You Are Not A Worm
Taking Genesis 1 Seriously
Hello friends! Work still proceeds on the Exodus 21 book, and a few other projects.
Genesis 1 keeps popping up in these matters, chiefly related to identity. The following post is a reflection on taking Genesis 1 seriously — daring to believe that we are who God says we are.
This might be in the Exodus 21 book. It might not. It’s relevant either way.
You are not a worm.
Sometimes, Christians act as though we're poor wretches in the dirt, horribly rotten sinners who deserve scorn.
But what does God say?
God says He made us in His image (Gen 1:26). We aren't worms. God made us as His children. And God loves His children.
God goes further. God gives us dominion (Gen 1:26). He created us with purpose and affirms our ability to steward this planet and lead our own lives.
God goes even further. God says man is "the image and glory of God" (1 Cor. 11.7).
If this seems odd, picture it as though you're a parent with a child you adore. If someone says "Hey, is that your kid?" You beam with joy. Your child is your glory.
Can you imagine what it means when God says we are His glory?
But hold up now. In the same verse God says women are "the glory of man" (1 Cor 11:7). Doesn't that demean women?
Just the opposite. Imagine your child that you adore finds a spouse that they adore. You beam with joy when people talk of your child, but your child beams with joy when people talk of their beloved.
Think of it as a flow of conversation. When people talk to you, you shift the conversation to talking about your child, your glory. When people talk to your child, your child shifts the conversation to talking about their spouse, their glory.
So who is being glorified, here?
Many Christians feel uncomfortable talking about God glorifying us. We feel as though we're worms and we should never be glorified. Glory should only go one way -- up.
But what if I, as a parent, never praised my kids? What if I demanded that they praise me, but I only regarded them as worms? What kind of parent would I be? Why, then, would we ever want to think of God as that kind of Father?
God adores His kids. He is a GOOD Father.
Consider what Jesus says here: "If anyone serves me, the Father will honor them" (John 12:26).
Imagine being honored by a President you admire. You go to the White House and they honor you before the whole country. How would you feel?
Now imagine being honored by God. You to the Throne Room of Heaven and God honors you before all creation. How would you feel?
To be sure, we sin. We fail. We need forgiveness. We need Jesus to save us. We can't earn Heaven on our own.
But remember why Jesus died on the Cross to save us: "for the JOY set before Him Jesus endured the Cross" (Heb 12:2). What joy? The joy of saving the children He adores.
Will you dare to believe that you are who God says you are?