MAN MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD Devotion #7 of 17

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle , and over all the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them"

(Genesis 1:26-27)

THE LAW AND THE IMAGE Introduction to the Law

The law introduced the "knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:19-20). It convinced the sinner of the magnitude of sin, and the extent to which he had fallen. As stated in Scripture, "that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful" (Rom 7:13). These accomplishments could not be achieved were man not in the image of God. That divine imagery enables man to correctly assess his condition under the tutelage of the Law.

The Activity of the Holy Spirit

It is to be understood that the Holy Spirit is active in the above process. Jesus declared the Spirit's indispensable role on conviction. " . . . for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on Me; Of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged" (John 16:8-11). Whatever our position on free will and the involvement of men in redemption, without the work of the Holy Spirit man cannot be convinced of his own sin, the righteousness of Jesus, or the judgment of the devil.

The Law Provided No Resources

The Law provided no means of recovery. It did not bring grace to man, nor did it produce faith (Gal 3:12). It declared what was to be done, but provided no means to do it. It identified what should not be done, yet brought to strength to avoid doing it. Still, the Law made a strong appeal to the divine image in man. It led the individual to think about his sin like God thinks of it. That is not possible where no likeness of God exists. Speaking of this process, Paul wrote, "For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died" (Rom 7:9).

Appealing to Reason

In my judgment, preaching should have a strong appeal to the divine imagery in humanity. We should not seek to move people by mere emotion alone, or primarily with frightening threats. There must be an appeal to REASON--which is the image of God within man. God Himself said to recalcitrant Israel, "Come, let us reason together. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they as crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isa. 1:18). The Law was an appeal to the image of God within man. It enabled the individual to properly diagnose his condition, thereby preparing for Christ. As it is written, "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith" (Gal 3:24). Some will counter that the Law was only for Israel, having no ministry to the rest of the world. This is not true. The Law belonged to Israel as a covenant. However, as regards the assessment of humanity itself, it was given that "every mouth might be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God" (Rom. 3:19-20).

-- TOMORROW: JESUS, THE EXPRESS IMAGE OF GOD --