THURSDAY
Remember from yesterday the the New City Catechism’s answer to the question of how and why God created us. “God created us male and female in his own image to know him, love him, live with him, and to glorify him. And it is right that we who were created by God should live to his glory.”
The big story of Scripture reveals this to be true, as well. Lets look at the big story through the lens of creation, fall, redemption and restoration.
Creation
Genesis 1:26 26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Here we see that humanity—all humanity—is created in the image of God. This is a beauti, and profound truth. We humans, in some way, (it’s never clearly defined in Scripture) image God. We are not God but we image God. We are given our exalted status in creation by God. We are therefore not to take glory for ourselves but to deflect it to God who is greater than us. The first humans fail to do this and so bring about the curse of sin.
We also see the intimacy of relationship in God forming man from the dust of the earth and breathing into him the breath of life (Gen. 2:7), and in his blessing of provision (2:16) and work (2:15).
Fall
In the fall we see the humans fail to glorify God (Rom. 1:21). Sin then is a violation of purpose. God purposed humanity to rule creation under his authority and we violated that purpose when we sought to define good and evil for ourselves, thus glorifying ourselves instead of God. This sin caused a separation, a lack of knowing (relating to), love and intimacy in a life lived with God.
Genesis 3:8 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:8 is one of the most tragic scenes in the Bible. Perfect intimacy, love, and joy are available to the first humans in the full presence of God in his creation, yet they hide from him. Their sin has produced the exact opposite of their purpose.
Redemption
The story of redemption begins in Genesis 3:15 in the proclamation that the offspring of the woman (the Messiah, Jesus) will crush the head of the serpent and undo the curse caused by humanity’s sin. Until then, the Old Testament is a picture of humanity’s continued violation of purpose (sin) in spite of God’s gracious pursuit and self-disclosure of the people of Israel in the Law and the prophets. As we’ve already discovered in this campaign, law is not enough to undo the effects of the curse of sin.
Jesus then comes on the scene and perfectly does the Father’s will and thereby glorifying him:
John 5:19 19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
John 12:27–28 27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
John 17:4–5 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
He perfectly lives in the purpose humans were originally intended to have in the garden.
2 Corinthians 5:21 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Those who believe in him then are united to Christ and live more fully in humanity’s purpose. We who are in Christ are being transformed more and more into his image (not the image of God on all humans as our status but the image of Christ on the elect as our standard).
2 Corinthians 3:18 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Romans 8:18–21 18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
Romans 8:28–30 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Not only can we now glorify God more fully as his people but we also, through Christ, experience the presence of God through the Spirit whom he gives us.
Romans 8:11 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
Romans 8 is a REALLY good chapter!
Ephesians 1:13–14 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
John 16:7 7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
1 Corinthians 3:16 16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?
1 Corinthians 6:19 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
So in Christ this purpose of glorifying God more fully is made possible. Those who are in Christ have the Holy Spirit indwelling them. The Holy Spirit allows us to know, love, and live in the presence of God more fully, but not yet in full.
Restoration
In the end we will experience the fullness of the presence of God restored and the fullness of his glory will fill the earth.
Revelation 21:1–5 1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Eden will be fully restored and the curse removed.
Revelation 22:1–5 1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
God’s people will then fully live in their purpose of glorifying God and being with him.