Imago Dei

By: American Decency Staff

Yesterday we sent out an email encouraging you to take an active stand for life, joining with us on the steps of the Capitol Building in Lansing on April 23, 2019 at noon, showing solidarity in standing for life and giving a voice to the unborn. If you missed that email, you can read more about this important event here.

I begin with this reminder because my topic is “the image of God.”  What we’re really talking about is recognizing that all human life is sacred because we’ve been created in the image of God. This event labors to reclaim the ground that Christians have for too long surrendered. Our peaceful protest will stand in stark contrast to the violence that abortion pushes upon our nation. To stand for life—EVERY LIFE—is to stand for its sacredness. I urge you; plan to make a trip to Lansing on April 23. If you’re not physically able to join with us, please pray fervently that God will be honored and that Michigan’s lawmakers will understand that their constituents will oppose death as “a way of life.”  Life is sacred.

Every human from conception to death is created in the image of God; we are His image bearers. This is a statement of fact. So how did we get to the horrifying fact that New York and other states are now calling for the murder of those babies who have already been born, surviving a botched abortion? Some call this infanticide; but in reality, the murder of our young from conception through birth is all infanticide. As for how have we come so far, Dr. Albert Mohler, at a recent Ligonier conference, gives a somber answer to that question. Upon hearing his response, if we could realize the apathetic role we’ve played by either our silence or allowance, we might well cry out like Isaiah, “Woe is me! I am undone; because I am a man with bloody hands, and I dwell in the midst of a people with bloody hands.”

Dr. Mohler pointed out that “one of the sad things is to recognize that the pro-abortion movement was aided and abetted by liberal Protestantism; who were so committed to feminism and to personal autonomy that they supported and support abortion.”

He went on to warn that “secular humanism always turns anti-human. It always turns into a deadly anti-humanism in the name of humanism with deadly consequences because ideas always have consequences; and the deadliest ideas have the deadliest consequences.” He continued, “Look at the fragile status of human dignity. Europe’s trying to have human dignity without knowing what a human being is. And separated from creation and separated from the Imago Dei and separated from a Christian worldview, there’s no way to support a regime of human rights and thus we see it collapsing. All that remains is personal autonomy and the regime of rights. It won’t last; it can’t last. It’s a catastrophic cascade of death, abortion, infanticide, embryo research, euthanasia, assisted suicide. The logic is just from the right to die to the duty to die.”

Dr. Mohler moved through Psalm 139 extolling the greatness of God, God’s awesome Hand in the role of each created human being, and the fact that we are image bearers of God—created Imago Dei.

This led him to proclaim, “We come to understand in a Biblical worldview, human life is sacred not because it’s an achievement of which we are capable; but because it is a status which is defined by our Creator.” –A Creator who has made each one of us in His image.

“Human life is not sacred because we’re human; human life is sacred because God made humanity in His image.” “One of the consequences is the fact that we will never look at any human being as anything other than an image bearer of God. And thus defining human dignity entirely by the Creator, the thrice holy God who made human beings—human beings, every single one of them as image bearers, bearing His glory.”

With solemnity he warned that we are surrounded by a death culture of blood, pointing to the only solution.

“Know this; there will be no recovery of the sanctity of human life without a prior recovery of the knowledge of the holiness of God.” “So what’s at stake here—in the holiness of God? We know that the main issue at stake is the glory and honor of God. And I’m going to leave you with these words. It turns out that without the holiness of God, the human race turns deadly on itself. So when we talk about the holiness of God, yes we are talking about the honor and glory of God at stake; but make no mistake in this, the very survival of the human race is at stake.”

With so much at stake, we mustn’t limit our scope of view.  Being created in the image of God isn’t just a one-issue problem like abortion, although it is that. It deals with all of human life, recognizing its sacredness, from pre-born to elderly, healthy to sick, what most would call “normal” to those with genetic differences; but it doesn’t stop there. Our understanding of all human beings created in the image of God must extend to saint AND sinner, friend AND enemy; the sacredness of life demands dignity and compassion for all.

God has created each and every one of us in His image; sin may have disfigured that image until it’s unrecognizable, but that should bring us to compassion not disgust. Time and again we see that Jesus looked upon people with compassion, seeing them as sheep without a shepherd; should we do less?

If any of you are like me, this must become a vital matter of prayer. What I know in my head and what flows from my heart are sometimes two very different things. When it hits us and we get it, we won’t be able to keep from speaking out for life, real rights, and dignity. It’s so important that we get this because our children need to know that they are image bearers of God and they need to recognize that every person they meet, young and old alike, are also created Imago Dei. They will learn that from us in how we look at, speak of/to, and treat others. We stand at a crossroads in their lives pointing them to life or to death. I pray that I will always point them to life because of His Life.

Again I urge you; come to the Capitol Building on April 23, meet us on the steps at noon, and bring your family and friends with you. Invite your pastor and church board—the issue of life and taking a Biblical stand for the Imago Dei transcends all denominational bounds. Let us be united, that God would be glorified, in protesting this issue which has done great damage to this nation.

For more information on this important event go to www.Iam4life.com or call us at 231-924-4050.

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