Imago Dei: "In the Image of God"

January 22, 2012

Everywhere I go, people are hurting. Everywhere I look, I see people in pain. People who are created in the image of God Himself, but who struggle to see themselves that way. People who are still listening to the lies of Satan. I've even heard people say things like:

“I'm clumsy.”

“I'm stupid.”

“I'm ugly.”

When I hear things like this, I am appalled—not because I don't struggle with the issue of identity as well—because at the root of these statements is in fact a denial of the goodness and love of God.

“..Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34 ESV)

Someone who is actually verbalizing stuff like this has been thinking about it for a while and something has finally drawn it to the surface. But like an iceberg, the larger part of the issue remains unseen and unheard, yet mortal to the soul if left unacknowledged.

This piece of writing has been a long time in coming, four and a half years in the making, to be exact. As I'm sitting here typing on my computer, it's 3 o'clock in the morning on a Sunday and I'm headed into the third week of my second semester of grad school. I should be sleeping right now, I tell myself. I've got church in the morning, homework to do in the afternoon, plus I have another busy week ahead of me. But God is telling me that I can no longer keep this inside my heart. It's time to speak.

“So whoever knows to do the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:17 ESV)

The following is an address to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who struggle with lies from the enemy of our souls regarding the issue of identity. May it be not me but “Christ in me” who speaks these words (Galatians 2:20).

Who judged you? Who said that you are like that? Who told you these lies? Who hurt you?

My aim in asking you these question is not to have you relive the conversations and events, but to draw your attention to the fact that these lies surely did not come from God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit. The Word of God is divinely inspired (2 Timothy 3:16), a light to our path (Psalm 119:105), will not return void (Isaiah 55:11), living and active (Hebrews 4:12), and through the Word and prayer we deepen our understanding and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is Himself the incarnate Word from the Father (Philippians 4:6-9, John 1:1-5,14). Therefore it is to the Scripture and Christ we must turn in order that we may discover the truth about our identity and along the way discredit the lies we have heretofore been told.

Following is a list of statements and Scripture references to answer the question: “Who am I?”

• A human being created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27, Genesis 9:6).
• Created for God's glory, redeemed, and called by name (Isaiah 43:1-7).
• Chosen before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).
• Formerly dead but now alive in Christ (Colossians 2:13, Ephesians 2:1,4).
• Blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
• A citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20).
• Hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).
• Called to holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:7).
• Justified by grace and an heir of eternal life (Titus 3:7).
• Healed by the wounds of Christ (1 Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:5).
• God's treasured possession (Exodus 19:5).
• A child of God (John 1:12, I John 3:1-2, Galatians 3:26, Acts 17:28).
• Loved (John 3:16;17:23,26, Romans 5:8;8:38-39, I John 4:10,19, Psalm 139, Matthew 10:29-31, Jeremiah 31:3).

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” (I Thessalonians 4:23-24 ESV)

Only through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Danielle

Hiking at Angel Rocks near Fairbanks, Alaska (June 2011)