Has anyone noticed that the shelves of bookstores, Christian and secular alike are so saturated with self-help material that there seems as if nothing else is being published? Why do we need Chicken Soup for Our Souls? Why do we need to be told that Self Matters? Do human beings need to hear these things at all? What about Christians?
There is some merit in leisurely reading self-help books, however, the merit lies only within volume’s that reveal what is inside of us and how miraculous and wonderful it truly is. The previous statement may seem like New-Age jargon, but it is not. The remainder of this essay will hopefully exemplify the uniqueness that each and every person embodies.
Firstly, you are special just as I am special. So is everyone else you have ever met. While, most certainly, we all have our quirks and eccentricities we do have one thing in common. We are created in the image of God, the Imago Dei. We know this by the words of God himself in Gen. 1:26-27. These truth is stated twice more in the book of Genesis at 5:1-2, 9:6-7. These is not purely a Jewish premise as 1 Cor. 11:7 and James 3:9-10 additionally affirm the creation of humans in the image of God.
This creation applies to all of mankind, male and female. We are created in the image of God, but what does that mean? Can we know? There have been numerous articles, essays, books, and other literature on this topic. How then can we decide which theory is more probable? As Scripture is always the best guide, let it be the guide.
As creations of God, we are unique and possess dignity. This is apparent by the punishment that God has placed upon the murder of one human by another in Gen. 9:6. While we are image bearers of God, we are not perfect image bearers. The image of God has already been perfected in Christ. Heb. 1:3 and Col. 1:15 inform us that while man is created in the image of God, Jesus is the image of God.
Continuing in this mindset, what do humans possess that the rest of creation does not? Human bodies? That is not likely as God is Spirit and humans were created before the incarnation of Jesus, so created in his physical likeness is not a strong argument either. Is it our ability to have dominion over the rest of creation? That is a stronger hypothesis, but seems to be lacking. Dr. John Hammett of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary states his belief thus, “I believe that the image of God is the capacity of human beings to have a relationship with God.” Of all the many theories espoused, this one seems most likely.
Nowhere else in all of creation does a similar relationship exist. This is exemplified in the sending of the Holy Spirit, Romans 8:9-11 offers support for this. This interpretation, that our relationship defines our uniqueness, transcends the science and cynicism of modernity. If it could be shown that natural systems exert dominion, the image of God remains untouched. If it could be shown that animals have some of the same though processes and abilities to cognitively reason on a higher level than predicted, the image of God remains safe. Humans, and humans alone, are the image bearers of God in this world. Anything other, created by God or made by man, that is said to be an image bearer of God is idolatrous in the extreme.
Now that the “what” has been answered, and the “how” has been addressed in a previous essay, practical aspects need to be assessed. As image bearers of God, each person should seek to honor that image. Each person should seek to continually conform to that image. When we become Christians, the process of sanctification, the conforming of ourselves to the image of Christ begins. It begins to repair the damage done to our image by the result of our Fall.
As we must keep in mind that we are created in God’s image we must do so with humbleness. That God, who is perfectly holy, good, just, and sovereign, would seek to have fellowship with a sinful creation is incomprehensible in the realm of logic. Furthermore, not only did God seek us out in our sin and open our eyes to his majesty, he also became a sacrifice for our sins.
Additionally, we must remember that every other person is likewise created in the image of God. All are created with the Imago Dei, the saved and lost, those we love and dislike. Those whom know the salvation of Jesus are being conformed to his image, the image of God. Those whom have not, those who have rejected God’s revelation are turning the image of God into an abomination, an act that has terrible end with everlasting consequences. C.S. Lewis’s statement was apt when he commented,
It is a serious thing…to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature, which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with awe and circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics…It is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit.
While there will likely be no end to the self-help blitz in literature, there will hopefully be an awakening in the Church as to the potential for splendor and majesty that each Christian possesses, which will be fulfilled in our resurrected forms in Heaven. It must be understood that you cannot have Your Best Life Now, without acknowledging who you truly are. This understanding of creation should keep the focus on the sacredness of all life and should be taken into account in issues such as abortion, euthanasia, and abuse. Through dedication to a life of prayer and discipline we may grow ever more sensitive to the image of God and shine the light of God to those around us. Let it not be forgotten that to know God is the archetypal aspect of humanity, because we are created in God’s image, by God and for God.
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