isn’t thinking, “well, next
year I’m going to do this” -- no, only mankind has that capacity to think long
term like that
-- and, being made in the image of
God, we have free will -- we can choose what we will and won’t do -- we can
decide what behavior and action we will take in a given situation -- we don’t
just react by natural instinct or through a hormonal response -- we have the
freedom to choose -- something that makes us distinct from other creatures
-- because we have been created in
the image of God, we have moral understanding -- we are born knowing right from
wrong -- you don’t have to teach kids this -- they know it intuitively -- just
watch and listen to toddlers play -- if someone takes their toy, what do they
say? -- “That’s not fair!”
-- where’d they learn that? -- who taught
a toddler about that? -- no one -- we’re all born with this moral order in our
hearts because we were created in the image of God -- that’s why we intuitively
know what is right and what is wrong
-- and, finally, because we have
been created in the image of God, we have a spirit within us -- out of all of
creation, only mankind was endowed by God with a spirit -- we are eternal
beings -- we have the breath of God within us -- and when our physical bodies
die, those of us who have received Jesus as our Lord and Savior will continue
to live forever with Him
-- so, to be made in the image of
God is to have memory and intellect -- free will and moral understanding -- and
a spirit
-- to be made in the image of God means
that you are a special creation -- and this is true regardless of your personal
relationship with Christ -- all humans are made in the image of God -- all of
us
-- and because we are made in the image of
God, all humans have intrinsic value and worth -- -- the unborn baby in the
womb is just as valuable as the President or someone with Down’s Syndrome or an
elderly homeless person crossing the street in front of your car because they
are formed and exist in the image of God
-- this realization that we are
created in the image of God makes life sacred -- this is the underlying
foundation of the sanctity of life movement -- the pro-life movement
-- this is why we stand up for the lives
of unborn children -- this is why we should be fighting against injustice and
inequality wherever it arises -- this is why we stand up for the widows and the
elderly and the orphans and the mentally challenged -- it’s because we are all created
in the image of God -- we all have value, even if society refuses to see it
III. Living in the Image of God
-- but, there’s more to this than
just being endowed at creation with the image of God -- look back at verse 26
-- I want to show you something
26
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they
may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock
and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the
ground.”
-- so, without a doubt, we were
created in God’s image -- which should raise the question in your mind: why? -- for what reason did God create us in
His image?
-- I think the key is here in verse
26 -- not only were we created in God’s image, but we were created in His likeness
-- the Bible uses two different Hebrew words here that are translated image and
likeness -- and I think that’s important to note
-- the image of God --
being created with memory and intellect and will and moral capacity and a
spirit -- is our initial state of being – all people are created in the image
of God – no matter where they are born or who they are or what they believe –
if you are a human, you have been created in the image of God
-- and because of this, God has formed us with
the capacity
– the ability -- to fulfill our purpose and calling in Him, which is the next
part
-- likeness – verse 26 says
that we were made in the image and likeness of God – to be made in the likeness
of God means that we take the capacity – the ability within us to become like
Him – and bring it to fruition – we bring it to life
-- in other words, God made us in His
image so that we would become like Him -- or, as the New Testament puts it, so
that we would become more and more like Jesus in our thoughts and actions and
behaviors and beliefs -- having the very mind of Christ
-- when verse 26 talks about us
being made in the likeness of God, it is a call to take the image of God that
is within us and do something with it -- to live it out and reflect God in all
we are and all we do
-- to be made in the likeness of God
is an invitation and a call for us to live in a covenantal relationship with
God – as we know now on this side of the cross, it is an invitation to receive
Jesus as our Lord and Savior and to allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify us and
make us like Him
-- think about it like this -- all
people in the world are created in the image of God, right? -- but not all
people know God or are living for Him, right? -- atheists are made in the image
of God -- but certainly they do not know Him nor are they living for Him --
they are made in His image, but they are not living in His likeness because
they have not responded to God’s invitation to live in relationship with Him –
they have not allowed themselves to be made in His likeness
-- to be made in the likeness of God
is to know Him and to live for Him and to do what He has called us to do -- as
John Piper put it, “To receive the image of God through Christ means to begin
to share in his glory, knowledge, righteousness, and holiness. It means to
become like him.” -- we
are made in the image of God so we can become like Him and live in relationship
with Him
-- that’s why the third commandment
-- the command to not take the name of the Lord in vain -- is only for
covenantal people -- it is only for those people who are living in covenantal
relationship with God -- because these are the people who are made and are living
in the likeness of God and who are called to a higher order
-- we talked about this in depth a
few months ago when we looked at what it means to take the name of the Lord in
vain -- this command was originally given to the Jews, as God’s chosen people,
and it still applies to us today as the family of the new covenant through the
blood of Christ
-- because we know we are made in
the image and likeness of God – because we are in a personal relationship with
God and know that we have been called to live like Him and for Him in this
world – to represent Him with our lives – we are the ones who are commanded to not
take the name of the Lord in vain or in an unworthy manner by not living for
Him – by not obeying Him and living in His likeness
-- someone who is not living in a
personal relationship with God – who has not received Jesus as their Lord and
Savior – is not made in His likeness and cannot live for Him as we do – so,
they cannot violate this commandment because it is only for the people of God
who are made in His image and in His likeness
-- unbelievers cannot take the name
of God in vain because they do not know Him and do not represent Him on earth
as His image bearers called to live in the likeness of God
-- the point is that all humanity is
created in the image of God, but all humanity is not living in the likeness of
God
-- Eric Mason points out that this
concept of being made in the image and likeness of God translates into three
distinct responses on our part: relational, reflection, and representation2
-- let’s look at each of these as we begin to wind this message down and
everyone says, “Finally! Amen!”
-- first, relational
-- as I just mentioned, everyone is
created in the image of God -- but we were created in the image of God so we
could experience God relationally just as the Trinity experiences the three
members of the Godhead -- the Father -- the Son -- and the Holy Spirit --
relationally
-- in other words, we were made to know
God in a real and personal way and to love Him and live in Him through our
relationship with Him
-- that’s one reason why Paul says in
Romans 1 that men are without excuse when they turn away from God because what
may be known about God is plain to them -- being made in the image of God, they
are primed for a relationship with Him -- they are made for a relationship with
God -- so when they turn away from that relationship, they are choosing to live
selfish lives apart from God and they suffer the consequences for their actions
-- the capacity to know God -- the
image of God within -- is always there -- and the Spirit calls us to express
our true selves through a relationship with Him
-- second, reflection
-- we are called to reflect the
nature and being of God to the world around us -- as Jesus said, we are to be
salt and light in this world -- we are to shine the goodness of God on those
around us so that they might be led to Him through us
-- this doesn’t just mean that our
sole calling is to evangelize and tell others about Jesus -- no, our calling is
to live out the grace and the goodness of God in our lives -- to live in obedience
to Him -- to show His compassion and mercy and grace to this world, from the
lowest of the low to the highest of the high
-- we do this by putting off our old
selves -- we leave our wicked ways behind us -- and we press on towards the
goal in Christ -- living for Him and through Him and reflecting His presence in
our minds, our thoughts, our attitudes, and our behaviors
-- and, finally, representation
-- by this, I mean that we represent
God in this world as His stewards over His creation -- we see that quite
clearly here in verse 26 -- this verse says that we are to rule over creation
-- but the concept of rule here is more along the lines of stewardship -- of
taking care of creation rather than dominating creation -- when it talks of
subduing creation, it speaks of molding its will to God’s -- of training
creation to follow God just as a gardener trains plants to grow in a certain
way
-- as stewards of God we rule
creation and subject it to God’s will rather than our own will -- we tend His
creation for Him -- we don’t rule it for our own purposes -- and that includes
our own lives and the lives of others
-- to represent God is to serve as
His hands and feet -- working beside Him to care for His creation -- to be His
ambassador in this world -- to take care of the world and all the things within
it -- to minister His care and grace to everything that we have and everything
that we see
-- being created in the image and
likeness of God is an invitation from God to participate with Him in all of
life -- relationally -- reflecting His light to the world -- and representing
Him to others so that they may choose to live in a covenantal relationship with
Him, too
-- this is what we mean by the Imago
Dei -- the image of God – it is the high calling that we were given when
God created us and formed us in our mother’s wombs – created in His image so
that we would also choose to be made into His likeness and live with Him in
relationship forever
IV. Closing
-- let me close with this
-- back in the summer of 2005, the
London Zoo wanted to make a point about evolution and who mankind really was --
so they created a new exhibit and put a sign up in front of it saying, "Warning:
Humans in Their Natural Environment."
-- The exhibit featured eight Homo sapiens in an enclosure adjacent to
the enclosures of various primates -- The human "captives" were
chosen from an online contest, and spent their time sunning on a rock ledge,
playing board games, and waving to spectators -- the zoo put up a sign telling visitors
about the species' diet, habitat, worldwide distribution, and threats.
-- The goal of the exhibit,
according to Zoo spokesperson Polly Wills, was to downplay the uniqueness of
human beings as a species. -- "Seeing people in a different environment,
among other animals," said Wills, "teaches members of the public that
the human is just another primate"
-- Tom Mahoney, one of the
participants in the exhibit, agreed. "A lot of people think that humans
are above other animals," he said. "When they see humans as animals,
here, it kind of reminds them that we're not that special."3
-- this is why knowing and
understanding what is meant by the Imago
Dei is so important -- not realizing that humans are fearfully and
wonderfully made by God -- not accepting that man was created in the image of
God and His likeness has given way to horrific atrocities in human history --
from genocide and abortion to the horrors of the Holocaust and social and
cultural inequalities and injustices
-- it is vitally important that we
know and understand who we are -- that we are created in the image of God -- it
gives us a new way of looking at life and at creation -- it gives meaning and
purpose to who we are and to what we are supposed to do -- and it should inform
all our decisions and all our actions and all our thoughts
-- by knowing we are created by God
in His image and called to become like Him in our very being, we are faced with
an awesome responsibility -- we are not products of evolution or random chance
-- but God’s stewards -- His special creation -- created by Him to know Him and
to serve Him and to reflect His grace and mercy to this world
-- we are at our very best when we
are like Him -- so go and be like Christ -- go and reflect His image -- allow
yourself to be formed in His likeness -- and be His image bearer, so you can
change this world and yourself by simply being who you were created to be
-- let us pray
-----------------
1
Illustration modified from original in sermon by David Elvery, “In the Image of
God” [http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/in-the-image-of-god-david-elvery-sermon-on-men-and-women-73747.asp]
2
Eric Mason, “Manhood Restored”
3
"Humans Are Ones on Display at London Zoo," yahoonews (8-26-05); Sam
O'Neal, St. Charles, Illinois
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