"created in His image"

While it is becoming more offensive to openly bring God into public discourse, our culture finds more stealth ways to rob our joy. I often hear people use "we are created in God's image" for personal gain, whether Christian or not. Our culture likes to reinforce the virtue of "tolerance" by saying every person is "like God" and so we must be kind, respectful, and acceptance of them regardless .... blah, blah blah !! AND, we just go along as if this is true.

Well, it must be true. If you were to Google "image of God" you might get something like this from Wikipedia:

"The Image of God is a concept and theological doctrine in Judaism, Christianity, and Sufi Islam, which asserts that human beings are created in the image and likeness of God. Philosophers and theologians have debated the exact meaning of the phrase for millennia. In Christian thought, the Image of God is intimately linked to the idea of Original Sin. The Image that was present in Adam at creation was partially lost with the Fall of Man, and that through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, humans can be reunited with God. Christian writers have stated that despite the Image of God being partially lost, this likeness or little piece of God in them affords each person fundamentally with value and agency to create, to be kind, to love, etc, regardless of class, race, gender or disability. Notwithstanding the exact meaning of being made in the Image of God, the concept is a foundational doctrine of Christianity and Judaism."

Wikipedia is a great place to go to see what our culture has done to the original intent of a word. Notice the idea of "and likeness" is the only additional meaning given to "image". Notice the reference to the idea of image to support the virtue of diversity - "each person fundamentally has value". Both of these "expanded" explanations of "image" feel pretty good, except they are not right. To apply what God is really saying to us would not be very PC, it would make us accept an intolerant religious judgment. We would have to see our self as God designed us, not what we think we should be. So, it's better when we just go along to get along with what our culture has "bullied" us into believing. Then, what God really wants us to know about ourselves is not allowed in our "selfies."

Here is what God said, "we are created in His "eikon" (image). This word means representative or manifestation. We were created as representatives of God. Paul says this in his second letter to the Corinthians, God invites us personally to represent Him, to be His ambassador, to reflect His nature and will to the world, not to be His agent (exert His will). We get sidetracked by what the culture wants us to think. Humans are not sovereign, all knowing, all powerful, love and so forth. We represent Him and manifest Him not when we behave a certain way, treat each other ethically or "justly", but rather when we trust Him, when we play out what He has put in us. when we are representatives (ambassadors) of reconciliation, not to the world but to Him. We represent Him when we embrace our Spiritual identity, when we worship the Creator, not the creature. We represent Him when we "walk by faith, not by sight." We represent Him when we receive from Him the Grace He has bestowed on us. When we are the agent and seek our affirmation and satisfaction from other people and our circumstances, we represent the "worthless and elemental principles of this word."  God says we were NOT created to represent the world's system, but to manifest Him to all peoples of the world.

We must learn to challenge the deceptive use of God's Word for the carnal purposeful activities (work) of man. We don't honor God with producing our own creativity, love, virtuous outcomes for others. We honor God when we totally rely on Him for what He gives us and humbly share this with others,

We must be confident and bold to faithfully reflect His image to transform culture when culture desires to transform His image.