Genesis 1:26
Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.'
"Us" communicates one of theology's most profound lessons. Simply, our God is One. From the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, that God was an "Us". Of course, we can't fully understand this now, and maybe never will. The God of our faith, revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is but one and equal God.
Of course, the doctrine of the Trinity is the church's attempt to help make sense of this plurality of oneness. Still, while most Christians don't hesitate to lift up praises to the Father or to the Son in worship, we struggle with the Holy Spirit. But God knew this struggle was coming, so he gives us an image to see the God who is One.
"Our image" tells us any time God reveals himself to us, be it as Father, Son or Spirit, we are experiencing God's presence. Thus, the Spirit is equally the Father we pray to and the Jesus we worship. All are the one God who was there in the beginning, creating the heavens and the earth.
"Our image" suggests we needn't have competing images of our God. While we read of God as the Father of Lights, the Son of the Cross, and the Church's Indwelling Spirit, we need to know all are equally God's image to us. They are but one picture of God, regardless of how we choose to categorize this image
Still, it seems it is only when we include the Spirit in our image of God that we can fully experience our faith today. After all, when was the last time God spoke to you through a burning bush, or in a still small voice, or even face to face?
When God wants to show us his image today, he is most likely to reach out through the Spirit. It might be in a dream, or in communion with my spirit, an enlightenment of the written Word, or the voice of a preacher. But when God speaks today, he is probably doing it through the Spirit.
But don't feel cheated. When you experience the Spirit, you still know all of God. You get the complete image.
Since it is the Spirit which reflects God's image today, for others to see Jesus in you, they have to see the Spirit in you. When the Spirit controls your life, your efforts to live for God's glory reflect the image of the Spirit in you.
As the Spirit indwells your life, you can't help but reflect the image of God. The Spirit is God's image.
Lord Jesus
May my life seek to reflect the image of the Spirit living within me. May I do nothing to suppress, hide or stifle your personality as the Spirit controls my life. Amen.
See Genesis 3:22 for a similar lesson.
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