God's Image.

Tonight I will be teaching on the creation of man.  I am again excited to consider what it means for us that Man is created in the image of God.  A lot of discussion is given to what that means, does it refer to our intellectual ability, moral purity, spiritual existence, or authority over creation? I am persuaded that it means we are like God in all the ways we are like him.  Insightful, I know.  What I mean is that Gen 5:3 says that Seth was in the image and likeness of Adam.  Seth wasn't identical to Adam but he was a lot like him.  Anytime Seth laughed at the same jokes or expressed the same interests, with the similarities in  the appearance in these ways he was like his Dad.

So here we are.  Marred by sin, though still image bearers.  In a lot of ways we don't represent God well, but in our holiness and righteousness, in our creativity and intelligence, in our spiritual pursuit we shine the light on the one who made us in his own image.  It is incredible to think when you are hiking in the woods or enjoying that view from the peak, when you gaze into the starry sky and see the Milky Way, or when you see the nature show on the depths of the ocean;  God made all of that and then when he wanted to make something a little more like himself he made Man.

This should not only affect the way you esteem yourself.  It should dramatically impact the way you view the other people in your life.  It should impact your politics toward the unborn, aged, poor, and disabled.  It should impact you to the core of who you are!