Sermon
What God Meant When He Said_ _Let Us Make Man in Our Image_ (No Ads)
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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Welcome back to the Bible Stories. You may notice there
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are no ads on this video because YouTube has demonetized
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our channel to support us. You can scan the first
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QR code to join the Bible Stories podcast app, where
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you can listen offline and access exclusive episodes. Or if
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you simply want to give, you can scan the second
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QR code to donate directly. Thank you for helping us
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keep these Bible Stories going. What does it mean when
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God says, let us make man in our image? Why
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the us? And what does image tell us about who
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we are? This short line holds the key to identity, purpose,
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and the story God is writing with humanity. When scripture
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says that God made humanity in his image, it gives
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us a name and a role in one breath. The
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words are simple, but the idea is deep. An image
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points beyond itself to the one it reflects. In the
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ancient world, people knew this right away. An image was
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not only a picture, It was a sign of presence
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and a reminder of authority. So when the Bible says
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that men and women are made in God's image, it
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sets us apart from every other creature. It tells us
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that human life is marked with a special purpose that
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no animal, mountain, star, or angel shares. In the same way,
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the earth has beauty and greatness, but only people are
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called images of the living God. Imagine a coin with
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a king's face on it. The coin isn't the king,
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but wherever it goes it shows who rules that land.
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In the same way, we aren't God, but our lives
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are meant to carry his likeness so people can see
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what he is like, truthful, just loving. This likeness is
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not about height, skin tone, age or strength. God is
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not a body, so the likeness is not physical. It
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is about capacities and callings that set humans apart. We
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can know God, answer him, speak words with meaning, form promises,
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keep trust, seek truth, and choose love. We can understand
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right and wrong, feel the burden of conscience, and sense
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the joy of peace when we do what is good.
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We can imagine a future that is better than the
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present and then build toward it. We can receive a
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word from God and carry it into our homes and
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our work. In all these ways we echo our Maker.
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But this God given likeness is more than inner qualities.
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It also carries a role in God's world. In the
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first chapter of the Bible. The words about image are
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joined to words about stewardship and care. That pairing is
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not an accident. God marks humanity with dignity and then
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gives a charge. The charge is not to exploit, but
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to tend, not to crush, but to cultivate. The Image
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of God means we were made to mirror God's wise
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rule in a way that brings life to the places
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we touch. This is why the image of God leads
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to responsibilities in how we treat the earth, how we
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treat animals, and especially how we treat one another. When
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we speak to a person, we are speaking to someone
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who bears the mark of the King. Even when a
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person is weak, ill, poor, young, elderly, or in the
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middle of failure, this likeness remains a reason to show honor.
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That honor does not erase justice or truth, but it
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sets the tone for how justice and truth are pursued.
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The image of God also explains why humans hunger for meaning.
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People across cultures ask the same questions, why am I here?
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What is right? What is beautiful? And true? Those questions
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rise because we were made to know the one who
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is the source of meaning. When no answer is given,
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the hunger does not go away. It turns into restlessness, anger,
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or despair. The likeness in us reaches for the one
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whose image we bear. When people meet God's word and
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God's ways, something in them recognizes home. That recognition is
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not a trick of the mind. It is the image
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turning toward its source. Some have wondered if the image
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means that humans are little gods. The Bible never says
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that we are creatures, always dependent on our maker. The
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image is real, but it does not make us divine.
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It means we are like God in ways that fit
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creatures who are meant to represent him. If we forget
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that we are creatures, we take gifts meant for service
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and turn them into tools of pride. But if we
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remember that we are images signs that point to another,
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then reason, speech, and power become ways to carry God's
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goodness into daily life. The image also helps us understand
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why sin hurts so much. Sin is not only breaking
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a rule, it is breaking a reflection. When we lie,
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we speak words that no longer mirror God's truth. When
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we harm, we deny the worth in others that God
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himself placed there. When we worship lesser things, we hand
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over the reverence due to the one whose image we bear.
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The result is inward fracture and outward damage. Yet even
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there the image is not destroyed. It is clouded, bent
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and wounded, but not erased. That is why guilt can
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be healed, truth can be learned again, and a person
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can be restored by grace. The image gives a reason
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for hope even after failure, because it ties our identity
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to God's design rather than to our worst moments. One
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more truth brings the meaning into full light. The image
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appears in a pair male and female. That pairing is
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part of the gift, not a side detail. It shows
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that the image is shared across the whole human family.
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The man does not bear more image than the woman,
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nor the woman more than the man. Both are given
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dignity and calling. The differences between them do not lessen
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or raise worth. They enrich the picture. Together. They show
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that God's plan for humanity is not solitary. It is relational.
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From the start. We learn to mirror God's love as
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we live in real relationships where patience, faithfulness, truth, and
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forgiveness are needed every day. In this way, the image
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connects identity and community. We discover who we are, not
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by escaping people, but by learning to love them well.
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So the image of God means this. We carry a
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likeness that points to the one who made us. We
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are given a role to reflect his wise care in
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his world, and we are invited into relationships that display
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his heart. Because this is true, human life has a
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weight that nothing else can match. This is not heavy
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in a crushing way, but in a glorious way. The
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God who formed the stars gave human beings a part
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in his work that is both humbling and lifting. We
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bow our heads because the gift is holy. We raise
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our heads because the gift is ours. So who is
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the us and our inn? Let us make man in
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our image. The Bible is firm that God is one,
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that truth stands at the center of Israel's worship and
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flows into the faith of the Church. Yet at the
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very opening of Scripture the language turns plural when human
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beings are made. How should we hear that? One path
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is to notice what is already In the first lines
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of Genesis, the spirit of God is present over the
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waters before any form appears. The divine word is active,
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bringing light from darkness and setting boundaries where there was
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only waste and deep. The rest of scripture later reveals
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that this word is not just a sound, but a person,
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the eternal Sun, through whom all things were made. Without rushing,
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we can say that Genesis gives us the parts of
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a song that will be fully heard later. The Father,
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the Word, and the Spirit are there. When the text
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uses us and our we may be overhearing a holy
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counsel within God's own life. Christians later call this reality
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the Trinity, not to solve a puzzle, but to guard
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the witness that the One God has Father, Son, and
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Holy Spirit in perfect unity. Another path is to notice
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other moments in the Old Testament where God uses plural
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language in moments of weighty action. When a messenger is sought,
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the question comes in both singular and plural at once,
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who will go for us? After the first sin? God
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says that the man has become like one of us
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in knowing good and evil. These are not slips of speech.
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They are windows that let us see a richness in
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God's life without denying his oneness. The Bible speaks simply
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and without apology. It does not explain itself. In these places.
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It lets the word stand and invites faithful listening across
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the whole story. A third path that some have suggested
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is that God addresses the heavenly host, angels and other
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spiritual beings who attend his throne. The Bible does show
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scenes where God stands among the host of heaven, but
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scripture nowhere says that any being other than God creates,
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and it never says we were made in the image
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of angels. If God addresses the host, he does not
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share his creative act with them. The plural language would
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then show a royal court where the king speaks before
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he acts. He alone does the making. The court witnesses
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his word and his work. This reading can sit beside
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the first path without strain, as long as it keeps
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God's creative act in his hands alone. Some also talk
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about what is called a plural of majesty or a
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plural of deliberation. In this kind of speech, a great
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ruler might use we to mark dignity or to think
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out loud in a solemn moment, if that is in view.
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The words underscore the gravity of the moment when humans
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are made. The problem is that this kind of speech
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is clearer in later languages and cultures than in the
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Hebrew of Genesis. Even if it plays a small role,
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it does not carry the full weight of the verse.
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When we hold these paths together and test them by
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the rest of the Bible, one view rises as most fitting.
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The God, who is one, is not lonely. The Father,
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the Word, and the Spirit act in harmony. Creation is
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a work of the One God. Yet the three persons
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are truly involved. The Father sends and blesses, the Word
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brings all things into being, and the Spirit hovers and
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fills with life. So when the text says, let us
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make man in our image, we can hear the voice
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of God speaking in the richness of his own life.
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The words do not divide God. They shine a light
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on the fullness of who he is. This does not
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exhaust the mystery, but it does protect the truth. The
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One God is wholly himself, and in his own life
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there is a fellowship of love that spills over into
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creation and later into redemption. This understanding also helps explain
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why the New Testament speaks of Christ as the image
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of God and the agent of creation, and why it
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speaks of the Spirit as the giver of life. The
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plural words in Genesis are not an accident to be
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explained away. They are a doorway through which the rest
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of scripture walks. When we step through, we find not
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a crowd of rival powers, but the one Lord, whose
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inner life is love shared and given that love frames
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the making of the first man and woman. They do
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not come from loneliness in God, but from abundance in God.
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God does not make humans because he needs help or company.
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He makes humans because He chooses to share the joy
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and purpose that already exists in his own life. Hearing
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the plural this way is not only faithful to the text,
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it also protects us from two errors. The first error
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makes God as solitary force whose power has no room
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for love. That view leads to fear, not worship. The
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second error turns God into a crowded sky of competing wills,
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which leaves us unsure which voice to trust. The Bible
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gives us neither. It gives us the one God, whose
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word is firm and whose heart is shared, Father, son,
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and Spirit. When he says, let us make man in
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our image, his words carry both power and tenderness. He
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speaks as king and as Father. He speaks as creator
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and as giver. His word is strong enough to build
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a world and gentle enough to place a child in
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a garden. If the image gives identity, it also gives
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a task. In the opening chapter of Scripture, the words
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about being made in God's image sit right next to
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words about ruling, filling and ordering the world under God.
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The order is important. We are images firm rulers. Second,
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our authority does not begin in us. It is given
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to us for the sake of what God loves. When
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rulers forget this, power turns into control, and control turns
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into harm. When rulers remember, power becomes service and order
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becomes blessing. To imagine this calling, think of a garden.
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A garden needs someone to plan and to do the
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little things. Soil must be turned, seeds must be planted,
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weeds must be removed, and water must be given at
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the right time. In the same way, human stewardship touches
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every part of life. Families, farms, crafts, cities, schools, and
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markets all need wise care. The image of God is
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not only about personal faith. It is about the way
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our hands, words, and decisions help the world around us
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reflect the goodness of the one whom we do not
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make the world into paradise by our effort. But we
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do keep pushing back what is wild and wasteful so
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that life can flourish. This is not a burden. It
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is a joy when it is done in the fear
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of the Lord. This calling is royal, but it is
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also priestly. A priest brings the world to God in
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worship and brings God's blessing to the world. Image bearers
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stand at that meeting point. When we give thanks for
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a meal, when we bless our children, when we speak
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truth in love, when we build something useful and beautiful,
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we are doing priestly work in a royal way. The
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world is not wholly on its own. It becomes the
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place of God's praise when images of God live in
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it with faith and obedience. This does not turn work
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into worship in a careless way. It turns work into
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worship in the way Scripture means our whole lives offered
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to the one whose image we bear. This also helps
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us understand dominion. Many worry that dominion means domination. The
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Bible will not let us read it that way. God's
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own rule is the model for ours. He blesses sets
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boundaries for life to thrive, provides for the weak, judges
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what destroys and lifts what is crushed. To rule like
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God is to carry that pattern into our sphere of influence.
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A parent who nurtures with wisdom has dominion that mirrors
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God's rule. A boss who speaks truth, rewards honesty, and
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guards the dignity of workers reflects the king. A farmer
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who cares for the land in a way that can
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endure to the next generation is practicing dominion that does
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not eat the seed grain of tomorrow. A judge who
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insists on fairness shows dominion that refuses to sell truth
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for gain. These are not special acts for a few,
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They are every day acts for everyone. The image of
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God makes ordinary life wholly ground. Because the calling is royal,
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it is also accountable. We do not get to set
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our own standards. The first chapters of Genesis show that
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our rule sits under God's word. When humans cross the
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line and try to seize what is not theirs, they
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do not rise. They fall. The path of life is
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not to reach for God's throne, but to receive God's trust.
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That trust is heavy enough to make us serious and
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sweet enough to make us glad. It binds us to
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the Lord in love. He does not hand us the
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world and walk away. He stays near and speaks, blesses, warns,
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and guides. The calling to rule, fill and order becomes
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a daily walk with God in our places and tasks.
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The image as a royal calling also shapes how we
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see every person we meet. If every person bears the image,
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then every person has a sphere where their stewardship matters.
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Not all callings are the same size in human eyes,
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but all are real in God's eyes. A widow who
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prays and blesses her neighbors is exercising dominion that pushes
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back darkness. A young believer who learns a craft and
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works with honesty is exercising dominion that makes space for
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others to live. A leader who yields a right for
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the sake of peace is exercising dominion that mirrors the
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humility of the true King. In this way, the image
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gives backbone to our daily faithfulness. We do not wait
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for a platform to serve. We serve where we stand
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because we are images of the God who serves. This
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calling helps us reject lies about human worth. If we
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are images, then worth is not measured by income, fame, education, health,
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or age. Worth is given by God and recognized by
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his people. This does not flatten our differences, but it
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does refuse to rank them. In the church, the strong
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learned to lift the weak, and the week learn that
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their lives carry weight in God's kingdom. In society, laws
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and customs can be shaped to respect the image in
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every person. To act this way is obedience to the
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first words God spoke about us. The first chapter of
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Genesis begins the story, but the rest of scripture carries
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it forward and brings it to completion. The image of
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God is the thread that runs through creation, fall, promise, redemption,
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and the hope of what is to matme. If we
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follow that thread, the Bible's unity shines. After the man
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and the woman are made, the serpent enters and sin
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bends the relationship between God and his images. The image
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is not erased, but it is marred. The mind that
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was meant to think God's thoughts after him becomes clouded.
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The will that was meant to choose good becomes divided.
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The tongue that was meant for blessing learns to curse.
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The hands that were meant to build and tend, learn
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to grasp and take. Shame enters, fear enters, and hiding enters.
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The garden, a place of gift becomes a place of loss.
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But even here the story does not end. God seek
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speaks clothes and sets a path forward. Pain and death
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now mark life. Yet promise is given that the brokenness
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will not have the last word as its generations unfold.
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The image theme surfaces in different ways. The violence of
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early chapters shows what happens when humans exercise power without God.
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But even in the flood story, God remembers his purpose
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for the world. Afterward, he restates human calling and sets
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boundaries to protect life. The basic dignity of human life
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is upheld because humans are made in God's image. The
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image shapes justice. It teaches us that bloodshed is not
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just a social wrong, it is an assault on the
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one whose image we bear. Justice, then is not a
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human invention, but a recognition of God's claim on human life.
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The story then narrows to Abraham's family, through whom blessing
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will spread to all nations. The image theme is not
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often named here, but it is not absent. God calls
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a people to reflect his carriage among the nations. He
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gives them a law that shapes their worship and their
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life together. If they keep it, the nations will see wisdom, mercy,
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and holiness. They will see a living picture of what
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humanity under God looks like. When Israel fails, prophets rise
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to call them back, not only for their sake, but
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so that the world might still see the image restored.
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The many laws about care for the poor, honesty in trade,
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purity of worship, and protection of life are not random.
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They train a people to bear God's likeness in public life.
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At the center of the storyline is the coming of
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the one whom the New Testament calls the image of
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the invisible God. In him, the image is not only restored,
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it is displayed in perfection. He is what Adam was
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meant to be and what Israel was called to be.
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He rules by serving, speaks truth without falsehood, keeps faith
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with the Father, tends the weak, confronts the proud, and
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lays down his life for those who rejected him. In
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his hands, power never turns to cruelty in his mouth,
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Truth never turns to flattery or poison in his heart,
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Zeal never turns to rage. Watching him, we finally see
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humanity as God designed it. This is why those who
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met him could say that to see him was to
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see the Father. The image becomes visible in human flesh,
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and the world is given the clearest window into God
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that we can bear. But his coming is not only example.
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It is rescue. The marred image cannot be straightened by
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effort alone. We need forgiveness for what we have done
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and cleansing for what we have become. In His cross,
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our sins are born. In his resurrection, new life begins.
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That new life is not a vague feeling. It is
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the image being renewed inside us. The heart is softened,
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the mind is cleared, the tongue is trained, the hands
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are redirected. This is not instant perfection. It is a
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steady work of grace that lasts as long as we live.
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The scriptures speak of this as being conformed to the
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image of the sun. The Spirit does this work in
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us day by day, as we turn to God in faith,
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obey his word, and live among his people. In every season,
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he takes what is crooked and makes it straighter than before.
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He takes what is stained and makes it cleaner than before.
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He takes what is afraid and makes it braver than before.
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Over time, others begin to see the family likeness. The
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church is a community where the image is being renewed.
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It is not a club for the strong, but a
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workshop for the willing. In that workshop, God uses ordinary
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means scripture, prayer, fellowship, and the table of the Lord.
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He uses suffering not to crush but to refine. He
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uses service not to drain, but to train. He uses
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hope not as a dream, but as a promise anchored
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in Christ. Together these means shape men and women, boys
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and girls into people who look more like their Savior.
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The result is a kind of quiet brightness. Believers do
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not glow on the outside, but their lives begin to
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shine with patience, mercy, courage, and truthfulness in a dark world.
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This is no small thing. It is a sign that
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the Creator has not given up on his first plan
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for humanity. The story line does not end with the
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church's work in this age. It reaches to a day
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when Christ will appear and the renewal will be complete.
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The scriptures say that we will bear the image of
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the Man of Heaven. That does not mean we become
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less human. It means we become truly human. At last,
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our bodies will be raised, our minds made clear, our
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hearts made whole. Sin will have no place in us.
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Tears will be wiped away, not because loss never happened,
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but because loss will be healed. Beyond our power to
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imagine the world itself will be made new. The curse
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will be lifted. The works that were done in faith
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will not be wasted. Craft, culture, and community will be
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set free from vanity and decay. That future is not
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a dream of escape. It is a promise that God
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will finish what he began when he said, said, let
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us make man in our image. To hear the Bible
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with ancient ears, it helps to remember how images functioned
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in the lands around Israel. When a great king ruled
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a wide territory, he could not be present in every town.
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He placed statues of himself in distant cities and along
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trade roads. Those statues were more than decoration. They were
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signs that said, this place belongs to the king. His
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law reaches here, his protection covers the people here. Priests
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also tended images in temples as symbols of a god's
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presence among worshippers. These practices were known across cultures. Israel's
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neighbors saw them daily. Now place Genesis one beside this world.
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The Bible does not tell people to carve an image
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of God and place it in a building. Instead, it
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declares that the living God placed his living images across
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the earth, not one statue in one temple, but men
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and women in every place. This is a stunning contrast.
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It breaks the common pattern and corrects it. If human
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beings are made to bear God's image, then the true
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place of worship spills out of stone rooms and into fields, markets,
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and homes. If the king marks his rule by setting
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living images in his world, then the law and love
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of that king are meant to shape ordinary life, not
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only sacred spaces. This also helps explain why Israel was
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forbidden to make carved images of God. The command is
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not a denial that images can teach. It is a
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refusal to let lifeless objects replace the living images God made.
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A statue cannot think love, speak truth, do justice, or
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show mercy a person can. When a people bow to
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carved images, they step away from their own calling. They
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trade the glory of bearing God's likeness for the emptiness
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of worshiping works of their own hands. The prophet spoke
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with fire against this trade, not because they hated art,
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but because they loved the God who made people to
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be his living artwork in the world. The ancient setting
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also explains why the Bible ties image to rule. A
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statue of a king marked a region as under his authority.
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In Genesis, the image marks the earth as a place
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where God's way is to be done through human stewardship.
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That is why in later times kings in Israel were
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judged by how well they reflected God's care. Did they
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protect the weak, did they refuse bribes? Did they lead
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the people to honor the Lord. A king's failure was
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more than personal sin. It was a failure to bear
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the image well in public office. But the standard did
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not apply only to kings. From judges at the gate
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to merchants in the market and parents at the table,
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everyone had a place to bear the image rightly. The
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law trained the people to think this way, to see
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everyday choices as chances to mirror God's character. Historical context
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also shines light on the plural language in Genesis. Royal
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courts in the ancient world often pictured kings surrounded by counselors,
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and hosts. When kings spoke before acting, they might do
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so in the presence of their court. The Bible uses
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that image at times to describe God's heavenly throne, But
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unlike human kings, God needs no advice, shares his glory
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with no rival and nod, and keeps creation in his
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own hands. The court imagery, then is used in a
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way that teaches without confusing. It shows God's majesty and
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the ordered life of heaven, but it does not make
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God dependent on any one. He is the source, others
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serve his will. In many cultures, the image of a
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God was believed to house the presence of that God
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in a special way. Care was taken to place the
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image properly and to maintain it. Genesis answers this with
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a claim both bold and gentle. The true God is
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not contained in objects and cannot be managed by rituals
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that humans invent. He comes and goes as he pleases,
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speaks when he wills, and binds himself to his people
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by promise, not by human control. Yet he does choose
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a special way to show his presence in the world
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through human beings who reflect his character and keep his word.
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The place where his presence is known. Is not stone, wood,
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or metal, but hearts that fear him and hands that
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obey him. This shifts worship from a task we perform
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to a life we live. It makes devotion a matter
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of truth, mercy, and faithfulness in all things. The ancient
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backdrop helps us see the honor and the humility in
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the image. When a king placed his image in a land,
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he was making a claim of ownership. When God placed
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his image in the world, he was claiming the earth
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as his own and inviting humans to share in his rule.
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That is pure honor. But the image also points beyond
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itself to the one it represents. That is pure humility.
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We are not the owner, We are the sign. We
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are not the source. We are the witness. In a
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world where people are tep it either to shrink from
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their calling or to seize what is not theirs, the
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image keeps us steady. We can step forward with courage
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because the King has placed us here. We can step
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back with reverence because the King is the king, not us.
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The thread of the image runs into the future. The
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prophets speak of a day when the glory of the
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Lord will fill the earth as the waters cover the sea.
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That promise is not only about shining light from the sky.
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It is about the world itself ordered under God's rule,
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with people living as they were meant to live. The
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image bent by sin will be set straight. The nations
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long at war with God and each other will learn
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a new song. The ground that bears thorns will bear fruit.
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The lion and the Lamb are pictures that say the
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curse will be lifted in that day. The original word
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about image will be fulfilled in ad way that cannot
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be lost again. How does that future come Not by
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human progress alone, and not by despair either. It comes
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through the one whom Scripture calls the last Adam and
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the first born from the dead. He has already stepped
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into our history, lived the human life as it was
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meant to be lived, died and risen. His resurrection is
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not only a sign, it is the beginning of the
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world to come. In him, new creation has started. Those
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who belong to him are already being renewed in knowledge
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after the image of their creator. This renewal is quiet
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and deep. It takes root in local churches, families, friendships,
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and callings. It is seen in reconciling enemies, in faithful marriage,
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in honest work, in care for the overlooked, in worship
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that is true, in patience under trial, and enjoy that
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does not come from comfort but from hope. Prophecy looks
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ahead further still. It tells us that the one who
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ascended will return. When he appears, we will be like him,
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for we shall see him as he is. The image
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will not be a sketch. It will be a finished portrait.
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Bodies raised, minds cleared, loves purified. We will bear a
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likeness that is human and holy. The world itself will
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be set free from its bondage to decay and will
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share in the freedom of the glory of the children
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of God. That freedom is not the freedom to do
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whatever we want. It is the freedom to do what
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we were made for, without inner war or outer threat.
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The first charge to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth,
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and exercise wise rule will be fulfilled under the everlasting
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reign of the true King. Work will not be vain,
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rest will not be fragile, community will not be brittle,
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Worship will not be mixed with fear. All of this
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flows from the image restored. Prophecy also guards us against
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small hopes. If we think salvation only means rescue from punishment,
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we will miss the breadth of what God intends. He
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does rescue, and we bless his name for that. But
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he also renews, restores, and perfects. He does not throw
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away his first plan for humanity. He completes it. The
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God who said let us make man in our image
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will not settle for a heaven where his images are
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saved but not renewed. He will fit his people for
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his presence, and fit his world for his people. The
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city that descends in the last pages of the Bible
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is not empty. It is filled with people who bear
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God's name on their forms heads, which is another way
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of saying they openly reflect the one they belong to.
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The first garden is not forgotten. Its life spills into
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the last city. A river flows, trees bear fruit, and
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healing is the daily atmosphere That is not the canceling
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of history. It is the mending and crowning of it.
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This future hope does not make the present meaningless. It
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gives the present shape and strength. If the image is
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our destiny, then every step toward that image now matters.
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Patients matters, truth telling matters, mercy matters, making, healing, teaching, planting,
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and governing with humility matter. These are not just good deeds,
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they are signals of the kingdom to come. They show
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that the King is already at work making his images
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look like himself. When that work is hard, Prophecy reminds
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us that our labor in the Lord is not in vain.
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When that work is hidden, Prophecy reminds us that the
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Lord sees and will reward openly when that work is opposed.
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Prophecy reminds us that the King's victory does not depend
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on the strength of his servants, but on his own
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power and promise. Prophecy also purifies how we think about
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power in the last day. The power that lasts will
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be the power that serves. The Lamb reigns, and his
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throne is called the throne of God and of the Lamb.
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This means that the shape of our renewed humanity is cruciform,
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formed by the Cross. We will not rule by force
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or trick. We will rule by love and truth. The
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world groans for this kind of leadership even now. The
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Church is called to practice it, bearing witness that true
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orth authority is life giving the image of God restored
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in us is not a mask of control, but a
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face of holiness. The more we are like Christ, the
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more our authority blesses rather than bruises. The prophet saw
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this and sang of it in their own way. We
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now see it in the face of Jesus and know
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that this is the future. Many believers carry wounds, losses,
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and limits that seem to bury the image. Bodies fail,
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memories fade, relationships break, sins cling. The promise of the
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image renewed is not a denial of these pains. It
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is a pledge that they are not the end. God
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keeps our tears. He gathers our works as seeds, not
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as trash. He will make all things new in a
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way that honors the path that brought us there. The
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story of the Image is the story of a God
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who never abandons his first word. He spoke, and it
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was so, he blessed, and the blessing stands. He judged,
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and his judgments are true. He promised, and he will
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not fail. The day is coming when the world will
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look at humanity redeemed and say, this is what God
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meant when he said, let us make man in our image.
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