I often think about the opening chapter of the Bible. God makes many things and, in God's judgment, they are good. Toward the end of Genesis 1, God creates man (and woman) in His own image. Verse 31 reads..."God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." Not only is God's creation good...it is VERY good.
Melissa and I used to often debate one another on whether people were naturally good or whether they were naturally bad. They were fun days. I say "were" because, even though one of us does not like to admit it...we now agree. I would say that people are naturally good and Melissa would reluctantly concur. This may seem like a silly little debate between a married couple, but I think that this issue is extremely important...and I wanted her to get it right. And, yes...I truly do mean "get it right" because I believe that people are naturally good and I believe that it is crucial to understand this fact.
I point back to the creation of humanity and the fact that man and woman were made in the image of God and it was "very good". This is who we are! We are made in the image of God. To say that the image of God is bad is to say that God is bad.
Okay...what about our fallenness? Sin is a stain. It is a tarnishment that takes away our true beauty and our value. But, as we all know, tarnish can be cleaned and stains can be removed, just as the blood of Christ cleanses us.
As Melissa and I are expecting our first child (which is a girl!) I find an example, which I believe is what swayed Melissa to the "good" side. We love our unborn child. We will love her always. In everything that we do, we will love her with all that we have and all that we are.
I asked Melissa..."What happens if she murders someone and goes to prison? Will we still love her?"
"Of course," she says.
So, I ask..."Why will we still love her?"
She responded, "Because she is our daughter."
"Wait a minute, " said me. "You will still love her, even though she murdered someone and is in prison, simply because she is your daughter?"
"Yes!" Melissa interjected. "The fact that she killed someone does not change the fact that she is my daughter. It does not change who she is."
"Exactly!" I exclaimed.
You see, such a horrible thing such as murder will not make us stop loving our daughter. It will make it difficult considering the fact that she is in prison and there is hurt to overcome. But healing can be had and she can be rehabilitated to be a valued asset to society and our family.
If she committed murder, we would continue to love her because we know that at her deepest core...she is our daughter. The same little girl that I read to each night in Melissa's womb. The same little girl who will someday bake cakes with her mommy, and learn to play softball with her daddy. It is the same little girl who will make me cry on her first day of school, when she graduates from High School, and when she weds. No amount of horrible deeds will ever change the fact that she is the image of me and Melissa.
Likewise, no amount of sin will ever change the fact that we are made in the image of God. Sure, there is sin in our lives that make it difficult to act as though we are made in the image of God, but it does not change the fact that we are. It is one of those great truths! No matter how hard you try, you cannot escape where you came from. You cannot change who your parents are and you certainly cannot change who your Creator is.
No matter how much sin you have piled upon yourself, you are still made in the image of God! This is your deepest core! It may be buried pretty deep, but it is there, if you search hard enough.
I mentioned before that I thought this was a really important truth to grab ahold of. One reason because of the implications of the "good" view and the "bad" view. The "good" view says, "You are not bound by your sins. You can be holy! You can become entirely sanctified." The "bad" view, on the other hand, tells us that, "You are bound by sin forever. You cannot escape the grasp that sin has on your life. Entire sanctification and holiness are not in your lifeplan."
Personally, the "good" view give me an optimistic outlook. But, it does not mean that the "good" view is easier. In fact, it is harder...at least it should be because the "good" view tells us that we should not be sinning. We have no excuse for it anymore. We were made to be better than sinners and we should strive not to be sinners. Rather, we are to return to what we were meant to be...perfected in love...entirely sanctified...holy.
