Friday, Jan. 25

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This week we have been reflecting on what it means that we are all made in the imago dei, the image of God.  We have talked about how this truth gives each individual human being a concrete sense of value and dignity.  We have also looked at how the image of God impacts how view and treat the people around us.  The doctrine of the image of God is also meant to give us a clear sense of purpose.  When we come to the New Testament, we begin to see that we were not only created in God’s image, but we were also created to be God’s image in the world!  We are created to “imagers” of God, reflections of the Divine character. 

we have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.  - Colossians 3:10

To put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.  - Ephesians 4:24

In a sense we are created to be little mirrors, all turned toward Christ and reflecting His glory and beauty back to the world.  Now of course we are not perfect reflections, we have all been tainted and tarnished by sin, the image of God is broken and damaged in us.  None of us can restore or repair that image on our own.  We have no power to fix the broken image of God in us. 

In the same way, a mirror has no power to generate its own light or image, it can only reflect the image it is facing.  Think about that analogy for just a minute...you are created in the image of God, and you are created to be the image of God in the world, but you can only do that if you are turned toward Him!  We can only reflect that which we are facing.  You can pretty quickly tell which way a persons heart is facing can’t you?  Just look at how they spend their  time, how they spend their money, what they talk about most often, and how they respond to disappointments.  Whatever a person turns the affections of their heart toward, that is what they will reflect back to the world.  So, the question is...What, or Who are you facing?  What is your heart turned toward?

I think the key to being an imager of God in the world is to be an imager of Christ in your life! 

Colossians 1:15 tells us that He (Jesus Christ) is the image of the invisible God.  Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.  Jesus Himself says in John 14:9 says that anyone that has seen Him, has seen the Father.

Perhaps no New Testament writer has put this better than the Apostle Paul when he wrote these words in 2 Corinthians...
But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever -increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.   - 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

What an incredible promise!  When we turn toward Jesus, wen we look to Him, we begin to see things clearly, and we are gradually transformed into His likeness with ever increasing glory!  We cannot fix ourselves, we cannot repair the damage that is done in our hearts through sin.  We can only turn our hearts and minds toward Jesus, and He will restore His image in us!

Jeff Frazier