The "image of God" has been a subject of much debate over the last 2000 years in theology,
with viewpoints ranging from - 'we look like Him' to 'we can think and can be creative'
A talk a few weeks ago at the clubhouse brought this to mind -
Very many Christians argue that we should love someone because they are special,
i.e. they are walking image-bearers, thus they deserve respect and honour and love
He then continued to say this is a whole bunch of nonsense,
since at the fall, the image of God was utterly destroyed
The illustration he used was this:
Like an old Victorian house which they've kept the front or façade of it
but they have demolished everything within it for renovation,
so once you look past the shell, it is only dust and destruction
That seems to be a good analogy of what remains of the 'Imago Dei'
All was lost at the fall, with only a shell remaining,
That image, that likeness corrupted, ruined, devastated by sin
Thus only in Christ is that image remade new, rebuilt,
that Victorian house is renovated with a stunning new interior,
and in fact we wait for the exterior to be destroyed and rebuilt as well
An unbeliever is like a thing that does not exist
broken pots waiting to be smashed
A shadow, destroyed by the sun
A nightmare, vanishing with like a dream
Whereas those in Christ are clay jars that hold burning torches within,
also waiting, except we long, groan for the day of revelation
Why then do we love our neighbour?
Not for anything that they are,
but rather for Who Christ is,
and what Christ has done for us on the cross,
We love because God loved us first...
We forgive others because our debts are forgiven
We honour others, because all authority is given to us by Christ
We are patient with others, because of the Father's patience
We are generous with others, because He will supply all our needs
We are kind with others, because He showed pity on us
We suffer and bear others, because He suffered so that by the grace of God, none of us need taste death
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