But As Close To The Image
“Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Gen 1:26-28 (NKJV)
I want to start off this morning by making a simple confession. I am not a Biblical Scholar. I am really am a young Christian who happens to consider himself a student in Christian Apologetics. I was born a Roman Catholic and turned from the church, lived a life of wicked idolatry and was turned around by the saving grace of a Heavenly Father who wanted me to get to know His Son. That’s all. Nothing more, nothing less. So with that out of the way I will move on into something that really touched my heart the other night via the “John Ankerberg Show.”
I was first introduced to John Ankerberg through my Colony stay during the Labor Day weekend conference back in 2003. They needed the Gym to house all the people that came to hear him speak. I didn’t know too much about his show or him for that matter but now I try not to miss his Sunday night show on Daystar. I forget what he spoke on then but it’s what he is speaking on recently that has my attention.
The subject is “Gay Marriage” and the title of his series is called “The Case for Traditional Marriage.” Because of my participation in the Families for Christ ministry at Keswick I thought I would give this a harder listening. The subject is very touchy for the secular world so I will not give an opinion one way or the other…I will just say the Bible is quite clear on the issue. ‘Nough Said!!
It was what one of the guests stated on the show that made my apologetic ears perk up. Dr. Jim Garlow (Senior Pastor of Skyline Wesleyan in La Mesa, California) spoke on how a man and woman are created in the image of God. Theologically a man cannot be the full expression of the image of God just as a woman cannot be a full expression of God, it’s when they come together that we get a full spectrum on the full expression of God. Remember brothers Scripture is quite clear, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;”…” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
Our adversary has been attacking this very plain and simple truth from the beginning. We are living in world that wants that image of God changed so that our adversity can go on to destroy the next very plain and simple truth…Jesus wants His church as His bride.
In the Book of Revelation 19:6-9 we read this awesome truth, “And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' "And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."
If the adversary thinks that he can stop from happening he must first destroy the image of God. And the bad thing for the devil is…this train doesn’t come off the track. Unfortunately it can lose passengers along the way but we called to try and save as many as possible, RIGHT.
I am making no political statement here my brothers. Jesus said it quite clear, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, I am the Life. NO ONE comes to the Father but through Me.” All I am saying is in the aftermath of these past elections I remain PRO-LIFE!! That means being PRO-JESUS and doing what I can to get as close to His image as I possibly can. And that means staying as close to the Truth as I possibly can without losing the Way. The world can go on and try to label me as a “Dash-a-phobic who suffers from Dash-a-phobia” but the bottom line is that coming to Christ is coming to Truth. And if “The Oprah” can’t handle it then it needs to read a better book and come to a better understanding that apart from Him we ain’t nothing’!! My hope is that I am not alone in this but if I am…I’ll take it anyway!! How about you? – Chris Hughes frequently writes for Freedom Fighter and is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 11; Jeremiah 50; Hebrews 11
Dig This Quote: “When a couple speaks their vows, it is not a man or a woman or a pastor or parent who is the main actor-the main doer. God is. God joins a husband and a wife into one flesh union. God does that. The world does not know this. Which is one of the reasons why marriage is treated so casually. And Christians often act like they don’t know it, which is one of the reasons marriage in the church is not seen as the wonder it is. Marriage is God’s doing because it is a one-flesh union that God Himself performs.” This Momentary Marriage John Piper
Determined Digging: Level 1: John 8:31-32; Level 2: Isaiah 40:28-32
Determined Praying: The greatest of men must turn beggars when they have to do with Christ. – Matthew Henry
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