Are You Grateful You Can See Value in Others?
by M. Wayne Sullivan
on Nov 22, 2022
Are You Grateful You Can See Value in Others?
In a previous article, "Are You Grateful for being made in God's image?" we discussed how God made every man and woman, every boy and girl in His Image, after His likeness. Even after the Fall, the image still exists and is present in every member of humanity.
Sometimes it is difficult to see God’s image in mankind, marred as we are by sin. But every single person since Adam and Eve has been born a sinner in need of a Savior. Yet we ...... all bear God’s image. What difference should that make in the way we interact with one another? That is our topic for today.
Are you ready?
Let's get our zealous on!
Is There Value in Others?
When we struggle to see value in others, we must remember that, in reality, there are only two kinds of people. Sinners who have been rescued by Jesus Christ. And, sinners who are still under the wrath of God. Whether believers or unbelievers, we are all still under the curse of sin and in need of rescuing.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20 ESV
As believers, we are commanded in the Great Commission to invite others into the hands of the Rescuer. One of the major obstacles to the completion of this grand mission is not our lack of knowledge or tools. Our greatest obstacle to inviting others into the hands of Jesus is our attitude. Primarily, the way we perceive other people. Believers must never look at unbelievers as less than human
Sinclair Ferguson wrote in his book, Devoted to God, The human heart retains a distorted copy, a smudged image of God’s original will. All of us retain some sense that we were created in God’s likeness, made to live for his glory, and hard-wired for obedience to him as it were—although now major distortions and malfunctions have affected our instincts. Were that hard-wiring totally destroyed we would cease to be distinctly human. But, in fact, relics of it remain in us, fragments of our lost destiny. Like a ruined castle it is still possible to discern the glory for which we were created.1 Too often we see ourselves as better than others. Is that loving others as you love yourself? No! Of course, it isn't. An honest look at our church culture reveals the hard truth that we don't always see value in those outside the church. James, the half-brother of Jesus, teaches us to guard our attitudes toward others. Especially in the area those attitudes most often proceed; our mouths. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. It is this very attitude that has the church so weak in our society today. Some believers are rapidly turning their congregations into morgues with steeples because of their prejudice and indifference towards those who are different. We have to learn to see value in others outside of our Christian circles. I get it! People are messy. People under God’s wrath, who lack character and morality can be especially messy. But they still need Jesus as badly as we do! Every day they wake up with no hope. While you and I have hope and peace. Christian bear God’s image and be a light to those people who are made in the same image. Do all you can to point them to their rescuer! Their lack of character and morality; their messiness isn't their true problem. Though that is where we often dwell in forming our conclusions about others. The real problem for the unbeliever is not that they lack character or morality. No, their problem is that they are still under God’s wrath because they do not yet know Jesus as their Lord! They haven't experienced His redeeming love! Perhaps if our view of nonbelievers changed, we would draw more people to Christ rather than push them away. Our approach toward everyone we meet should be to lovingly discover the way that they distinctly reflect their creator. If you meet a person who has qualities that are like God; ethics, kindness, morals, and talents; seek to affirm the image of God in that person. They may even surpass you in some qualities, so commend them and point them to the Savior whose image they reflect. We have to change our perception of others from being based on their apparent worthlessness to seeing their infinite value to Christ! John Calvin once said, “All people are like ruined statues on which we can still trace the outlines of their former glory.”2 We must change our perception of other people. We must see the remnants of the "outlines of their former glory." Recognizing this will help us to share something of great value we have in common: God’s Imago Dei. We can embrace the fact that we are all sinners in need of a Savior. Do you think this will begin to break down barriers set up against the love and forgiveness of Christ? Do you believe that this would bring God glory? I sure do! As you prepare for the Thanksgiving Holiday, take some time around your family meals to thank God for the Imago Dei. We have compiled a collection of Bible verses that you can read together with your family and friends this holiday as you gather around the table. The compilation will help remind you of how great our God is and how much we have to be thankful for. The Imago Dei will be completely restored when Jesus Christ returns and grants us eternal rest. Jesus is the perfect image, the perfect representation of God's image, because He is God incarnate, God in flesh! He will one day give us a new glorified body that will perfectly reflect the image of God. Yet, God has still allowed His image to remain on mankind. As believers, we have the opportunity to once again reflect that image more brightly in Christ. That is something to be truly grateful for! You may be grateful for the image reflected in your own life, but are you grateful for the image of God that you see reflected in others? Can you see value in others? Don't you want as many people to experience that perfect reflection as possible? Meditate on the reflection of God's image you see in those around you. Think of creative ways to discuss that reflection with them. Don't be afraid. Pray it through and give it a go! See if God doesn't respond. We should be grateful this Thanksgiving that the image of God affects the way we see people. Don't you agree? We would love to hear from you! Leave us a comment. Share with one another lessons you have learned about the Image of God as you look around at humanity and the Creation we have stewardship over. Build each other up! Be Grateful! Happy Thanksgiving Zealous Nation! Until next time, #bezealous, #stayzealous, #livezealouslyforchrist 1. Ferguson, Sinclair B. Devoted to God: Blueprints for Sanctification. Edinburg, UK: Banner of Truth Trust, 2016. p. 170. 2. The Story Guide: Leader 2nd Edition. Bloomington, IL: Spread Truth Publishing, 2011. p. 124.Unbelievers Are Fashioned after God's Image Too!
Christians Must Learn to See Value In Others
The Unbeliever's True Problem
Our Needed Correction In Perception
The Imago Dei Perfected
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