5-6-14- Creation and Image

We confess and acknowledge that God has created man, that is, our first father, Adam, after his own image and likeness  to whom he gave wisdom lordship, justice, free-will, self-consciousness, so that in the whole nature of man no imperfection could be found. (Scot's Confession IIa).

Scripture: Genesis 2: 26Then 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.”

27So God created mankind in his own image,

in the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them.

28God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and th

  e birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

29Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

31God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Thoughts: There are two main thoughts in this part of the Scots Confession: 1) God created human beings, and 2) We are created in Gods image- made good.
    In Knox's day, creation was assumed.  Today, many people think the world just happened without reason or even that we are part of God (and there is no separation from creation).  Even evolutionists must still explain where everything came from.  For some, they refuse to believe in anything supernatural, So god is brought down like us- with little separation; or we are brought up to god's status.  Christians believe that God made us good but we defiled our goodness with sin.  For those who do not believe we are separated from God- sin is less drastic and less important.  God also becomes more amoral- less caring for sin- because we are a part of who God is.  Yet, the real existence of evil tells us there is a need to have standards and morals.   The Christian hope is that though we mess up and fail, God is good and can help us.  If there is no separation between us and god- then there is little hope or help that god offers.   God is different and can offer us strength, a hand up, and hope that we do not have in ourselves.
     The image of God is defined by Knox as: wisdom lordship, justice, free-will, self-consciousness.  We have the imprint of God upon us in these things.  While the image is scarred and abused, it is not erased completely and sometimes comes shining through.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for making the world out of love. Help me to love you in return.
     

Norman Rockwell self- portrait.