Understanding the Message of Christ: Made in God\'s Image
German philosopher Immanuel Kant loved to take long walks on summer evenings to mediate and think. On one occasion he was sitting in a park when a policeman notice that he had been there for several hours. The police man asked, "What are you doing?" Kant answer, "I am thinking." The Police man said, "Well who are you?" Kant replied, "That is precisely the problem I have been thinking about."
The first chapters of the Bible answer the question: Who are we? Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:26-27)
The place to understand our natures as human beings is in the beginning. God made us male and female to exclusively reflect His image. All of creation expresses different aspect of God's beauty and wonder. Humans are the centerpiece of that expression. There are two examples of relationships given in these verses. The first is between God and Himself (God the Father, Son, and Spirit). The second is witness in the equal formation of man and women as image bearers of God. Together these groups are an insight into how we are to bear the image of God. It is our ability to form real relationship both with our Creator and with other humans, that is the mark of our reflection.
Jesus pointed to the image when He taught that the greatest command of God is to love the Lord with all we have and the second is like to love others as yourself.
Be a reflection of God's love today. Return the His love back to Him and share it with others alone your way in practical acts of kindness.
Matt Emerson
Taken from Discipleship Essentials by Greg Ogden
The first chapters of the Bible answer the question: Who are we? Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:26-27)
The place to understand our natures as human beings is in the beginning. God made us male and female to exclusively reflect His image. All of creation expresses different aspect of God's beauty and wonder. Humans are the centerpiece of that expression. There are two examples of relationships given in these verses. The first is between God and Himself (God the Father, Son, and Spirit). The second is witness in the equal formation of man and women as image bearers of God. Together these groups are an insight into how we are to bear the image of God. It is our ability to form real relationship both with our Creator and with other humans, that is the mark of our reflection.
Jesus pointed to the image when He taught that the greatest command of God is to love the Lord with all we have and the second is like to love others as yourself.
Be a reflection of God's love today. Return the His love back to Him and share it with others alone your way in practical acts of kindness.
Matt Emerson
Taken from Discipleship Essentials by Greg Ogden