The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1963-07-12
Ina &c Of God q.
Lesson for July IA, 1868

the Bible. It is such an astonish-
ing statement that many, even
Christians have been unable
to believe it. There is no space
here to tell of the ways in
which this great declaration has
been made to appear to say
something else but what it does
say; namely, that God and man
have a common likeness. a re-
semblance. This does not mean
that man is an exact reproduc-
ton of God on a small scale.
It does mean, taken at face
value, that man resembles God
in ways that 10 other creatures
do.
What Happened to Image?
Someone will ask: But what
about sin? Was there anything
left Of the image Of God after
mankind fell into sin? Here
Christians, and even churches,
have long differed. Some say:
The image is there, clear as
ever. Others say: The image
resemblance to Cod has been
totally destroyed by sin. There
is a third view in between these,
W hich is held by many
churches, and which seems to
this writer to be closest to the
Bible and to facts of experience
That is, the image of God has
been marred and defaced, but
it Is still there. This view of the
matter is expressed in an old
gospel song: Down in the hui
man heart. crushed by tn e
tempter, Feelings lie buried
that Grace can restore.
Like God in Mind
One way in which we are a
kind of likeness of God is in
Cur minds. A great scientist of
past century spoke of his dis
coveries as thinking God Is
thoughts after him." The mind
Of God planned this universe;
and if our minds were abso-
lutely unlike His, we could nc
more appreciate this universe
we could no more discover its
laws, than a turtle can. So far
as we know how the world is
made, SO far as we discover the
properties of newer elements and
materials, we are thinking aft
er God the thoughts He had in
creation. Had you ever stopped
to- think what a dull world this
would be if we had to look at
it from turtles eyes and a
turtles brain? If you have any
sense you would not exchange
places with the most intelligent
horse or dog that ever lived, be-
cause in doing SO you would
lose your most precious posses
sion next to life itself: your hui
man mind.
The Voice of Conscience
John Calvin. famous theolo-
gian who could be very plain
when he tried. gave us a help
full hint about the image Of
God. It means all those quail
ties in man. he said, which
mark us off from other ami
mails. Now one of these quail
ties is what we call Conscience
This is a word for the ability
which human beings have, to
look at things and actions moi
only as pleasant or unpleasant
legal or illegal, approved or dis
approved, but as RIGHT OF
WRONG. Nature - birds and
bees and tigers and buzzards -
does not know anything about
right and wrong. Nature crea.
lures do what comes naturally
they know nothing else. because
they do not bear the image Of
God. But mans ability to be
aware of right and wrong-anc
not only that, but to stand fol
the right even if he suffers anc
dies for it-this is part of what
his likeness to God means.
The Love of Beauty
Again. one thing that sets u;
off from other creatures anc
marks a resemblance to God, is
something often forgotten
namely, the joy we have in what
is beautiful. Animals are sensi
tive to simple beauties such as
color; but you never saw a dog
that would leave his bone t.
look at a sunset, nor a cat thai
would eat more happily if &
bowl OF violets were put dowr
by her catfood. 1t is only hui
man beings who want flowers
on the table. or who will rise
from q meal to look at sun
set. God made the world beau
tiful, and it was beautiful long
before men lived on this planet
But now whene yer beauty
touches our hearts. whenever
we thrill to beauty in nature Of
in art, we are sharing the joy Of
God. The reader is invited te
think this out farther: these
that have been mentioned are
not the only ways in which WE
bear the image Of God. We car
come to Him, not as to stran
ger!
Biased on outlines copyright
ed by the Division Of Christian