Church Ecclesiology Gospel Mission Worldview

The Beauty of Being Human

Backwards Understanding
You’ve probably heard some variation of the quote: “Life can only be understood backwards.” The source is the Danish philosopher Kiekegaard, and his point was that clarity for our lives forward lies in looking to the past. That’s how it works here, as we look back to the very beginning. The scriptures open with dramatic tone. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” If you are a Christian, then you have likely read these words, perhaps many times. You have more than likely taken them as a simple account of what took place when the world was made. But what if I told you that these few words, and what follows for the next two chapters, are revealing for us far more than just a simple narrative on God creating everything from nothing. What if I told you that what is being revealed to us is in actuality God covenantally binding Himself not only to humanity, but to the full breadth of His creation. But what does that mean, exactly?

A covenant, in brief, was a typical way of describing a relationship typified by promises and obligations. The word covenant can be found 286 times in the Old Testament, and is a common feature of the ancient world, particularly in Near Eastern cultures. When Moses writes that God created the heavens and the earth, what he is shaping immediately for the reader is that God was establishing a covenantal relationship with His world. What comes next is familiar to most. After these substantial opening words God begins to create, and with nearly everything He creates He immediately calls it good. The scriptures record an almost rhythmic continuation of just that— He creates, He calls it good. In this we see the declaration of God’s unchanging covenant with the totality of His creation. Everything He made, He sustains. And everything He made is meant to obey Him. Everything is bound covenantally to God. (Psalm 145)

                                             “All things, plants, animals, and persons are appointed to be covenant servants,

                                                         to obey God’s law, and be instruments of His gracious purpose.”- John Frame

While that quote is true, there is a nuance when it comes to “persons.” Among all the things God created, humanity is different. Human beings are the one creature created, called, and empowered to bear God’s image within the rest of His creation.

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.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26-28)

Human beings were created to mediate the rule of God to His world. We were given stewardship over everything, trusted with everything and as such a failure to be faithful to God on our part affects all of creation. We were made accountable to our Creator for His cosmos, His world.
                                                      To miss humanity’s unique calling in this world would be
                                                     to miss the very purpose of our being made in God’s image.

You see, this understanding only comes by looking back. But this has to leave us wondering, where is the disconnect between what God intended, and the world in which we presently exist? In other words, what happened?

Excerpt from Renovate © 2016 by Léonce B. Crump Jr. Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. All Rights Reserved.

Share this:

Related Articles

No comments

  2. Reliable information. Regards!
    http://canadianpharmaciescubarx.com/
    medical information online canadian online pharmacies buy cialis canada pharmacy online
    medication costs
    discount pharmacy online
    international pharmacy
    pain meds online without doctor prescription
    canadian discount pharmacy
    pain meds online without doctor prescription

    Reply

  9. Nicely put. Many thanks.
    http://www.canadianpharmacymsn.com/
    canada pharmacies without script trust pharmacy canada canada pharmacies prescription drugs northwest pharmacy
    buy prescription drugs without doctor
    global pharmacy canada
    best online pharmacies no prescription
    canadian online pharmacy
    canada pharmacies online
    online pharmacies

    Reply

  13. You stated that terrifically!
    http://canadianpharmaciescubarx.com/
    canadian pharma companies canada pharmaceuticals online walgreens pharmacy northwest pharmacy
    prescription drug price comparison
    compare prescription prices
    online canadian pharmacy
    best canadian prescription prices
    buying prescription drugs canada
    buy prescription drugs without doctor

    Reply

  16. Amazing quite a lot of awesome data!
    https://nicktambone.com/
    international pharmacies that ship to the usa online pharmacies canada buy drugs online online pharmacies of canada
    compare prescription prices
    online pharmacy reviews
    cialis online
    canadapharmacyonline.com
    canada pharmacy online no script
    online pharmacy without a prescription

    Reply

  25. Seriously all kinds of beneficial tips!
    http://www.canadianpharmacymsn.com/
    prescription online online pharmacies canada buying prescription drugs canada canada drug
    best price prescription drugs
    candrugstore com
    prescription online
    canada pharmacies prescription drugs
    best online pharmacies canada
    buy prescription drugs from canada

    Reply

  35. Great data, Appreciate it!
    http://canadianpharmaciescubarx.com/
    trusted overseas pharmacies london drugs canada discount prescription drugs online canada online pharmacies
    approved canadian pharmacies online
    prescription drugs without prior prescription
    pharmacy without dr prescriptions
    canadian online pharmacy
    pharmacies near me
    online pharmacy

    Reply

  36. You actually reported this well.
    http://talahicc.com/
    canadian pharmacy king top rated canadian pharmacies online canada pharmacies online pharmacy north west pharmacy canada
    no prescription online pharmacy
    highest rated canadian pharmacies
    canada pharmacy online reviews
    pharmacy prices compare
    mexican pharmacies online
    pharmacy canada

    Reply

  37. Wonderful material. Kudos!
    http://canadianpharmaciescubarx.com/
    pharmacy online mexico canada pharmacy online canada pharmacy online no script canada pharmacy
    discount pharmacy online
    prescription drugs online without doctor
    prescription drugs prices
    canada pharmacy online orders
    24 hour pharmacy
    canadian pharmacy without prescription

    Reply

  38. Fantastic info. Many thanks.
    http://canadianpharmacyntx.com/
    trusted overseas pharmacies canada pharmaceuticals online best online pharmacies no prescription canadian pharmacies
    best non prescription online pharmacies
    canada drugs online
    international pharmacy
    canadian pharmacy no prescription needed
    canadapharmacyonline.com
    canadian pharmacy online

    Reply

  45. You’ve made your point extremely effectively!.
    http://canadianpharmaciesnnm.com/
    get prescription online canadian pharmacies that ship to us drug costs canada pharmaceuticals online
    drugs from canada
    best online pharmacies no prescription
    canadian drug
    canadianpharmacy
    rx price comparison
    canadian online pharmacies prescription drugs

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *