As I’ve argued recently, God holds an incredibly (and perhaps uncomfortably) high view of humanity. Like most any point of theology, being created in God’s image is not merely a doctrinal position we hold in our minds. Rather, it carries significant implications for the ethics by which we live our lives. Our theological beliefs are often worked out and displayed in our actions.
If we were made to make God visible, then it follows that we should emulate God’s character. God created humanity to be something unbelievably amazing, something that is only fulfilled through Jesus and is achieved in us when we are conformed to His image. While God’s original creation was “very good” (Gen. 1:31), Adam and Eve didn’t live up to what they were called to be, and we all followed in their footsteps.
But in spite of this, God’s enduring character throughout Scripture has shown His willingness to make humanity into what He originally created us to be. He has continually worked to raise humanity up to the hope for which He created us, despite our consistent ability to lower expectations.
Like the father in the prodigal son story, God is always standing at the ready to receive us back from failure, rebellion, and bad choices, even running toward the repentant. While He is certainly capable of seeing us as we are—broken rebels, often destroying the goodness that He created—it seems that He often chooses to view us through the lens of what we could be. Isn’t this why He sent Jesus, to make us what we couldn’t become one our own?
If we are to emulate God’s character (Eph. 5:1), what is He like?
The LORD passed before [Moses] and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
Exodus 34:6-7 ESV
While this is helpful, the fact remains that we are humans, not God. Fortunately, from our vantage point in history, God became human to show us what the ideal human looks like. Paul states that we are to imitate God, with Jesus as our example.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV
What does imitating God look like for humans like us? Loving self-sacrifice, both in life and in death.
Epic Gospel 