Genesis 15-1 – The Image of God

God's word is from Genesis chapter 1, verses 26 through 28. Let us listen attentively together to God's word.

 

"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, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God 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 the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'" Amen.  

 

Amazing Creation and Human Uniqueness

Nature, or the world, is truly wondrous. I really enjoy the documentary "Planet Earth" and still watch it occasionally. In that program, countless living creatures appear, and every time I watch, I truly cannot help but marvel. And among those living creatures, the most wondrous is, of course, human beings. Everything about humans is sufficient to amaze us, but there is a most unique point about humans that doesn't appear in that documentary footage.

 

Image of God: Becoming God's Family

That is precisely the "image of God." Humans were created according to the image of God. Therefore, we were born as God's family. You are likely worshipping in this sanctuary now; I have a son named Jason. As you may have seen and know well, Jason greatly resembles me and my wife. So if you see Jason, you could probably easily recall my image. The Bible says He made us like the image of God. Therefore, this word means we resemble God, and implies we are God's family.

First Meaning: "Our Image" - Relationship with the Triune God

Now, let's examine what this great meaning of "image of God" specifically intends to teach us. First, what we will examine is the word "Our" in the phrase "created according to our image." This word helps us understand a very important meaning. As you well know, this word is a plural noun. Why was God referred to in the plural? Because God exists in the most intimate relationship as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

 

Importance of Relationship: True Rest in God

And the more amazing thing is precisely that He invited us into this relationship. Jesus speaks: "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us..." This means just as Jesus dwells together with God, not only the apostles and disciples of that time but all of us today dwell together with God, and this can be called the intimate relationship God speaks of. By doing so, we have now become beings whose lives cannot be completed apart from God. Because only through the relationship with God can we discover the meaning of our existence within it. That's why Augustine said this: "Because God created us to live towards God, our hearts have no peace until they rest in God." Thus, whatever we do, the most important thing becomes precisely this relationship.  

 

Beginning of Problem Solving: Seeking God

Without God, we have become beings unable to have peace of mind. Our lives are filled with many worries and anxieties. When we graduate from school and enter society, or take on a new job or start a new business, often many worries and anxieties do not leave us. In such many situations, the most important thing for us is not finding ways to solve these problems, but first finding whether my relationship with God is right. Parents with children graduating today must clearly remember this. Seeking God is precisely the beginning of solving all problems, the diagnosis of the problem's occurrence, and the first method to solve the problem. It means we must seek God.

 

Second Meaning: Created for God's Glory

Now, the second thing to examine is the meaning of God's image. Being created in God's image means we were created for God's glory. Meaning, we are God's glory. We often hear the phrase "Give glory to God." Then why did such a phrase come about? Simply put, it means we ourselves are God's glory. That's why we return that glory to God.

 

Our Boast is Only in God

Then, what does this "glory" mean? Glory, simply explained, means shining. Thus, it means being proud. Therefore, to rephrase, it means we are precisely God's pride. The Bible constantly tells us we are God's glory. Therefore, conversely, our glory exists nowhere but in God. That's why we relentlessly boast about God. God is our inheritance, and God becomes our Father. But who is that God? Precisely the Creator who created the entire universe. If our father were the President of the United States, how would we have felt? First, we would have been very proud of our father. It's natural. Well, it might be a bit awkward, but it's not something to be ashamed of. It's something to boast about. But what if our Father is the One who made the entire universe, and made that universe so perfectly! Among presidents, there are many who committed many wrongs. But God? Isn't God the One who made this entire universe so wonderfully, so magnificently? From this star to the microorganisms barely visible in the earth beneath, and to the many beautiful flowers covering the land—He is the One who made all these things so amazingly.

 

The Fall: Losing God's Glory

However, regrettably, far from reaching God's glory, we rather pursued our own glory. That's why even today, we try to place money, power, or high positions above God. And the Bible calls those things idols. Paul speaks thus in the Bible: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Because we wanted to receive our own glory more. Because we wanted to elevate ourselves above God.

 

Salvation: Restoration of God's Image (Glory)

Therefore, the true meaning of God saving us is precisely this. Through that salvation, God's glory is restored to us. It means finding the image of God again. Then, for this glory of God and image of God to be restored, what is most needed?

 

Path of Restoration: Becoming Like Jesus Christ

That is precisely, we must go towards Jesus. The reason is simple. Because the image of God is precisely Jesus, and the One who perfectly possesses God's glory is also Jesus. This is from Romans chapter 8: "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son..." Thus, restoring the image of God in us is precisely the purpose for which God saved us, He says. The purpose of our salvation is not just rescuing us from sin and receiving cleansing from sin, but also making us people who resemble again the perfect image of God we lost due to sin—this too is an important reason for salvation.

 

Purpose of Life: A Life Resembling Christ

Therefore, the purpose of our lives is none other than becoming like Jesus Christ. That is the reason Christians live, for this we were born and live the Christian life. And this is precisely the true meaning of the image of God we must know.

 

Living in God's Image 1: Serving the World

Then what kind of life does living in God's image mean? If the image of God means having a right relationship with God, and that is precisely achieving God's glory, then what meanings are hidden in living like God's image? There could be very many contents. However, I intend to think about only two facts presented in Romans chapter 8. The first meaning might surprise you a little when you hear it. The life lived in God's image presented in Romans 8 precisely means living a life serving the world. You might have thought of various other ways, but Romans 8 says serving the world is living as God's image. As you well know, because we left God, we ended up in a situation where we cannot help but live such a difficult life, right? You are living a very hard life, right? The Bible also speaks like this. In the hymn we sang earlier, content about the suffering world appeared. This didn't just come out of nowhere, but is from Romans. It says the world also suffers because of us. Because of our greed, because we left God, the world also became difficult, and the world also awaits our salvation, He says.

 

Learning and Devotion to Serve the World

For this, for us to serve the world, to see the world not with my eyes but with God's eyes, we need the help of the Bible, and to serve that world, we study God's will revealed in the Bible. Becoming the best in this world, earning lots of money, succeeding—these alone cannot be the entire reason for studying. If one desires only such worldly things, it cannot be but the same as serving secular idols, there would be no difference at all. One thing must exist in the heart of every Christian. That is precisely the Great Commission given by God, which can never be refused.

 

Mission of Light and Salt in the World

Precisely the command to serve this world. That's why Jesus referred to us as the light and salt of this earth. Then what is needed for us to serve this world rightly? We will need to know this world properly and well. Only by properly knowing where it hurts can we serve this world properly. You might say it's burdensome and difficult just living alone. Naturally. Because we too are the world. Because we too are beings needing healing. That's why we always need God. The world is the same. We must be able to see where the hurting places are in the world, where the difficult and weak people are. Even in the darkest places of the world, we must be able to clearly declare God is the Lord, and live such lives. I hope parents realize this fact more, and would encourage their children thus. Succeeding in this world is not bad, but if such things become the entirety of what children aim to achieve, what distinguishes us from the world? We must become parents who encourage our children to study to know and serve the world better. We must pray that our children become people who acknowledge and confess only God as the true Lord in this world groaning in darkness. We must strive to teach our children so they know only God is the unique Lord even in the world of sin and darkness. To know that, one must study and go to college. If we are people destined to go to heaven eventually, what reason is there to study and struggle to go to college in this world, other than knowing this fact? God loves the world. That's why we too must serve the world. We must encourage our children to live for this as well.

 

Everyone, we all live difficult lives. Parents struggle, but children struggle just the same. Parents are parents for the first time, and children too must live life starting for the first time, so who can live that life easily? Everyone struggles. Then what should we do? We must become people who serve our families. We must become people who serve our church community. And finally, we must become people who serve this world. I believe this service is a process. This service is not completed at once but is a process learned little by little, it's not done by our strength, and we must remember the Holy Spirit's help is absolutely necessary.

 

True Strength: Relying on God

It's work that can never be completed by our strength alone. God's help is absolutely necessary. When living in the world, the mistake we make most often is trying to live well in the world by our own strength, by improving our skills. But truly strong people are not such people. Truly strong people are those who rely on God, constantly seek God's help—he is the truly strong person. I hope the friends graduating today remember this wisdom well, and our parents too hold it dearly in their hearts. Please do not forget that you and your children are achieving God's will, learning it, that you must constantly seek God's help, and that God delights in giving that help.

 

Living in God's Image 2: Growing in the Knowledge of God's Love

The most important final content to examine in today's passage is precisely this. Living in God's image means getting to know more deeply day by day how much God loves me. Living as God's image might involve achieving many things, but above all, it's the work of getting to know that love of God day by day.

 

God's Goal: Making Us Like Christ

Moment by moment, God leads us to become people resembling Jesus. To make us righteous, holy, and glorious, God is working even now. However, God does not promise to make you the best in the world or make you rich. He did not promise to make you the healthiest person either. But there is a promise He clearly made. That is precisely the promise to make us people resembling Jesus. How great a promise is this? This seemingly impossible promise will surely be completed within us because of God. It's a fact we will surely experience not only on this earth but also in the world to come. We will be made into people resembling Jesus. We will become people overflowing with the same joy as Jesus. That is God's goal.

 

Refinement of Love: All Things Work Together for Good

And it means He achieves that goal through us, God's children. So for that goal, God gives you anything. Sometimes He gives things we truly like. He might give abundant material possessions, sometimes He gives truly many reasons for thanks. But sometimes He also gives pain and difficulties. If it is for God's purpose. And that we call love.

 

God's Love That Nothing Can Sever

So I hope you, and our students graduating today, deeply engrave these words in your hearts, remember that when going out into this world to live, you must always get to know that love of God, and always remember we are living as God's image. Finally, I want to conclude today's message by reading together this content from Romans chapter 8. "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen!"  

 

Closing Prayer

Let us pray. God, thank you. Yes. That amazing grace holds us. Knowing that love is precisely the work of living as God's image. Realizing the Lord daily, drawing closer to the Lord daily, delighting in the Lord, getting to know the Lord a little more—we learned this is the life of one possessing God's image. Let our beloved children, wherever they go, whatever life they face, not lose this precious fact, let them not forget. As long as the relationship with God exists, we believe they are all strong in the Lord, in the Lord's hand. Lord, bless them, work in their lives, and for our children leaving far away, protect their faith and hearts well there, let them not forget God is the living Lord, and therefore without that God, there is no satisfaction. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.