Jan 11: This is The Gospel Day 2: In His Image

^“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 3:9-10

Today’s “This Is The Gospel” study is on our reflection of God’s image.

Being an image-bearer is our greatest calling.

Its a call to an ever-deeper relationship with our creator

“And do not be mistaken, every man and woman has a relationship with God.”  I like this, because you don’t really think that.  I’m here saying I want to have a relationship with God again, when really, I’ve never not had one.  Even though I turned away I still had a relationship, it was just a negative one.  Everybody’s heard about God and everybody has an opinion.  Opinion form from experiences.  Whether those experiences are from your parents, a lack of knowledge, or an event that happened.  People claim they don’t believe in God.  To even acknowledge that there is something to believe or disbelieve, means you have an opinion that has formed.  This opinion means you have some sort of relationship.

Its a calling to see worth, value, dignity in every human being.

“To devalue any human being – even yourself – is to deny her intrinsic worth as an image – bearer of the creator.”

I’m going to write a second blog post today that goes into depth on this.

Its a call to reflect him

“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.”  Genesis 1:26

We are reflections of God’s glory, because God has no physical self.  We will never be totally life God because he is our superior creator.  But we do have to ability to reflect his character in love, patience, forgiveness, kindness, and faithfulness.  Daily God-reflecting potential is to live up to these traits. Being made in his image gives us a good basis for self-worth.  We should be positive about ourselves and our bodies.  (I will be going into this in more depth in my second blog post later today)

Its a call to accountability to the one whose image we bear

God gave man a law to obey.  The first law of man was not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  God presented Adam with a choice, a choice just like we face everyday.  These choices can lead to rewards or consequences depending on if we choose right or wrong.  Consequences from choosing wrong teach us to think and be more careful about the way we live and choose.  So the initial thought is that if God wanted Adam to obey why did he even give him a choice?  If God had not presented Adam with the choice of not eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam wouldn’t have had a chance to show his obedience.  Obedience stems from an understanding that there is a wrong choice.  As we know, Adam made the wrong choice, and because of his actions, sin was brought into the world.  He saw consequences just as we see when we make the wrong decisions.  God wants people who, though free to do wrong, choose instead to love him.  By loving him, and choosing to do right, we are living of his reflection.

Colossians 3:9-10 says to “put on the new self”.  This means your conduct should match your faith.  This is more than making resolutions to try to be a better person.  Its taking the right actions.  This means living to be an image bearer of God.

 

Jan 8: This is the Gospel Day 1: The Gospel Changes Everything

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

Yesterday a sorority sister, and friend messaged me to tell me she was proud of me for what I’m doing, and that she was excited to see how God continues to pull me back to him.  I really appreciate the messages of encouragement and people telling me their happy I’m doing what I’m doing for myself.

That friend told me I should check out shereadstruth.com and to look at a study plan on there titled “This is the Gospel”.  So I did.  “This is the Gospel” is a 14 day study plan that I think really applies to what I’m going through.  The description of the plan is here:

“Do you know you were designed on purpose, with intention, love and care? Do you know you are broken, but the One who created you can make you whole? Do you know you have hope today—real, everlasting, all-encompassing hope? Whether you are a curious onlooker or long-time believer, we invite you to join us as we explore the definition, scope, and life-changing implications of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s the story of all stories. Let’s tell it to one another again.”

Yep, that’s me.

So I checked out Day 1: The Gospel Changes Everything.

I Know:          I was designed for a purpose.  I am tragically broken.  I have hope

I do have hope, I have hope that I will change my life for the better.  I can change to become new, to become a strong woman in Christ.

“We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”  Pastor and teacher, Tim Keller

I think this quote from Tim Keller really speaks for everybody.  We all are sinners.  Even my grandmother, whom I considered to be the most Godly woman I’ve ever known, sinned.  She dyed her hair.  That’s funny isn’t it?  Simply things such as cutting your hair or piercing your body are considered sin.  We all sin.  I’ve sinned my whole life.  I’ve pierced my ears, I’ve indulged in alcohol, I use fowl language, I’ve tattooed my body, and I’ve disobeyed my parents.  These are just a few sins I can name off the top of my head.  Those sins will be forgiven, if I ask them to be.  Christ is willing to accept those sins for me, because he loves me.  

“Jesus Loves Me”.  Just as the study says, those words are easy to understand.  We sing those words as children and know that Jesus is there for us, that we are always loved.

“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”  1 Corinthians 13:12 

We don’t see God fully, we don’t until we’re face to face with Christ.  We will see fully when we are made complete in the presence of God.  That’s when we will have an understanding and appreciation for God’s creativity.

I have seen God’s wonders.  I look at his magnificent Mountains everyday.  I’ve seen his vast seas.  I’ve sat under a night sky looking up to his stars, singing his praises.  But I haven’t seen everything.

Right now I might be looking through a fogged window, I might only see a dimmed mirror.  But I do know when I will see clearly.