The image of God II: Our identity as beloved children of God

We humans lost many things at the fall (Genesis 3), but paramount in what was lost, is the sense of our identity as image bearers of God (Genesis 1:26). Knowing our identity is important, for we live our lives out of who we think we are. Believing I am a looser, for example, is likely to become a self fulfilling prophecy. For the longest time, even as a Christian, I was still trying to get my identity out of what I did for the Lord. But we are human being not human doings. At one level, we are all wounded by life. And too often a lie gets attach to the wound. If we are rejected, we may believe we are unlovable and unworthy of love. Also, because our earthly fathers were less than perfect, we may have a twisted view of Father God. I knew that my father loved me, but unfortunately he had no time for me. So for me, God loved me, but was distant! But God wants an intimate relationship with us. In fact relationship with Him is the essence of eternal life (John 17:3). As I said earlier, to see what the Father is like we just need to look to Jesus for  “He who has seen Me, has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

A primary picture of our identity as image bearers, is as beloved children of God (1 John 3:1). But a major consequence of our moving further and further away from our Judaeo-Christian roots, is our culture's fatherlessness. With the rampant propaganda that attacks masculinity and the family, is it any wonder that we live in perhaps the most fatherless generation ever? Psychology, with it's emphasis on the inner child, confirms the spirit of the age is the orphan spirit, the sense of not belonging.  We have an enemy, whose agenda is to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10). So perhaps it is no surprise to understand that identity is a primary area of attack. Jesus Himself was tempted in this area. Just before the beginning of His ministry the Father had affirmed Him as His beloved Son (Mark 1:11). Then, in His weakened state after 40 days of fasting, the very the first thing out of the Devil's mouth was “If you are the Son of God. ....” (Matthew 4:6).

As believers, we are brothers and sister of Christ (Hebrews 2:11). And since there is no partiality with God (Romans 9:11), you and I need to hear Him say to us that we too are His beloved son and daughters.  John invites us to meditate on what kind of love the Father has lavished upon us, that we should be so called (1 John 3:1). But tapping into the reality of this is a process, at least it was for me. And one of the Holy Spirit's primary jobs is to facilitate our receiving the Spirit of adoption that causes us to cry out “Abba, Daddy, Father” (Romans 8:15).

Father help us, in spite of our feelings at times, to believe  that we are Your beloved children. Thank You that You have given us the Spirit of adoption, and that Your Spirit witnesses with our spirit,  that we are indeed Your  children (Romans 8:16).  And I choose Lord, to tell myself over and over that I am Your beloved child.  I will tell myself until I believe it, then I will tell myself because I believe it, in Jesus Name Amen

Created in the image of God I: What is man?

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27).  The Psalmist asks  “What is man ...”  (Psalm 8:4)?  It's an important modern question. Evolution claims that impersonal, undirected, random processes account for everything. In this view personality is an illusion, and love is a biological trick to keep us reproducing. We have no value, no identity, no sense of who we are, or why are we here. Life has no meaning or purpose, no destiny. In fact,  since we are merely a random collection of molecules, it doesn't even make sense to ask questions regarding these things. Nevertheless we do question. In particular in the midst of suffering we so often cry out “Why?” There's no easy answer regarding suffering (but see M??24). The answers to questions concerning value, identity, meaning, purpose and destiny are all found in understanding what it means to be created in the image of God. We will likely spend all eternity exploring the glory and the wonder of what this means, but here in this meditation I will simply make some brief introductory comments.   

Verse 27 is only the third time that the Hebrew word bârâ (created) is used in Scripture. As I said earlier, it indicates something completely new brought into existence. This in spite of any superficial similarities between other “nefesh” animals, including hominids. The context clearly presents humanity as the pinnacle of God's creation,  and as something radically different from anything that came before. Of no other creature is it said that they were created in the image of God. In addition, over against humanity being the result of impersonal undirected, random process, we see God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (the “us” of verse 26) conferring among themselves, and deciding (a directed process) to create mankind in “our” image.

One of the things it means to be created in the image of God, is that there is something about us that reflects Trinity (see M??27 Man became a living soul). What I want to say here though, is that Trinity is intensely relational (i.e. John 5:20). And we are made for relationship with Him, and with each other in love (John 17:3; 3:16; 13:34, 35; Mark 12:30). This is very different from the way that the world sees things. In particular, God tends to be seen as an oppressive fun destroying tyrant! It can be difficult to see the image of God in humanity, for that image was marred by the fall (Genesis 3). In fact there is only one Man whose image was not marred, the Man Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Timothy 2:5). In fact Jesus not only shows us man as God intended man to be (Hebrews 4:15), but He also shows us what God is like. In fact He tells Philip that if we have seen Him, we have seen the Father (John 14:9).

Father, too often the  picture we have of both You and Jesus is warped by our sin. You tell us that only after we acknowledge our sin will we be be able to truly see You as You are. And so often that only comes after we are in trouble (Hosea  5:15). But Lord as we truly seek Your face, we are being transformed back into Your glorious image from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). For these and many other things we praise You Lord, in Jesus Name Amen


 

Created very good: The problem of suffering

Since the fall mankind, has wrestled with the problem of a good, all powerful God, and the fact of suffering (Genesis 3; 17:1; Luke 18:19).  In the end,  if you are to find an answers, you will need to wrestle with the question for yourself. That's what Job did! He was righteous, but his suffering, as his friends would have it, was not for wrongdoing (Job 42:7). Certainly bad choices have bad consequences (Galatians 6:7). But not all suffering is for our own sin! We can suffer from other people's sin, or because of seemingly random happenstances. When we suffer, we might think, with Job's accusers, that God is punishing us. They were wrong (Job 42:7)! We might feel that He is unjust. That was Job before he got his answer (Job 19:7; 42:3). You might feel He doesn't care, that's a lie too (1 Peter 5:7). Have you ever asked “Why?” Many people who say they don't believe in God, nevertheless seem to be angry with Him.

I hear people say “there's a reason for everything!” That seems to imply that God sends the bad, but that He has a reason for sending it. He gives a child cancer to teach him or her something?  That would be child abuse! And that's not the God of the Bible, nor the One I trust! And in the end, it is all about trust! We read “God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). It's not that evil is good, rather that God is at work for good in the evil that He allows. It's not so much then, that everything happens for a reason, but rather that for disciples, God uses what He allows for the disciple's good.

Life's not fair, nobody said it was! But the greatest injustice ever, was surly the perfect Son of God crucified (1 Peter 1:19). The fact is, we all suffer (John 16:33)! For the disciple however, the bigger question is how to deal with suffering?  On the day that I knew was going to be the most difficult in my life, the day I knew my wife was going to take the four children and leave, the Lord brought this verse to mind “Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2). I felt I was being told that suffering is a barrier the other side of which is joy, and if, like Jesus we endure it, there will be “joy in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).

Our response to suffering is a crossroads. You either curse God (Job 2:9), or you wrestle, and keep wrestling until you get your answer (Genesis 32:26). If you persevere, you will, like Job, find yourself humbled, and acknowledging that you know nothing, move from knowing about God, to having a personal, loving, intimate relationship with Him (Job 42:3b, 5; Genesis 32:24-28).

Lord Jesus, You tell us that in this world we will have troubles. But we are to rejoice, because You have overcome the World (John 16:33). Thank You Lord that You provided a way to stand up under trials, and we can come boldly to Your throne of Grace to find help in time of need (1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 4:16). Thank You Lord that You not only suffered for us, You suffer with us (1 Peter 3:18; Hebrews 13:5). Thank You Lord in Your precious Name Amen

Regaining our identity as God's Image bearers

Paramount in what was lost at the fall, is the sense (but not the reality), of who we are as image bearers of God (Genesis 1:26).  In fact, the spirit of the age is the orphan spirit, the spirit of not belonging. When we don't know who we are as God's beloved, precious children (1 John 3:1), we are very likely to act out, seeking affirmation and approval wherever we can. We may try to find our identity in our achievements, in our careers, or in what we do. But it's never enough, and we end up feeling empty! We are human beings, not human doings. The first step in coming out of a destructive orphan spirit, is to receive His unconditional acceptance in salvation. When we are saved, the truth is that we are His precious, beloved and valued children (John 1:12; 1 John 3:1).

But for many reasons, the distance between the reality of this truth and our feelings, can be very great. We may still be trying to find our identity in stuff, but “life does not consist in the abundance of things” (Luke 12:15). For the longest time after salvation, I was a Christian workaholic, essentially trying to fill the emptiness through service. When we don't know who we are in Christ, we may try and medicate our feelings of inadequacy and insecurity by substance abuse, or in many other ways. We may become perfectionists, unconsciously trying to earn our salvation. Even as Christians we are  not immune to such substitutes for truth!

At one level or another we are all wounded by life. And too often a lie gets attached to the the wound. If we are rejected, we may believe we are unlovable, and not worthy of love. Many of us are wounded in childhood, and because of this we may have a twisted view of Father God. We can get God confused with our earthly father. It seems to be a widespread belief that Jesus is okay, Holy Spirit is okay, but you've got to watch out for Father God!  He's out to get you, just waiting for you to mess up, so He can condemn you! But nothing could be further from the truth! If we want to know what the Father God is like, we just need to look at Jesus. In fact He tells us “He who has seen Me, has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

We cannot earn salvation, and God's love for us is unconditional, but as a loving Father He will discipline us. We don't have to like it, but actually His discipline is evidence of our being sons and daughters (Hebrews 12:5-8). His aim is to teach us to walk in the Spirit, and to put to death the deeds and the desires of our inherited fallen nature. When we do this is, it enables us to received (and feel) the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father' (Romans 8:12-15).

Father,  Abba, Daddy,  I am Your child. Your Word tells me I am, and I choose to believe it. When I doubt, I need to keep coming back to what You say, and You are not a man that You should lie (Numbers 29:13). And so many times Lord, I need keep telling myself the truth until I fully believe it, and then to tell myself because I believe it.  Help me Lord to live out of the reality of my identity as Your precious and valued child in Jesus Name Amen

Responding to our father's nakedness

It is clear, from Noah cursing Ham's line, that he had felt radically disrespected by his son's disdain (Genesis 9:20-24).  In street gangs in large Western cities, respect can be a matter of life and death. We all need love and respect, and I know that I have felt undermined at times by disrespect.  Mother Teresa's saying that nakedness is not just for a piece of cloth, comes to mind. Respect is easily lost, I mean if I do ten things right and one thing wrong, what stands out in the minds of others?  Noah, in obedience to God, had stood firm against ridicule and accusation, he had rescued his family from the flood that had wiped out the rest of humanity. But all that seems to have been lost in Ham's mind by his father's drunken nakedness.

We saw earlier that nakedness in the Bible is a symbol of guilt and shame and of being exposed (Genesis 3:8-10; Revelation 3:17). Jordon Peterson gives an interesting application of this passage.  He says “We are constantly pushed to see the nakedness of our Father, so to speak, because of the intense criticism that’s directed towards our culture—the patriarchal culture. We’re constantly exposing its weaknesses, vulnerabilities, and, let’s say, its nakedness.”  And surly what is happening here is blindness to the good, and the inevitable overreaction to its faults.  How many people going through divorce make statements like “All men are ...”, or “All women are ...”  And surly the widespread accusation that masculinity is toxic is, in and of itself, part of this overreaction!  In  M97 I outlined some of the many places where our  society has been positively influenced by Judeo-Christian values. These include tolerance and respect for others, the very values that have made criticism acceptable in our culture. But they are now being turned inward and are producing what some authors call the suicide of the West.  I invite you to consider whether any of what is happening in the West, would be tolerated in non-Western cultures.  But I also invite you to consider,  if we throw it all out, what would replace it. History has something to teach us here! In the end, revolution is not change, it simply replaces one oppressed group with different one.

The Scripture commands us to honour father and mother, and to give honour to whom honour is due (Exodus 20:12; Romans 13:7). The freedom we have to criticize, is both good and bad. Free speech gives us the freedom to engage in respectful debate (Galatians 6:1). It can lead us to identify what’s bad and what’s good, so as to keep what's good, and to figure out what, and how,  to change what needs to change (Proverbs 27:17; 18:17). But criticism inevitably goes too far when it flows out of bitterness and resentment. These things defile the culture  (Hebrews 15:12).  And I have to say, from God's perspective, many of the changes are happening in the West are not good. What we have in the West is far from perfect. And we may not be where we need to be, but thank God we are not where we used to be.  

Father, we don't always understand the reason behind your commandments. But we can be sure that as the good, good Father that You are, that You always have our best interest at heart, and that the commandments are there for out provision and protection. Please help us to find the balance between heathy criticism and disrespect (Galatians 6:1), in Jesus Name Amen

Noah, and the power of the tongue

“Now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan. These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated” (Genesis 9:18) God had blessed Noah and his sons, and told them to “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth” (9:1). This was the same commandment that God had told Adam and Eve before the fall, and it was essentially the renewal of that command to make the earth like Eden. God's intention was, and is, that the whole earth be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea. It will happen, God has declared it (Habakkuk 2:14). But we have already seen that there was a lot of opposition to His plan in both the earthly, and the heavenly realms.  After the flood, God was starting over again with Noah and his family, but it would get messed up again, almost immediately.

“And Noah ... planted a vineyard.. he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. .... So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him. Then he said: “Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brethren” (Genesis 9:20-25).  The commentators agree that the sense of the Hebrew, is that Ham's telling was done in a scornful, deriding manner. And perhaps what happened here, is that Ham knew better than to let his father see his disdain. But Canaan was not so wise,  and that's why the curse came on him rather than his father.

We discussed in previous meditations that the father's sins tend to get repeated by the children (Exodus 20:5). And what comes to me here, is that “life and death are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). In the recovery circles in which I move, I have become very aware of the life long wounds inflicted on children by the words of significant care givers. “You'll never amount to anything.” 'You're no good, you're just like your blankety, blank father.'  When such words are taken to heart, as they so often are, they become both part of that person's identity, and a kind of self fulfilling prophecy. We need to see such words as curses on our children.

Unfortunately, these things tend to be passed down to multiple generations (Exodus 20:5).  And this was certainly true with Canaan. The descends of Noah's sons would eventually form the various nations (Genesis 10:32). And Canaan's descendants seem to have been the most prolific (Acts 13:19). In fact, a large part of the middle East became know as the land of Canaan. And the destruction of the nations in that land at the time of the  conquest, was so that Israel would not learn their  “abominable practices.” Such practices included cult prostitution and child sacrifice (Deuteronomy 20:18; 23:17; Leviticus 18:21). It all started with Noah's curse, and we must not underestimate the destructive power of our words.

Father, please help us to take our identity from what You think of us.  And to You, we are Your precious, beloved children (1 John 3:1).  Help us to be especially careful Lord, when speaking to the vulnerable. Forgive when we fail (1 John 1:9), and help us to guard our hearts and tongues,  in Jesus Name Amen

The olive branch and the Bible's influence on the West

“Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth” (Genesis 6:11). God had sent the flood as judgement on the wickedness of mankind. Warned by Him, Noah had built the ark, and only he and his family had escaped.  They were now waiting for the waters to subside (Genesis 6, 7).  The flood as judgement on mankind clearly demonstrates what Paul calls the severity of God.  But the goodness of God is glimpsed in the olive branch as a sign of new beginnings, sign of new life after the devastation (Romans 11:22). It points to a new beginning for humanity, and to peace and reconciliation with God. In fact the olive branch and the dove have become universal symbols of peace and reconciliation.

It's not always acknowledged that this symbol dates back to Noah, but in fact it must be, since the whole of humanity derives from him  and his family (Genesis 9:1). More significant, especially in the West, there is little acknowledgement of the positive influence of the Christianity and the Bible on Western culture and values. To be sure Western culture is far from perfect, but we have to ask why it is that so many want to emigrate here from non-Western countries. Winston Churchill's comment that democracy is the worst form of government apart from all of the rest, comes to mind. It is only seen to be the worst when compared with unattainable utopia. If we do not learn from history we are destined to repeat it. And we are in danger of throwing out the baby with the bath water, as many seek to throw out the foundations of what has been the most prosperous and just time in history.

There is much written if we are prepared to seek it out. Because of space considerations,  I have restricted myself to thoughts that come from Aquilina and Papandrea's book “How Christianity Saved Civilization ... And Must Do So Again.” The authors outline seven cultural revolutions that changed society for the better. Each are the direct result of the presence of Christianity in the world, and were corrections of certain flaws in society. These non-violent revolutions can only be fully appreciated when compared to the then existing situations. The disciple is encouraged to research these things out.

The first mentioned revolution affirmed that all people are created equal. The second, that of the home, affirmed it as a place of safety and love, and where women and children are not to be exploited. A revolution of the workplace affirmed that people are not property and must also not be exploited. The revolution of religion taught that God is love. The revolution of community, taught us to love our neighbour as ourselves.  The revolution of life affirmed life and hope, and encouraged people to stand up for human rights. Finally, the  revolution of government set up the ideal that rulers should serve those whom they rule (not the other way around). These revolutions are not fully complete, neither did they occur overnight.  As I outlined earlier the yeast of the Kingdom come changes things  only gradually, as hearts are transformed. The world's revolution is not really change, it merely interchanges the oppressed and the oppressor.

Father, please open our eyes to appreciate what the Kingdom has already accomplished. Help us to continue to work towards its fulness in Jesus Name Amen