Image Bearers of God
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Genesis 1:26
Read Genesis 1:1-26
The central theme for this month is sexuality. This is a very sensitive and tender subject. Especially in our day, norms are being blurred, taboos are broken one after the other, and unrestricted sexual morals are being promoted. Society around us easily influences our thoughts by the norms it promotes. How important it is that we follow biblical guidelines about this subject! Only then will we be able to properly discuss this subject.
When we begin with man’s Fall, we must take the reality of man’s sinful existence as a point of reference. The result of the Fall was truly disastrous. Sexuality has become a dirty word and a subject that merely belongs to depraved mankind. It also becomes a subject that is sometimes better left un-discussed because it belongs to man’s baser desires. However, originally this was not the case; the Bible does not begin with Genesis 3, but with Genesis 1. Consequently, our thoughts about sexuality must naturally begin there as well.
The first thing the Holy Spirit reveals to us is that man has been created in the image of the triune God, in true knowledge, righteousness and holiness. Thus, our sexuality is not our first focus; rather, our duty in life is the center of attention. We have been created to exhibit the image of God and to declare the glory and honour of God in our lives. Therein lies the purpose for each one of us—we are image bearers of God. But, do we fulfill this mandate?
Thought: Society has demeaned human sexuality, making it a consumer product.
Psalter 14:4,5 (based on Psalm 8) O what is man in Thy regard To hold so large a place, And what the son of man, that Thou Dost visit him in grace. On man Thy wisdom hath bestowed, A power well nigh divine; With honor Thou hast crowned his head, With glory like to Thine.