4/30/15- Jesus as the image of God

15The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.  (Colossians 1:15-16)

Thoughts: This is a statement of faith- Jesus is the image of God.  If you want to know what God is like- look at Jesus.  The image of God is the image of Christ- who was before all creation.  All things are created in him and for him.  Her is not before all creation just in terms of time- but before all creation in terms of supremacy.  It is the supremacy as the creator that is the point.  People misunderstand this verse if they think Jesus is only number one among a long line of created beings.  All that we see or do not see; all powers; all were created through and for Him.  This does not degrade His godhead- but elevates and praises it. 

Prayer: Lord you are worthy of all I am as my King and Lord.  

8/20/14- Colossians 1

15The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1)

Thoughts: Jesus is the firstborn over all- living and dead- He is Lord of all. It is not that Jesus is not God's eternal Son- He is eternally begotten before all worlds- before creation.  Arianism (Jehovah's Witnesses are a form of Arianism today) believed Jesus was just a demi-god not a true God.  But this passage affirms that when you look at Jesus you see an image of God.  If you want to know what God is like- look at the life of Jesus.  He is the exact representation.  He is more than just a good man, but Jesus is also the creator of the world and of the Church.  Not only is Jesus the image of God but God lived in Jesus fully, and redeemed the world through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.  Christ came and paid our penalty for sin on the cross.  So it is possible to have peace with God and not struggle against Him if we will but believe that Jesus is the image and fulness of God who gave Himself for us on the cross.  

Prayer: Help me to believe you are the geratest Lord.  I rededicate myself to you.  

1/31/13- Image of God

And God said: Let us make mankind in our image/b’tsalmeinu, as our likeness/kid’muteinu. And they will have dominion over [the animals]…․And God created humankind in His image/b’tsalmo, in God's image/tselem He created him, male and female He created them.  (Genesis 1:27)

One who spills the blood of man, through/by man, his blood will be spilled, for in God's image/tselem He made man. (Genesis 9:6) 

Thoughts: We are designed to be a mirror image of God.  We are designed to glorify and reflect Him.  The Westminster Shorter Catechism speaks of this image as being in "knowledge, righteousness, and holiness."  Other creeds see this image as our being immortal.  Other theologians see the image as distinctions between human beings and animals-like complex language and abstract thinking (1:28 talks about being given dominion over the animals).  Some Neo-orthodox theologians speak of true human love as a reflection of God's love.  In the tenet below the emphasis is that we are given the ability to know and relate to God.  We were made to relate in love to God and in love to each other.  God is love, and we glorify God best when we show love in our lives for God and neighbor.  

God has no need of anyone or anything beyond Himself. Yet in grace this Triune God is the one Creator of all things. The ongoing act of creation is further manifested in God’s gracious sovereignty and providence, maintaining the existence of the world and all living creatures for the sake of His own glory.  He is the Holy One, the ground of all being, whose glory is so great that for us to see Him is to die. Yet He has made the creation to reflect His glory, and He has made human beings in His own image, with a unique desire to know Him and a capacity for relationship with Him. Since our God is a consuming fire whom we in our sin cannot safely approach, He has approached us by entering into our humanity in Jesus Christ.

The Mirror Image

¹⁵ Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

¹⁶ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

¹⁷ And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

¹⁹ For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

²⁰ And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:15-20)

Thoughts: Jesus is the mirror image of God the Father (Heb. 1:3; Jn. 1:18: 14:9). If you want to find out what the invisible God looks like- look at Jesus.  Any other image we conjure up becomes an idol- and a distortion.  But we can also distort and tarnish the image of Christ.  We can make Christ in our image- or make Him into the way we want Him to be, instead of listening to how He is described by the eyewitnesses and those who lived close to Him when He walked this earth.
    Years ago I went to the "House of Mirrors" at the State Fair.  At first I thought it was boring, but then when I got in the middle, it was hard to find my way out.  There seemed to be 20 doors and 40 images of myself.  It is important to get the true image.  I also saw in that same house of mirrors some mirrors that made me look overly fat, and other mirrors that made me look taller and skinnier than I really was.  It is important to get the right image of Christ- for this image of Christ points out to God the Father.  Jesus was the One who taught us to see God as Father, and as a God who loves us, cares for us when we are sick, and welcomes us back to Himself when we are prodigals.  The Bible gives us a good, clean, untarnished, undistorted image of Christ.  The Bible is the glass that reflects that image- but Christ is the two dimensional-incarnated image of the multi-dimensional, multi-faceted Father.

Prayer: May I see you clearly revealed in your Word, Father.  May I see you clearly revealed through the Living Word who came for me.  

2/19/12- Human beings

WSC Q. 10. (2012 version) How did God create human beings?
A. God created human beings, male and female, in His own image and in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, to rule over the other creatures.

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,^[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

 ²⁷ So God created mankind in his own image,
   in the image of God he created them;
   male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26,27)

 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.^[b] 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (Colossians 3:5-10)

(monkey looking at his image in a mirror)


Thoughts:  There have been all sorts of theories about the image of God.  Some say this means God looks like us.  Some Freudians say we create God in our image.  But these are all backwards.  To have an inkling of what God is like- we need not look to ourselves, but to what God has said about Himself.  Our image of God is so tarnished that we can hardly see it.  Some have said that we can speak with complexity, think abstractly are signs that we are made by God.  But perhaps beyond these surface things- is the idea that we have a soul- a spiritual side made to love God, and go beyond ourselves and our animal instincts.  


Prayer: May we treat others with kindness and ourselves with kindness because we are made by you and we have your image imprinted on us.