In His Image: Series Intro

When I look in the mirror, I see a girl with dark hair, grayer than I might like, and dark brown eyes behind a pair of simple, but hopefully stylish, glasses. I see beige, middle aged skin wearing more wrinkles than it used to. Some are from laughter, and some from worry. I see my Grandmother’s nose. My daughter’s chin. I am a unique composite of genetic traits from several families. My children carry these traits on as well, combining them with their father’s family genes. 

I see other things in this reflection.  Scars.  Imperfections. Things under the surface. My reflection tells the story of who I am. At least, it starts the story. 

Back in the beginning, when God was creating the world, Genesis 1:27 tells us, 

So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

Throughout the Psalms and Isaiah, poets build on this idea of image, explaining that we are created for His glory, to reflect Him to the world. 

• I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. – Psalm 139:14
• everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” – Isaiah 43:7

The Hebrew word for image is teselem, which means “resemblance” or a “representative figure”. In much the same way I can look at my reflection and see the resemblance of my family or the effects of my life, we can look at human nature and see a representation of God’s character. Things in us that point to Him. The start of the story. 

“God created us in his image so that we would display or reflect or communicate who he is, how great he is, and what he is like.” (John Piper) 

This month on the blog we’ll be studying and exploring what it means to be created in the image of God.

The world is often an angry and divisive place. Tensions are high and enemies are everywhere. We can see our fellow humans as opposition or we can see them as mirror images reflecting aspects of God.