God’s Image, Our Essence: Part 2

Genesis 1:1-2:3

As we continue to reflect upon God's first impression, there are four things that we learn about God: he is very creative, he has "pride" over his work, he works with wisdom and structure, and he highly esteems rest. In other words, God portrays himself as a worker. This is a surprise for many of us because we typically think of God as a father, master, or king, while we rarely see him as a worker. 

God introduces himself in this way in order to emphasize the importance of work. Part of being created in the image of God means that our work is very important to our essence--whether our vocation is in the classroom, at home, or in an office. This is why even today, every human places so much significance in his or her vocation.

As divine as these aspects are, they have been tarnished through sin. Consequently, we are stuck between three realities: because we are created in the image of God, these four aspects are intrinsic to our humanity so they can be very satisfying; unfortunately, because of our sin, these four aspects also cause much stress; however, because of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can experience his redemptive power in these four aspects until we are perfected, which will take place at his return.

This first impression of God can therefore provide much clarity in the tension many of us experience with respect to our vocation.

Questions:

1. In God's first impression, he showcases his creativity, his "pride" over his work, his wisdom/structure, and his esteem for rest. Which of these four aspects surprise you the most?

2. We often think of God as a father, king, master, savior, judge, or other common roles, and we rarely think of him as a worker. Why do you think God chose to introduce himself as a worker?

3. Because of the fall, these aspects that we have inherited from God have also been corrupted. For instance, we struggle with laziness or we place our identity in our work. 

• In what ways have you experienced the effects of sin in these four aspects? (This question can help make your repentance more specific.)

• In what ways have you experienced the effects of the power of the gospel in these four aspects? What biblical principles did God teach you through these experiences?