In His Image

Identity is a perpetual struggle of man as a collective and man as an individual.  The first man wrestled and the last man will wrestle with who he is and how he should live as a result.  Although identity angst seems to peak in junior high, the struggle never completely subsides--the adolescent, middle-aged and elderly man all want to know they matter.  This struggle is reasonable--how is one to make decisions if he does not know who he is or who he is to become?

Created in His image
One can stay in the first chapter of the Bible to receive a revolutionary answer to this identity question.  Genesis 1:1-25 reveals God creating and organizing a universe in preparation for the peak of His creation.  The stars are hung, night and day are defined, the seas are told where they must stop, the plants spring forth, the birds soar, and then finally, on the sixth day, man is created:

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, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."  
                                                  So God created mankind in his own image, 

in the image of God he created them;

 male and female he created them.

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."  (Genesis 1:26-28)

The reality of this passage is that we are not simply a collection of molecules; we are not a product of chance.  Quite a game changer.  

Would you rather be a product of chance or the creation of an intelligent designer?  Answering this question can be tougher than it appears.  You see, the product of chance gets to live however he pleases, the designed is indebted to the designer.  The product of chance gets to call his own shots but the designed knows he is valued in the best and worst times.  Of course, it isn't about which option is more attractive to us, it is about which option is true.  

The thoughtful reader may ask: "If we are created in the image of a powerful God, why death?  Why mistakes?  Why general foolishness?"  These are valid questions.  If we are created in the image of the God presented in the Bible, why are we so incredibly fragile and idiotic?  It seems that things got broken somewhere along the way, and this is exactly what the Bible presents.

Image broken

The honeymoon lasts through the rest of Genesis 1 and then chapter 2, the divorce comes in Genesis 3.  The churched are familiar with the tempting done by the serpent and the eating of fruit by Adam and Eve.  Seems rather petty, "all they did was eat some fruit?"  Whether perceived as petty by us or not, they broke the rules.  If you create your own universe, you can make your own rules.  We can only eat what the universe has on the menu.  We can only play by the rules of the one who created this infinitely complex place, and the fruit was against the rules.  

The results of the fruit eating were immense.  The indisputably most severe was the fall from God's grace.  A chasm was created between the Creator and His masterpiece.  All of us--humanity--are on the same team and our original player committed a foul.  One can commit a few fouls and stay in a basketball game but not God's game.  If you are perfect, as God is, then you have perfect standards.  This rule breaking is the original sin and the culprit in tainting the image God created.  Luckily, we were able to keep much of His image.  We, although sinful, can still love, be creative, and work, but the grand design was broken.

God, at this point, could have allowed us to go along on our own, but He didn't.  He actually implemented the only plan that would work--He sent His Son.

Image partially restored

In His wisdom, God the Father sent God the Son at the proper time to partially restore our image.  Jesus took our sins on the cross and in doing so made it possible for us to be released from our enslavement to sin and be renewed to the image of our Creator: 

• "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." (Colossians 3:9-10) 
•  "thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.  You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." (Romans 6:17-18)

Each of these passages are written by the apostle Paul decades after Jesus ascended to heaven.  This transformation he is referring to is the transformation that happens when one embraces the truth of Jesus' death on the cross.  Doing so supernaturally enables one to be released from the bondage of sin and begin his or her renewal in the image of the Creator.  This renewal, however, will never reach completion on this earth.

Image fully restored

Paul, in another letter, also shines some light on what is going to become of our identity.  Yes we were created in God's image, yes the first man broke this image, yes the second man enabled a partial restoration of this image, but the second man--Jesus--is also going to fully restore this image.   Paul writes, "just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man." (1 Cor. 15:49)  This earthly man is Adam and this heavenly man is, of course, Jesus Christ.  In chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians Paul is discussing what the resurrection will be like; he is describing what will become of us.  He here tells us that we, if Christians, are destined for eternity in the image of our Creator--just as it was initially supposed to be it will ultimately be.  God is the Creator of the universe and the keeper of history, and we are created in His image and are, if we live properly here, destined to live fully in this image for eternity.  Quite an identity.

Application

This all may sound very abstract.  All of this talk of God may seem lofty, but I would contend that we must spend some time talking about what God has done to figure out what we must do.  Just focusing on ourselves will lead us to a bunch of dead ends and completely miss the point.  However, we will also fall short if we only talk about God and do not talk about what we should do as a result.  There are a number of applications for the truth of our identity, but I will highlight three.

1) We must treat ourselves and others with respect.  You see, if we are only a collection of molecules then we are free to treat ourselves and others however we please.  Just follow your instincts wherever they lead if we are just the products of chance.  However, if we are truly created in the image of the Almighty God, then we are of immense value.  Staring in the face of this truth should lead you to value your life.  Regardless of how you may be feeling about yourself, you are created in the image of God.  Everybody you know might look down upon you, but they cannot steal the image of God from within you.  

Of course, possessing the image of God carries its responsibilities as well.  God has standards, and it is part of your job to learn these standards and live by them.  Exodus 20 (The Ten Commandments) and Matthew 5-7 (The Sermon on the Mount) are good places to start.  Much of God's standard is simply seeing His image in yourself and others.  If you see yourself and all your abilities as gifts from God, then you are more likely to use your gifts well.  Likewise, if you see everyone as created in God's image, you are more likely to treat them well.  God's image in people means they are not to be used as possessions or pawns, but they are to be respected in their entirety.  The woman on your computer screen is not just a toy to be fantasized about but is a living, breathing, masterpiece created in the image of God.  Your colleagues, clients or subordinates are not simply tools for you to build your esteem or bank account.  They are people created in the image of God that should be served and respected.

2) Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  Unless you accept the God-man's death on the cross for your sins as the only way to bridge the gap to the Father you will continue to live as a broken vessel.  You will continue to possess the mark of God's image but will not be renewed to the greatest degree.  Restoration to the image involves an initial cleansing by Christ's blood and then a lifelong walk free of sin.  Walking free of sin requires an initial and then ongoing acceptance of forgiveness from the Father.  You will never live how you were created to live until you seek restitution with God.

3) Live in hope of the complete renewal.  Man cannot live without hope.  If tomorrow will not be better than today, how is one to keep walking today?  I cannot know for sure that my tomorrow will be better than my today, but I can be certain that tomorrow I will be one day closer to my full restoration in God's image.  Some day in the future I will possess my resurrection body and will finally be restored to my intended identity.  That is something to be cherished and celebrated, don't miss it.  You and I were created in the image of God, born broken, but intended for complete restoration to that image.  That is to be our ultimate hope, all other hopes will fail.  The real hope is in eternity with our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.  You came from a God with standards and love for you, and He wants you to live for eternity with Him, do so.