I’m starting a new multi-part series of blog posts. I have been thinking about identity for the last few years, and I keep coming head to head with the fact that we don’t have our story straight. That we are identifying with our sin, identifying with all these things that we aren’t to identify with. Our identity is only in one thing—being created in the Image of God. Here is part one.
I must preface this section by saying that much of it is inspired by/appropriated from a sermon Rob Bell gave about a year ago, titled “The Importance of Beginning in the Beginning.” If you can get your hands on it and listen to it, I wouldn’t be able to recommend it enough. It is literally one of the most important messages I have ever heard.
I’m pretty sure everyone knows the Creation story. Or at least the gist of it. And I’m also pretty sure that everyone knows at least the most important part of the story of the fall of man. They are stories that are ingrained into Christians from a young age, as well as stories that permeate our culture and humanity. No matter what you believe—or if you even believe it—this idea that we were once perfect, and then something happened to screw it all up, it’s just in us.
But where are we starting the story? In my Bible, Genesis 1 and 2 come before Genesis 3. How about yours?
Genesis 1 and 2 are two distinctly different, and beautiful pieces of poetry revealing God’s nature as a Creator, and revealing our proper nature as the Creation. In end of the first part (1:31), the text reads:
“And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it completely. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.” (Amplified Version)
Notice the text doesn’t say “perfect”. This is interesting to me. God made us “good,” “suitable,” and “pleasant” but with the ability to choose imperfection. Anyway, in the second part (2:7), another great thing is revealed:
“Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or spirit of life, and man became a living being.” (Amplified Version)
So we learn from the very beginning of our sacred narrative that we were created good, and that we were given the very breath and spirit of life. Even though the Hebrew word for life in this verse is predominantly talking about literal, physical life, I can’t help but connect it to the spiritual, abundant life that Jesus speaks of in John 10:10. Our identity from our very creation is in the fact that we are made in the image of the Most High God. It’s who we are.
It’s not until Genesis 3 where humanity chooses imperfection. Humanity chooses to separate itself from this “good” thing. But as much as it would be easy to say this is where our identity changes form because of a stupid, selfish choice, it’s just not true. And if we start our Bibles here, we start with the posture of who we aren’t, rather than who we are.
I look mostly like my mom, and kind of like my dad. I act mostly like my dad, and kind of like my mom. My last name is Simula. A name that was passed on by my dad, a name that I, in turn, am passing on to my sons. At any time, I could choose to change my last name. Or I could get cosmetic surgery to change my appearance. Or I could see a behavioral specialist and try to change how my personality works. I could choose to never speak to my family again. But the fact of the matter is that nothing I can do can separate me from the fact that my identity as a human is in the fact that I am a Simula, and I am a spitting image of my mom and dad. I can try as hard as possible to change this fact, but the bare facts will still always remain.
It’s that simple. We were created in the Image of God. And we are considered good, suitable, and pleasant. Our story starts with this simple truth. And nothing can change that.
6 Comments
first of all: “In my Bible, Genesis 1 and 2 come before Genesis 3. How about yours?” smartass. =)
Second of all, something I was thinking about that you touched on is how the word gospel is translated as the “good news”. You would think something so important would be something like “the main point” or even “really good news” but the authors chose to call it simply good. In light of your “good, not perfect” point, I find this a really interesting revelation. In our modern mindsets we are trained there’s perfect and imperfect. But I think God saying ‘it was very good’ has such tremendous implications.
I’d say your post was…..good.
Sermon found here: http://marshill.org/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=57_38&products_id=494
I am looking forward to your other posts.
While our story starts with good, we cannot downplay the narrative changing points of the fall and Christ. I understand we want to start with us being made in the image of God, but something dramatic happened in the fall that forever (unless Christ is involved) changed the story.
Look at any fictional story. The story moves on and decisions are made, things are changed. Just because the story began at a single point doesn’t mean that point defines the character from then on. What normally defines the character is the decisions they make through the narrative.
-Dan
Dan, I definitely see what you are saying. And I’m not saying that our lives and trajectory aren’t shaped by our actions. I’m merely saying that there are certain facts about us that always remain. Nothing will change that fact that we were created in the Image of God, and that we were created good, and that we can, at any time, return to that goodness. We can definitely choose the opposite direction, and I think that’s the beauty of the whole thing.
Forget fictional stories – you have kids. My son Rowan looks just like me. He was “created in my image”. Of course the things he does in life will shape him as a person, but nothing will change his attachment to me (what I explained in the latter half of my post). He might even take a turn for the worse, where I might just have to let him go his own way, hoping he’ll return (he may not). That doesnt change the fact that he is a part of me, and that in my eyes he is good. This goodness is the grace that at any time, I would welcome him back with open arms, just as the father did with the prodigal. The father saw the good in him, even though by cultural standards he was anything but.
This is all just another way of pointing back to Gods perfect, weirdly not-understandable grace.
This grace, this nature of the Father, is what separates our narrative from a fictional narrative. Grace doesn’t really make logical sense in the story.
goooooosebuuuumps.
Hittin’ the nail on the head, man.
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