In my previous post I presented man (mankind) as he sees – defines himself, apart from God, which is as purely a physical being, essentially a cosmic accident, a product of complex impersonal evolutionary processes; what Pastor Brian Borgman colorfully refers to as “sophisticated slime” or “well dressed matter in motion.” As such, man’s significance, dignity and purpose in existing is self-assigned, transitory and ends with death. I don’t know about you, but if this is true, the most rational and reasonable way to live my life in a meaningful way during the short time I have in this world would be to pursue my enjoyment of all of the pleasures and delights this world has to offer; seeking my own personal and private happiness according to my personal values and preferences, in whatever way that seems right for me. I would suggest that this present chaotic world, which appears to be on the edge of imploding, is the consequence of such a tragic view of man’s transient existence.
The Bible, God’s gracious self-revelation of His person and purposes in creation, presents a very different, infinitely more glorious reality regarding the origin of man; an origin that gives inherent dignity and significance to our persons, transcendent meaning and purpose to our lives, and realistic hope for a glorious future.
The Bible reveals that the eternal God at some point in eternity past designed and spoke into existence an orderly universe, the theater in which He would reveal and display His glory, the infinite perfections of His eternal being. Within this unimaginably vast universe, God designed and created the Earth and all of the awesome wonders of nature that fill the Earth, all of which He declared to be “good”. (Genesis 1:1-25)
The Earth would be the stage on which God’s glory would be most perfectly and prominently revealed in beings He would create in His image and likeness, mankind, in whom, through whom, and for whom God would display His infinite beauty, wisdom, power and grace. Mankind, as image bearers of God would be given the glorious honor, privilege and responsibility of ruling over all of nature, manifesting and magnifying God’s glory in it. (Genesis 1:26-28)
Being created in the image of God meant that our nature and character would reflect the goodness and righteousness of God; our bodies the beauty, excellence and majesty of God; and our soul or spirit the intellectual and relational attributes of God.
The Bible makes it clear that God values above all else – finds His greatest joy, greatest pleasure and greatest delight in – His own Glory (Isaiah 42:8) (Isaiah 46:8-10). There is no one more blessed/happy, more fulfilled, more satisfied than God is in God (1 Timothy 6:15-16). Thus it was God’s kind intention that mankind, male and female, would participate in the eternal love relationship between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16-17); not as divine equals, but as beloved children (1 John 3:1); the glad and thankful recipients of all of the joys, pleasures and delights that an infinitely glorious, infinitely good, infinitely wise, infinitely powerful, eternally happy God would graciously share with those who would love Him and one another (Matthew 22:35-37), while fully trusting and resting in His love.
Within God’s entire vast universe, out of all of God’s creatures on the earth and angels in Heaven; only man can appreciate and fully enjoy God’s good creation; only man alone can walk and talk with God; only man can truly enjoy and be enjoyed by God; and only man alone can proclaim and display and magnify the greatness, the goodness of God and the glory of His grace.
Thus I would suggest that it is only in the truths found in Genesis 1:26-28 and Isaiah 43:7 regarding mankind’s origin and purpose, that we can have any assurance that our lives and the lives of those around us truly matter.
However, it should be clear to anyone who has eyes to see and ears to hear that this present world we live in bears little resemblance to the world God created in the beginning and called good, and that we, mankind, bear little resemblance to the beings I have described above, beings so beautiful and glorious that they needed no clothes to cover their shame or enhance their appearance as we do today.
We are told in Romans 3:23 and Romans 1:18-28, that every aspect of the glorious image of God in which mankind was created has been marred and corrupted by sin, by our rebellion against God’s purpose for our lives. And what is most concerning is that the gap between who we are today in the corruption of our sin and who we were created to be in the image of a Holy and Righteous God is so wide – so great, that it is impossible for us to ever bridge it through our own prideful efforts. Thus, if we are ever to be restored to the glorious image of God necessary to live in God’s presence, it must be through a miraculous work of God Himself (Mark 10:26-27). I will address this further in my next post.
Grace and Truth ×