So, we are saints, not sinners. Our identity is formed by the God of Creation who formed us in the womb; before we first felt the heat of the sun or the cool breeze on our skin. Genesis gives us the first insight into who we are:
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. -Genesis 1:27
My friends, we begin, live and die with the identity as image-bearers of the one who blew the breath of life into us. Granted, much of this image has been tarnished by sin and rebellion. That is at least part of the reason that we are in desperate need of a savior. He seeks to restore us to that image. Too many are like the man that is drowning, who in a panic, keeps beating away the lifeguard trying to save him. Jesus comes to wipe away the dirt and muck of our world that is clinging to the masterpiece that is you.
Many years ago, a small village in Thailand was in danger of being invaded by another tribe. The village was the home of a great golden statue that was made of the purest gold and was ten feet tall, ten feet wide, and ten feet long. That is a lot of gold. It was also too heavy for them to move, so the wise men of the village took mud and grass and covered the statue. When they were done, the statue looked like an ordinary statue. The ruse worked, maybe a little too well. Twenty years later, when the villagers returned to the village, they saw the statue, but they had forgotten what was beneath the mud and muck. The statue was relegated to an out-of-sight part of the village. One day, when a group of men were tasked with moving it, they chipped away some of that mud and discovered the true value.
My friends, you are an image-bearer of the King of Kings. You are a priceless treasure. God’s very own masterpiece. I recognize that many days, you do not feel like it. When I look in the mirror, I rarely see the Son of Man. But that is who I really am.
Less this knowledge puffs you up, let me make it clear that this is true for all humanity. The man sitting on death row is an image-bearer. The woman you are diminishing by objectifying her body or abusing her is also made in the image of God. The man who prays five times a day to Alah is also made in the image of God. A woman in a remote village in Africa or Asia or Central America is made in the image of God. That family that is crossing the border illegally, they are image-bearers. That is who they really are.
When Jesus died on the cross, He did so for them because He loves them. We must train our eyes to see ourselves and them in this light if we hope to forge a new life for ourselves. Connect your heart to the heart of Jesus, and train your heart to see them through his eyes. When you see the hurting, addicted, the sick, and the dejected of society, see them with your eyes, created to see the face of God.
