Center for Biblical Theology and Eschatology
Made in the Image of God
Genesis 1:1-3; 2 Corinthians 3:18
by Bill Green
(Creation) Imagine nothing. Of course you can't. You can't "imagine nothing"
because it is a contradiction in terms! And besides, our minds are always occupied
with something. But one time in the past–no, before time existed–there was nothing.
Only God! And God decided to create and something appeared. But that something
was disordered, was empty, and darkness was over this creation. The first act
of creation left only a fearful void to be filled. The Bible says that the Spirit of God moved over this void. The presence of
God (his ruach in Hebrew) his Spirit-presence hovered over the waters
contemplating his creation. What would come out of those disordered waters?
What would be formed? With what end in mind would God call forth this new work? A voice sounded like thunder; and LIGHT! After that a series of words and a
whole creation was formed: sea, mountains, trees and birds, animals and insects.
Everything–almost everything. For God had not yet finished. He paused. Cherubim
and angels draw near, heavenly beings crowd to see. "Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness" (Gen. 1:26). Imagine! A creature after the image of its Creator! After the image of that Spirit-presence, that Spirit of Glory, that Creator-Spirit! A creature was going to exercise the authority of God himself in ruling and governing the earth! The Creator-Spirit was conceding to man virtually the place of God on this earth! What is man, that Thou dost take thought of him? (Priest) This man that God created didn't just rule over the earth. God gave
him a very special quality–the capacity to have intimate communion with this
Creator. In fact, God created a special place, a garden, where they could be
together in communion. Of course, all the earth belonged to the man, but God
sanctified a special place just for them (cf. Gen. 2:7,8,15). In this garden,
the man (and later the woman also) could talk with their Creator. They told
him that they loved him. There they offered the fruit of their labors in pleasing
consecration to God. That garden was like a temple, you know. The majestic trees
formed the pillars; the blue sky above formed the roof. The birds intoned choruses
and mankind rendered his entire being, all his activities to his Creator. Paradise.
It was paradise! And God had communion with his image, the man and his wife. (Eschatological telos ["purpose," "goal"]) But even this was not all.
There were precious times with God. But the man had a very great task to perform.
First of all he had to guard the garden because it appears that a malignant
force had made its appearance. But also he was to fill the earth with children;
he was to be fruitful and multiply, subduing the earth by means of populating
it. Why? Because God wasn't content with just two people. He wanted more. He
wanted many with whom to share himself. He wanted happiness for thousands, for
millions! And when the earth would have been filled with this grand multitude,
all united, God would take his creation together with his people and glorify
them. A new earth, new bodies; and the Lord would descend to dwell in their
midst forever and ever. Creation and mankind had a very definite purpose; God
doesn't begin his projects without preparing a glorious consummation. And man's
end would have been glorious. Sin And what happened? The man and the woman, made in God's image, exercising dominion
over the earth for God, judging righteously–what did they do? They didn't even
pass the very first test of faithfulness to their Creator. God put them in the
garden to guard it, to guard the holy temple–and they let Satan walk right in.
God gave the man the responsibility for the spiritual direction of the family
and we find Eve tempting Adam and Adam listens to her! God told them not to
eat of the fruit of that one certain tree and both of them lust after that fruit,
take and eat it. And God's creatures–at the beginning clothed with the glorious
image of God–found themselves naked and ashamed. They brought upon themselves
the just condemnation: "in the day you eat thereof you shall surely die!" Jesus Christ This would have been the end of the story–the end of history, if it
weren't for a merciful God. God took those wretched, ungrateful sinners and
clothed them with skins–the first sacrifice, pointing toward a future hope.
And in fact, after many things took place, that Creator-Spirit descended again,
this time over a virgin, and there was born what Paul calls "the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn of all creation" (Col. 1:15): JESUS CHRIST, SON
OF GOD, THE SECOND ADAM, THE PERFECT IMAGE OF GOD. Jesus received the Spirit
of his Father at his baptism and went directly into the desert where he passed
the most direct temptations of Satan. Jesus, the image of God, judged rightly
between right and wrong. Jesus, image of God, received the downpayment of his
glorification on the Mount of Transfiguration when he was clothed with glory.
And when he had completed all righteousness, had made the full sacrifice, had
conquered death and arose, he ascended. And what was it that received him? A
cloud. Not a little white cloud either. Not just any regular old cloud. It was
the cloud of the Spirit that moved over the waters at creation. It was the glory-cloud
that led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the desert. It was the cloud
of fire that descended over the tabernacle and filled the holy of holies with
glory. And 50 days later, after Jesus ascended, the cloud of fire came back–on
the day of Pentecost! And do you know what it did? It clothed the followers
of Jesus with fire too–with a little bit of that glory which mankind had lost
so long ago. The image of God was restored! No longer was mankind left naked
before God! No longer was mankind left "destitute of the glory of God" (Rom.
3:23). Brothers and sisters, a fundamental element of our salvation is that Jesus
Christ restores to us that part of the image of God that we had lost because
of sin–the image of God which permitted communion with God; that image which
permitted us to draw near unto God in worship, rendering adoration and praise,
presenting unto him our labors. As Paul says, "Put off the old man . . . and
be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man which has been
created in the likeness of God in righteousness and holiness of the truth" (Eph.
4:22-24). When Jesus enters our heart, he brings the renewing image of God. We are reclothed
with what Adam and Eve lost. We are reclothed in righteousness and now we understand
and love the truth. We can once again judge rightly between the good and the
bad when before we were slaves of sin. Again Paul says, "Because all who have
been baptized in Christ are clothed with Christ" (Gal. 3:27). And we are clothed
also with "glory" as Paul says in that mysterious passage: "But we all with
unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are being transformed
into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit"
(2 Cor. 3:18). We are being transformed now into glory and our restored
image gathers more and more strength each day as the Spirit of the Lord transforms
us. But we also await a greater fulfillment than that which we have already received. As the first creation awaited a consummation we too await a final and full consummation of our salvation, when we will be clothed forevermore with robes of glory. And so Paul says, "For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting'" (1 Cor. 15:53-55)? Brethren, I believe that for us today, here is the response which the Lord
would have us make. If we realize that apart from Jesus Christ we are naked
before God, that only by the grace of God has he clothed us in Jesus and made
us acceptable once again in his presence–let us humble ourselves before him.
We are sinners restored to God's favor by his mercy. Let there be no attitude
of superiority among us. No one here is "better" than another. Before God and
before his people let us show humility and gratitude. The proof of having the
renewed image of Christ is to live as Christ lived, in service to his Father
and his neighbor. Let us humble ourselves before God rendering to him honor
and glory for his salvation. Let us also live with this vision of the church. I have a vision of a church
clothed with the image of her Lord, clothed with glory, jealous of good works.
A church which works faithfully to proclaim the gospel of salvation in Jesus
Christ, a church which with joy reaches out in love and tenderness to a world
so twisted and distorted from its original destiny. Have you been clothed with Jesus Christ? Humble yourself before him in adoration and praise. In gratitude to God share your Savior with those who do not know him yet.
And the son of man, that Thou dost care for him?
Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than God,
And dost crown him with glory and majesty!
Thou dost make him to rule over the works of Thy hands;
Thou hast put all things under his feet (Ps. 8:4-6).
| Rev. Bill & Aletha Green have labored in church planting in Costa Rica, and are currently involved in their third church plant on the north east side of San Jose, Costa Rica. They also helped establish the Tepeyac Christian grade school and high school which Aletha served as principal for over 15 years. And Bill is Executive Secretary for the “Latin American Fellowship of Reformed Churches” (CLIR) which has as its goal bringing Reformed churches and groups together throughout Latin America to strengthen church leaders, provide support for those who need it, and serve the propagation and defense of the Reformed faith. Toward that end, CLIR has established a publishing ministry, and is providing Latin America with solid, Reformed resources. |
Iglesia Cristiana Reformada
San Jose, Costa Rica
(Translated from the Spanish)