Creation and Blessing: In God’s Image

When we read the Bible according to Sproul and Wolgemuth, we see a divine purpose for your existence and for mine. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism says,

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

In Westminster-speak, "end" means "purpose." So with this foundational idea in place, let's look at the story of how God created human beings.

Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth” (Genesis 1:26 NRSV).

Just as with Genesis 1:1, we see God in action as a Creator with a purpose. Whoever the “us” may be—Sproul and Wolgemuth say (following traditional Reformed theology) that “us” means the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit—there is a conversation, an agreement, a plan. The point is that none of this came I about by accident. The origin of humankind was founded through the ordered, intelligent decision by a supernatural Being who has a supremely well-conceived purpose for everything.

This truth is often overlooked, downplayed, or ignored. But if we want to understand the basics of the scriptural story, we need to understand that God's plan for everything he created is not accidental; it is intentional. We are not left with the option to see any single part of human existence as the result of chance.

With all other creatures, God simply spoke them into being. But with humankind we see tantalizing details and puzzling phrases, all revealing something of God's purpose for us—creatures made in God’s image.

So what does it mean to be made in the image of God? Well, to be created by this design means that we are able to participate in this incredible phenomenon called thinking, reflecting, deciding, learning, feeling, and knowing.

We are also gifted with a moral sense—truly knowing right from wrong. You cannot speak as Reformed theology does of the "fall" of humankind without granting that there was somewhere to fall from. We were created intelligent, moral creatures, and it's from there that we fell.

To me the most significant reflection of the image of God is humankind's capacity for relationship. According to traditional Reformed theology, God is three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who enjoy perfect communication, flawless empathy, and unfettered relationship. We mirror that capacity to be in relationship with one another, to magnify the reflection of God's glory through our mutual love for others, especially the relationship of marriage.

We have been made for that which is sacred and holy, in God’s image, to fulfill the purposes of God . . . "for God's glory."