Humanity and Christ

Well, why don't I pray and we'll get started. I'm excited to get into this topic this morning.

Heavenly Father, thank you so much that you've given us everything in Christ Jesus.

That we, although lost and all but obliterated in our sinfulness, you came, condescended yourself in the person of your Son, Jesus Christ.

And that you've given us the ability to study you, to contemplate you, to renew our minds to a worshipful life that anticipates the glory that we have in you.

Help us focus on you this morning.

Let everything that is said be said to your glory.

We pray this in Christ's name. Amen.

Well, today the topic is the image of God in Christ.

And the technical term is the imago substantialis, the essential image of God that's in Christ Jesus.

I'm excited to get into that.

But today we're going to recap a little bit first and talk about the image of God in man first.

There are a few steps that we have to take before we get directly into the image of God in Christ.

So you'll recall that last week, if you were here, we looked at Psalm 8 as well as Genesis 1 and 2.

And we concluded that the image of God in humanity is humanity itself, united in both body and soul.

It's everything that pertains to the human being.

And that's important for how we reflect God and his goodness in creation.

But it's also important secondarily and related to the first for ethics.

We talked about that a little bit.

In fact, there's a deep significance there.

Earlier last week, in fact, Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia signed in to effect the fetal heartbeat bill,

which directly ties to this idea of what we consider to be a person,

a focus on the actual human person in the womb,

which the Washington Post noted.

They had an interesting article.

And it was interesting seeing some of the reactions as well.

CNN's Christine Quinn says this,

quote,

When a woman is pregnant, that is not a human being inside of her.

End quote.

Contrarily, Psalm 139.13 says that it uses the same potter imagery from Genesis 2.7

as saying that we're fearfully and wonderfully made,

woven together by God inside the womb.

In fact, David in Psalm 51.5 says that he's conceived in sin

and refers to himself as an I or a me.

And both of those passages are drawing on this cosmological language, right,

of the image of God as consisting in the body as well as the soul in the womb.

And this dehumanizing sentiment that we see today

is an affront, in fact, to the image of God in man

that's continuing.

We see, in fact, in Genesis 9.6,

it says that whoever sheds man's blood,

by man his blood shall be shed.

For in the image of God he made man.

In fact, that verse talks about the image of God

as kind of this grounds for our moral accountability before God.

Where, of course, all sin is directed ultimately towards God.

Now, this points to the deterioration of the image in God

when we talk about sin and its effects.

We used last week the phrase that we've been defaced but not erased.

The image has been defaced but not erased.

And that means that it breaks our communion with God.

It affects our whole person, body, as well as soul.

In Genesis 3.7, it talks about the shame that Adam and Eve had bodily

when sin had affected it after the fall.

In fact, Augustine refers to that verse as,

quote, a novel disturbance in their disobedient flesh.

Now, there is a plethora of passages that talk about this state

as being, in fact, a kind of deadness, a separation from God.

Ephesians 2.1 refers to it as being dead in our trespasses and sins.

Colossians 2.13 says that you were dead in your transgressions.

And Romans 6.23 states that the wages of sin is death.

However, in that verse, Paul immediately qualifies it by saying,

but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Lord, we're going to be talking about Christ as the very image of God,

equivalently, substantially, and essentially.

And we're going to be entering upon the threshold of high Trinitarian theology.

There's going to be a lot that's difficult to understand today for me and for you,

which is why we're going to stick close to the text.

This is going to be another Lerman lecture sermon.

And we're going to be staying in Colossians in particular,

which talks about the sufficiency of Christ,

or that classic Reformation doctrine of Christ alone

as the boundaries for our faith and our salvation.

It was John Calvin who wrote,

outside Christ there is nothing worth knowing.

And elsewhere, that Christ is all-sufficient.

He says that in his sermons on Ephesians in particular.

Particularly, we're going to be talking about Colossians 1, 15-22.

However, as R.C. Reid once says,

to know just how much we are indebted to Christ,

we must know how much we are indebted to Adam.

So in order to get there, we're going to turn to Romans 5.

If you have your Bibles,

we're going to be looking at Romans 5 real quick.

Of course, the synthetic nature of theology,

like we said last week,

that means that we have to cover a lot of ground

in order to get to who Jesus Christ is

in order to understand the name of God and Christ.

I'm going to read Romans 5, 12-21.

Therefore, just as through one man,

sin entered into the world,

and death through sin,

and so death spread to all men because all sinned.

For until the law, sin was in the world.

But sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam until Moses,

even those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offensive Adam,

who is a type of him who was to come.

But the free gift is not like the transgression.

For if by the transgression of the one,

the many died,

much more did the grace of God

and the gift by the grace of the one man,

Jesus Christ,

the bound to the many.

The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned.

For on the one hand,

the judgment arose from one transgression,

resulting in condemnation.

But on the other hand,

the free gift arose from the many transgressions,

resulting in justification.

For if by the transgression of the one,

death reigned through the one,

much more those who receive the abundance

of grace and the gift of righteousness

will reign in life through the one,

Jesus Christ.

So then,

as through one transgression

there resulted condemnation to all men,

even so through one act of righteousness

there resulted justification of life to all men.

For as through the one man's disobedience

the many were made sinners,

even so through the obedience of the one

the many will be made righteous.

The law came in

so that the transgression would increase,

but where sin increased,

grace abounded all the more.

So that as sin reigned in death,

even so grace would reign through righteousness

to eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Now, that's a confusing passage.

And in fact, it sounds like word salad

when I'm reading it out loud, doesn't it?

But it's actually a very important passage.

Paul places it central in his logic

for how we understand our relation to Christ.

And historically,

it was the center of a controversy

known as the Pelagian controversy

between Augustine of Hippo on the one hand

and Pelagius, who's a renowned heretic,

on the other.

The controversy revolved around

what's called original sin.

Where does sin come from

and how does it affect our person?

It was sparked when Pelagius,

who's a monk in Jerusalem,

heard Augustine being read aloud,

Augustine's Confessions.

And the passage was this one

from Confessions chapter 10.

My whole hope is in thy exceedingly great mercy

and that alone.

Give what thou commandest

and command what thou wilt.

This meant that humans can contribute nothing

to God's grace

and that God's grace is everything

in the act of salvation.

However, that didn't sit well with Pelagius

or his student after him, Julianus.

And they caused quite a controversy about this

by saying that man is completely neutral

in his ability to choose good or choose evil.

Augustine's response to this came,

in fact, from Romans 5,

the passage we just read.

Again, it's a confusing passage,

but there's a basic key to understanding it

the next time that you have to read through it.

And that's the key of considering it

as an imperfect analogy.

There's a comparison on the one hand

between Adam and Christ,

and there's a contrast on the other hand

between their various functions.

This is called,

just to give,

for those of you who are curious,

it's called synkresis.

It's the comparison of comparable persons,

objects, or things

with deficiencies or superiorities highlighted.

It was a classic literary device.

And this militates, in fact,

against the claim

that this was not doctrinally central

to Paul's theology.

Occasionally you'll see people

say that this verse

is too imprecise

to make any theological claims about it.

But Paul places it very central here.

And note also that

it's a cosmological argument.

That is to say,

it's grounded

in how we understand

creation is told to us in the Bible.

So the comparison

teaches the means of participation,

either in Adam, on the one hand,

or Christ, on the other.

The Greek word in verse 14

is tupos,

which is a type.

It's the pattern

against which a coin

is struck from the mint.

And that speaks

of that same function

that Christ has

as Adam does.

That is to say,

they're both representatives

of their respective races.

And look at verse 19.

It says that

the word made is used.

And that word made

is kathistimit,

to ordain

or to establish.

And the actual Greek form of it

means that it's a

sole act of God alone.

God places

either in Adam

or he places in Christ

as representatives.

Now, that's the comparison

in how they're functioning

as heads of their respective races.

The contrast

is their differing acts

and results.

The one act

of being an Adam

is transgression

resulting in condemnation.

And that has to do

with that covenant

found in Genesis 2,

16 to 17.

You recall

God is talking to Adam

in the garden

and he says,

it says,

The Lord God

commanded Adam

saying,

From any tree

of the garden

you may eat freely.

But from the tree

of the knowledge

of good and evil

you shall not eat.

For in the day

you eat from it

you will surely die.

This is why

we speak of having

sinned in Adam,

by the way,

not in Eve.

Eve ate first, right?

But Adam

was constituted

federal head

of the human race.

That's also why

the verse here

talks about

the imputation

of one sin,

not all of Adam's sins

to the human race.

So Adam was created

by God

to be the perfect

representative

for all humans

after him.

And that's why

we inherit both guilt

and corruption

from him.

Ephesians 2, 3 says,

By nature

we are children

of wrath.

And Genesis 8, 21,

speaking after the flood,

says that the intent

of man's heart

is evil from his youth.

In Augustine's words,

we are born sinners.

Yet,

on the other hand,

there's a distinct

contrast in this passage.

The parallel idea

to the one act

of condemnation

is the one act

of righteousness

resulting in justification.

That is to say,

on the one hand,

the one man,

Adam,

brought sin

and condemnation

to all men

who are under

his headship.

And on the other hand,

the one man,

Jesus Christ,

brought salvation

to all who are

under his headship.

Now,

you may be asking,

what does this have to do

with the image of God?

Well,

it has everything

to do with the image

of God.

Turn with me

to 1 Corinthians 15.

1 Corinthians 15.

And this verse

is actually

underlying Paul's theology.

It shows that

underlying Paul's theology

is a primarily

kind of cosmological sense

of our origins in Adam,

which is the basis

for our participation

in Christ.

And he draws that out

more in this section.

The context here

is that Paul

is attempting

to underscore

the importance

of Christ's

actual resurrection.

He's applying it

to our resurrection.

and in doing so,

he's pitting Adam

versus Christ.

And he uses

very similar language

to that which we just

read in Romans 5.

In verse 22,

for as in Adam

all die,

even so in Christ

we'll all be made alive.

And that's the ground

in Paul's logic

for our resurrection

and even glorification.

And the ground

is the image of God.

Let's read verses

38 to 39.

But God gives it a body

just as he wished.

And to each of the seeds

a body of its own.

All flesh is not

the same flesh,

but there is one flesh

of men

and another flesh

of beasts

and another flesh

of birds

and another of fish.

There are also

heavenly bodies

and earthly bodies,

but the glory

of the heavenly is one

and the glory

of the earthly

is another.

There is one glory

of the sun

and the glory

of the moon

and another glory

of the stars

for star differs

from star and glory.

So also is the

resurrection of the dead.

It is sown

a perishable body.

It is raised

an imperishable body.

It is sown

in dishonor.

It is raised

in glory.

It is sown

in weakness.

It is raised

in power.

It is sown

a natural body.

It is raised

a spiritual body.

If there is

a natural body,

there is also

a spiritual body.

So also is it written,

the first man,

Adam,

became a living soul.

The last Adam

became a life-giving spirit.

However,

the spiritual

is not first,

but the natural.

Then the spiritual.

The first man

is from the earth,

earthy.

The second man

is from heaven.

As is the earthy,

so also are those

who are earthy.

And as is the heavenly,

so also are those

who are heavenly.

Just as we have

borne the image

of the earthy,

we will also bear

the image

of the heavenly.

Now,

I chose

several passages

this morning

that were word solid,

right?

This is another example

of a difficult

and interpretively

difficult passage.

And I don't have

the time to

comprehensively explain it,

unfortunately,

this morning,

but just to simplify,

note the parallels here.

There's the first man

who is Adam,

and he's described

as being earthy.

The last man

is Christ,

and he's considered

heavenly.

heavenly.

In fact,

the cave verse here,

however,

that I want to zone in

is verse 49.

Just as we have

borne the image

of the earthy,

we will also bear

the image

of the heavenly.

That's not speaking,

in fact,

of a spiritualization

of the body,

right?

We're not going to be,

when we're resurrected,

intangible ghosts

floating around

as orbs in heaven.

That's contrary

to Paul's logic,

in fact.

Paul isn't

a Platonist.

He's not

positing kind of

spirit versus

matter dualism.

He's assuming

that heaven

is a very real place

where God's presence

is manifest.

And in Paul's logic here,

he's saying that

Christ,

as the image

of the heavenly,

is bringing

a restoration

of the relationship

lost in Adam.

This is total,

in fact.

The more I read

this passage,

I see the focus

is on the body

as essential

for renewed communion

with God

as part of that image.

We'll talk about

this passage a bit more

and the future

state of glorification

next week

and what that looks like.

Now,

I want to focus

on the centrality

of Christ

as the essential

image of God

into which

mankind's image

is restored.

And we're going

to be focusing

on Colossians.

We're doing a lot

of Bible hopping.

Good systematic theology

is synthesizing

Bible.

Oh, they teach me

how Yale.

So our primary text

this morning

is going to be

Colossians 1 here.

And you'll note

that this text

is going to be

speaking of

Christ's perfect

mediator,

which is an important

reality.

We talk about that

in my Bible,

the Bible study

that I attend

on Thursday nights.

Another example

where we're talking

about union with Christ

and we ended up

having to talk about

every other doctrine

attached to union

with Christ.

Christ.

But it's important

to understand

that Christ

is our perfect

mediator.

1 Timothy 2.5

says there's one

God and one

mediator between

God and men,

the man Christ

Jesus.

That begs the

question,

why Christ?

Why is Christ

our perfect

mediator?

Why couldn't it

have been the

Holy Spirit?

Why couldn't

God have chosen

some other means

to save us?

Christ.

This text,

and that text

in 1 Timothy 2.5

I read,

directly equates

Christ's mediation

to his deity.

It was Stephen

Charnock who said

that Christ is said

to be the one

mediator in the

same sense that

God is said to

be the one God.

And in our passage,

it talks about

Christ's mediatorial

role in verse 20

as being reconciled

all things to

himself,

having made peace

through the blood

of his cross.

So why?

Why does that

constitute him

as mediator?

Well, Paul provides

the theological

answer here,

beginning in verse

15.

It says here,

He is the image

of the invisible

God, the firstborn

of all creation.

For by him all

things were created,

both in the heavens

and on earth,

visible and invisible,

whether thrones

or dominions or

rulers or authorities.

All things have

been created through

him and for him.

He is before

all things,

and in him all

things hold together.

He is also head

of the body,

the church,

and he is the

beginning,

the firstborn

from the dead,

so that he himself

will come to have

first place in

everything.

For it was the

Father's good pleasure

for all the fullness

to dwell in him,

and through him to

reconcile all things

to himself,

having made peace

through the blood

of his cross.

Through him,

I say,

whether things on

earth or things

in heaven.

And although

you were formerly

alienated and

hostile in mind,

engaged in evil

deeds, there it is,

that original sin

concept, yet he has

now reconciled you

in his fleshly body

through death in

order to present

you before him

holy and blameless

and beyond

reproach.

Now, Christ is

spoken of here as

the image of the

invisible God.

Now, I do have to

distinguish that's not

the same as our

image.

We have a similar

image, a likeness,

an analogy is the

word theologians

will use.

However, Hebrews 1.3

will be even more

explicit to say that

he is the radiance

of his glory and the

exact representation

of his nature and

upholds all things by

the word of his

power.

His very nature is

the Son of God,

is what's being

talked about here.

That he is, in

fact, God himself

derived from the

essence of God

and therefore

fully God.

Christ once said

to Philip when

Philip was asking

him, you know,

show me the

Father.

And Christ turns

to him, kind of

offended almost in

his voice and

says, he who has

seen me has seen

the Father.

In fact, that's

the entire theme

of the Gospel of

John, right?

The idea that the

word became, the

word became flesh,

the word was with

God and was God.

And John 1.18

talks about Christ

as the only

begotten of the

Father, the

monogamous, that

is, he's uniquely

the second person

of the Trinity and

he's the same

essence as God the

Father.

Now, exactly how

this works within

the Trinity, a

kind of Trinitarian

dynamic inherent

inside itself, is a

great mystery.

It's a profound

theological mystery.

It doesn't mean we

can't articulate it

well.

But we'll never be

able to understand

it.

In fact, the

greatest theological

minds, Augustine

talks about it in a

work on the Trinity

and Jonathan Edwards

talks about it quite a

bit.

He has this idea that

the Father's perfect

and he has a perfect

idea of himself when

he thinks about

himself and that

perfect idea of

himself has to be

equally himself because

he is himself

perfect and so that

is the Son.

And, you know, Edwards

gets into this whole

thing but there are

certain problems that

people have with

that and he's

accused of actually

some people accuse

him of a kind of

heterodoxy because

of that idea.

It has some

problems and I

think it's more

correct to simply

hedge with Calvin

on this one.

And Calvin once

said, quote, it is

not lawful for

mortal men to

intrude upon the

secrets of God.

So the Bible has

revealed very high

Trinitarian doctrine

to us but we may

never actually be able

to make sense just

thinking about it in

our hearts.

And in fact, that's

probably a mystery that

we'll be able to delve

deeper and deeper into

in eternity forever.

That's a wonderful

concept.

All we need to know for

this present study,

however, is that Christ

is the self-same image

of God.

There's a regulation

that goes on there

when it talks about

Christ as the image

of God in the

superlative.

Calvin says this,

quote,

God is comprehended

in Christ alone.

In Christ alone.

In fact,

Francis Turretin,

who's a Genevan

pastor and theologian

in the 17th century

after Calvin,

he draws out four

points of why

Christ himself had

to be our mediator.

And the third point

is directly related

to his nature

as the image of God.

He says this,

quote,

it was his to recreate

who it was to create.

What the word

by which all things

were made in the

first creation

should reform us

after his image

in the second.

The image of God

obscured by sin

and all but destroyed

could not be repaired

in us better

than by him

who was the image

of the invisible God.

End quote.

That is to say,

Christ,

as the image of God,

is the pattern

for our renewal.

And that's exactly

why Colossians 3.10

says that we,

quote,

have put on the new self

who is being renewed

to a true knowledge

according to the image

of the one who created him.

Or Ephesians 4,

Ephesians 4:3–24

verses 3 to 24,

says that

you be renewed

in the spirit of your mind

and put on the new self

which,

according to God,

has been created

in righteousness

and holiness

of the truth.

Or,

speaking of

the image of God

in Christ,

Romans 8.29,

for those whom he foreknew,

he also predestined

to become conformed

to the image of his Son

so that he could be

firstborn among

many brethren.

John Owen writes this,

the infinite wisdom

of God

had this design,

namely,

that Christ

might be

the pattern

and example

of the renovation

of the image

of God

in us

and of the glory

that doth and see

thereon.

He is in the eye

of God

as the idea

of what he intends

in us

in the communication

of grace

and glory

and he ought

to be so

in ours

as unto all

that we aim

at

in a way

of duty.

Now,

there's a final

aspect here

and that's the aspect

of the Holy Spirit.

So,

I'm going to take a look

real quick

at John 16

because I think

that's an important

aspect

in how we

have our image

of God

renewed.

John 16,

7 to 11,

Christ is speaking

of what he gains

by his ascension

into heaven

and it says this,

but I tell you

the truth

it is to your

advantage

that I go away

for if I do

not go away

the helper

will not come

to you

but if I go

I will send

him to you

and he

when he comes

will convict

the world

concerning sin

and righteousness

and judgment

concerning sin

because they do

not believe me

and concerning

righteousness

because I go

to the Father

and you no longer

see me

and concerning

judgment

because the ruler

of this world

has been judged.

That speaks of

Christ's

mediatorial mission

obtaining

the work

of the Holy Spirit

and that idea

in this text

the idea of

convicting

of sins

is found

in fact

in Titus

when Paul talks

a little bit

about regeneration

and he has

this kind of

liturgical

almost passage

it says

but when the

kindness of God

our Savior

and his love

for mankind

appeared

he saved us

not on the basis

of deeds

which we have

done in righteousness

but according

to his great mercy

by here

it is the washing

of regeneration

and renewing

by the Holy Spirit

whom he poured

out upon us

richly

through Jesus

Christ our Savior

so that being

justified by his grace

we would be made

heirs

according to the hope

of eternal life.

And that's

noted especially

in 2 Corinthians

3.18

which says

but we all

with unveiled face

beholding as in a mirror

the glory of the Lord

are being transformed

into the same image

from glory to glory

just as from

the Lord

the Spirit

there's an equation

in these verses

the work of the Holy Spirit

is what's returning

that image of God

and restoring it

to our hearts.

This gives us

a remarkable glimpse

into the divine plan

doesn't it?

The Father

sent the Son

the Son

saves his people

and the Spirit

secures the renewed image

of God

in our hearts

He is the seal

that makes certain

the image of God

forever

onto our

very hearts

that's why

we don't have to worry

about

from this point on

having that same

kind of

mutable will

that Adam did

where we could

maybe fall out

of God's grace

Christ makes that certain

and he makes it certain

through the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 1

13-14

in fact

in him

you also are

after listening

to the message of truth

the gospel of your salvation

having also believed

you were sealed

in him

with the Holy Spirit

of promise

who is given

as a pledge

of our inheritance

with a view

to the redemption

of God's own possession

the praise

of his glory

that's an

ever increasing

intimacy

that we have

with God

we'll be able to

in fact

participate

in some way

in the Trinitarian

harmony

even into eternity

that's why

Christ prays

on our behalf

as our faithful

mediator

and high priest

in John 17

the glory

which you have

given me

I have given

to them

that they may be

one

just as we are

one

and I

in them

and you

in me

that they may

be perfected

in unity

so that the world

may know

that you sent me

and loved them

even as you

have loved me

father I desire

that they also

whom you

have given me

be with me

where I am

so that they

may see me

in glory

which you

have given me

for you

loved me

before the

foundation

of the world

now we've

been speaking

of a

renewed

spiritual image

right

and this is

happening

presently

for those

who are

regenerated

in Christ

Jesus

of course

that means

that we're

still awaiting

renewal

and many

of you

eagerly

waiting

for the

renewal

of our

bodies

in the

future

state

in the

likeness

of

Christ

right

1 John

3

2

in fact

talks about

that future

reality

that we're

going to be

like him

when he

appears

because we're

going to

see him

as he

is

it's a

remarkable

concept

that our

bodies will

be raised

incorruptible

bearing the

image of the

heavenly

family

and we're

going to

have to

talk more

about that

next week

so there are

several points

of application

that we could

give

in fact I

think on a

pastoral level

the idea of

having our

image the image

of God renewed

body and soul

is wonderfully

comforting to

the believer

and a great

pastoral emphasis

let me just

give you a few

points of

application that

we could possibly

take away from

this

on the

pastoral level

it's very

humbling

doesn't it

because it

takes the

focus away

from ourselves

and it gives

complete honor

to God

it talks about

the undeserving

grace that we

have in Jesus

Christ

he didn't have

to condescend

he didn't have

to come down

from heaven

but he did

he took the

form of a

bondservant

and emptied

himself

as it talks

about in

Philippians

in fact

that's why

Paul says

in Ephesians

1-6

he talks

about this

whole scheme

of salvation

being

to the

praise of

the glory

of his

grace

which he

freely

bestowed

on us

in the

beloved

and in fact

that's why

Ephesians

2-8-10

then goes on

to talk about

how it's by

grace we've been

saved

by faith

and that not

of ourselves

it is the

gift of God

not by works

for we are

his workmanship

created

there's that

recreation language

in Christ

Jesus

for good

works

which God

prepared

beforehand

for those

who love

him

and that

causes us

to want

to

in the

words

of

Hebrews

12

to look

unto

Jesus

the author

and perfecter

of our

faith

in him

is all

the sufficient

requirements

for everything

that we need

to grow

spiritually

and that's

wonderfully

comforting

all we have

to do

is look

to Jesus

Christ

Colossians

2-67

says

therefore

as you

have received

Christ Jesus

the Lord

so walk

in him

having been

firmly rooted

and now being

built up

in him

and established

in your faith

just as you

were instructed

overflowing

with gratitude

wonderful

wonderful

doctrine

in fact

it goes on

we could draw

this even

further

to talk

about

our

sanctification

it isn't

that we

are necessarily

driving

our own

sanctification

yes we

are part

of this

process

but

sanctification

itself

that's

conforming

us to

the image

of God

is empowered

solely

by

the Holy

Spirit

Philippians

2

12-13

says

that we

are to

work out

our salvation

with fear

and trembling

for

it is

God

who is

at work

in you

both

who will

and to

work

for his

good

pleasure

and 2

Corinthians

3-17

says

where the

Spirit

of the

Lord

is

there

is

liberty

right

so it's

the Holy

Spirit

that's

giving us

that ability

to want

to be

conformed

to the

Son

to want

to love

him

and pursue

him

and pursue

holiness

and pursue

likeness

with Jesus

Christ

and finally

that provides

quite a great

degree of

assurance

for us

doesn't it

we are

protected

by that

same power

of God

that breathed

the world

into existence

that's the

point of

Colossians 1

in fact

that our

reconciliation

with Christ

is rooted

on his

mediatorial

reconciliation

of all

things

in him

as the

image

of the

invisible

God

and that

provides us

finally

comfort

in trouble

to know

that no

matter what

we go

through

we just

have to

set our

eyes

on

Jesus

to look

at

look into

the heavens

and to

see where

Christ

Jesus is

seated at

the right

hand

of the

Father

now

on the

more

outward

level

not just

personal

spirituality

I think

this also

has great

evangelistic

appeal

because

we now

have a

platform

we talked

about this

a little

bit last

week

a platform

for talking

about the

renewal

of image

in Christ

alone

we have

this

ability

profound

ability

to be

able to

speak

into

the

various

issues

that people

have

in their

lives

and to

be able

to say

well

look

we're

all

dead in

our

trespasses

and sins

the Bible

tells us

this

the Bible

tells us

that we've

fallen after

Adam

and that

the image

that we

have

the communion

we have

with God

has been

lost

but that's

renewed

in Jesus

Christ

that he

gives us

this remarkable

pattern

and that by

faith in him

we're renewed

to this

understanding

of who he

is

and we

get to

partake

in what

was lost

this speaks

directly

in fact

on a

more

social

level

to the

futility

of social

endeavors

for the

sake of

social

endeavors

doesn't

it

you hear

this a

lot

but

whenever I

hear some

of these

problems

and not

that these

aren't

important

problems

that's

actually

the

point

these are

important

problems

and the

problem

is human

simpleness

isn't it

and that

means that

only Christ

can transform

us

in 1

John 2

15

it says

do not

love the

world

nor the

things

in the

world

those

things

are

passing

away

but if

we look

to Christ

he is

the only

the sole

platform

in which

that can

be renewed

and in which

we can

look ahead

to a

heaven and

earth

in which

the image

of Christ

fills

the new

heaven

and earth

and we

are able

to commune

with God

and our

renewed

bodies

and souls

forever

and ever

so let

me pray

and we

can have

some

questions

and answers

father as

we are

here on

earth

we know

that

our minds

can't fully

grasp the

glorious reality

of what this

means for us

that we

are

encumbered

not just

by that

first boundary

of our

finitude

as created

beings

but

that we

are sinful

even in

our state

in you

we still

have the

remnants

of sin

we just

pray that

you would

lift that

from our

hearts

so that

we could

pursue you

in humility

of lives

transforming

ourselves

by your

spirit

into your

image

may we

be shining

lights

images

of your

glory

representatives

in fact

of the

great

representative

who is

the head

of the

redeemed

race

christ

jesus

we pray

this

in

his name

amen

so questions

and answers

we've got

about

seven minutes

yeah

of the

image

the face

the perfect

image

in christ

the perfect

image of

god

in christ

does that

have to do

with his

human nature

no

no

no

that would

have to do

directly with

his essence

yeah

with who

he is

in himself

that

that

doesn't

have to

do

with his

incarnation

that has

to do

with his

existence

in the

trinity

so that's

an eternal

reality

so the

image to

which we're

renewed

in christ

it may

be related

is related

image in

adam

but is

right

that's

the step

of him

in his

messianic

mission

as mediator

is needed

in that

right

so that

him as

the perfect

image

makes him

the perfect

mediator

makes him

the perfect

as it were

trinitarian

candidate

to condescend

himself to

renew

the image

in adam

so there's

some steps

that we had

to take

to get

there

but

did that

help

so the

renewed

image

that we

have

through

christ

is it

basically

the same

as the

original

image

that adam

wore

yeah

i think

that's

fair

i think

that's

fair

there's

an added

element

of the

permanence

that comes

from

god's