There is a new game show catching a lot of attention. It is ‘The Moment Of Truth’ and this game show takes contestants, straps them to a lie detector test, and asks them 21 intensely personal questions. With close family just off center stage watching they have to answer each question and if they answer right, they win more money. However, there is a price to pay and that price is in those close to them discovering the real answer. One person was asked the question, ‘do you care about the starving kids in Africa’ and her response was no which turned out to be the truth.
We are studying the doctrine of anthropology and discovering the truth of what God says about human beings. Apart from an understanding of being made in God’s image we have no reference point for the value of life. If we are mere random happenings, then our lives and personhood have no more significance then what is attributed to us by the powers that be. It is the lack of this belief that leads us to the greatest of human atrocities when humans are left at the mercy of whatever criteria may seem popular at the time. When we recognize God as the intentional designer of life, then life acquires infinite worth and significance. We will discover our image in God’s transcendence, our inmost design and our dynamic authority. We will also face the reality of the Fall of Man in Genesis and God’s plan to restore what a sinful nature has stolen.
The Image of Transcendence
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Divine transcendence was defined as a characteristic of God and what sets Him apart from all of creation. However the way in which we as humans have been created and our relationship to the rest of creation sets us apart as different and above the rest of creation. We were the climax of God’s creational achievement.
The Hebrew word for image is tselem and in ancient Near Eastern culture there was a specific cultural image being painted in their minds. It would be said of a king that he was to rule in the image of his god. King Tut’s full name was Tutankhamen meaning the living image of the god Amon. He was the embodiment of that god and to see the king was to see their god.
Psalm 8
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:
Here we see the distinction conferred upon us.
Genesis 2:7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
God put the breath of life into us so that we would become responsive and responsible living beings. In essence this teaches us our personhood and ability to relate to God.
To make sure Adam thought that the woman was of no less value than him was that God reached right into his chest and took the part right next to his heart, his rib and created her. Two complementary facets of God’s image were now in existence. He split them apart and then declared them one flesh. We see the character of God in both male and female. Paul captured the essence of this in how he related the growth process of developing believers in
1 Thessalonians 2:7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. 8We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. 9Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
Now some of you might say but didn’t God refer to Eve as Adam’s helper?? Well, I’m glad that you brought that up….
Genesis 2:18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
The Hebrew word for helper is used as a designation for someone who saves or rescues from difficult situation. The English again loses the essence of the word in that an English translation would define it as a subordinate assistant. We find a number of great examples where this same word is used of God in designating Him as our helper in Exodus 18:4; Deuteronomy 33:7; Psalm 33:20; 70:5…
We now see this word in a whole new light. The woman was the God appointed rescuer who would help preserve the divine image in human life therefore her name becomes even more significant Eve = life as she becomes the mother of all living. Genesis 3:20
Take the image of God one step further in that Jesus taught that entrance into the kingdom of heaven meant that we must enter as a child in Matthew 18 and that as we celebrate and welcome children in His name we welcome Him, we become like Him in every way.
As we protect the image of God in children, we honor God
Checking out the Makeup!
I want to take a few minutes to focus on the many facets of our immaterial makeup that reflect various aspects of the whole and at times overlap as well
Soul – nephesh – in Genesis 2:7 a living being, the center of emotional experiences. It is from this core of the being that we experience the ranges of sympathy, despair, bitterness, hate, love…
Spirit – ruach, pneuma - Hebrews 12:9; I Corinthians 2:11 In Paul’s teaching, he directly focuses on this part of man as the immaterial part of us that can be awakened by Christ, but is always present like the soul and is the center of one’s thoughts and emotions as well. It was the transformation of this area of life for Paul and that we let Christ be the determining factor here
We are studying the doctrine of anthropology and discovering the truth of what God says about human beings. Apart from an understanding of being made in God’s image we have no reference point for the value of life. If we are mere random happenings, then our lives and personhood have no more significance then what is attributed to us by the powers that be. It is the lack of this belief that leads us to the greatest of human atrocities when humans are left at the mercy of whatever criteria may seem popular at the time. When we recognize God as the intentional designer of life, then life acquires infinite worth and significance. We will discover our image in God’s transcendence, our inmost design and our dynamic authority. We will also face the reality of the Fall of Man in Genesis and God’s plan to restore what a sinful nature has stolen.
The Image of Transcendence
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Divine transcendence was defined as a characteristic of God and what sets Him apart from all of creation. However the way in which we as humans have been created and our relationship to the rest of creation sets us apart as different and above the rest of creation. We were the climax of God’s creational achievement.
The Hebrew word for image is tselem and in ancient Near Eastern culture there was a specific cultural image being painted in their minds. It would be said of a king that he was to rule in the image of his god. King Tut’s full name was Tutankhamen meaning the living image of the god Amon. He was the embodiment of that god and to see the king was to see their god.
Psalm 8
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:
Here we see the distinction conferred upon us.
Genesis 2:7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
God put the breath of life into us so that we would become responsive and responsible living beings. In essence this teaches us our personhood and ability to relate to God.
To make sure Adam thought that the woman was of no less value than him was that God reached right into his chest and took the part right next to his heart, his rib and created her. Two complementary facets of God’s image were now in existence. He split them apart and then declared them one flesh. We see the character of God in both male and female. Paul captured the essence of this in how he related the growth process of developing believers in
1 Thessalonians 2:7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. 8We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. 9Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
Now some of you might say but didn’t God refer to Eve as Adam’s helper?? Well, I’m glad that you brought that up….
Genesis 2:18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
The Hebrew word for helper is used as a designation for someone who saves or rescues from difficult situation. The English again loses the essence of the word in that an English translation would define it as a subordinate assistant. We find a number of great examples where this same word is used of God in designating Him as our helper in Exodus 18:4; Deuteronomy 33:7; Psalm 33:20; 70:5…
We now see this word in a whole new light. The woman was the God appointed rescuer who would help preserve the divine image in human life therefore her name becomes even more significant Eve = life as she becomes the mother of all living. Genesis 3:20
Take the image of God one step further in that Jesus taught that entrance into the kingdom of heaven meant that we must enter as a child in Matthew 18 and that as we celebrate and welcome children in His name we welcome Him, we become like Him in every way.
As we protect the image of God in children, we honor God
Checking out the Makeup!
I want to take a few minutes to focus on the many facets of our immaterial makeup that reflect various aspects of the whole and at times overlap as well
Soul – nephesh – in Genesis 2:7 a living being, the center of emotional experiences. It is from this core of the being that we experience the ranges of sympathy, despair, bitterness, hate, love…
Spirit – ruach, pneuma - Hebrews 12:9; I Corinthians 2:11 In Paul’s teaching, he directly focuses on this part of man as the immaterial part of us that can be awakened by Christ, but is always present like the soul and is the center of one’s thoughts and emotions as well. It was the transformation of this area of life for Paul and that we let Christ be the determining factor here
Heart – is used as the center of our intellectual, emotional and volitional life as seen in OT and NT alike from Deuteronomy 8:5 to Matthew 15:19,20. There are a few instances to the real organ but 955x it speaks to this part of a person.
Conscience – the witness that is inside of us to teach us what is right and wrong. Acts 23:1
Conscience – the witness that is inside of us to teach us what is right and wrong. Acts 23:1
Mind –Romans 3:11 Paul speaks of this as an area that can be darkened, we are also taught to take every thought captive in 2 Corinthians 10:5
Flesh – Galatians 5:17 This term is used to describe our disposition to sin and oppose God
Will - The Bible speaks more about the will of God than the will of man, but the will is certainly implied as part of man in Romans 7 in Paul’s tug of war between the Spirit and the flesh.
The Fallout From The Fall:
There are many aspects to touch on including loss of the most beautiful place on earth, but I want to talk about the most painful and devastating losses -
Image Lost
We only have to read further in Genesis, 3 specifically to see what we lost and God trying to undo the affects of the Fall. What was the temptation ultimately? It’s your turn now, your turn to be God, your turn to be equal with Him. It is your turn to define the value of life and so man did and only one generation after the first couple exited the garden do we see the first murder committed by Cain against Abel.
What is the very essence of sin? It is the rejection of God’s sovereignty over human life and to declare yourself sovereign – to dismiss God and to make yourself God. Sin is ultimately a declaration of independence from God.
Image Distorted Genesis 3:7 states that their eyes were opened and their shame was revealed. They were now alienated from God
The Fallout From The Fall:
There are many aspects to touch on including loss of the most beautiful place on earth, but I want to talk about the most painful and devastating losses -
Image Lost
We only have to read further in Genesis, 3 specifically to see what we lost and God trying to undo the affects of the Fall. What was the temptation ultimately? It’s your turn now, your turn to be God, your turn to be equal with Him. It is your turn to define the value of life and so man did and only one generation after the first couple exited the garden do we see the first murder committed by Cain against Abel.
What is the very essence of sin? It is the rejection of God’s sovereignty over human life and to declare yourself sovereign – to dismiss God and to make yourself God. Sin is ultimately a declaration of independence from God.
Image Distorted Genesis 3:7 states that their eyes were opened and their shame was revealed. They were now alienated from God
Friendship Broken - there was a loss of a sense of oneness with God in the communion that they once experienced. They would not only experience lonliness apart from God, but in their own selfishness experience lonliness between each other. Adam in defending himself shifts the blame to Eve alienating himself from her as well.
So God gave us His image to bear, He gave us gender and He gave us something to do – take care of His world.
John 10:7-10
Replacing What Was Stolen!
Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son,
What did Jesus do with the image bearers… He reconnected our eyes with the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. He made us connect again and become what being fully human is in Matthew 5.
When people aren’t treated as fully human, that is called hell and Jesus railed against that.
Instead of seeing labels, poor, invalid, handicapped…He showed us how to see humans.
Rob Bell in his most recent book tells the story of the Bergen Belsen concentration camp and the British Red Cross that arrived with a very large quantity of lipstick. They were screaming for other supplies. But there they were, women, dying, with red scarlet lips. At last someone had done something to make them individuals again. No longer were they just tattooed with a number on their arm. They could take an interest in their appearance and that little act in itself started to give them their humanity back.
What is in your “makeup” that you need to give away???
Our job is to become a little Jesus with a small j
The Takeaway
The goal for us is to live and represent the image of God by protecting and esteeming it in others.
It is in this way that we get to the place where we are conformed to the image of Christ, the ultimate human reflection of God. We are to be the embodiment of that to all those around us.
So God gave us His image to bear, He gave us gender and He gave us something to do – take care of His world.
John 10:7-10
Replacing What Was Stolen!
Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son,
What did Jesus do with the image bearers… He reconnected our eyes with the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. He made us connect again and become what being fully human is in Matthew 5.
When people aren’t treated as fully human, that is called hell and Jesus railed against that.
Instead of seeing labels, poor, invalid, handicapped…He showed us how to see humans.
Rob Bell in his most recent book tells the story of the Bergen Belsen concentration camp and the British Red Cross that arrived with a very large quantity of lipstick. They were screaming for other supplies. But there they were, women, dying, with red scarlet lips. At last someone had done something to make them individuals again. No longer were they just tattooed with a number on their arm. They could take an interest in their appearance and that little act in itself started to give them their humanity back.
What is in your “makeup” that you need to give away???
Our job is to become a little Jesus with a small j
The Takeaway
The goal for us is to live and represent the image of God by protecting and esteeming it in others.
It is in this way that we get to the place where we are conformed to the image of Christ, the ultimate human reflection of God. We are to be the embodiment of that to all those around us.
Questions For Discussion and Small Groups:
Do you agree with this statement. “How you treat creation reflects how you feel about the Creator.” Why?
Do you agree with this statement. “How you treat creation reflects how you feel about the Creator.” Why?
What attitudes, conversations, gestures, comments, decisions that you can make to protect the image of God in others.
What has the enemy robbed you of and what part of God’s image do you need most restored in you?
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