Spiritual Formations

8/3/2019 Spiritual Formations

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Spiritual Formations

Its about Relationships: with God, Jesus Christ, Other People, and Self.


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We are social creatures by nature. We are ravenously relational. This is evident by the

way even the most introverted are drawn together in at least groupings of 2 or 3. As individuals,

we are able to consciously influence a group and contribute to its constructive functions (GroupProcess in Jungian Analytic Training and Institute, Kirsch/Spradlin). Regardless of who we are,

even as the most introverted of individuals, we have the power of influence. We influence what

goes in, what comes out, what is acceptable and unacceptable within the group. These influencesare determined by our preferences. Our preferences are determined by our experiences. Every

part of our life is intertwined.

ONE PART AFFECTS ANOTHER.

We influence each other

and every part of life influences us.

When we gather in groups we are expanding our resources of information. Groups

increase our level of communication. We learn how to communicate better in various ways. We

learn to become more aware of how we are communicating. Communicating bonds the group

together, but no group is invulnerable to splits. Conflicts happen. Conflicts can be a threat tocohesion (Group Process in Jungian Analytic Training). Cohesion is made by finding common

ground while conflict can help us to maintain our individuality. Conflict and cohesion are

necessary for a healthy life. Conflict and cohesion improve our performance, change ourattitudes and behavior and even how we function from day to day (Groups: Past, Present, and

Future). Conflict prevents stagnancy and allows growth to occur.

When we get together and communicate we become more personally known to eachother; how we communicate and relate to each other grows, and we can actually base our

perceptions on experience (our own and others in our group). Projections will occur, but they

become changed through peer relationships.Every person has something valuable to offer that no one else can. No two individuals are

exactly alike; therefore no two people have had the same exact experiences with the same exact

preferences. There is someone that everyone can help. God created each and every one of us for

the purpose of bringing us together through relationship. We are complex creations. Complexity

is not complication. It is very possible for complexity and simplicity to be equal partners. It isour natural human error that complicates matters.

The Balance to be maintained:

The life of the individual

The life of the group


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If the group overtakes the individual the individual dies. If individuality is lost, ultimately

the life of the group will be lost as well. The two are very much intertwined. We are made for

relationship.From the beginning of Creation God establishes that it is not good for any individual

human to be separated or apart; to be divided, solitary or in isolation. We are created to be social

beings. Family is the foundation of social networking. The family is the collective body ofpersons that live in one house, under one head or manager, called a household. It is also an order,

a class or genus of animals or other natural productions that have something in common

distinguishing them from others (Websters Dictionary, e-sword). In other words, the family is agroup, a collection or assemblage of persons or things; a cluster or number of persons or things

ranged together because of common traits (dictionary.com). The family is the first group we

encounter when we are born.

The bible is all about families. The cultural background of the bible defines the personaccording to the family they are born in. God calls Himself our Father and refers to us as His

children. Our families define who we are. We are defined by the groups we are a part of. Lets

take a look at gangs and how they are formed. Those forming the gang tend to target people who

for whatever reason dont have a family due to rejection or perceived rejection. Once they havebeen chosen and accepted in the gang, each gang member will proudly declare the gang to be

his/her family and will define their lives and personality according to the gang/family/groupthey run with.

It is natural for us to congregate in groups. Jesus picked 12 men out of the massive crowd

that followed Him. He lived with these men, and allowed them to see every area of His life, even

the intimate details. These 12 men called His disciples saw Him laugh, cry, and even get angry.They saw Him in distress and under stress. They saw Him live, die, live again. These 12 men that

Jesus chose to know Him so intimately flipped the world upside down, forever changed, never

the same in a way no other group of any generation ever has. Their story after Jesus ascendedinto heaven is found in the book of Acts. The book of Acts is the foundation of the Church. The

Church is made up of groups (all the individual churches in various cities). The groups of the

church are made up of groups called congregations which are made up of a variety of coregroups (families).

We learn most effectively from each other (peers). Knowledge gained from each other

makes a bigger, more powerful impact then knowledge gained from books or videos. Knowledgefrom reading, etc. is minimal compared to knowledge gained in life through our encounters and

interactions with people. Having a variety of encounters/interactions with a variety of people has

the potential to give a person a love for variety. With all the various types of people with various

views conflict and problems are sure to arise, but relationships can be maintained without theloss of individuality to anyone through the agreement to disagree and still accept one another.

This is what Acts 4:32-37 is talking about when it says they were all with one accord. One

accord does not mean that every person was exactly the same, thinking the same thoughts,feeling the same feelings, experiencing the same thing, and looking the same way. One accord

means to rush along in unison almost musical, like when a number of different notes are

sounded, harmonized in pitch and tone, creating a unique blend under the direction of the concertmaster. Our Master is Jesus Christ, working through the Holy Spirit blending different lives

together and creating something beautiful and pleasing to our Heavenly Father.


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Since Genesis 1 and 2 declare us to be made in Gods Image, and we are made first and

foremost for relationship with Him lets start with Him. Many religions portray God to be a

solo entity in the sky. The Bible shows throughout the whole text evidence of three distinctbeings: God the Father, Jesus Christ His Son, and the Holy Spirit who lives in each believer

today. This is a small group working so closely together that they are ONE. This is the

doctrine of the Trinity. The Trinitarian Doctrine is distinctly Christian. No other religion dares tomake the declaration of 1 God with 3 Persons within. Matthew 3:16-17 After Jesus was

baptized, He immediately came up from the water. Suddenly, the heavens were opened, and hesaw the Spirit of God coming down as a dove to Him. Then a voice from heaven said, this is My

Son, whom I love My Son with whom I Am pleased is the primary text for the Trinitarian

doctrine.

The word trinity is simply a term that is used trying to capture what the bible is saying. It

is about God and who He is, what He is like, how He works, and how He is approached. TheDeity of Christ is wrapped up in the doctrine of the trinity.

When the Oneness of God is talked about it is simply revealing His Unity. God

demonstrates His reality by His action. He is entitled to be worshipped, cherished and obeyed

with complete devotion. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Listen, Israel: the LORD is our God. The LORD isthe only God. Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all yourstrength. No one else can make this claim because everything else is made from somethingGod created. God gave us instructions to think deeply on, talk about (at home, everywhere we

go), to make visual aides as reminders, to make them a part of us, and to pass them on to our

children. God is complete therefore the commitment to Him needs to be complete (Exodus 20).

The Deity of Three

1. The Father There is one God. There is also one Mediator between God and humans

a human, Christ Jesus. He sacrificed himself for all people to free them from their sins.

This message is valid for every era. I Timothy 2:5-6

There is only one God, the Father. Everything came from Him, and we livefor Him. There is only one Lord, Jesus Christ. Everything came into being through Him,

and we live because of Him. I Corinthians 8:6

Look at the birds. They dont plant, harvest, or gather the harvest intobarns. Yet, your heavenly Father feeds them. Arent you worth more then they? Thats

the way God clothes the grass in the field. Today it is alive, and tomorrow it is thrown

into an incinerator. So how much more will he clothe you people who have so little faith?Dont ever worry and say, what are we going to eat? or what are we going to drink?

or what are we going to wear? Every one is concerned about these things, and your

heavenly Father certainly knows you need all of them. Matthew 6:26, 30-32

About three oclock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lemasabachthami? which means, My God, My God, why have you abandoned Me? Matthew 27:46

2. Jesus Have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Although He was in the form ofGod and equal with God, He did not take advantage of this equality. Instead He emptied

Himself by taking on the form of a servant, by becoming like other humans, by having a

human appearance. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,death on a cross. This is why God has given Him an exceptional honor the name

honored above all other names so that at the name of Jesus everyone in heaven, on


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earth, and in the world below will kneel and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the gloryof God the Father.- Philippians 2:5-11

The nature talked about in verse 6 is form, in reference to being in the nature of God. it is

what it is. God says it like this, IAM. The form is the substance and contrasts with another

form that is merely a shape of something or a superficial appearance. Jesus is the substanceof God, not just a mere shape. There is nothing superficial about Him. Jesus is equal with the

Father. He shares His Nature. In order for Jesus to be equal with and share Gods Nature He

has to be God. There is no other way. Hebrews 1:2 tells us that Jesus is the radiance of Godsglory and He is the exact representation of His being. Psalm 45:6; 102:25; 110:1 back this up

contextually. Jesus understood His Deity. This is seen in Luke 12:8-9; Matthew 13:41; 12:28;

19:14; 24; 21:31; 24:30; 26:63-65; Mark 13:20; 2:8-10; 14:62; John 20:28. Peters revelation

of Jesus and Thomas response to Him are also evidence of Jesus Deity. Jesus emptiedHimself of all that He was so that we can be all that He created and designed us to be.

3. The Holy Spirit There are references that interchange God and Holy Spirit. Acts

5:3-4; John 16:8-11; I Corinthians 12:4-11; 3:16-17 we are Gods temple that HisHoly Spirit lives in. Other references that declare equality between the Holy Spirit and

God are Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14; I Peter 1:2.

This three in oneness was not really formed until the 5th century AD. It is the best

explanation that the church fathers could come up with. Orthodox Theology does not always

deal with pure bible, so the debate concerning the trinity continues today.The closest picture we have of what the unity of these three incredible beings is like is

found in Genesis 2:24 talking about marriage, how the man and woman become one a

union of two separate entities; and still the picture of marriage is only a mere faded shadowof the beauty it was designed to represent. Deuteronomy 6:4 also carries this connotation of

unity when it says the Lord our God, the Lord is one. It is saying that He is an organism, a

unity of distinct parts. The gospel of John contains the strongest evidence of this.John chapter 1 is loaded with evidence of the trinity. When verse one says the Word

was with God, and the Word was God it is indicating the divine nature of the Word. It is

showing the distinction between the Son and the Father, revealing the intimate fellowshipbetween them at the same time. Other evidence is found in John 1:33-34; 10:30; 14:9, 16, 24,

26; 16:7, 13-15; 26; 17:21; 20:21-22.

The important thing to maintain while showing the relationship between the Father, Son

and Spirit is that there is only ONE God.


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The point in saying all this is to show God is a relational God. He is not alone. He did not

create us because He was lonely; but He did create us in His Image and part of that image is our

need to be in relationship with Him, with others and ourselves just like Him! This is thepurpose of the Church to bring us together in relationship.

Just where did the concept of the Church (Ecclesiology) come from? Jesus or Paul? Jesus

came to establish the kingdom of God, never the Church. The Church is an organizedorganism. The English term church used in scripture is the equivalent to the Hebrew term

qahal found in Exodus 12:3. It is nothing more then a summons to a meeting. There is a term,

Eta that is used in reference to the nation of Israel becoming a congregation or the people ofGod; the term sunagogue is linked with this to show the change from Passover to Easter. The

Greek also use the term kuriakos with the meaning belonging to the Lord. This appears twice

in the New Testament (Matthew 16:18; 18:17). Ecclesia is most commonly associated with the

concept of the church, called out for a purpose referring to the gathering of people, nothingmore (Johns letters to the 7 churches in Revelation, Colossians 4:15; Acts 5:11; 9:31).

The Church more commonly referred to in the book of Acts assembled together in

various cities in peoples homes. These were not large gatherings, certainly not thousands, but

more like 20 30 people, maximum.The Church, the Body of Christ, is terminology Paul used universally to address believers

individually or collectively. The Body of Christ and the Bride of Christ were only intendedto be tangible visualizations to help the human mind understand intangible concepts. Jesus did

this when He gave the illustration of the vine and the branches to explain that through having a

relationship with Him we can have a relationship with the Father. Jesus not only bring us into

relationship with the Father, but in and through Christ what once divided us is no longer and weare brought into relationship with each other.

John 14:6

The church mindset of Pauls Writings (the New Testament) is a Community mindset.

Communion ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Unity

CommunityThe people of God in the biblical sense shared history, community, and understanding.

Think about the image of the body. The body is the heart of the activity of Christ now, just as His

physical body was on earth when He was here. We are His Hands, Feet, Mind, Heart, etc. Is thebody dismembered? The local congregation is simply an area of believers. When the parts of

the body are separated, they are incomplete. Every part is needed. Every part specializes in

some action, some area. There is no greater or lesser in Gods kingdom. No one is greater

then the head, which is Christ Only the Father (I Corinthians 11:3).


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It is a very rare occasion for Paul to use the term Church in the individualistic sense. His

writings talk about the people of God, as in II Corinthians 6:16, showing how in the same way

God was with Israel He will be with us. God is not replacing Israel, knocking them out of thepicture; Hes bringing us in so we can enjoy the relationship with Him as they do.

Whatever is in existence exists simply because God chose it to be so. God chooses His

People. God chooses to protect and provide for His People. He takes pleasure in them and desiresthem to take pleasure in Him. God expects His People not to hold anything back from Him. He

expects His People to be completely His (no divided loyalties). Too many people have

cheapened the choice to accept Christ today. It is more then a fluffy, chills and bumpsexperience. Salvation is complex at its core. It is the result of our union with Christ. He is the

Head. He is running this thing. Nothing occurs without His say so or His approval. Nothing

surprises Him. He chose to give us the chance to choose Him. It is a choice with a high cost. We

have to tell people the cost. Its all or nothing.As individuals, we are members of the body. The body is made up of billions of cells,

unable to function outside of the body. If the cell is separated from the body it dies. We are the

same way. We are on dependent on the rest of the body. We need each other to be able to

function and do our part. Ephesians 4:12-13 For the perfecting of the saints to the work ofministry, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all arrive at the oneness of the faithand of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full grown man, at the measure of the stature of

the fullness of Christ (to full grown maturity). We are made to see this come into being. We are

created to serve and encourage each other. Confrontation, Challenge and Comfort are all an

equal part of encouragement. We are designed for the purpose of preparing Gods People. For

how long? This doesnt stop until ALL of us are united in our faith and knowledge about JesusChrist. This continues on until we are mature, measuring up to the Christ to is our standard. This

is an ongoing, daily process. We are made to Equip, Encourage and Edify.

So lets stop with all the insanely loud debates and just Accept and Love the Lord with

ALL our Heart, Mind and Spirit! When we do well find it so much easier to accept and

love each other.

We are all interconnected (I Corinthians 12:26). In Matthew 28:20 Jesus tells His disciples to

disciple others and teach them everything He taught them. This is how the gospel is spread. Thisis how the world will know. If we truly love God we have to the desire burns within and wont

be quenched until it is shared. We dont have to be worried, or nervous or scared because we

have Gods Holy Spirit guiding and teaching us to move faithfully, gently, and in control. Gods

Holy Spirit knows all about unity. He makes us pure and holy both positionally and practicallyby dealing with the sin, the attitudes, the opinions, working at separating us from the world,

making His priorities our priorities as well as filling our lack.


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Gods Plan

Human Action is a part of Gods Plan. The debate is over which came first; Gods plan or

Human Action. Some believe Gods Plan of Salvation was in order before mans fall whileothers say Gods Plan came after. Its the whole chicken / egg thing on another level. The

biblical view says that God is involved in human history, guiding it to a specific point, a

destination that glorifies Him. This means He is actively engaged, not passively observing!Gods Plan is his eternal decision rendering certain that all things will come to pass. God

is Sovereign. He ultimately gives us the freedom to choose because He loves us. We can choose

to love Him in return. When we choose to love Him we choose things we believe will pleaseHim and make Him smile. We choose to love Him in return because we trust Him. We are able

to trust Him because He chose to love us first. He knows our hearts better then we do. He knows

our desire to please Him and when we are about to step out somewhere in or to a place that wont

please Him, He will protect us and prevent us from going that route.Gods Plan and Gods Decrees are synonymous. God does not decree our steps. He just

knows everything that is knowable. He knows what we will go through and how we will

respond. He will be there with us every step of the way.

Isaiah 14:24 the LORD of Armies has taken an oath: It will happen exactly as Ive intended. Itwill turn out exactly as Ive planned.

Job 38:1-2 then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. Who is this that belittles My Advicewith words that do not show any knowledge about it?

Acts 4:28 makes reference to those who crucified Jesus. It shows that they were acting according

to Gods Plan. Jesus knew He was going to die. He knew it had already been appointed by God.

Jesus became the Worst of the worst so that we could become a part of His Absolute Best. Godallowed Jesus to go through all that He did because He isnt willing for any of us to perish.

John 3:16 18 God so loved the world this way: He gave His only Son so that everyone who

believes in Him will not die but will have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world, not to

condemn the world, but to save the world. Those who believe in Him wont be condemned. Butthose who dont believe are already condemned because they dont believe in Gods only Son.

Gods Plan is closely connected with His Covenant to His People in Israel. The Old

Testament will never say it rained today. It will say God caused it to rain upon_________.

We can never make God partially responsible. We can never make God partially anything. He iseither responsible for all or not at all (see Isaiah 36).

Whatever God plans, it will happen. Proverbs 16:4 The Lord has made everything forHis own purpose, even wicked people for the day of trouble. God has made all things forHimself, even the bad and ugly. It all ultimately shows God to be Amazing and Awesome in

Mercy, Love and Patience. Jesus lived His entire life according to Gods Plan, even willing to be

separated from the Father so that dont have to be.Discovering and walking in Gods plan is different for each person because each person

is different. We can rest knowing that God is more the big enough to cover our lack. His plan is

from eternity. It is not unfold in response or as a consequence of history, but rather within the

context of history. Gods plan does not have chronological sequence but it does have logical


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sequence. His Plan is wholistic. All the parts make the whole. If one part is taken out, then the

whole is incomplete and therefore it is not perfect.

Gods Planning is one simultaneous decision. This idea is overwhelmingly intangible forus to grasp. We do not have the capability to understand this. We think linearly, part by part,

section by section. It is less overwhelming and easier to comprehend.

Gods Plan and the decisions it contains are free on Gods part. Ultimately the purposefor Gods Plan is His Glory.

Colossians 1:6 He created all things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. Whether they

are kings or lords, rulers or powers everything has been created through Him and for Him.

Revelation 4:11 Our Lord and God, You deserve to receive glory, honor, and power because

You created everything. Everything came into existence and was created because of Your Will.

Gods Plan is elusive. Every part of creation is chosen and planned. Ephesians 1:11 Godalso decided ahead of time to chose us though Christ according to His Plan which makes

everything work the way He intends.Gods Plan is effective, potent and powerful. It works. His Plan relates to His Actions

rather then His Nature. We modify our character to a situation. God doesnt. He is what and whoHe is. He is IAM. His Plan relates primarily to what He does Himself in terms of creating,

preserving, directing and redeeming. Its about Him, not us or what we do. He does not force

individuals to act in any particular way, and although it isnt about us or what we do, we are

included in His Plan so that we can be in relationship with Him.

The action taken is not what matters the most.

It is the motive behind the action.

This is found in the Heart.

But regardless of what we choose, whatever our reason-

- God is Sovereign.His Plan is unchangeable.

We cannot mess it up.


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Gods Work

Gods Work is creation, ex nihilo, out of nothing. There is nothing that comes fromnothing. Everything comes from something. Creation is the work of an artist. What He creates

comes from Him. The word used for created in Genesis 1:1 is bara, which means to make, to

do, renew and found in the context of origination. We will never originate anything. We canonly take something God already created to make something else.

We are not created beings. We are formed from the dust of the ground, like the potter

forms clay. We are yet another form of Art in the Masters Hands. Providence is Gods work tosustain the creation He brought into existence. Gods providential care is His Hand at work to

maintain all of creation so that all will be able to be a part of His Plan. Creation is not self-

sustaining. It needs its Creator in order to exist. We need Him so that we can exist!

As believers, we are not spared from danger or trials but rather we are preserved in them(Matthew 24:15-31). Preservation excludes the extremes of deism and constantly cooperates

with Him and His Plan to reveal His Glory.

He changes times and periods of history. He removes kings and establishes them. He giveswisdom to those who are wise and knowledge to those who have insight. Daniel 2:21

He displayed His mighty power. He scattered those who think too highly of themselves. He

pulled strong rulers from their thrones. He honored humble people. He fed hungry people withgood food. He sent rich people away with nothing. Luke 1:51-53

God is Sovereign. He is in control. He will not allow any individual in any way mess up His

Plan. Our failures do not mess up His Plan, they only enhance it proving His Awesomeness

even greater still!


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Who We Are

Then God said, let us make humans in our image, in our likeness. Let them rule the fish in the

sea, the birds in the sky, the domestic animals all over the earth, and all the animals that crawl

on the earth. So God created humans in his image. In the image of God he created them. He

created them male and female. Genesis 1:26-27, Gods Word translation

Humanity / Human Nature are all the characteristics that we share, in spite of the vast

amounts of differences. These characteristics are what form the Image of God in each and everyone of us (Genesis 1:27). The abilities to increase, grow, fill, master / overcome and rule are a

part of that image our nature, as well as the ability to love, hate, cherish, reject, feel joy or

sadness, even anger. Our abilities to think, reason, comprehend and communicate are also a part

of the image we share with our Creator; even our desire to consume is a part of His Image in us.God shares His nature with us. Gods Image in us is the combination of intelligence, immortality,

morality and spirituality (Bible History: Old Testament; Vol.1, Chap.1). It is the nature He

created in us that allows us to be in relationship with Him.

Genesis is the book of beginnings (Talk Thru the Old Testament; Vol.1 of Talk thru theBible, Bruce Wilkinson & Kenneth Boa, pg. 5). Genesis is a Greek term meaning origin,

source, generation, or beginning. The Hebrew title is Bereshith, meaning, In the beginning. Itis the beginning of the universe, the world, the plants, the animals, and of course, the beginning

of us (humanity / human nature). Genesis 1:1, In the beginning is the reference point. It is what

it is. Every story has a beginning and ending. If we are honest with ourselves we will agree that

somewhere deep within each and every one of us there is a knowledge that the earth andeverything in and around it has a starting point (a beginning) and a stopping point (an end). John

1:1-3 says In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was

not anything made that was made. The Word is something spoken. It is a thought released

orally. The Word is how God releases His Power and His Will. It is through His Word that God

speaks to us today (oral/written). The beginning is the starting point for creation and mankind. Itis something tangible for our finite minds to grasp. What is the starting point for the beginning?

The beginning began with the Word. God had a thought. His Heart desired that thought to beexpressed. He released that expression of his heart through His Word.He said it, it was.The heart from the biblical view is understood to be the core, the central part. Reading John 1:18,

we find Jesus, from the beginning existing at the Fathers Heart; the core/central part of Him.

Jesus Christ is the Fathers heart revealed in human flesh. Genesis is only the beginning of that

revelation. God is the Almighty, All Powerful Author and Creator of this universe andeverything we know. History is His Story. It is His Story of Grace, Love and Relationship. The

story begins and ends with Him. Genesis provides us with the core that unifies all of our

differences as human beings.The term used for humans / man / mankind is adam meaning be red referring to an

individual of a kind or the kind (race) itself. It is connected with adamah which makes

reference to the red soil from which mankind was formed, marking the earthliness of humanity.When man was created it was not by a word addressed (let there be) by God like the rest of

creation; it was a word decreed by Him (let us make man in our image). Mankind was set

distinctly apart from and above the rest of creation (Keil and Delitzsch commentary, e-sword).

God made us in His image. God created. He qualified us, selected us, chose us to be a part of this


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amazing process we call life. He created us to be male and female equal partners with Him. We

are a shade, an illusion, a mere resemblance; we are a representative figure of our Creator. We

are his best work. When God created mankind, He was showing off His skills and how great Heis. We are reflections of who He is.

We are made in Gods Image, after his likeness. When God made that proclamation he was

declaring that we are distinct and pre-eminent above the rest of creation. He was saying, Hey,pay attention, take note, this is the most important part of all. There was a deliberate purpose

behind bringing us into being. No other part of creation was announced before it came to be

(Albert Barnes Notes).We are made to reflect his image. We are made to resemble and represent our creator. If we

were mirror images we would merely reflect Gods image back to himself; but He desires that

we reflect His image to the world, thus the reflection we are is more like the purest form of gold

- crystal clear, squeaky clean (Matthew 5:8). The pure heart, like the purest form of gold is sovery thin and it is most fragile, but it is also the most clear more then the finest crystal. Gold

becomes clear when it is put thru the hottest part of the fire, several times; as many times as it

takes to get all the impurities out. Trials are our fire. They are the process through which God

purifies our hearts, as many times as it takes.Gods image is what makes us special. We are not evolutionary accidents. There is nothing

about any one of us that just happened. We are created complex creatures. We think, we feel,

we perceive, we reason processes, we remember, we maintain physical bodily functions,

and we make Choices (Essentials of Understanding Psychology, pg 5).We are specially createdand purposefully produced to fulfill a preordained (determined ahead of time) role in Gods

world. When God created us, He already knew why He was making us. Our peculiar qualitiessomehow reflect the nature of God, setting us apart and above all other created beings. Scofieldscommentary notes show that Genesis 1 and 2 are accounts of mankinds creation, not the

evolution. The big gaping difference between the lowest man and the highest beast proves mandid not "evolve". The "highest beast" has no way of being aware of God's Presence or responding

to Him, relationally. Science and technology have not been able to "bridge" the gap between man

and beast. His image in us makes the difference. We are the crown of his creation, completeand capable of fellowship with Him, with the gift of enjoyment and the ability to govern

(Summarized Bible, e-sword).

When we indulge ourselves and fill our body full of our own desires all the time, without anythought of anyone else, we put ourselves on the same level as the beasts and that Image of God

we carry within gets seriously marred and twisted. It is God's Grace (His Undeserved, Divine

Favor) that restores that twisted and marred Image of Him in us. The "Imago Dei", the Image of

God, that's who we are on the most basic, foundational level. His Image is what makes usdifferent from the monkey and every other beast. When we allow selfish pride to rule we are

throwing away the amazing privilege of being in relationship with our Creator.

We have the amazing privilege that no other part of creation has; to be in personalrelationship with our Eternal Creator. We are made in the image of his nature. We can reason

and apprehend concrete things, perceive them in our consciousness, and recognize abstract truth,

whether it is metaphysical or moral. (Albert Barnes Notes) God breathed into us Hisintelligence, immortality (incorruptibility), and His activity. We recognize his image in our

selves in the forms of knowledge, righteousness, and holiness. Our greatest mistake throughout

human history is when the part is continually made out to be the whole.


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There have been attempts to make a difference between the terms image and likeness.

The word used for image, selem refers to a carved image like a statue bearing a strong

resemblance to the one it represents. The term for likeness is Demuth, meaning to fashion, orpattern, sketch an exact model. Neither of these implies that we are in any way divine, but they

do show that we have been given some characteristics of God, being like Him but not the same

as him. Many people both past and present have tried to define these terms in two extremelydifferent ways.

Most of the early church fathers such as Justin Martyr and Iranaenus have tried to say that

image is mankinds physical form while likeness is the spiritual nature. Others like Clementof Alexandria and Origen understand image to be the mental and moral aspects of rationality

and freedom and likeness to be those inner qualities we receive by development or moral

conflict, the supernatural gifts we gain by Gods grace; saying that the image remained and the

likeness was lost after the fall but restored by and in Christ. These ideas do not account forHebrew parallelism and the narrative description of one act of creation. Exegetically speaking,

the two terms were never meant to be separated. Martin Luther and those theologians who

worked with him support the thought that the two terms image and likeness are synonymous

and are merely combined to add intensity to the thought (Keil and Delitzsch commentary, e-sword). The question most difficult, yet most important to answer is how are we like God?

What part of us bears his image?Gods image is obviously not limited to our bodily form. We are all too diverse. God

does not have a physical body, never mind the fact that our body was formed from the dust of

the ground, something too fragile to contain the Almighty, All Powerful Creator of the universe.

The part of us that is most like God is spiritual in nature; it comes from Him directly. It is HisBreath that He personally breathed into us is the image of Him (Genesis 2:7) that bears His

Image the greatest. The breath of God became the soul of man; the soul of man therefore is

nothing but the breath of God. The rest of the world exists through the word of God; man

through His own peculiar breath. This breath is the seal and pledge of our relation to God, of

our godlike dignity; whereas the breath breathed into the animals is nothing but the commonbreath, the life-wind of nature, which is moving everywhere, and only appears in the animal

fixed and bound into a certain independence and individuality, so that the animal soul is nothing

but a nature-soul individualized into certain, though still material spirituality (Ziegler). GodsImage in us is found in our spiritual personality (our determination and passion). It is notlimited to the unity of self-consciousness and self-determination. Personality is merely the basis

and form of Gods Image within us, not the essence (Keil and Delitzsch commentary, e-sword).

We were given the gift of immortality. Gods life, his way of living (being) was made

accessible to us. God wanted our moral development to not just "be there" and taken for granted,but rather to be achieved through an inward trial, which would then make our action a choice.

This is why Peter tells us not to be surprised when we find ourselves in fiery trials and James

says to count it all joy when we find ourselves in diverse temptations. The process of

purification is providing us with the power to choose immortality (Gods life) over

mortality (our life). When we go through a process for something we appreciate it a lot more;

the harder we work, the more we appreciate the result we receive from that hard work. Theprocess of the trials helps to appreciate the gift of immortality (Gods life) for the true treasure it

is.

The image of God is primarily about our relationship to our Creator. Ruling over the

creation is simply an effect of our relationship with Him. The simplest way to understand Gods


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Image is to understand that it is referring to the part that allows us to be free, self conscious,

rational and moral. It is the part that enables us to distinguish right from wrong, choose right or

wrong and move closer into relationship with Him (or further away from Him). The greatest

image of God we bear is the power to choose.We choose between immortality (Gods Life,Way of Living and Being) and Mortality (our life, our way of living, our way of being). We still

have that potential for Gods life inside of us. In the fall, Gods Image in us was never lost, but itwas seriously defaced, which caused us to be incapable of being good and being who we were

meant to be. This is why Jesus is such good news! Jesus Christ resurrects and restores theability to be free, self conscious, rational and ethical once again!

One reason so many people get turned off from Christianity is that so many "Christians"

have refused to choose any other source outside of the Bible, for such a long period of time. But

what about choosing to use those other sources WITH the Bible? If all knowledge ultimately

comes from God, and if we truly believe He gave us the ability to think, reason and process thatknowledge and the thoughts that the knowledge stirs, then it is certainly okay to look into other

sources and see if there isnt something that makes a more clear picture, helping us to better

understand God, each other, the life God intended us to live.

One of those other sources is the science of Psychology. It is about discovering,describing, predicting, and explaining our behavior and mental processes, as well as how to

change and improve them so we can enjoy the world we live in (Feldman, Understanding theEssentials of Psychology); the world that God provided for us. So much of Life is intertwined

and overlapping, to think that it can be divided and neatly separated into little boxes is not

biblical or realistic. Something is going to get torn and lost in that process of division. The hope

of restoration of those parts can be found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.Take a look at Matthew chapters 5-6 and see how intertwined and connected Life is.

Chapter five begins with Jesus listing different groups that people tend to fall into; these are

commonly known as the "Beatitudes". He then moves into who we are as God's People (thesalt/light of the world), continuing on to tell us how to relate to each other. He spends a lot of

time there in the area of relationship, wrapping it up with our relationship to God, our Creator.

It is all intertwined. When one of the areas is "out of whack" and not functioning properlythen the whole thing is messed up and does not function properly. How we see ourselves affects

how we see and relate to each other. How we relate to each other affects how we see and relate to

God, our Creator and Heavenly Father. If we don't know who we are (individually orcollectively) then we cannot rightly relate to or help anyone we encounter. In fact, we will

probably do more damage to the person, then help. If we don't know how to rightly relate or

reach out to others who are right in front of us every day, then we cannot expect to be able to

rightly relate and reach out to God, who isnt so tangible to us. We will not be able to have arelationship with Him. That is what this life is ultimately about, our relationship with Him.

We are made for this Purpose:

1. To Love God as He is.2. To Serve God with the best of our talents/gifts (wherever, whatever, however).

3. To Enjoy His Incredibly Amazing Presence as a part of our every day life, where

ever we are, whatever we are doing, however He has gifted us to express thatpleasure of Him.

It doesn't matter if our parents "planned" to have us or if we were "unplanned surprises

for them. God planned each and every one of us to be where we are, in the moment we are

in, for this time, for this purpose of here and now (today). When we understand this purpose


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more clearly, then who we are and what we are to do and Who God is will be clearer (Erickson,

Christian Theology, pg 496-97).

The Conclusion the Summarized Bible draws says it best: "An all-wise, all-powerful,loving God formed all things perfect in the beginning. He made man, the crown of His creation,

perfect and capable of fellowship with Himself and able to enjoy and govern Eden." God made

the decision to create male/female (human beings) in his image (Genesis 1:26-27), and actedon that decision when he formed them from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7). We can

rest in this basic, simple knowledge that we are here for a purpose. We can rest, even if wedont know that purpose is, because God, Who is Sovereign and on the Throne is in

complete control and knows that purpose and will see to it that the purpose be completed in

and through His Son Jesus Christ.

God is our Source. We are made in His Image.

When we look to identify ourselves in others all we're going to find is our own reflection -

and we're probably NOT going to like what we see. Think about it: why do we look in

mirrors? So we can fix the flaws. When we focus on God, and dig into the depths of Gods

Word we are so captivated, so busy being in awe of who He is and how amazingly beautiful

He is that before we know it, we find ourselves forever changed never the same, flawlessly

transformed into His Image that He breathed into us from the beginning.

When we get our relationship in order with Jesus Christ, the relationship/s with His People

will be a whole easier.


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Spiritual Formations

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