The Image of God
(Exhortation - April 2004)
The topic of heredity is a complex and fascinating one, but simply put, it is a scientific explanation of the process whereby physical and mental characteristics are passed from one generation to another.
Within the family unit, it is often difficult to discern whether various traits are genetic or learned as the result of environmental influence. A small boy closely observes his father and it is amusing to see the mannerisms and idiosyncrasies of body language replicated in the child. It is these traits combined with physical appearance that leads to the comment: “He is the image of his father.” Children use their parents as role models and for those who want their offspring to grow up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, it is imperative that their behavior is seen to be appropriate for followers of Christ. This is a heavy responsibility and must be approached with prayerful deliberation.
Distortion of the image
Lifting these thoughts to a
spiritual plain, we were created in the image of God: “And God said, let
us make man in our image after our likeness…so God created man in his own
image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them”
(Gen. 1:26-27). This is a difficult concept to grasp and fully understand.
What is within our power of comprehension, however, is the amazing fact that
on some level, man and woman were created with the potential to reflect the
characteristics of the almighty God. He made beings with whom He could
communicate by the very fact that they were like Him and could respond
accordingly.
Sadly, through the disobedience of the first pair, the image of the Creator that was reflected in humanity became distorted and flawed. Henceforth men and women reproduced children in their own image and likeness: “And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness after his image…” (Gen. 5:3).
False images
The pattern of foolish and
empty striving was set; human beings continued to satisfy the dictates and
desires of their nature by looking to images of their own making.
When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things (Rom. 1:21-23).
Is it any wonder that God was so angry when His chosen people deliberately turned away from Him to worship idols?
After centuries of such behavior in the time of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, it is recorded:
And Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done. For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree (1 Kings 14:22-23).
The Israelites had set up rival non-gods and the true image of God was in grave danger of being lost from view. Then in His great mercy, the Lord sent His son, a perfect manifestation of Himself, into the world to remedy the situation: “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9).
The image on the coin
Among the many profound
lessons taught by Jesus, the one pertinent to our topic is the subject of
the coin. Feigning humility and sincerity, smug in their connived strategy,
the Pharisees and Herodians set out to trap the Master:
For thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Bring me a penny, that I may see it. And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar’s. And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s. And they marveled at him (Mk. 12:14-17).
Being so familiar with the incident, we may fail to pick up an echo from scripture. “And God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness’” (Gen. 1:26). The root of the teaching lay back in Genesis and was intended to remind the recalcitrant Jews of the fundamental fact that they should reflect God’s image, not the self-appointed god of Rome. The image on the coin was that of Caesar, and represented all the collective worldly ways of wickedness, self-interest, pride, and avarice.
Representatives of the coin
The concordance defines
superscription as: To be written upon, inscribed, written over and written
thereon. It is a salutary thought but the coin could represent us. Prior
to our commitment to Christ, the imprint and writing of the world was
branded deeply upon us.
Roman coins over 2, 000 years old have been unearthed, still clearly showing the likeness and inscription of the respective monarch. Nothing, however, is indelible where the Lord is concerned and all evidence of worldly marks were removed by the waters of baptism; we emerged fresh and clean like a newly minted coin bearing the imprint of Christ.
Living in an environment of hardship and sin, it is a constant struggle to keep that new image bright and unsullied. Vandals are ever ready to deface our new surface in order that we might conform to theirs. Moreover, we are prone to deface ourselves by our own selfish, self-destructive activities. But we are not alone; our Lord Jesus Christ made an early decision to uphold God’s image and urgently prayed that his followers obtain help in their quest to remain untainted and unspoiled by wickedness (Jn. 17:15,20). Even though we lose our way and lie buried like a lost coin, there is one who will not rest until he has searched and found us: “Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost” (Lk. 15:9).
Cherishing our covenant
with God
What did Jesus mean when he
told the Jews to render to God the things that are His? A little thought
will show that we have nothing to give except ourselves, which is, of
course, the salient point. The problem is how do we go about it? As usual,
guidance comes from the scriptures.
Among the corrupt, self-seeking kings of Judah there were a few who were commended for their goodness, among whom were Hezekiah and Josiah. Strong’s Concordance defines the meaning of goodness as: “unfailing love, loyal love, kindness, especially a covenant relationship” and the NIV renders it as “devotion.” Both Hezekiah and Josiah cherished their covenant relationship with God. Like us they struggled with the weakness of the flesh and failed at times. Nevertheless, they remained loyal to God and demonstrated their devotion through many acts of faith. In an environment of opposition and wickedness, these men rendered their lives to God in love and obedience.
Things could have been very different though, for many of their contemporaries were exposed to the word of God through His laws, yet remained unaffected by the message of instruction, preferring to follow the dictates of their own instincts and desires. Whereas the two faithful kings, having received the word, saw it as a reflection of the Lord Himself and humbly surrendered to His will.
Christ our mirror
The apostle James describes
this behavior: “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is
like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth
himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he
was” (Jam. 1:23-24). Metaphorically the apostle is saying that the
word, like a mirror, reveals to the beholder the inner face with all of the
blemishes of human nature. For an instant, the true reflection of human
nature can be seen, but it is not pretty and we put the image to the back of
our mind.
We are privileged to know Jesus Christ ‘the word made flesh.’ He is the mirror that perfectly reflects the image of his Father and therefore is the role model for us all.
As we partake of the emblems before us let us give thanks and remember that in him: we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature…and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 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. For it pleased the father that in him should all fullness dwell… (Col. 1:14-19).
Ian Neblett