God's Image

On my wall is a painting of the Old Testament prophet Daniel standing on a cement floor calmly looking out a window as seven lions to his right seemingly gaze with him.  His image of courage and peace in a room meant for his consumption, inspires me.  Of all the saints in the Old Testament, Daniel seems the most Christlike to me.             

In his book Dignity and Destiny: Humanity in the Image of God, John Kilner provides a scholarly work on God’s image. Interestingly, the Bible does not define the image of God and indeed it carries with it a sacred degree of mystery. Yet while God’s image and likeness receive about 14 references in the Bible it is incredibly important. We are made in His image (Genesis 1:26,27). Unlike the rest of creation, God specifically fashioned us in His image and with that formation there are profound implications concerning our calling, relationship and purpose.  ​

​Sadly, sin corrupted us. This has caused many theologians to conclude that God’s image is somehow marred.  However, it is not God’s likeness that is damaged it is mankind’s condition. His image standard for us is not lessened by our sin. We see this through Jesus whose perfect life gave evidence of what it means to live in God’s image (Colossians 1:15).  

Some people have mistakenly concluded that noble attributes, economic advancements or power somehow signify possessing a greater percentage of God’s likeness.[1] Prior to the Civil War many Christian slaveowners believed that only whites were created in God’s image and that blacks were property on the level of livestock—wholly deficient of His image. Scripture states no such thinking—all humanity is created in God’s image irrelevant of attributes. Martin Luther King Jr., once stated, “there are no graduations in the image of God.”[2]  
            
Romans 8 gives believers the overall picture of God’s purpose of renewing us to be conformed to Christ’s image.  In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul explains how believers are renewed to be like Christ. To be in God’s image is not chiefly how we are currently like God. It is about God’s intended destiny for us.[3]  While my painting of Daniel is inspiring, it is Christ’s life that sets the example of how and why to live so as to please the One who made us.  God’s image matters.  The better we understand this the more rightly we will live. 
            
Meditation
Colossians 3:9-10--Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.
 
Inspiration
Imago Dei—the goal of human life. The most important is not what we are
but what we well
might be
Maybe
cannot be as yet
but can and shall become.—Inger Christensen, Danish poet
 
©2021 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)



[1] Kilner, John, Dignity and Destiny: Humanity in the Image of God, (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2015).
[2]Ibid, p. 97.
[3] Ibid, p. 281