174 | Transcending God's Image

November 20, 2023 Daryl McMullen

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

174 | Transcending God's Image Daryl McMullen

November 20, 2023

Welcome back!

Minute of Transparency: The Forgotten Holiday

Today's Topic: Transcending God's Image

The Three O's
It's In Our DNA
Returning Home

// CHAPTER 1: THE THREE O's

So one of the things Christians throw around all the time is the idea that we were made in God's image. That when He was creating us - He decided we needed to resemble them in some form or fashion.

Now I say He when referring to God, but maybe it should be They - if you believe that God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit all had something to do with our existence.

At any rate - we were created - and the Bible describes it like this in Genesis 1:26-28:

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

Great...good to know. But what does that actually mean? If we were made to look like God, act like God or in some way be like God. What does that mean?

In the verse we just read - two things stand out to me:

"in our image, to be like us."
"In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."

So based on the first part - it sounds like we were created to be like God in some way.

And the second part suggests that our concept of male and female somehow resembles God.

Now - for the purposes of this episode - we're going to spend time unpacking the first part - and not the second. Though you could probably do multiple episodes on what it means for our gender to reflect God. Given our fascination with gender today, and gender fluidity - it seems like this would be a fascinating study that could help alleviate some of the polarization we see around that topic.

But let's stick with the first part. Being created in the Image of God. And what it means to be like Him, or Them as the case may be...

And in order to do this it might be good to start with the things we don't have in common:

Not just today - given the Human Condition and the Sin Virus - and the way that separates us from the Divine
But even at the beginning - before the Sin Virus
There has, and always will be a difference between the Creator and the Creation
Between God and the things They create

So let's start there - with the things God is that we'll never be. We can refer to these as the Three O's:

O #1: Omnipotent:

The word omnipotent comes from omni- meaning “all” and potent meaning “power.” As with the attributes of omniscience and omnipresence, it follows that, if God is infinite, and if He is sovereign, which we know He is, then He must also be omnipotent. He has all power over all things at all times and in all ways.

O #2: Omnipresent:

The prefix omni- originates in Latin and means “all.” So, to say that God is omnipresent is to say that God is present everywhere. In many religions, God is regarded as omnipresent, whereas in both Judaism and Christianity, this view is further subdivided into the transcendence and immanence of God. Although God is not totally immersed in the fabric of creation (pantheism), He is present everywhere at all times.

O #3: Omniscient:

Omniscience is defined as “the state of having total knowledge, the quality of knowing everything.” For God to be sovereign over His creation of all things, whether visible or invisible, He has to be all-knowing. His omniscience is not restricted to any one person in the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all by nature omniscient.

So there you go - three of the many attributes of God - the idea that He (or They) are Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient.

Now there are others - two important ones were mentioned in the definitions above - and they are:

Infinite: Which means that God is limitless, measureless and boundless. Divine infinity indicates that the limitations of finite creatures do not apply to Him. Whatever God is (love, faithfulness, righteous, wise, etc), He is without limit, and whatever He is cannot be measured. He is not bound or restricted by space, time, or matter. God has neither a measurable beginning nor a measurable end. He fills eternity from everlasting to everlasting. Such truth is incomprehensible (another of His attributes) to our finite minds.
Sovereign: It describes freedom from external control or of other controlling influences. God is the ultimate authority in every sphere and place. It follows that all creation is subject to Him and that all creation is answerable to Him. As an aside, what verb do you see in the word sovereign? "Reign" of course, and this verb captures the essence of this divine attribute. God's ability to "reign" over all things.

Now these aren't the only attributes of God - I linked to an article with 25 of them. But these are some of the big ones - the attributes that make Them God and us not so much.

So in my estimation - when it says God created us in His image - these were not the things They were referring to.

Because we will never be Infinite, Sovereign, Omnipotent, Omnipresent or Omniscient.

Not today - not ever. Not even in our perfect, resurrected bodies when Jesus returns to Earth to make everything right.

// CHAPTER 2: IT'S IN OUR DNA

So...if we will never be those things - then what are we talking about when it comes to being created in the Image of God?

Well - when I look through the list of attributes in the article - there are actually some that we seem capable of.

Maybe not to the level that God expresses them - but still something we can work toward - and emulate.

Here is the full list:

Eternal
Faithfulness
Foreknows
Good
Holy
Immutable
Impartial
Incomprehensible
Infinite
Jealous
Justice
Longsuffering
Love
Mercy
Omnipotent
Omnipresent
Omniscient
Righteous
Self-existent
Self-sufficient
Sovereign
Transcendent
Truth
Wise
Wrath

Now just reading through the list it should be obvious that there are some we will definitely never be. But there are some that we can display. Maybe not to the level God displays them - but still - a version of it. Here are just a few of the ones I identified as possible for us:

Faithfulness: In the Bible we are called to be faithful - over and over again - so on some level it must be something we're capable of being
Good: Not good the way God is good - but we definitely have the ability to make decisions based on whether it is good, or bad. We can choose to do the right, or good thing in every situation
Impartial: Though this might be difficult - we have the ability to be impartial. To set aside our desires, and our prejudices in order to view another person the way God views them
Justice: We can stand up for people the way God stands up for people. The way Jesus did when He was on earth. Speaking up for the poor, the picked upon and those who are unable to stand up for themselves
Longsuffering: Have you ever made the decision to stay in a relationship with someone who is difficult to love? Not a love relationship - just a family, or friend relationship where the person is rough around the edges, and it would be easier on you to just drop them like a hot rock? Choosing NOT to do this is displaying a longsuffering attitude toward them. It shows patience and the ability to be slow to anger
Love: If there is one thing we can't deny - it's that the Bible calls us to love. As Jesus loved us enough to die for us - so too we are to love others. Again, not the easiest thing to do in every situation I but possible
Mercy: Similar to love. The Bible calls us to have mercy on people in the same way Jesus took mercy on us and died for our sins
Wise: Obviously not wise the way God is wise. But we're called to use our brains. To learn. And to seek wisdom. Not just knowledge for knowledge's sake. But knowledge that informs our thinking and behaving. That's true wisdom

Now - that was a lot - but I would suggest that this author missed two very big ones. Major attribute of God that I feel we're capable of displaying as well:

Communal/Relational:

I see this in a variety of ways - but let's start with God
You can't look at God without seeing community and relationships
Starting with The Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit
The Bible describes this union as so close that the 3 are actually 1
Not something we'll fully grasp until we can ask God Himself - but on some level we understand that there are three separate and unique Beings - but that they are so close we also refer to Them as God
Next, God created other Beings - why? Because God is relational - He wants community
And finally - we see this in the life of Jesus on earth
He had family, close friends, and even chose 12 guys to hang out with Him for the last three years of His life
So do we bear that image?
Of course!
Marriage is the closest thing to the Trinity - in fact the Bible even refers to marriage as the two becoming one
We group ourselves into families
We develop friendships
We join active communities like churches, clubs, sports teams, etc.
And we work to grow relationships with the people we care about
So to me - this has to be part of the Image of God

Creativity/Innovation:

God is creative. Obviously. We call ourselves "creationists" because we believe in a God capable of creation - creating something out of nothing
Genesis explains that God spoke and things came into being
So maybe this is another thing They passed down?
Maybe creativity was also part of the Image of God
There is the obvious creative connection:

God, through the close connection of The Trinity created humans
And They gave humans the same ability
A man and a woman through their close connection can create a new life as well

But aside from the obvious one - think about all of the other things we can create
Now I know - we've all heard people say, "I don't have a creative bone in my body."
And what they're typically saying is, "I'm not an artist. I can't draw. I can't paint. I'm not crafty."
And they're probably right. Not everyone is a Picasso or a Michelangelo
But that doesn't mean you're not creative
The act of arranging picture frames on a desk, or on the wall is an act of creativity
Choosing to take an alternate route home from work is an act of creativity
Going into a specific sport is an act of creativity
Creating a playlist in Spotify is an act of creativity
Do you see it now?
How many things we do in a day that require us to be creative? To think outside the box. To come up with a strategy and then act on it?
To me this might be one of the most special ways we assume the Image of God
Yes, love and mercy are big ones - and very important
But take every other person on earth out of the equation - just focus on yourself as an individual for a minute - and creativity is a pretty big thing
As a person - the freedom of choice we were given allows us to make decisions - to do things - even things that aren't required for survival
This is one of the main things that separates us from animals
Animals are very reactive - we call these behaviors "innate" or hardwired
They respond to their environment out of a survival mindset
Feeling hungry - they look for food
Feeling threatened - they run or hide
But most animals don't sit down and decide to write music
A bird sings - but only because it was created to sing a very specific song
A spider artistically spins a web - but only because it was created to do so
Now there are also "learned" behaviors - those an animal can learn or pick up based on reward or repetition
A dog can learn to roll over - which seems creative - but it is a learned behavior to please the owner or get a treat
But humans are obviously different
We can teach ourselves things, learn new things and create new things regardless of the outcome
Take the Transcend Human Podcast for example:

I taught myself all of the skills required to set up, record, maintain and publish the podcast
I also pulled from years of educational, occupational and experiential learnings in order to come up with the content for the podcast
And I've been doing it since 2020 with no reward other than my own satisfaction putting it out there
It doesn't make money, it hasn't brought me fame or recognition
It's simply something I do - a creative outlet

And that's just the tip of the iceberg
Think about all of the musicians, artists, engineers, stand up comics, inventors, athletes out there - so many ways to express our creativity

// CHAPTER 3: RETURNING HOME

So we've spent a lot of time talking about how we're different from God. Attributes He has that we will never have.

But we've also covered quite a few that we have in common. Attributes of God that we have within ourselves. Attributes that in my estimation make up this thing we refer to as the Image of God.

So if humans have these little reflections of God within them here on earth - as part of the Human Condition - where the Sin Virus runs rampant.

What happens when the world ends and we're returned to the state of perfection that existed when we were first created?

Well, I think we've already ruled some things out. When we enter Heaven we don't get the Three O's for example. And it just makes sense that we aren't Infinite, and we won't be Sovereign.

These are attributes of a Being that has always been and always will be. A Being that can create other living things and thus has a level of power and position those creatures can never achieve. Just ask Satan how this works. He didn't want to believe this was true - so he pushed back - and told God, "You shouldn't be the one in charge. I deserve to have your attributes as well."

But looking back it seems kind of silly. Satan was a created being - therefore he had a start date. Whereas God has always been.

How on earth does it make sense for a lesser being - to be as great as the one who created him?

And yet don't we do the same thing here on earth?

Many of us choose to believe there is no God. And even those who do believe - often put Him in a tiny little box.

Then we go out and live our lives as if we're in full control. We get a career, make a bunch of money and we act like we have no needs whatsoever.

We are the captains of our own ships. And we don't need anything from anyone.

That's the heart of what Satan believed. He didn't want there to be a Being bigger than himself.

He didn't want to answer to anyone and he didn't want to admit there was someone to worship. Because he just wanted to worship himself - and better yet - get worship from others.

Think about how powerful that feeling is - to receive worship from other people. It happens all the time:

Think about athletes - and how many people come to watch them
Think about politicians who set up press conferences so they can throw out a few hot takes and get themselves back into the news cycle
And think about Taylor Swift (and other musicians) who look down from their stages and see people weeping and screaming their names

It's powerful friends. Fame is a highly addictive drug.

But back to the question we started with.

What will change when we get to heaven? Our minds? Our bodies?

Well, to wrap things up let's look at two things. Let's look back to see what we were like before the Sin Virus. And let's look forward be allowing the Bible to describe heaven.

First, looking back:

In Genesis - this is how our origin is described
God created human beings in His own image
Male and female He created them
We were commanded to multiply and fill the earth
We were commanded to reign over the lesser creation (like the animals and nature)
Genesis doesn't describe how the animals were created other than God spoke it - and it happened
But with humans - in Chapter 2 - we are given the play-by-play

"Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person."
I often wonder if that's where the whole Image of God things comes from
The fact that God didn't just command us to exist - He actually took time to form us and then breathed life directly into us

Next, it describes that they lived in an amazing garden - one that they watched over and tended
We're told that they enjoyed food - and that the garden was full of fruits and other growing things that they subsisted on
We're told that Adam and Eve were both created by God - and that the union this created - the relationship they had was perfect
And it explains that they were naked - but not ashamed
Until the fall - when Adam and Eve both ate the fruit of a forbidden tree
That's when they recognized that they were naked and needed something to cover themselves
We also learn that God walked with His created beings
Chapter 3 says that when Adam and Eve heard God walking through the garden they ran and hid themselves
And finally - we finish up the story by learning that God created clothing for them to wear
And then banished them from the garden - mainly because there was a tree inside called the Tree of Life which would sustain them and keep them from the effects of the Sin Virus

Next, let's look ahead:

So one thing we can do is infer that some of the things we understand about life in the garden - will most likely be true of life in heaven
Things like having perfect bodies that don't require clothes - or being clothed in new clothing we don't even understand
Eating amazing foods that probably don't have an impact on what we look like, or how much we weigh
We will once again be able to be in the presence of God - and be able to walk with Him and talk with Him as parents do with their children
We will be immortal - able to live forever with God and not fear an ending like death
With the Sin Virus gone - we no longer experience things like temptation, stress, anxiety, worry, fear, sadness, pain, loss, or depression
So if we get to heaven and we don't become Infinite, Sovereign, Omnipotent, Omnipresent or Omniscient
What do we get?
Well, all of the things we just talked about - which is a pretty big deal
But also - more of the things we share in common with God
Things like love, mercy, longsuffering, faithfulness and wisdom
If these are things we share with God - part of the Image He used to create us
In heaven - these things we struggled with will be made whole - complete in some way
If we struggled to love others fully here on earth
In heaven - we're flooded with love - we get all 100% of it
Like drinking from a fire hose
And the wisdom we sought through school, reading and talking with others
Suddenly we're connected to the source - and God allows us to use 100% of our brain capacity
As if our minds have become Google running 10th generation AI
All knowledge available in the blink of an eye - or a thought - or a simple question that God answers immediately
However it works - full access to all knowledge

But let's wrap things up with community and creativity - because those are the elements that really made me want to do this episode in the first place.

I just can't get past the idea that God is relational, and creative. And when He created us in His Image - I believe He made sure these two things would be part of that Image.

The Bible explains that in heaven we will recognize people - and be able to grow together.

It says we will all come together to worship God - as a group - as a community.

But imagine the community it will be. Where every individual can know and be fully known. No fear, no anxiety, no embarrassment, not feeling self conscious based on socioeconomic status, looks, or talent.

Everyone is equal - and everyone has the same disposition - to love each other and be together.

The Bible also includes a few references about creativity. Here are a few:

Exodus 35:31-32 "...and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze."

Exodus 35:35 "He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers."

Psalm 139:13-14 “...and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts.”

Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Now these are ways we are creative on earth.

I have no idea how our creativity will be expressed in heaven!

But I can't wait to find out:

Maybe we'll be able to create our own spaces - houses from perfectly shaped stones, gems and precious metals
Maybe we'll have the ability to tend gardens - and create our own unique landscaping around our homes
Maybe we'll be able to communicate with animals and travel to places we find fascinating
I grew up with the idea that we would be able to fly or possibly transport ourselves in some way
Who knows...
But what I do know is whatever it will be - is far better than our minds can even imagine
All we can imagine are things we've seen - the best of the things on this earth - through the filter of the Sin Virus
But there is so much we can't see
So much that exists outside this earthly experience
And I can't wait to see it, and experience it all!

Let's Land the Plane:

Friends - great being with you for another episode.

I hope this was inspiring in a number of ways:

To recognize that you were created in the Image of a kind, loving God
To recognize that you are able to live in that Image right here and now - by leaning into things like loving others, showing mercy, building relationships and expressing your creativity
And finally, to look into the future and realize how amazing eternal life will be. To experience our true potential - and fully reflect the Image of God the way He intended us to

I pray that you not only see the Image of God in yourself - but that you have the strength to lean into it and shine the light only you can shine in this dimly lit world.

Have a great week friends, and as always, keep Transcending Human!

References: