Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.  And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”  So God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created him.  And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good.  And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.  And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. – Genesis 1:26-27;31; Genesis 2:22;25  

The first thing that hit me as I walked into the operating room was the smell.  I can only liken it to the smell of a rotting corpse.  The same smell I had experienced in Haiti after the earthquake.  She was perhaps 40 years old, from a poor rural village in Kenya, and had finally made it to Tenwek hospital to seek treatment for what had started as a tooth infection.  Left untreated, the infection had spread, and now had eroded through her cheek.  She had pus running down her neck.  I watched the surgeon, unfazed by all this, put on a glove, and stick his finger into the gaping hole in her cheek, to express the pus hidden beneath the surface.  Many thoughts went through my mind as I stood there watching this, but one thought that I confess did not run through my mind was that this woman was created by God, in His likeness, and she is an image bearer of Him.  If this had been what I was thinking, how much more would my heart have broken for her, how much more deeply I would have loved her, and how I would have seen the beautiful creature that was before me.  

We were all created in God’s image, and yes that image has been distorted by sin, but at our core, we still bear His image.  I think what causes me more than anything to forget this as I look upon other people, is my own sin-stained lens through which I look at His image bearers.  It is like driving forward with a windshield that has been caked with mud.  If I could see more clearly, I would recognize the reflection of His holiness and glory and beauty that is before me in everyone, and would truly love people, as God has loved me.  I would recognize their true worth.  I would seek justice for them. I would not be able to help but to share the gospel with them, telling them how special they are because they bear the very image of God Himself.

I would remember that this poor suffering woman in Kenya was created by Him, in His own image.  I would remember that the homeless man asking me for money to buy alcohol, was created by Him, in His own image.  I would remember that the 13 year old girl who has been sold into prostitution was created by Him, in His own image.  I would remember that the 13 week old girl that was just aborted, was created by Him, in His own image.  

Lord Jesus, please give me Your eyes, that I may see clearly Your image in each and every person you place before me.  Let me no longer look through this sin-stained lens, but let me look with clarity of vision upon the image bearers of Yourself that You have created and given breath and life to.  Teach me Oh Lord, to love my brothers and sisters, as You have loved us, with a love that is beyond description.  And place in me the hope that you will one day transform our lowly bodies, to be like Your glorious body, by the power that enables You even to subject all things to Yourself – Philippians 3:21.

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.  For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” – 2 Corinthians 3:18

“And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good.  And God separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.”  – Genesis 1:3-4  

How blessed are we to worship a God who speaks?  God simply speaks, and light and day and earth and seas and plants and creatures all come into being.  This is astounding.  This is the most powerful, holy and sovereign voice that has ever spoken.  Did He speak with a mighty thunder, or did He whisper?  What language did He speak this in?  I think when I get to heaven, if permitted, I should like to ask God to repeat some of His “Greatest Hits”:  “For I so loved the world, that I gave My only son”, “Behold, I am coming soon”, and of course, “Let there be light”.  These verses which have been so dear to me, spoken by God Himself.  Most of us would jump at an opportunity to sit in a room and listen to the president speak.  What would you give to hear the voice of the King of Kings?

How blessed are we to worship a God who still speaks to us today?  He has given us His clear, inerrant, sufficient word, written down in the Bible.  When Christ first claimed me, I merely enjoyed God’s Word.  Today, I thirst for it, I delight in it, it is sweeter than any honey, and I cannot live without it.  I sometimes marvel that the very words I read every morning, were spoken by God Himself, that same voice that spoke time and space into existence is speaking to me here and now.  When I meditate on this, it truly causes me to tremble beneath His Word (Isaiah 66:2).  

One of the greatest joys I have ever known was that which came out of giving someone a Bible, God’s mighty and sovereign word for them.  It was like handing someone the key to life.  It was like handing them the voice of God.  I could not give a greater physical gift.

God’s Word is not simply the voice of history, it is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).  As I read His Word I am truly pierced to the division of soul and of spirit.  As I read the Bible, I am convicted, I am moved, I am directed, I am sanctified, I am given hope, and my heart cries out to God.  His word changes me.  This same word which called light into being, shines light into my heart and my mind, and illuminates the cause for which I was created, to bring glory to Him.  

The same God who spoke light into creation, spoke light into this world again, in His great act of redemption for a people who He loved.  God sent His light to a people living in darkness, when He gave to us the “light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” – 2 Corinthians 4:6.

Abba, let me never neglect Your Word.  Let me never again wander in darkness, and let me always be thankful for the light you have shone upon us who believe, through the gospel of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed  in the thing for which I sent it.” – Isaiah 55:10-11 ….. THE WORD OF GOD!

So "God laid on Christ the iniquities of us all," that "by his stripes we might be healed," Isa. liii. 5, 6. Our iniquity was laid on him, and he bare it, verse 11; and through his bearing of it we are freed from it. His stripes are our healing. Our sin was his, imputed unto him; his merit is ours, imputed unto us. “He was made sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might become the righteousness of God in him,” 2 Cor. v. 21. This is that commutation I mentioned: he was made sin for us; we are made the righteousness of God in him. God not imputing sin unto us, verse 19, but imputing righteousness unto us, does it on this ground alone that “he was made sin for us.” And if by his being made sin, only his being made a sacrifice for sin is intended, it is to the same purpose; for the formal reason of any thing being made an expiatory sacrifice, was the imputation of sin unto it by divine institution. The same is expressed by the same apostle, Rom. viii. 3, 4, “God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us.” The sin was made his, he answered for it; and the righteousness which God requires by the law is made ours: the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us, not by our doing it, but by his. This is that blessed change and commutation wherein alone the soul of a convinced sinner can find rest and peace. So he “has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, that the blessing of Abraham might come on us,” Gal. iii. 13, 14. The curse of the law contained all that was due to sin. This belonged unto us; but it was transferred on him. He was made a curse; whereof his hanging on a tree was the sign and token. Hence he is said to “bear our sins in his own body on the tree,” 1 Pet. ii. 24; because his hanging on the tree was the token of his bearing the curse: “For he that is hanged is the curse of God,” Deut. xxi. 23. And in the blessing of faithful Abraham all righteousness and acceptation with God is included; for Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness.

(Works Of John Owen, vol. 5: Faith And Its Evidences, 35)

The grace of God, the promise of mercy, the free pardon of sin, the blood of Christ, his obedience, and the righteousness of God in him, rested in and received by faith, are everywhere asserted as the causes and means of our justification, in opposition unto any thing in ourselves, so expressed as it uses to express the best of our obedience, and the utmost of our personal righteousness. Wherever mention is made of the duties, obedience, and personal righteousness of the best of men, with respect unto their justification, they are all renounced by them, and they betake themselves unto sovereign grace and mercy alone. Some places to this purpose may be recounted.

The foundation of the whole is laid in the first promise; wherein the destruction of the work of the devil by the suffering of the seed of the woman is proposed as the only relief for sinners, and only means of the recovery of the favour of God. “It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel,” Gen. iii. 15. “Abraham believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness,” Gen. xv. 6. “And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat; and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited,” Lev. xvi. 21, 22. “I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only,” Ps. lxxi. 16. “If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared,” Ps. cxxx. 3, 4. “Enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified,” Ps. cxliii. 2. “Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly: how much less in them that 28dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust?” Job iv. 18, 19. “Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together. Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me,” Isa. xxvii. 4, 5. “Surely, shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength: in the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory,” chap. xlv. 24, 25. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities,” chap. liii. 6, 11. “This is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness,” Jer. xxiii. 6. “But ye are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags,” Isa. lxiv. 6. “He shall finish the transgression, and make an end of sins, and make reconciliation for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness,” Dan. ix. 24. “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name,” John i. 12. “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life,” chap. iii. 14, 15. “Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses,” Acts xiii. 38, 39. “That they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me,” chap. xxvi. 18. “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay; but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law,” Rom. iii. 24–28. “For if Abraham were justified by works, he has whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the Scriptures Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord 29will not impute sin,” chap. iv. 2–8. “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, has abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Therefore, as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous,” chap. v. 15–19. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,” chap. viii. 1–4. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth,” chap. x. 4. “And if by grace, then is it no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace; otherwise work is no more work,” chap. xi. 6. “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption,” 1 Cor. i. 30. “For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him,” 2 Cor. v. 21. “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh he justified,” Gal. ii. 16. “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us,” chap. iii. 11–13. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them,” Eph. ii. 8–10. “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, 30not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith,” Phil. iii. 8, 9. “Who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” 2 Tim. i. 9. “That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life,” Tit. iii. 7. “Once in the end of the world has he appeared, to put away sin,” Heb. ix. 26, 28. “Having by himself purged our sins,” chap. i. 3. “For by one offering he has perfected forever them that are sanctified,” chap. x. 14. “The blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son cleanseth us from all sin,” 1 John i. 7. Wherefore, “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen,” Rev. i. 5, 6.

(Works Of John Owen, vol. 5: Faith And Its Evidences, 27)

"Some deny the depravation and corruption of our nature, which ensued on our apostasy from God, and the loss of his image; or, if they do not absolutely deny it, yet they so extenuate it as to render it a matter of no great concern unto us. Some disease and distemper of the soul they will acknowledge, arising from the disorder of our affections, whereby we are apt to receive in such vicious habits and customs as are in practice in the world; and, as the guilt hereof is not much, so the danger of it is not great. And as for any spiritual filth or stain of our nature that is in it, it is clean washed away from all by baptism. That deformity of soul which came upon us in the loss of the image of God, wherein the beauty and harmony of all our faculties, in all their acting in order unto their utmost end, did consist; that enmity unto God, even in the mind, which ensued thereon; that darkness which our understandings were clouded, yea, blinded withal, — the spiritual death which passed on the whole soul, and total alienation from the life of God; that impotency unto good, that inclination unto evil, that deceitfulness of sin, that power and efficacy of corrupt lusts, which the Scriptures and experience so fully charge on the state of lost nature, are rejected as empty notions or fables. No wonder if such persons look upon imputed righteousness as the shadow of a dream, who esteem those things which evidence its necessity to be but fond imaginations. And small hope is there to bring such men to value the righteousness of Christ, as imputed to them, who are so unacquainted with their own unrighteousness inherent in them. Until men know themselves better, they will care very little to know Christ at all." (Works Of John Owen, vol. 5: Faith And Its Evidences, 21)

There was an old direction for the visitation of the sick, composed, as they say, by Anselm..."Dost thou believe that thou canst not be saved but by the death of Christ? The sick man answers, 'Yes;' then let it be said unto him, Go to, then, and whilst thy soul abideth in thee, put all thy confidence in this death alone, place thy trust in no other thing; commit thyself wholly to this death, cover thyself wholly with this alone, cast thyself wholly on this death, wrap thyself wholly in this death. And if God would judge thee, say, 'Lord, I place the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between me and thy judgment; and otherwise I will not contend or enter into judgment with thee.' And if he shall say unto thee that thou art a sinner, say, 'I place the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between me and my sins.' If he shall say unto thee that thou hast deserved damnation, say, 'Lord, I put the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between thee and all my sins; and I offer his merits for my own, which I should have, and have not.' If he say that he is angry with thee, say, 'Lord, I place the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between me and thy anger...My conscience has deserved damnation, and my repentance is not sufficient for satisfaction; but most certain it is that thy mercy aboundeth above all offence." (Works Of John Owen, vol. 5: Faith And Its Evidences, 16-17)