I look in a mirror and I see the reflection of a man. I see the man that I am, I see reminders of the man that I was, and some days I am given the gift of a faint whisper of the man my Father in heaven is shaping me to be.
The mirror is the place we begin almost every morning. We process our image both inside and out. We look into the mirror and see the image we were designed to have and if you know Jesus you also know that the image is a likeness of God himself. We were created with this incredible likeness, this image of God.
But what does it mean to be made in the image of God? What does it mean to live life with the likeness of God built into us? These questions have the potential to answer, from another truth perspective, and define for us who we are and reflect for us our very purpose on this earth in time and space.
We discussed three realities of what it means to be made in the image of God in this past week’s message. And there are several other realities to being made in the image of God I would love to walk through and unpack with you now.
If you haven’t had the opportunities to take in the message I would encourage you to do that now! As a reminder, we walked through what it means to be made in the image of God by unpacking the truth that being made in the image of God is something every human being share’s, is a responsibility for us to live up to, and is a gift of fellowship and communion with God.
Now for the 5 additional realities beyond what we discussed:
Being made in the image of God is a direct reflection of the loving union and community within the trinity. We read in Genesis when God made humanity, “let us make man in our image, in our likeness…”. He reflects the personhood of the trinity in his statement, reflecting the community of the trinity and union within the creation of humanity. It is incredible that in perfect union and love, God created us to be in his image. An image that is so beautiful and incredible.
Being made in the image of God means that we are prepared for conscious worship. We have been given the gift of consciousness of spirit and soul. A soul that is designed to pursue the joy of celebration and worship of God our creator. We are created to worship! In Isaiah 43 the prophet speaks, “the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise”. We are designed and created in the image of God to bring praise to him, to worship him in all his perfect beauty and wonder. It is what we were meant to do!
Being made in the image of God provides us with self-awareness and spiritual awareness. No other creature has self-awareness as humanity does – so much so that we are able to deceive ourselves. We are so aware that we blind ourselves to the truth about ourselves. As I was always told by one of my favourite English teachers, you can’t break the rules if you don’t know them; deception is impossible without first knowing the truth, even in a limited way. Our soul reflects our spiritual awareness, an awareness to worship, to desire it and be drawn into it. Our soul reflects this by our constant seeking, to fulfill the very needs that only God can fill. Our spiritual awareness is made clear through the connection that Adam had with God in the garden, that Enoch had in life and after, as Moses had, as Paul and Timothy, Peter and John had and the list of those who walk with God.
Being made in the image of God means we have a conscience and moral decision-making. God in his perfect being is completely and perfectly moral which through creation was bestowed upon humanity. Each man and woman has been given the gift of moral decision-making. We are designed, created in his image and in that likeness a moral compass exists, and through God’s Spirit we have conscience to guide us. Like every other aspect of God’s likeness in us, sin has tampered and broken our image. The God-given perfect morality was and continues to be marred by our own depravity. One day, in the perfection of eternity we will regain this joy in its perfect state. Until then, we work to follow the example he has set for us in Christ Jesus and discern morality as much as we able through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Being made in the image of God endowed us with true righteousness and holiness. What is also true is that this was deeply corrupted in the fall of humanity through the sinfulness of Adam and Eve in the garden. The likeness of God born in us through creation exuded this incredible blessing only to have it ripped away by our own sinful nature. In the work of Jesus we are made righteous and holy again. This is so beautiful a picture, that in the act of this painful death on the cross, Jesus Christ removed the tarnished brokenness of our sin and made us clean again. And as Paul tells us in Philippians 1:6, this work will be completed for all eternity in his second coming when all will be made right and perfect.
Our only task, our work to be cleansed of our sin and made new again in righteousness and holiness is by faithfully believing and living according to that belief. Have you done that? Are you on that journey with him as he leads?
When we look in the mirror, when we see the image of our creator staring back at us, remember what it means. Remember the incredible realities of what it means for each one of us. What will we do with this incredible reality?
