.

Adam and Eve, perfect in their initial Creation,
decided that reflecting God’s Image wasn’t good enough. 
They wanted to be exactly like God,
independent, and be gods themselves. 

God had to have been heartbroken.  Genesis 3:22 “And the LORD God said, ‘The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.’   23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.” 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.”

Before we consider this move too harsh, we must admit God is God and we are not.  For us to live forever with a broken Image and man’s likeness born of a sin nature, that would be hell.  So, God acted to preserve us and those who would be our next generation.

Genesis 4:1 Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.”

In fact, Scripture says, Genesis 5:1 “When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind” when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. “

After Adam and Eve, every human (apart from Jesus Christ) would have a broken Image, man’s likeness and a sin nature.

Focus for Lent: Seek God’s likeness in Jesus Christ, fully man, fully God.

Questions for further thought:

Considering the state of race relations in the United States and around the world, what does the Bible say about the Image of God, man’s likeness and how to live?

In the account of Adam’s line (above), Abel was killed by Cain.  Cain was still alive but is not described as in Adam’s likeness.  The remnant of faith, Seth, was the son in Adam’s own image.  How do we explain Cain?

Is it possible to be born with the same father and mother, but display a likeness that resembles neither when under the influence of a sin nature? See John 8:44.

Prayer: Father God, though Your Image in us has been broken on account of human sin, please reform us by the power of Your Holy Spirit to have our likeness be more like Jesus than arising out of our sin nature.  We repent of not treating our fellow man as if they have Your Image and Adam’s likeness. To rely upon superficial characteristics like skin color is surely an anathema to You. They are our brothers and sisters in the family of man. Remind me always that faith is not hereditary, no matter how much our earthly parents may have tried to teach us of Your ways.  May we persevere in teaching Your truth to the next generation since each person must decide which way they will go and whose likeness they will pursue.  “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).  Amen.

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2023 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.
• Last year’s devotionals, Revelation in 40 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.

.

One of the most beautiful things about the Image of God is the fullness of expression.

Genesis 1:26 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, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Adam and Eve are each made in God’s Image, but somehow … together … the Image of God becomes deeper, fuller, more fruitful, and more functional.

Focus for Lent: Repent of “half-Image” living.

Questions for further thought:

A man or a woman who is unmarried still bears the Image of God, not half of a whole.  How does the Church diminish women who are unmarried in a way they do not diminish celibate men?

How does the “one flesh” of man and woman together in marriage offer something distinct, importantly, not better, in terms of the Image of God?

One eye can see the world.  The other eye, if the only functional one, can also see the world.  Together, what can two eyes contribute to the vision of a person?

If the interpersonal relationship is part of how we experience the Image of God, how can single people still enjoy that expression?

Prayer: 

Forgive Your Church, Lord, for the way we push single people to the side as if they are only half-Image-bearers or incomplete people. Help us to see that by Your design, people who are single are uniquely equipped for certain types of ministries. For those in the Church who are married, we ask Lord that they would honor You with their bodies, that they would honor You in the one-flesh commitment they have made to each other, that they would honor You with their minds and actions, with their thoughts and hidden interests.  Forgive us, Lord, for the ways that we have corrupted Your original design and paraded it all over television as if it’s a good thing when it’s not and called it entertainment.  Forgive us for the many ways we offend You each and every day. We thank You that Your mercies are new every morning because every morning we need them.  We look forward to the day, Lord, when our sin nature doesn’t go to war with our redeemed nature.  When we are fully free indeed from this corruptible flesh and can be like You to enjoy the fullness of Your presence forever. Amen.

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2023 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.
• Last year’s devotionals, Revelation in 40 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.

.

Adam and Eve bear God’s Image equally.  Jesus may have been male while He clothed Himself with humanity, but it doesn’t mean God is male or that Eve was just an add-on…or like Prince Harry, “Spare.”  Or like her existence was only to take over if Adam dies and God needed someone to keep calm and carry on. 

No, Adam and Eve are the purest of equals. She is his most (and only) suitable helper.

Genesis 2:20 But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”

Focus for Lent: Repent of viewing men as toxic abusers and women as high-maintenance narcissists.

Questions for further thought:

Earlier in Genesis 2, God created the animals and had an “animal parade” in front of Adam who named them all.  Immediately after that, it says that for Adam, no suitable helper was found.  Did God really think an animal was going to satisfy that Image relationship (nope) or did the parade serve a purpose for Adam?  What purpose might that be?

The Church has long been accused of being misogynistic.  There is such a focus on male leadership that there is little room for women to serve outside of the marriage or a women’s/children’s ministry.  How does that diminish the equality of Image-bearing, perfect complements even in ministry settings? Does this philosophy abide in our perfect Created state or is it grounded in our sin nature?

Worse, how does it drive desperate women to seek refuge in places that look like a church on the outside but deny the truth of God on the inside?  Is it any wonder that so many wayward churches have women at the helm or hang flags that are offensive to God?

Prayer:

Oh Lord, this issue of male and female equality of Image-bearing as an intrinsic part of humanity and Your design for the one flesh of marriage, Oh Lord, how it has been corrupted.  It’s just heartbreaking!  Forgive us Lord, for all the ways that we diminish the Image-bearing of men and women (equal at Creation!) resulting in our giving the world such a warped view of who You are and how You created us to be.  Lord, it is sin at its core that causes us to cast aside Your perfect plan for humanity, particularly in the sexual realm.  Is it any wonder there are so many gender-confused people in this world when we haven’t been teaching the truth?  Forgive us. Lord. We fall on Your mercy and ask that You would help us to communicate Your Gospel, Your original design for men and women, and to do so in such a way that we bring healing and hope back into this world.  We know You destroyed the earth once, and Sodom and Gomorrah over issues not so unlike this.  We fall on Your mercy Lord; we plead for Your grace; we ask for Your wisdom, and for You to grant courage for us to speak boldly in a culture that does not want to hear it.  We do this for your glory, Lord. Amen.

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2023 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.
• Last year’s devotionals, Revelation in 40 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.

.

In all of Scripture’s narrative of Creation,
there’s only one time God says something is “not good.”

Genesis 2:18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”

Focus for Lent: Adam alone, not good. Adam-and-Eve-together was good enough by God’s standards to conclude Creation, call it very good, and take a sabbath rest.

Questions for further thought:

What about Adam’s being alone meant could he not accomplish something that he could with his suitable helper?

One of the things that started me on this topic for Lent was the question of whether a human clone would have the Image of God.
In one sense, the answer is “Yes” because Eve was, it seems, cloned. She was built from Adam’s rib, not formed from the dust as a whole new creation or born from anyone. How might Eve being from Adam facilitate redemption, Jesus’ dying for humanity rather than a confused and complicated humanities?

Cloning humans creates many ethical problems. What about a cloning effort like Dolly the Sheep extended to humanity’s decision to clone other humans? Or Artificial Intelligence using human brain cells? Would that human have the Image of God in addition to life?

At what point does a person receive the Image of God as part of their humanity? Is God obligated to bestow His Image upon a human-origin clone as if it were created through the male/female one flesh origin He designed?

Prayer: Father God Almighty, may we never abuse our intellect, reason, and abilities to play the role of God. Medical and scientific advancements have a way of breaching that moral and ethics safety gap in ways other types of work and expression do not. Preserve us from ourselves, Lord. Forgive us, Father, for attempting things in the name of science or medicine that offend You. Help us to see red lines You have drawn and not to transgress them. Adam and Eve learned the hard way that You care about boundaries and commands. Please help us to see and obey. With gratitude for Your mercy in our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2023 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.
• Last year’s devotionals, Revelation in 40 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.

.

In a recent installment of daily devotional thoughts regarding our having been Created in His Image, I said that “arguably” angels have not been made in God’s Image.  Today, I will explain why I believe the great theologian Calvin (who seems to have held a different opinion) is wrong.  Calvin points to Matthew 22:30 “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.”

Hey, Cal, I’ll see your one verse and raise you a Genesis, 1 and 2 Peter, and Jude, among others.  Scripture is maybe not so silent on the matter as many people think.

Genesis 1:27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.”

No angel is commanded to sexually reproduce…but beyond silence, in Calvin’s own view, we will be like the non-reproductive angels in heaven…someday.  Until then, we propagate God’s Image from sea to shining sea.

1 Peter 1:12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. 13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children do not conform to the evil desires you had … live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

That’s human blood, Cal.  Jesus didn’t get crucified as an angel…even though angels sinned, too.

2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;…9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.

Fallen angels had no hope of redemption.  Why would that be?

Jude 1:5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling– these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.

If angels had been given the Image of God, then God’s pattern is not to have destroyed His Image-bearers without hope of rescue.  It explains Noah.  It explains Lot.  It explains the whole reason Jesus came to live and die on a Cross to rescue sinners…not because of any worth we intrinsically have…except for our being God’s Image-bearers. (Yeah, you can say “Wow.”)

Furthermore, your one verse, Cal, is explicitly talking about marriage.  There is something about the interpersonal relationship within the Triune Godhead, that is reflected in the marriage (one flesh) unity of man and woman, unique but together. Ephesians 5:31 “‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’. 32 This is a profound mystery– but I am talking about Christ and the church.”

We will continue this discussion later, because there is more, but for now…

Focus for Lent: Gratitude for rescue because we are made in the Image of God.

Questions for further thought:

Why would God be reluctant to destroy His Image-bearers who endeavor to live righteous lives?

For all their similarities to humanity—created beings with intellect, reason, personal agency, ability to worship, even taking on a human appearance —did any of those qualities preserve angels from being sent to hell when they sinned?

What might be the distinction to explain God’s sacrificial and extreme redemptive efforts for men but not angels?

Prayer:

Lord God, we don’t understand Your ways, but we offer thanks for what we do see:  Your grace and mercy to human beings who sin.  We thank You for the offer of forgiveness in Christ Jesus.  Thank You for His shed blood.  Help us, Lord, to know deep in our souls, the sacrifice You have made to redeem us and to acknowledge the importance of Your Image.  It’s important to You and it’s important to our experiencing full and true humanity.  Help us to remember this in our daily activities.  We are Yours and we are grateful. In Christ’s Name we pray.  Amen.

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2023 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.
• Last year’s devotionals, Revelation in 40 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.

.

1 John 3:1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

We have been created to be like God so much so that He’d call us His children.

Focus for Lent:  As a rational and relational Being, God created mankind to be like Him, a reflection of His glory.

Questions for further thought

Would the Image of God still have something relational about it since at the time of Adam’s creation, there was no Eve? 

Adam could relate to God alone. But had God proclaimed Adam complete yet?

Why did God say the He’d create them male and female? What about the blessings to follow require it?

Prayer: Father God, on this side of the fall of man with our being incapable of perfectly displaying Your Image, help us to see that the man in the mirror still has a hint of it. So do people we don’t particularly like. Forgive us, Lord, for disliking anyone made in Your Image.  Help us to be transformed into Your likeness through obedience and to press on toward holiness and godly living.  We praise You that when Jesus returns, we will be like Him.  Thank You for the miracle of rescue, that You planned before the creation of the world.  Forgive us, Lord, for the things we do that grieve You and help us to treasure and display Your Image every day and always. Amen.

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2023 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.
• Last year’s devotionals, Revelation in 40 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.

This year’s Lent Devotional Series “Created to Display His Image” resumes tomorrow after today’s Sabbath rest to meditate and worship. Today, reflect on the mystery of God’s Image.

.

When God created us, He created us not just in His Image, but also in His likeness.  When God created all the other animals, they were each created “according to their kinds” with the purpose of reproducing, each according to their kinds.

But when God created man, in a sense, He made man according to His kind—in His Image and in His likeness!  What an amazing thought that we are God’s kind of people–there’s something truly special about humanity that is somehow … like God.

It’s no wonder that the greatest temptation humanity would perpetually face is to be gods ourselves, to have more than just god-likenesses. It’s hard to put to words what God’s Image is, because God Himself is beyond our human understanding. However, the irony is that to be DIY gods, always seems so much more understandable or attainable to the finite mind living in temptation to be what we are not.

Focus for Lent: Repent of anything flesh-like. Instead, elevate your living to be God’s kind of people.

Questions for further thought:

If the original Adam (i.e., created to be perfectly reflective of God’s Image) were to look in the mirror, what would Adam have seen?  Would he have seen something like a child sees in his father or mother?  A family resemblance?

Adam and Eve had no problem seeing God face-to-face in the beginning.  Why can’t we see God face-to-face now?

Prayer:  Father God, we praise You that through the Holy Spirit, we can come boldly before Your throne, forgiven by Christ Jesus, and our sins washed away.  We can meet You spiritually face-to-face in Jesus and His Word.  We praise You that someday we will know You even as we are fully known.  We see now through a “glass darkly” as the Apostle Paul put it and ask that You would hasten the day of Jesus’ return so that we will have finished the work You sent us to do, fulfilling that multiplication of Your Image on earth, bringing glory to You, and we will finally know You as the original Adam did.  We look forward to that day, Lord.  Until then, please keep us focused on the mission and bringing glory to You.  In Christ Jesus, Amen.

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2023 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.
• Last year’s devotionals, Revelation in 40 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.

.

After God created the entire Animal Kingdom except for humans, that’s when He said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness.” Only human beings bear the Image of God. No other animal does. Arguably, no angels do. Only mankind.

Focus for Lent: It is a high privilege to bear God’s Image, and our fulfilling the responsibility is of paramount importance.

Questions for further thought:

In what way should that make us appreciate God’s Image in us?

In what way does His Image and His likeness dictate your daily living?

In what way does our culture try to blur the distinction between men and animals (like monkeys, apes, and gorillas, etc.) along largely superficial terms, and how is this an offense to God?

Does Scripture leave us any room for that elevation of animals, lowering of mankind, or is man totally set apart?

Why might our adversary want us to believe that we are not above other animals and forget that we have a mandate regarding God’s Image?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for giving both Your likeness and Image to humanity. We are in awe of why You would choose to set us apart as the pinnacle of Your earthly Creation. Help us to understand how incredibly special and significant that is. There are powerful ramifications of the blessings to rule and subdue, to be fruitful and multiply Your Image, so that Your Image might cover the face of the earth. Even if animals can reproduce and plants can, too, each according to their kinds, none of them are in Your likeness or bear Your Image. Help us to remember that only humanity can propagate Your Image throughout the world. We stand in awe of Your goodness, Your plan, and Your grace. Forgive us for the times we listen to the world instead of Your Spirit and Scriptures, or we trust theories of science more than the truth of Your Word. Help us to stand strong for You as our Creator. Amen.

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2023 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.
• Last year’s devotionals, Revelation in 40 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.

.

In all the universe, there is only one Creator, and He is God alone.  His Image is beautiful and mysterious.  While Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel depiction of the creation of man might be lovely art worthy of appreciation, the truth is God doesn’t have a hand like humans do. 

His Image is more than physical resemblance, but what is it?

We had a resemblance as created beings in God’s “likeness.” From our creation, we were never intended to be independent from God because we belong to Him.  Zoom forward to New Testament times, we see that Jesus was “made flesh” as a resemblance to us! 

Jesus, Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death– even death on a cross! Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  (Philippians 2:6-11)

In Christ, we have seen that special relationship of bringing glory to God up close and personal.  In and through Jesus, God our Creator has also redeemed us to be considered sons and daughters called by His name and created for His glory.

Focus for Lent: We are His ownership and bring glory to Him through our obedience.

Questions for further thought:

Are all humans created for His glory? 

Reading Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17, there is one who was doomed to destruction. What about Judas? Did Judas bring glory to God, too?

If someone has the Image of God but chooses to rebel against God…against his Creator…how might destruction of rebellion bring glory to God?

Jesus keeps referring to those whom the Father had given to Him out of the world.  Obviously, it’s a subset of the world.  Does the world bring glory to God, too?  Far from universalism (in which everyone is saved whether they honor God or not, have received forgiveness or not, etc.), how does God’s final squashing of all rebellion and wickedness in the Last Day display His attributes of both perfect love toward those He created, and wrath avenging His perfect holiness.

Prayer: Father, please help me to remember my sins are ultimately against You, and prompt me to repent at all times, not just during this season of Lent.  Instill deep in my heart that You are my Creator and I belong to you.  Your ownership of me commands my obedience to You…just as Your Son did, though He was (in eternity past to eternity future) Your equal. He is God.  May I endeavor to submit my will to Yours and to worship You rightly. You deserve this as my Creator.   Amen.

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2023 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.
• Last year’s devotionals, Revelation in 40 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.