Ephesians 2:10 says that YOU are God's workmanship (i.e., His masterpiece, his work of art), created in Christ Jesus for good works. You reflect His glory. When people look at you they should see Him.
The enemy of our souls is busy trying to adulterate and destroy the image of God in us and in this world. From the very beginning, in the garden, Satan confronted mankind with two themes: (1) you can be like God, and (2) you will never die. In other words, each of us can take control over our own lives and be our own God - supplanting the imago dei in us. And, if you are your own god, you don't need to worry about death and accountability for your life to the Creator God.
These lies continue to permeate this fallen world. They work themselves out in several major ways. Abortion takes over God's role in life and death - using our rights as "god" to destroy life that is imago dei. Homosexual activity is to take the imago dei and twist it to suit our pleasures, attempting to remake ourselves in our own image. Divorce is to take the oneness of the community of imago dei and tear it apart. Alcohol and drug addiction is to take what God created as imago dei and subject it to chemicals that destroy the imago dei.
We praise God that He can take what is dead and dying and assaulted and vandalized and transform the life of death into the newness and glory of imago dei again. And such were some of us, but we were washed, we were sanctified, we were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corin. 6:11 ESV.) What a glorious experience to see what was dead become alive by the power of God - there is nothing more convincing than the power of a testimony of what God has done. As I heard in a testimony recently - we are "vandalized works of art." God comes alongside what the vandals have done and restores us and uses us for his glory. This is like the child on the piano who is bumbling his way through a simple song. When he is finally invited to join the music, the master pianist comes alongside the child on the piano and brings soul stirring coherence and beauty out of what was painful just moments before.
You were made imago dei, for the glory of God. You are a masterpiece with a stewardship of God's presence. As you go into the world, you take Him with you. May the world see Him in all that you do. As we are imago dei, we will also see the power of God continue to transform vandalized works of art around us into imago dei. May we daily live for the glory of God.
As I was walking around Newport Harbor at sunset this evening, I was struck with the verse that "the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." The thief wants to steal and kill and destroy our imago dei. Jesus wants to help our imago dei come alive and thrive!
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